If two shows at once sounds like a lot for The Actors Company of Natick (ACON) to juggle at once, well, it is. Founder and Artistic and Executive Director Patrick Conaway, a Natick High School graduate and a dorm parent at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, says the only way for one company to manage overlapping shows is through teamwork. “We have an amazing group of artistically gifted people with an amazing work ethic and the drive to get it done,” Conaway says.

Community to the very core

Conaway makes clear that the mission of ACON is to consistently focus its efforts toward the greater good. “What we’re doing is producing theater with a purpose. With each production, we’re celebrating our community heroes.” The Julius Caesar production will honor veterans of the United States Armed Forces, while You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown will recognize all the educators who go above and beyond every day.

Conaway and his team have been preparing to bring equitable, professional and accessible productions to Natick for a long time. But it wasn’t until the theater-loving community turned out in force to attend the first ACON fundraiser, last month’s Night of Stars event at Natick’s AMVETS Post #79, that Conaway allowed himself to actually believe that everything might really, truly, come together.

The event included amazing performances from those with local ties to others who performed in Natick for the first time. Natick High School graduate Jordan McLaughlin, a rising Junior at Hofstra University studying drama with a minor in musical theatre, sang an original song that she wrote; and the 15+ members of Scalestorm, a NHS student-led a cappella group entertained the crowd with perfectly melded harmonies. Jacob Conley from Atlanta, a rising senior at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, brought a high-energy, audience-driven performance piece, then slowed things down with a slower, jazzier number. And top-15 finisher of BroadwayWorld’s “Next on Stage” competition, Talia Cutulle, belted out a tune.

The crowd, both in-person and virtual, was moved to help the 501(c)(3) organization exceed its $10K donations goal, giving ACON a much-needed infusion of funding. Between the Night of Stars event and sponsorship from Act Two—Share Our Stage, a digital content producer for creative endeavors, the financial piece of ACON came together. First on the list of disbursements—paying everybody in the company equitably. “Our company is made up of all non-union actors, but all our actors are getting paid a generous salary,” Patrick says.

The core values of the group—community, creativity, equity, joy, and teamwork—inform every move that ACON makes.

As it gets closer to show time, Patrick says the excitement has intensified. Fortunately, theater types are used to the feverish pace of rehearsals leading up to the immovable deadline of showtime. It’s kind of what they live for. “I’m so proud of everybody in involved in this dream that I’m pinching myself,” Patrick says, “But there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

Bring the arts into your home

Host an ACON artist this summer. It’s an incredible way to share the Natick community with theater professionals and gain insight into the world of the arts. Host families are asked to provide housing and potentially a parking space for an artist, June 26-Aug. 1, 2022. No transportation responsibilities are required.

Contact Patrick Conaway at patrickconaway@actorscompanyofnatick.com

Julius Caesar performances

DATES/TIMES: July 22nd 7pm; 23rd 7pm; 24th 2pm; 28th 7pm; and 30th 7pm
LOCATION: Kennedy Middle School, 165 Mill Street, Natick

Director: Josh Telepman
Assistant Director: Christopher Rowe
Stage Manager: Chelsea Sutherland
Fight Director: Amanda O’Donnell

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown performances

DATES/TIMES: July 23rd 2pm; 24th 7pm; 28th 10:30am; 29th 7pm; 30th 2pm; and 31st 2pm
LOCATION: Kennedy Middle School, 165 Mill Street, Natick

Director: Holly Yvonne Hill
Music Director: Josh Karam
Choreographer: Sarah McQuiston

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