Trinity Repertory Company Celebrates Fifty Years

Some birthdays are big deals — sweet 16, 21, second annual 29th (aka 30). But 50? That calls for a block party.

That’s what Trinity Repertory Company, now the state’s official theater (per legislative decree earlier this year), has planned to celebrate its 50th anniversary season. A free, day-long community celebration is set for Saturday, August 17 from noon to 8pm, during which time the theater will host an open house including tours of the theater, multiple performances, backstage demonstrations and youth classes. But that’s not all that makes this birthday party a little more momentous than most. According to Associate Artistic Director Tyler Dobrowsky, the celebration is as much intended as a celebration of the local theater community as it is a fete for the Tony Award-winning theater company. Dobrowsky says that, in planning the affair, Trinity Rep wanted to pay its respects to the city and state that have nurtured its resident acting company – and the artists it employs – since its inception in 1963.

“We wanted it to feel inclusive, to celebrate arts and theater throughout Rhode Island. A lot of people have gotten their starts from Trinity Rep,” Dobrowsky explains. “Maybe they went to [the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs], maybe they were company members and started their own theaters, maybe they took classes here, and we wanted to make sure we invited everyone to celebrate the importance of arts and theater in today’s society.”

To that end, Dobrowsky says that he and General Manager Katie Byrnes reached out to local groups, building a diverse showcase of performers for the day. Performances will be held generally on the hour on two stages – one in Trinity Rep’s Dowling Theater, and the other in an outside space set up on Adrian Hall Way. Apart from Trinity Rep company members, who will be performing favorite scenes and monologues from the past 50 years, the performance roster includes The Barker Playhouse, Contemporary Theater Company, Daydream Theatre Company, Elemental Theatre Collective, Epic Theatre Co., Manton Avenue Project, Mixed Magic Theatre, Ocean State Theater Company, Sandra Feinsten-Gamm Theatre, The Community Players and the Willbury Theatre Group. Students from the theater’s K-12 education programs will also perform.

Dobrowsky notes that, while the magic on stage is something sure to delight audience members, the behind-the-scenes demonstrations and backstage tours will provide something beyond a typical patron’s experience of this collaborative art form. So many more people are involved in a production than those you see on stage – from the stage manager to the production designers to the technicians who make the lights glow and the sounds roll.

“Ultimately, the event was built to be a family friendly affair,” says Dobrowsky, adding that the theater’s education department would offer a spate of classes for young students. Highlighting that aspect of Trinity Rep’s commitment to community and education was crucial, he says, particularly in a time when school districts continue to struggle finding funding for the arts. “As one of the largest cultural organizations in the state, it’s our responsibility to be an educational resource. It’s incumbent on us to do as much as we can for area schools... we want to make sure we’re sparking a dialogue in the community, not only in the classroom but also by partnering with social service agencies so that live theater can be accessible to all.”

The free and open format of the celebration certainly fits that bill. No tickets are required for any of the performances or classes, and Dobrowsky hopes that in attracting throngs of arts patrons to Washington Street, the vibrant Downcity block will further come alive. Some of the city’s food trucks will most certainly be parked outside, he adds.

Dobrowsky says the celebration will offer something for everyone – from the youngest theater aficionado in training to the most seasoned subscriber. The performances given by the acting company – some of whom whose resumes stretch back through decades of the theater’s rich history – will be “a nice way to honor the great work we’ve done here on our stage,” he says. “But also, for people who may not know us all that well, this is an opportunity to get a taste of not only our work, but all the great work that’s being done across the state.”