Seven Angels Initiates Young Angels Theatre Company

WATERBURY — As a continuance of its youth-programs-in-theatre, Seven Angels Theatre has initiated a young actors’ theatre, The Young Angels Theatre Company, as part of the Stage Arts School of Theatre.

The new program is in addition to and complements the well-established Bright Lights youth productions, workshops and summer theatre camp. The mission of the new youth theatre company is to train young actors who have developed skills in theatre, to further train those who have graduated from other Seven Angels youth programs, and to establish a young people’s wing of Seven Angels Theatre.

With Semina De Laurentis as producer, the company will be under the co-direction of Lenka Peterson and Marla Truini, both of whom have longstanding relationships with Seven Angles Theatre.

Ms Peterson has numerous Broadway, off-Broadway, film and television credits. She has performed on Broadway in such plays as Crazy For You, The Time of Your Life and Quilters, for which she received Tony and Helen Hayes Award nominations. She has also been on National tours of Crazy For You and Me and My Girl.

Ms Truini has trained with Lee Strasberg at Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City, attended workshops with Anthony Hopkins, and studied music theory at The Julliard School. She is the director of drama at Westover School in Middlebury.

Young Angles Theatre Company is designed to serve the youth of the community by providing a safe outlet for their creative energies and an opportunity to strengthen each actor’s individual ability in an ensemble experience. Those involved will have the opportunity to work on scenes and musical numbers with the goal of a full-scale production for the public on the theatre’s main stage.

With focus on technique, improvisation and scene study to develop skills for the stage, Young Angels will also develop, write and perform their own short plays. Rehearsals for Short Flights, a production of short plays and scenes written by other young people, have already begun. The show will be presented on March 3. The production will include plays written by youth from other theatre groups including work from Los Angeles and New York City.