New Theatre Group In Town!

Standing Room Only Productions (SRO) is a new community theatre group based in Somers, CT and serves the northern Connecticut and south-western Massachusetts. It was formed in November 2014 and is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. It is a family-friendly youth theatre organization that will produce two live stage shows a year: winter (when the kids are bored) and summer (when the kids are available). The shows will be selected with the younger audience in mind so that families with children of all ages can be assured of quality, wholesome entertainment. Some of the shows will have kids and adults performing for kids, others will have adults performing for kids. We’ve chosen our schedule so as not be competitive with other events in the area: high school shows, middle school shows, other community theatre club events, church/holiday events, and so on.

Our first performance will be in August, 2015. We are in the process of selecting the show right now. We are planning and budgeting our selection so we can offer family-friendly pricing. Our goal is to make it as economical as going to the movies!

New members are invited to join us – families are encouraged to join. Kids under 18 must have a parent/guardian who is also a member. If you would like to join or check us out, please attend a meeting. We meet the 3rd Monday of each month. Our March 16th meeting will be held in the Blake Community Room at the Somers Public Library, 2 Vision Blvd, Somers, CT.

Our first event, a fundraiser, will take place Saturday, March 14, 2015 at Somers High School, 5 Vision Blvd., Somers, CT. We are hosting a live in-person candid conversation between award winning actress Kate Mulgrew and writer/producer Claire Labine. They will offer insights into their careers, experiences and the joy of a long-term friendship. They will undoubtedly be an inspiration to all – especially those interested in the entertainment world.

KATE MULGREW, award-winning actress in theatre, film, and television, began her professional career in Connecticut at Stratford as Emily in a revival of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and concurrently won the role of Mary Ryan in a new ABC daytime serial, Ryan’s Hope. When her Ryan’s Hope contract concluded, ABC’S Fred Silverman immediately moved her to nighttime in the title role of Mrs.Columbo, followed by leads in other nighttime series, including Kate Loves a Mystery and Heartbeat, and The Manions of America miniseries. She will always be remembered as the first female captain in Star Trek: Voyager. She currently enjoys the role of Galina “Red” Raznikov in NetFlix’s Orange is the New Black. Her theatrical and TV films, among many, include Throw Mama From the Train, Lovespell, with Richard Burton, A Stranger is Watching, Remo Williams, Camp Nowhere, Judgment, Star Trek: Nemesis, and as Mother Elizabeth Seton in A Time for Miracles. She has brought her talent to most of the leading regional theatres across America, including Hartford Stage, and has starred on Broadway and Off, and works passionately for a number of causes, in particular the Alzheimer’s Foundation.

CLAIRE LABINE’s first job in television was as staff writer for Captain Kangaroo. She subsequently became co-head writer of Where the Heart Is and Love of Life for CBS and then was co-creator/executive producer/head writer for ABC’s Ryan’s Hope. She wrote and produced the feature film Lovespell starring Richard Burton and Kate Mulgrew, and wrote nighttime movies for CBS, NBC, and ABC. She returned to daytime television as head writer, with Eleanor and Matthew Labine, of General Hospital, One Life to Live, and Guiding Light. She served on the Writers Guild of America East Council for 12 years, as Vice President of that union for three consecutive terms, and was a member of two national negotiation committees. She received the Richard Jablow Award for Devoted Service to the Guild, the Evelyn Burkey Award to one whose work has brought recognition and dignity to writers everywhere, and the Ian McEllan Hunter Award for Career Achievement in Writing, as well as lifetime achievement awards from NATAS and Soap Opera Digest. For her work in daytime television she has received ten Emmy’s and thirteen Writer’s Guild Awards.

Tickets for “Insights” are $20 and information about obtaining tickets is on the SRO website, www.sroproductions.org. For more information, email info@sroproductions.org or call (860) 763-1244.