Category Archives: Announcements

Holiday Party/Meeting Sunday 10 December

All are invited to our Big Event. This is our Holiday-Season Party, celebrating our successful shows in 2023, combined with a Celebration of the 55th year of our business entertaining the region with great musicals, comedies, and dramas, and training the next generation of theatre kids. It is also our Annual Membership Meeting and election of Board of Directors members. And it is a Cabaret for anyone who wants to perform.

The event is on Sunday 10 December 2023, from 2 PM to 6 PM. At our home at the American Legion Post 210 / 44 Taylor Street / Saugus, Massachusetts 01906. It’s a potluck, bring your favorite food to share. The bar will be open, featuring inexpensive beverages, both liquors and soft drinks.

The casts and staff of all our shows in 2023 are invited to reunite at the event, including Comedy of ErrorsPeter and the StarcatcherWizard of OzShrek, and Little Shop of Horrors.

Please contact us if you have any questions or want to help set up the party. Write to us at TCSaugus@gmail.com and we will get back to you.

Announcing our Cast for “Little Shop of Horrors”

TCS is pleased to share with you our talented cast for Little Shop of Horrors – our Fall 2023 musical theater production! You may have seen the original 1960 Roger Corman black & white film with a VERY young Jack Nicholson as one of the dentist’s patients. Or perhaps you heard the musical theater version early on in 1982 when it was Off-Broadway? Ellen Greene, who originated Audrey, reprised her role in the next movie version… Or were introduced to the musical film version of 1986 with Rick Moranis as Seymour Krelborn?

For more information about this production, please visit the show page.

TCS is nominated for many 2022-23 DASH Awards, and wins one

The nominations for the 2022-23 EMACT DASH Awards were announced on July 23, 2023. EMACT is the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres, and the DASH awards are like the local Tony awards.

The Theatre Company of Saugus production of Zombie Prom, presented in October 2022, received seven nominations, and was the winner of one of the awards:

  • WINNER! – Supporting Performer in a Male Identifying Role in a Musical – Sean Perry as Eddie Flagrante
  • Lead Performer in a Female-Identifying Role in a Musical – Mia Mercurio as Toffee
  • Sound Design for a Musical – Shawn Gelzleichter, Tyler Bliss, and James Wlodyka
  • Hair and Makeup Design for a Musical – James Valentin and Kaycee Wilson
  • Props Design for a Musical – Lauren Lyons
  • Musical Direction – Shawn Gelzleichter
  • Best Musical Production

The TCS production of Peter and the Starcatcher, presented in May 2023, earned an acting nomination:

  • Lead Performer in a Male-Identifying Role in a Play – Kaleigh Ryan as Black Stache

Other current or former TCS members were nominated for their work at other theatre companies:

  • Lead Female Role in a Play – Allison Rudmann Putnam for Handbagged at The Hovey Players
  • Lead Female Role in a Play – Michelle Mount for Dancing at Lughnasa at Arlington Friends of the Drama
  • Supporting Female Role in a Play – Rebecca Greene for Equivocation at Marblehead Little Theatre
  • Lead Female Role in a Musical – Emily Sheeran for Bat Boy The Musical at The Burlington Players
  • Director of a Musical – Paul Gymziak for Next to Normal at Dramatically Incorrect Theater Group & Dance Company
  • Choreography – Will Fafard for Tuck Everlasting at Marblehead Little Theatre
  • Set Design for a Play – Nathan Fogg-DeSisto for A Christmas Story at Massasoit Theatre Company
  • Makeup and Hair Design for a Musical – Will Farfard for Bat Boy: The Musical at Burlington Players
  • WINNER! – Makeup and Hair Design for a Musical – Will Fafard for Chicago at Pentucket Players
  • WINNER! – Consultant Choice Award – Dom Pappagallo for “Outstanding Solo” in Rent at Riverside Theatre Works

The cast of Zombie Prom performed at the DASH Gala on Saturday 19 August 2023, at which the winners of each award were announced. Click here for the complete list of nominations and awards. Click here for information about the gala.

Amy DeMarco accepting the award on behalf of Sean Perry at the DASH Gala.
The cast of Zombie Prom performing at the DASH Gala.

Announcing the Cast of Shrek The Musical, JR.

We’re excited to announce the cast of our Summer Intensive for grades 8-12 of our production of Shrek The Musical, JR.

Leading the programming this summer are:

  • Acting Coach – Rebecca Griffing
  • Music Coach – Katarina Spungen
  • Dance Coach – Victoria Isotti
  • Technical Director – Sean Perry
  • Stage Manager – Chelsea Sutherland
  • Producers – Amanda Allen & Heather Beatty

Performances are AUG 18-20. Visit our tickets page for more details. TCSaugus.org/tickets

TCS Youth Theatre Workshop Registration is Closed

Youth Theatre Workshop has been super popular this year! Rehearsals have already begun for Shrek The Musical, JR. Look for a cast list to make an appearance this weekend. We are currently at capacity for Session I for Grades 1-8 (Wizard of Oz, Youth Edition) and we haven’t even started our two-week workshop sessions yet!

We’re excited for this summer’s offerings and working with all these talented youth actors.

Even if you were not able to participate, but are interested in supporting our youth programming, you can come and see the final results of all their hard work. Wizard of Oz, Youth Edition will have performances on July 28, 29, and 30 and Shrek The Musical, JR. will have performances on August 18, 19, and 20. Youth Theatre Workshop performances are always fun for the whole family – from younger siblings to grandparents. We look forward to seeing you this summer at the American Legion.

New TCS Scholarship

In addition to putting on shows, the mission of Theatre Company of Saugus (TCS) has been to educate our membership about theatre.  We have done this through many workshops over the years, as well as through our annual summer Youth Theatre Workshop.

For many years TCS has awarded a modest scholarship to a graduating college-bound senior at Saugus High School (SHS).  With the recognition that many TCS members do not live in Saugus, we are initiating a new additional scholarship intended for TCS members that do not go to SHS. 

The new scholarship amount is $300, and is intended for those who will be attending college or graduate school in the fall of 2023.  The recipient should be a participant in past or current TCS productions or activities.  Preference is given to those who intend to study theatre or related arts.

Applications for the first award of the new scholarship are now being accepted.  The online application form asks questions about your plans for school, and your experience with TCS.  The application must be completed by June 30, 2023.  The winning recipient will be announced in mid-July.

Access the application by clicking on this link.

If you have any questions about the new scholarship or the application, please write to us at:  tcsaugus@gmail.com.  (The recipient of the original scholarship has been selected and will be announced by SHS.)

Register for Youth Theatre Workshops for Summer 2023!

April Showers Bring May Flowers and May Flowers help make Gardens Green – just like The Emerald City and Shrek!

Follow THIS LINK to the Summer Workshop page for details about each Workshop Session.
Please complete BOTH the Registration AND the Health Forms.

Please complete Early Bird Registration by Friday, June 9 to be eligible for the discount.
For pricing and potential discounts, follow the link above.

Jaie Deschene

The Theatre Company of Saugus joins many others in mourning the unexpected passing, on April 16, 2023, of Jaie Deschene, a director and actress active with several community theaters in our area. She directed This Getting Old is Getting Old, which was part of our short play festival Lovely Thoughts and Other Stories, presented in March 2022. She was also cast in the role of Nell in our March 2023 production of The Comedy of Errors, but left the production because of other commitments.

Click here for the obituary and visitation information.