Burbage Theatre Company

In an age of awesome TV at our fingertips it’s possible to be entertained but remain on the couch. It’s so easy, and there are so many great shows to stream- The White Lotus anyone? So good!

But is it the same as a live production? Nope.

Would you listen to Deer Tick on spotify if you could see them live? Of course not. It's the same with live theater! Real people storytelling wins hands down. It’s quite different to be present when the actors become their roles in front of you, and the story unfolds in real time, with you, the audience member, included in the 3D experience. Just like a live concert there is an energy there, that can't be replicated on a screen. And the energy lingers after the performance- you are either thinking about what you saw, or discussing something about the play. Theater is about entertainment, but it’s also thought provoking and inspirational. Don’t you think we need that in this day and age?

Burbage Theatre Company started out with a group of friends who met in the Rhode Island College theater department. They have had a few locations since they incorporated in 2010, and they presently reside in Pawtucket, RI on Blackstone Avenue. They are on their 10th season this fall. It is their mission to “excite and engage” with compelling storytelling and to make theater accessible to everyone.  

They offer free plays in the community. The Free Summer Shakespeare program has grown over the years to include Pawtucket and East Providence, Rhode Island, for a few weeks every summer. They also do a play reading series, where the public can participate in the reading of new works and traditional ones.  

Burbage also offers free admission to high school students. I wish I had seen Burbage’s rendition of The Great Gatsby as I was reading it in high school because it was spectacular!  

But it’s really more than getting to watch a production of the book you happen to be reading in school. By going to the theater you are accepting the invitation to be exposed at the least and compelled at the most- compelled to think differently, to see possibilities, to perhaps feel more or in a different way. What a blessing to provide that experience in an age of TV, Instagram and TikTok.

This is why theater is vital to our communities.  By supporting Burbage Theatre Company you help an artistic community grow, contribute to thought provoking entertainment and cultivate the next generation of artists and theater-goers.  That is impact!