That's a wrap. Actors Company of Natick marks first season of 'theater with purpose'

NATICK — Opening night still fresh on their minds, the leadership at Actors Company of Natick was recently faced with a decision no theater organization ever wants to make.

They had to cancel a day of shows last month, thanks to COVID-19 cases within the company.

By now, coronavirus-related cancellations are among the realities of live theater performances, often spelling doom for productions — even on Broadway.

Despite the setback, however, ACON rallied to entertain the community and fulfill its mission of “theater with purpose,” according to founder Patrick Conaway.

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After canceling July 24 performances of “Julius Caesar” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” the company was back on-stage the following week, wrapping up its inaugural season at the end of July.

“I thought it was a wonderful success, and I was especially proud of what we did for the community,” Conaway said of the company’s debut.

Getting started

Born and raised in Natick, Conaway had long dreamed of opening a nonprofit theater company in his hometown.

The 26-year-old holds a degree in acting from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford and studied at Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires and Drama Studio London before returning to Boston to act professionally.

“I wanted to bring this type of theater that I was given the opportunity to see all over the world to Natick,” he said.

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A conversation with his father put Conaway in motion, pushing him to take the leap.

“He was a real catalyst in motivating me to do this and take this leap into the kind of business sector and the nonprofit sector,” he said. “His words were inspirational to me as we got through this first season.”

Setting up ACON took about 10 months, between establishing the nonprofit, assembling a board of directors and preparing for the first two productions. The company had more than 350 actors from which to choose, some Boston-based and others hailing from as far away as California.

Theater with purpose

The company has a commitment to activism and strives to create “theater with purpose,” according to its website.

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“When we were thinking about Actors Company of Natick and … how we wanted our theater company to really stand out, I really wanted to highlight community leaders within Natick and the Greater MetroWest area through each production we did,” Conaway explained.

For example, the production of “Julius Caesar” was dedicated to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, while “Charlie Brown” honored local educators.

“I really loved the plays ‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,’ and I’ll be honest with you, I think I inadvertently chose them about my parents,” Conaway said. His mother, Rhonda Conaway, is a longtime Natick educator, while his father, the late Brett Conaway, was a retired Natick police sergeant and U.S. Army National Guard colonel.

Brett Conaway, who was active in the Rotary Club and in coaching Natick youth, died unexpectedly on June 29. He was 52.

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As for Patrick, watching his hard work come together on opening night was “beautiful,” he said.

“To be honest, not because of opening the nonprofit, it was a particularly difficult summer in my personal life, and it was really beautiful to see the hard work come alive and I was really honored to be there,” he said.

ACON’s first season was marked with high points, COVID-19 detour aside. In particular, Conaway recalled seeing joy light up in Camp Woodtrail campers’ faces as they watched Snoopy appear on stage, and marveling at how the famous “Friends, Romans …” speech in “Julius Caesar” held audiences rapt.

The company is focused on summer productions for the time being, but down the line, Conaway said there’s a possibility of performances throughout the rest of the year. Moving forward, he said ACON is looking to broaden its community relationships and partner with more groups in communities surrounding Natick.

“The goal was to really just bring this theater to Natick, and just hearing the response from audience members saying, ‘I didn’t think anything like this existed in Natick or in MetroWest,’ was beautiful,” Conaway said. “It was humbling, and I am really, really proud of what we were able to accomplish this summer.”

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Actors Company of Natick wraps first season, honors vets and teachers