The Barnstormers Theatre announces the first performance of its Young Actors Project, The Lawnstormers, August 11 to 14 in Tamworth, NH

"The Barnstormers has a long history of training and mentoring young actors," says Bob Shea, artistic director of The Barnstormers. "Also, in the last few years, we've begun doing more musicals than we have in the past." Musicals often have large casts, which has meant drawing on the pool of young talent from the colleges and universities in the region.

At the same time, The Barnstormers brings a large number of theatrical professionals to New Hampshire every summer, where they produce a series of shows in the classic repertory fashion, an astonishing eight shows in eight weeks "Over the course of a summer, we bring in dozens of professional actors, eight directors, eight designers, choreographers, production people, and technicians of all kinds," says Shea.

With all that professional talent, it made sense to begin offering training and mentorship to the young actors--thus, the Young Actors Project was born. "We're like a MacDowell Colony for young professionals," says Shea. "We bring them in, give them a weekly stipend, give them a venue, and then we give them complete freedom to create a brand new theatrical experience of some kind."

This summer, the four young actors in the program began by appearing in the theatre's season opener "Brigadoon," then began working on their own production. They chose the name The Lawnstormers for themselves, symbolic of their move from the theatre's main stage to a more free-form, outdoor performance.

The enthusiastic young actors began by doing journals of their own creative journeys, a process that was unique to this very plugged-in, technology-driven generation, says Shea. "They're all working on their laptops," he notes, which made it easier for them to collaborate and combine that material. The result is called "A Journey Home," a dramatic synthesis of their journeys on the way to becoming professional actors.

Guidance for The Lawnstormers is provided by Bob Shea and Caroline Nesbitt, artistic director and founder of Advice to the Players, the North Country's Shakespearean theatre company. And despite their many years of professional theatre experience, Shea and Nesbitt have taken a hands-off approach when it comes to The Lawnstormers' artistic decisions. "This is entirely their production," says Shea. "Our approach is to mentor them and give them guidance, but beyond that to give them a free hand in what they create."

Over the years, The Barnstormers Theatre has placed a priority on educational programs. As the oldest professional summer stock theatre in the country, it has provided mentoring and professional experiences for countless young actors and theatre technicians.  As the latest incarnation of that educational spirit, The Lawnstormers will present "A Journey Home" from August 11 to 14 at 5:30 to 6:30 at Remick Park, next door to The Barnstormers Theatre. The performance is free and appropriate for all ages. For more information, contact The Barnstormers Theatre at 603-323-8500 or visit http://www.barnstormerstheatre.org online.