2nd Act’s Annual Encore: Celebrate Artists in Recovery, our spring fundraiser, which will be held on Tuesday, May 21st, 2024, at 7:00 pm at The Huntington Theatre (264 Huntington Avenue, Boston) in the Maso Studio.
By Mike Hoban
Boston – 2nd Act, a collective of theater artists in recovery who use theatre, film, and drama therapy to address the impact of substance use, will hold its annual fundraiser, Encore: Celebrate Artists in Recovery, at the Huntington Theatre this Tuesday. The troupe’s motto, “We believe in a world where all stories are honored, recovery is celebrated, and everyone gets a second act,” clearly defines its mission, will feature monologues by troupe members on the impact that 2nd Act has had on their lives as performers and people in recovery. The evening will also include a video of 2nd Act’s Social Emotional Learning Theatre Curriculum at Ostiguy HIgh School, Boston’s recovery high school.
Chris Everett, who has been with the troupe since 2000 as a performer and in other capacities, will direct the portion of the program that focuses on the individual artist’s stories. “The past couple of rehearsals have been really touching and really emotional,” says Everett. “There’s a really strong sense of community with us, and it’s been lovely because there are seven of us who will be doing that part of the program, alternating between personal stories and anecdotes.”
Everett will relate her own journey as a theater artist in recovery and what 2nd Act has meant to her life and career. “When I started with Improbable Players (2nd Act’s previous iteration), I was afraid to get up in front of people and share my story on stage because I thought it was going to ruin my acting career,” says Everett, who has appeared in a number of movies and television series, including a featured role in 2021’s star-studded Don’t Look Up. “As it turns out, without 2nd Act, I wouldn’t have the acting career that I have because it really allowed me to practice my craft and combine my sobriety and my theater together. So it’s ended up being the most important job that I could have possibly done, and now I love telling my story.”
Founded in 1984 by Lynn Bratley as the Improbable Players, the troupe performed “prevention plays” in middle and high schools. A version of the original play, “I’ll Never Do That,” a four-person play about a family affected by alcohol and other drug use is still performed today, 40 years later. The group merged with Rhode Island-based COAAST (Creating Outreach About Addiction Support Together) in 2021 and expanded its programming to include a Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Theatre program and a Drama Therapy program.
For more information about 2nd Act, including how you can donate or purchase tickets for the May 21st, go to: https://www.weare2ndact.org/encore
