By Rosie Sumner and Matteus Rabel

Special to the Weekly

“Boatswain! Here Master, what cheer? Good – speak to th’ mariners. Fall to it yarely, or we run ourselves aground, bestir, bestir!”

So begins another adventure in community theatre on Lopez. These lines are shouted by actors in order to be heard above the “Tempest.” The master of the ship is played by a 13-year-old, the “bo’sun” is an adult actor.

Richard Carter has directed young students in finding their acting chops and the meaning and fun in Shakespeare for many years. In 2002, he and Susan Wilson started the nonprofit Community Shakespeare Company.

Their performances featured student actors until in 2007 a handful of adult actors were invited to participate in Romeo and Juliet.

My name is Rosie Sumner, and I was one of those lucky adults. I have been onstage with the company nearly every year since, having the time of my life. Why would hours of rehearsal, line learning, tech angst and stage fright be so appealing?

And why is performing with kids especially so wonderful?

Children, teens, and adults doing Shakespeare together experience a lot of hard work. At the beginning, there is confusion, mispronunciation, and giggling, giving way to surrender and commitment. When opening night rolls around, actors of all ages understand the plot and the language and how to support each other onstage. Each play calls for a unified effort, and we actors, tall and small, young and old, rise to the occasion and lift our audiences up with us.

As an adult actor, working with kids onstage is inspiring, delightful, humbling, bonding and a labor of love.

My name is Matteus Rabel, I am 10-years-old, and The Tempest is my fourth Community Shakespeare play.

The first time I acted in Shakespeare was Richard’s adaptation of “Twelfth Night.” I arrived at tryouts thinking that if you did not speak or act well enough, you would not get a role. What I learned is that in Richard’s thoughtful plans, there is a place for everyone, and when any of us fall behind, he strongly but gently guides us toward improvement.

Truthfully, I believe that at some point, every actor, even adults, needs help from Richard. The younger or newer kids often need to speak louder and slower. Richard focuses me on nailing my blocking and understanding my character. Most of us need direction with expressing our characters’ feelings.

The mix of children and adults is unique but quite compatible with theatre. For example, when Rosie and I are in scenes together, we form a routine of how we work together.

Connecting with Rosie offers me a different point of view and I form a friend from a different age range. In my opinion, working with adults in theatre is simply the best combination I could wish for.

“The Tempest” runs from Nov. 19 through 22 at the Community Center, and is our chance to share our hard work, courage and friendships with you all.