Rhode Island Stage Ensemble

Rhode Island Stage Ensemble (RISE) is one of the premier theater companies of northern Rhode Island. Based at Woonsocket's Beacon Charter High School for the Arts and Burrillville's Assembly Theater, RISE is a fixture of the community and a vital part of the local arts scene. This non-profit, non-professional theater company, RISE was founded in 2006 by a group of dedicated individuals whose collective experience spanned many theatrical disciplines, from conception to production to performance; from marketing and finance to tech, direction, acting and design. The Founders of RISE were driven to develop a non-professional theater environment that would continue to thrive over the course of generations. Founded on principles of artistic freedom and creative collaboration, RISE does not follow a specific aesthetic path. Their work has spanned every genre of theater; it has been warmly traditional, bravely experimental and everything in between. The sky is the limit, and they are only getting started. Their work has ranged from edgy interpretations of Shakespeare to rarely performed plays like Wilder's "Skin of Our Teeth;" to traditional (and non-traditional) interpretations of popular musical theater. Their driving goal is to serve their local community as a rich source of storytelling and expression. They are also passionate about education. Both formally and informally, they seek to share their experience and expertise with students and creative partners of all ages. Over the years, this has manifested through classes, their Young Director series and, currently, the RISE JR. series.