The weather is warming up and so are we at The REV. 

When spring arrives the noise turns up, the movement winds up, instruments are tuned, dance shoes are dusted off, and lines are memorized. It all adds up to another fabulous season at the Merry-Go Round Playhouse with outstanding talent and you.

The REV Theatre Company Board of Directors and I welcome you to another great lineup of shows. Once again, we want to thank you for your continued patronage and support as it wouldn’t be the same spectacular event without each and every one of you.

Roberta G. Williams,
Board President

I spend a lot of time on the road.  Whether it’s for casting, seeing shows to consider, creative meetings, vetting new programming ideas, taking in new talent, at conferences, negotiating deals or seeing a new musical in development – it’s a big part of my job and inherently part of my lifestyle.  A life in the theatre and a life on the road — for good or bad — go hand in hand. 

My 30+ years in the theatre have allowed me to optimize a life in transit and to curate the art of people watching.  An avid observer of life, I find color, depth and meaning in the study of behavior and the beautiful complexity of the human psyche. 

As a matter of fact, as I write this, I’m sitting in an airport – my favorite place to people watch (Wegmans is my second favorite).  Stakes and emotions are high at airports – so many social structures at work simultaneously.  As I watch the choreography of travelers criss-crossing through this terminal, hurrying toward their destinations, I take each one in for a passing millisecond.  Who is she yelling at on her phone?  Why does he hold his bag that way?  Do they regret that tattoo?  A couple at a table ignoring each other for their phones. What a cute baby.  Why does he look so miserable?  Who started that fight?  I catch myself staring at each passerby, studying them and falling into their stories.

I am innately curious about the human condition. Making theatre is my way of sharing with you how I see the world.  It’s what draws me to select certain shows – complex characters, big stories, and high stakes.  That I’ve spent a life in the theatre implementing all those observations and details into tangible realities onstage feels organic.  A life of creating art —creating something where there was nothing.  And what a gift to collaborate with others who are equally curious about the world, each bringing themselves to the art of making art -- the magic that compels you to fall into our pretend world for two hours.  It’s that curiosity about life that keeps me questioning and coming back each year to bring you new stories, fresh ideas, surprising designs, and creative interpretations about how we live and behave. 

Theatre helps us to understand each other and how we relate to the world around us.  Without art, nothing makes sense and we do not thrive. 

We must work together to ensure that the arts remain at the forefront of our lives, our community and our existence. In Auburn, the arts are alive and I am so deeply grateful we live in a community that values art, the artistic experience, and artists.  Thank you for your support and your loyalty.  Thank you for trusting us to tell you stories. 

Welcome to the 2025 season.  And if you see me in Wegmans vacantly staring at you – now you know why.

Brett Smock
Producing Artistic Director