a chat with teenage stage actor Camden Brown

“I don’t know when it first happened,” ponders Camden Brown, the Seacoast’s widely acclaimed teenage stage artist. “I really liked to use my imagination when I was younger—I still do. I had an imaginary friend, Mr. Turtle, and I talked to him constantly.” (He admits, with a mixture of pride and embarrassment, that there are home videos to prove it.)

The 18-year-old Oyster River High School senior is most well-known for his roles as Jesus in “Godspell,” Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” Robby in “Warmth of the Cold,” and Thenadier in “Les Miserables,” to name but a few of his works. His training began at a UNH theater camp during the summer between third and fourth grades. A production of “Peter Pan” was part of the program, which Brown remembers vividly.

“I remember one day during rehearsal, I was playing the part of Smee, Captain Hook’s sidekick,” he says, his eyes alight with remembrance. “When we did the scene where we set Tiger Lily free, I said that line ‘We set her free!’ with so much energy and abandoned myself to the grand physical reactions.”

Brown is probably not the only one who remembers that moment. The director/teacher stopped the rehearsal to point out the artistry of the actor’s empathy for the situation, his physical gestures, the way he’d memorized his lines and how combining the three had created an actual character. “I felt pretty good,” he admits in his shy, self-deprecating manner. “Maybe that’s what sparked it.”

From there, he hit the professional stage of The Seacoast Repertory Theatre, one of the area’s most prestigious performing venues. “I did some kid shows and some occasional main stage, which was an amazing experience, especially doing ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’” he said. The latter was directed by multi-talented Seacoast performer Billy Butler, whose teachings still affect Brown. 

Other influences folowed. Dana Dube, the children’s director at The Rep in those years, was among them. “He really scared me into being good and not being afraid to make a fool out of myself,” Brown laughs. “Having someone that forces you to take chances—that’s invaluable as a first director. Gary Locke, directing me in ‘Lysistrata,’ showed Greek theater isn’t dead. I loved his interpretation, and the experience showed me how sexual the theater can be.” Lastly, he adds, “The Caples, as well, Scott and Meredith, have been a big influence. Meredith (drama teacher at Oyster River High School) has been a real teacher, and Scott has demonstrated to me many times what being a professional is all about.”

Taking his training outside New England these past two summers, Brown attended the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts and Carnegie Melon University summer programs. While many artists go into the business aware of their slim chances, Brown sees no point in being pessimistic.

“When I was at NSCA, one teacher said, ‘If there is anything else you want to do, do it, because theater will always be there.’ My response was, ‘If theater will always be there, then why waste time doing other things when I could spend the rest of my life doing theater?’ A bit optimistic, but true. Movie acting is my ultimate goal, but for now, I want a strong base in theater,” he said. Proving that he hasn’t lost his sense of reality or humor, he adds, “as well as waitering and bussing tables.”

After recently finishing a run as Randall Patrick McMurphy in “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” at Oyster River, and currently rehearsing a role as an abused avenging teen in “Chase a Killer, Catch a Killer, Run, Run, Run” at The Players’ Ring, you’d think Brown might be ready for a break. Instead, he recently signed on to play Billy in “The Goat” (also at The Ring), and he plans to audition for his school’s spring musical, “The Sound of Music.” Additionally, two of the roles he’s played onstage are being considered by local filmmakers (“Chase a Killer, Catch a Killer, Run, Run, Run,” and “The Warmth of the Cold”). If possible, he’d like to reprise his roles.

“It would just be on a different medium, one which, in my opinion, opens up doors creatively,” he said. He has relished in the opportunity to perform at The Ring. “I am glad that I found The Players’ Ring, because there are so many more opportunities there, because there is a real artistic glow there.”

Having auditioned at some of the most prestigious schools in the country, Brown is merely waiting for the letter telling him where he’ll continue his theater training. When he gets that letter and goes off into the world to carve out a future, we’ll be thrilled for him ... and just a little sad for the Seacoast.

You can catch Camden Brown in action as Jimmy in “Chase a Killer, Catch a Killer, Run, Run, Run” by Savage Productions at The Players’ Ring in Portsmouth from Feb. 22 to March 9, and in “The Goat,” by Generic Theatre, from March 14 to 30.