The founder of Entre’Acte Theatrix, a semi-professional company in Palm Beach Gardens, said the troupe aims to give young actors the stage time they wouldn’t get elsewhere.
Vicki Halmer founded the Palm Beach Principal Players, a theatre company for high school students, 17 years ago. About eight years ago, it transformed into its current form, primarily casting individuals between the ages of 18 and 34.
“We focus a lot on resume building,” she said. “We usually try to have half the cast be new faces.”
Bruno Faria played Brad Majors, one of the lead roles in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” which completed its run last month.
“Bruno had never seen ‘Rocky Horror’ before, so he just had his original interpretation of Brad,” Halmer said. “And he was fantastic.”
Tyler Palmer portrayed Rocky. He took an interest in acting because of his fiancé, Lara Williams, 24, who has been with the company for six years.
“It was nerve-wracking,” Palmer said. “I started acting because I thought ‘if [Williams] can do it, I can do it too.’”
This is not the first time Entre’Acte has allowed a novice to take the spotlight.
“[Frank N. Furter] was my first lead in 2012,” said Ross “Rosseroni” Parris. “I was definitely not ready for it.”
Parris played the same role in the 2017 production. He said he was grateful that the company allowed him to assist in several areas of the production, such as costume design.
He said he has portrayed roles in countless other productions due to the opportunities Entre’Acte has granted him. These include roles such as Herbert in “Spamalot” and Victor Frankenstein in “Young Frankenstein.”
“I’ve really seen Ross grow as an actor,” said Emily Lander, a longtime fan of the company’s work.
She has also seen other interpretations of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” but said this one is her favorite.
Entre’Acte members have worked with other companies such as Slowburn Theatre, MNM Productions, and the Lakeworth Playhouse. Despite collaborating with other companies, they said Entre’Acte feels like home.
Additionally, Halmer said that a majority of the Entre’Acte alumni are touring. One alumna recently won a Tony for Best Supporting Actress.
Williams, who was also part of the cast, said the experience was a lot of fun.
“It’s funny because there’s a song towards the end of [The Rocky Horror Picture Show] called ‘I’m Going Home’,” said Williams. “That’s what it feels like here.”