After his win for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical at the June 1, 2026 Elliot Norton Awards -- Boston's highest honor for regional theater -- we asked the talented Johnny Shea to look back on not only the night of his big win, but on the production of tick, tick... BOOM! last fall at The Umbrella that made it possible.

1. How did you get started in theater? What inspired you to embrace it as a professional career?

On June 1, 2026, actor Johnny Shea reunited with his cast mates from the Stage Company's fall production of tick, tick... BOOM! to perform "Louder than Words". Johnny and many of his "TTB" team members (including costar Vanessa Calantropo, music director Jordan Oczkowski, and director-choreographer Ilyse Robbins) were also nominated for one of Boston's highest honors for regional theaters and theater-makers.

TICK, TICK... BOOM! and THE SPITFIRE GRILL Soar!

The Elliot Norton Awards are the highest regional honor in Boston-area theater. The Umbrella Stage Company is honored to have received seven well-deserved nominations for the team and talent behind our productions of this fall's tick, tick... BOOM! and last spring's The Spitfire Grill for the Awards' consideration window of April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026:

Let’s celebrate PRIDE all month long at The Umbrella. To start, join us at 40 Stow Street for the following events on Saturday, June 6, 2026:

•    Gather in community and around the piano at 9:15 AM for live music by Kayleigh Bennett & Leah Kosch, a part of Concord Conservatory of Music's Pianos on the Town initiative.

This is Education Program Manager Rebecca Campbell-McGonagle's sixth year helming The Umbrella Arts Center's summer camp! In light of last year's milestone largest-ever class of campers, we “took 5” with Rebecca to learn what's next for summer camp at The Umbrella.

There's still time to register for full- or half-day camp experiences! Click here to get started.

TUA: What do campers enjoy most about their experience at The Umbrella's Arts Center?

As the director and choreographer of

The Umbrella is home to 50+ Studio Artists who work across many mediums and genres. We invite you to engage with and support our Umbrella Studio Artists is at our annual events:

Renovations are coming to The Umbrella Arts Center! As spring arrives, changes are about to bloom, increasing resources for students, learners, and makers.

The Umbrella’s strategic vision for the next 5+ years strengthens our commitment to supporting artists at every stage of their journey and serving our community’s needs. As part of our planning, we identified some key initiatives that will serve as a strong foundation for our work going forward. We will…

Lisa Orr's ceramics lushly blend historical, functional roots with organic, fluid forms that embrace gentle asymmetry. Inspired by nature and intuition, her richly textured and colorfully glazed slip-cast surfaces evoke birds on the wing, coral reefs, and blooming flowers, resulting in work that’s vibrant, emotional, and assured.