Longtime Theater Professor Clement ready to premier his first written play at CCRI
November 14, 2022
The reader has finally stepped out from behind the curtain to try his hand at writing.
More than two years since he first sat and began putting his thoughts into words,
longtime Community College of Rhode Island Theater Professor and director Ted Clement
is ready to present his sabbatical project, The Choice, an original play written by Clement and inspired by his life experiences growing
up in a single-parent home in Woonsocket, RI. (See photo gallery.)
The Choice premiers Thursday at 3 pm at the Warwick campus’ Bobby Hackett Theatre with additional
performances at 7 pm on Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19 before concluding
with a second 3 pm matinee on Sunday, November 20. Admission is free, but donations
are being collected by the CCRI Players at the door to support The Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
A multi-talented director, actor, and mentor, Clement has worked in myriad capacities
throughout his career, but until now had never actually written his own play.
“I’ve always said to my students, ‘I’m a reader, not a writer,’” Clement said.
That changed in the summer of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down events worldwide,
from sports and concerts to parades and live theater. Feeling “blocked in” with no
outlet to express his creativity, Clement spoke with longtime colleague and fellow
director David Valentin, a CCRI alumnus, who suggested he write his own play.
Hesitant at first, Clement started small, writing one scene at a time, all based loosely
on memories from his childhood in the Woonsocket neighborhood of Fairmount in the
mid to late 1980s. Soon, Clement’s initial scene turned into a 20-minute play, at
which point Clement gathered a group of colleagues via Zoom for an impromptu reading
to solicit additional advice and suggestions.
“We had a great conversation with a bunch of great actors,” Clement said. “This is
the the nature of the process of writing a play. It’s a collaborative thing right
from the very beginning.”
Once in-person classes resumed at CCRI in the fall of 2021, Clement’s project took
a backseat, so – with encouragement from his wife and CCRI English professor Dr. Christine
Fox – he applied for a sabbatical before the start of the current fall semester. With
the time to focus exclusively on his play, Clement wrote additional drafts, shared
them with colleagues, then hosted his first free public staged reading at the Liston
Campus in September, which inspired additional rewrites. Eventually, he tapped Valentin,
a former student and the original inspiration behind this experiment, as his director
and worked alongside him to assemble a who’s who of CCRI theater alumni as his cast
and crew.
Now, more than two years since the idea’s inception, The Choice is ready for primetime. Clement describes it as “reflective of my experience” growing
up, yet still a work of fiction, inspired primarily by Clement’s conversations with
friends and colleagues who either grew up in single-parent homes or are single parents
raising children.
The Choice tells the story of a single mother raising her teenage son. As a woman of faith and
conviction, the mother occasionally butts heads with her son, all of which contributes
to their unique family dynamic. The play also touches upon the stigmas associated
with single parents during Clement’s childhood while reinforcing the concept that
the connection those families feel for one another is not at all diminished because
it wasn’t “what was considered a traditional family format” in that era.
This week’s premier of The Choice caps a long, “slightly terrifying” process and an experiment in theater “filled with
discovery” for Clement, who over the past two and a half years stepped outside of
his comfort zone to learn a new aspect of the craft he’s dedicated his entire life
to. Clement is most looking forward to sharing this academic experience with colleagues;
because it’s a workshop production, which means it’s a relatively modest production
that does not include all the aspects of a full production, Clement could take The Choice in a number of different directions following this week’s premier.
“I’m an actor and director, so I’ve never had to come up with the story myself,” Clement
said. “Being a playwright is arguably the most frightening experience I’ve had in
theater because it’s so personal – not just because the content is personal, but because
it’s my thoughts that I’m putting out there for others to experience.”
The Choice stars alumni Audrey Lavin Crawley, Elliot Gosselin, Steven Zailskas, and Stevie Smith,
plus colleague Becky Minard. Current students Ilyus Evander (House Manager), Brandon
Soriano (Sound Board Operator), Lia Pinto (Props Runner), and Nate Campbell (Assistant
Director) are also working on the production along with alumni Rebecca Mooney (Stage
Manager), Haley Ahlborg (Lighting Designer), Erika Fay Greenwood (Costume Designer),
and Lauren Ferriera (Light Board Operator).
“I’m happy to discover I have the capacity to express myself through this part of
the theater experiment,” he said. “Playwrights are the source of what we do in the
theatre. We are all creative artists within the theater, but we are all creative interpretive
artists. The story starts with the playwright.”
Share this story
Latest News
CCRI Alum Justin Bibee Named National Peace Corps Association '40 Under 40'
July 10, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly celebrates alumnus Dr. Justin Bibee, a 2009 graduate and Cranston, RI native, who has been named to the National Peace Corps Association’s 2024 “40 Under 40” list, recognizing the next generation of leaders who are reimagining American leadership through service, spirit, and solutions.
Read More
Former CCRI Athletic Administrators Vin Cullen and Kevin Salisbury Receive National Recognitions
July 08, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island is proud to announce that longtime coach and athletic director Vin Cullen has been named a recipient of the NJCAA Coaches Association Legacy Award, a national honor recognizing individuals who have made a lasting impact on two-year college athletics and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student-athletes throughout their careers.
Read More
CCRI Cybersecurity Club Tops Regional Powerhouses In National Competition
June 27, 2025
WARWICK, R.I. -- The Community College of Rhode Island’s Cybersecurity Club is riding high after succeeding on a national scale during the spring. Thanks to a strong showing at the National Cyber League (NCL) spring competition, CCRI placed 27th nationally out of 510 colleges and universities in the final Cyber Power Rankings for the spring season. The performance was commended by David Ziechick, commissioner of the NCL, which has students perform real-world cybersecurity tasks that translate to the workforce.
Read More
CCRI Alum Johnny Villella Wins Emmy For Story On Providence Patrolman
June 23, 2025
Johnny Villella needs to clear more space in his trophy case. Villella, a CCRI alum, won an Emmy at the 2025 New England Emmy Awards in the category of News Feature: Serious Feature (Multiple Reports). The award is one of many for Villella, who’s enjoyed a long, decorated career at WPRI-TV (Channel 12 in Rhode Island).
Read More
CCRI Joins Achieving The Dream Network To Advance Student Success And Community Impact
June 16, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is pleased to announce that it has joined the network of Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization committed to advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing, and economic mobility.
Read More
Asteroid Named After CCRI Alum Francine Jackson
June 16, 2025
On February 24, 2025, the International Astronomical Union Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature (WGSBN) recognized CCRI alumni Francine Jackson’s contributions to astronomy education and outreach by naming an asteroid in her honor.The designation was announced in WGSBN Bulletin 5, No. 3, under new names of Minor Planets.
Read More
How Theater Alum Max Hayden Earned CCRI's Fifth Gamm Fellowship
June 11, 2025
When an opportunity presented itself, Max Hayden took it and ran with it. Hayden initially focused on behind-the-scenes work for CCRI’s theater program. But after accepting and thriving in the lead role for the school’s Yellowman production in 2023, Hayden became a fixture of the school’s theater program over the last two years.
Read More
CCRI Students Blending Art And Science In Unique Exhibition Funded By NSF Grant
June 04, 2025
If you love art or science, and especially if you love both, you’ll want to visit CCRI’s Lincoln Campus this month. Throughout the spring, CCRI Art & Design students collaborated with CCRI STEM professors and students to create original, science-inspired art projects. Funded by a $15,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR initiative, this collaboration highlights creative potential that emerges when these two disciplines meet.
Read More
76-year-old Musician Completing CCRI Degree Decades After Starting
June 02, 2025
Nearly 30 years after beginning his CCRI education, 76-year-old Ed McGuirl is about to check the final box on his long, fascinating résumé. In the mid-1990s, the Jamestown resident studied at CCRI to pursue a social services degree that would complement his work as a substance-abuse treatment professional. But a busy work schedule forced McGuirl to indefinitely pause his studies – until now.
Read More
Spring 2025 Dean's List
May 28, 2025
The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Spring 2025 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher this semester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.
Read More
'Overjoyed' CCRI Graduate Opens Up On Getting Engaged At Commencement'
May 23, 2025
Warwick, RI -- Samantha Lescarbeau knew she would experience one life-changing event at CCRI commencement. But she never expected what would happen after she walked across the stage at Amica Mutual Pavillion on May 15.
Read More
CCRI Announces Winners of 2025 Student Film Festival
May 22, 2025
Warwick, RI -- The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) proudly announced the winners of its 2025 Student Film Festival following a weekend of cinematic talent and storytelling. The festival kicked off with a red-carpet gala on Friday, May 10, and continued on Saturday, May 11, with a full day of student film screenings. The event drew students, faculty, and local film lovers to celebrate the achievements of CCRI’s talented filmmakers.
Read More
CCRI Launches Bold Expansion of Work-Based Learning to Strengthen Rhode Island's Workforce
May 22, 2025
Warwick, RI – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) will launch the next phase of work-based learning to increase internships for students to work directly in workplace environments, gaining valuable skills and experience necessary for college and career success.
Read More
CCRI and Delta Dental of Rhode Island Partner to Strengthen Dental Workforce for Rhode Island's Future
May 20, 2025
A partnership between the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) and Delta Dental of Rhode Island (DDRI) is building a pipeline of highly trained, workforce-ready dental hygienists to respond to a nationwide demand for dental hygienists and lay the groundwork for a stronger, more sustainable oral healthcare system in Rhode Island.
Read More
CCRI Celebrates its 60th Commencement with Powerful Speeches, Generational Milestones, and a Proud Legacy of Alumni
May 16, 2025
On Thursday, May 15, 2025, the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) celebrated a milestone achievement: its 60th Commencement Ceremony. Held at the Amica Mutual Pavilion, the event marked the culmination of CCRI’s year-long diamond anniversary celebration and was a stirring tribute to six decades of transformation, opportunity, and achievement for Rhode Islanders.
Read More
Jun.
1
June 1, 2025 8:00 AM - July 29, 2025 3:30 PM
Woonsocket Education Center (WOC)
Jun.
2
June 2, 2025 All Day
Flanagan Campus
Jun.
3
June 3, 2025 All Day
Jun.
4
June 4, 2025 All Day
Jun.
5
June 5, 2025 All Day
Flanagan Campus
Jun.
6
June 6, 2025 All Day
Jun.
6
June 6, 2025 All Day
Newport County Campus
Jun.
7
June 7, 2025 All Day
Liston Campus
Jun.
8
June 8, 2025 All Day
Jun.
8
June 8, 2025 All Day