Creative license is now the resident non-musical theater company of the cohoes music hall!

The Creative License Theater Collective is thrilled to announce that they have taken a residency at the Cohoes Music Hall, entering into an agreement with Playhouse Stage Company, the organization that manages the Hall.

Beyond PSC’s musical productions, Creative License will be the primary presenter of non-musical theater at the venue. The company will launch this new venture at the historic venue with its upcoming production of the hit Broadway romantic comedy Significant Other by Joshua Harmon, premiering on November 12, 2021, followed by Yazmine Reza’s God of Carnage, premiering on May 6, 2022.

Think you've been to the Theater?  Think again.

Creative License was founded by local theater artists Aaron Holbritter and Casey Polomaine in March of 2014.  Over a plate of chicken parm and a slice of tomato pie, Holbritter and Polomaine discussed the need for a theatrical group in the Capital Region that would break down the barriers between the artistic world and the general public.  A group that would focus on the written word and the honest, rich performances of its actors.  They wrote down 3 questions on a napkin-What will we call ourselves?  What will we present to an audience?  Where will we call home? The answers to those questions are still taking shape, but from that napkin, and from years of collective experience and passion, Creative License was born.

“Prepare yourselves, citizens of Albany, because Creative License is about to completely redefine everything you thought you knew about theater. “
Jessica Morrisey, Albany.com

At age six, Aaron had his first gig telling knock-knock jokes at a church social. His grandmother was his manager. His commitment to all things theatrical only grew from there. As an actor, Aaron has worked both locally and regionally, but is always happiest in front of a hometown crowd. He has appeared with Theater Barn, the Lake George Dinner Theater, Curtain Call Theater, Albany Civic Theater, Schenectady Civic Players, Home Made Theater and the Theater Company at Hubbard Hall. The Albany Times Union has called him a "leading light of the local stage". As a director, he has been at the helm of productions such as "Lost in Yonkers", "The Farnsworth Invention", "The Shape of Things", "Proof" and the show voted the #2 Best Show of 2013 by Times Union readers, "Sherlock Holmes, the Final Adventure". The Daily Gazette called Aaron "One of the most powerful directors in the area." Aaron is currently the Producer for WRGB's annual holiday show Melodies of Christmas. As a founding producer for Creative License, Aaron is committed to bringing quality, artistically challenging live theater to the Capital Region.

Casey has been involved in theater since High School, where she started off volunteering in the props department for the school's Spring musical. Under the guidance of her friend and mentor Phil Rice, Casey became the Assistant Director, contributing to the school's productions for several years. After High School, Casey attended Nazareth College of Rochester, where she majored in Theater Arts with a specialization in Stage Management. She moved back to the Capital Region after graduation, and has been heavily involved in the local theater scene ever since, working with such companies as Curtain Call Theater, Schenectady Civic Theater, and Albany Civic Theater. While she feels most at home backstage as Stage Manager or Director, she has enjoyed several opportunities to appear on stage with Creative License, as well as Curtain Call Theater and Albany Civic Theater. By day, she’s the Executive Director at the Albany Barn, a creative arts incubator that provides housing, workspace, & professional development opportunities to Capital Region Artists. She is thrilled to bring her knowledge and passion to Creative License and for the opportunity to produce theater as you've never seen it before.