From left, Jim Smith, Rotary program host, Jennifer Holcomb, lead actress for the Chautauqua Theatre Company’s presentation of As You Like It, and Cheri Maytum Krull, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Jamestown. Submitted photo

The Rotary Club of Jamestown recently welcomed Andrew Borba, who is in his third year as artistic director of the Chautauqua Theatre Company.

He has served eight seasons as the company’s associate artistic director and this is his 13th summer at the Chautauqua Theatre Company.

At the Chautauqua Theatre Company, Borba has directed several plays including The Taming of the Shrew, After Love, The Comedy of Errors, The Philadelphia Story, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, and the list goes on. Outside of the theatre company he has directed several plays across the country.

On film, he has appeared in small parts in big films and big parts in small films and has had recurring roles and guest appearances in more than 30 television series. Borba is a member of The Antaeus Theatre Company, a cum laude graduate of Brown University and received his masters degree from New York University.

Borba spoke about the reaction to Chautauqua’s Shakespeare in the Park presentation at Jamestown’s Allen Park Band Shell, where they expected 80 people and more than 250 people showed up. The company will return to Allen Park on Aug. 15. In the meanwhile, there will be performances at Southern Tier Brewery and Lakeside Park in Mayville. Borba commented on how great it is to be involved with the community outside the gate of Chautauqua Institution.

Borba then introduced Jennifer Holcomb, who had the lead in As You Like It; she gave a reading from the play. Holcomb is a recent graduate of Cal State Irvine with her masters degree. She talked about the training ground the Chautauqua Theatre Company offers young actors and actresses.

Borba talked about the additional theatrical offerings this summer at Chautauqua Institution — An Octaroon, Airness and Into the Breeches, an all-female cast portraying men. He indicated a very special play called An Amish Project will be performed August 19-21.

Both guests mentioned that Chautauqua and their Theatre Company are excited about the possibilities as to how far and how much of the local population they can reach in the future.