Rising Talent: Jack Cutmore-Scott - "The Next Matt Damon"

Jack Cutmore-Scott in the dressing room.
It remains to be seen if he lives up to the expectations that have been placed on him. And they are many, what with his debut this week as the lead character in Entertaining Mr. Sloane in Boston. But Jack Cutmore-Scott, the young (22) Harvard Senior and already accomplished actor is likely to fulfill them. He has the charisma, the accent, the talent, and yes, the looks.

Jack Cutmore-Scott opens this week in Entertaining Mr. Sloane at the Boston Center for the Arts. Susanne Nitter photo.
I was pleased to be able to do a profile of Jack for Arts America and get the ball rolling. Now the Boston Globe's Joel Brown has followed up with this great compliment:

“He’s probably the most talented undergraduate I’ve seen come through since Matt Damon,’’ says director Eric C. Engel.

Jack may be straight, but he is not intimidated to play the bisexual Mr. Sloane, nor to don a dress in the service of the Hasty Pudding Club. "It's not that different from the British panto I was brought up with, and just as much fun." I mention this because should you entertain any thoughts of chasing Mr. Sloane, you will have a lot of competition - his female fans outnumber the male ones by a wide margin.

Where's Jack? Welcoming a Hasty Pudding winner.
The Hasty Pudding boys like to watch.
Entertaining Mr. Sloane is of course written by the infamous (and out gay playwright) Joe Orton, whose life was explored in the testily titled Prick Up Your Ears. And Orton is a genius with both convoluted plots and hilarious farce which explode in equal portions of gasps and laughter from an audience.

If you plan to be in Boston between now and April 3, I urge you to find your way to the Publick Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Theatre, and be among the first to see this promising new talent at work. Tickets are priced at $33-$37.50. You can call for reservations at 617-933-8600, or go online to order them at www.bostontheatrescene.com

Jack's roots as a comic actor sometimes go to his head. Candid photos from Mr. Scott and his friends.
While in Boston you should also consider seeing The Adding Machine, a new musical from the Speakeasy Stage, and of course, The Donkey Show - a disco version of A Midsummer's Night Dream at American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge. And to top off these treats, Ryan Landry's Phantom of the Oprah is the ultimate spoof with Varla Jean Merman playing at The Machine.