When you think of Patriot Place, football, restaurants, and shops most likely come to mind, but what about a new live theater space? 

The sign outside still says Helix E-Sports next to the Showcase Cinemas, but inside, you'll find actors, not gamers.

"It's not often a nonprofit startup theater company is blessed with an amazing building like this," said New England Public Theatre founding artistic director John Mael. "So we're extremely grateful."

When it came to choosing the company's first production, Mael went right to "Oklahoma!"

"The opportunity to take it, keep the text and the original intent intact, but come up with some more relevant staging and some more relevant choices to today's audience? I think that's exactly the kind of work that needs to be done."                 

"The story is very powerful and it's very relevant to today," explained actor Katie Broach. "It talks about two groups of people not getting along and how we can find common ground."

Shaping a new theater company

Another cast member, Katie Scholl, said, "What I love about working for a company that's starting from the ground up is that everyone gets to play a part in essentially helping it establish its own identity. "

Broach added, "The idea that you're also creating a community of artists, I think, is something really, really special."

Mael told WBZ-TV that a permanent home makes a difference.

"When a company has its own building, it just takes on a whole other level of legitimacy, of strength, of creative ability."

Scholl said, "We all have been able to put in our own little touches, our own little flares into either the show or helping out with the space."

Businesses in Patriot Place are already showing their support. Wormtown Brewery is set to do the beer and wine sales. And with bleacher seats starting at just $15, affordability could lead to longevity.

Mael said, "This is a company that aspires to one day be a professional theater. We are not just content in being a community theater, and we want as many people to come out and see what we do."

The New England Public Theatre's production of Oklahoma! Opens on Thursday, October 9th and runs through October 19th.