Mission
The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) at THE BLACK BOX, an Equity Small Professional Theater Company and 501(c)3 organization, offers performing arts production and presentation programming in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts. FPAC supports educational arts experiences, quality entertainment, and outstanding performances featuring Broadway stars, professional and regional performers, and emerging artists.
Raye Lynn Mercer ~ Executive/Artistic Director
Founder of the Franklin School for the Performing Arts, Raye Lynn Mercer received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Middlebury College and attended the Vienna International Music Center in Vienna, Austria, where she studied with Maria-Regina Seidlhofer of the Academy of Music. Her teachers included Guiseppe deLellis, Diana Fanning, Gabriel Chodos and Yoriko Takahashi. Pianist, director and choreographer, Raye Lynn has presented 34 seasons of musicals, plays, concerts and dance productions with FSPA and the community-based Franklin Performing Arts Company, established in 1991. Raye Lynn serves as Administrator of the school, oversees the FSPA musical theater program and directs the international touring ensemble Electric Youth. Her school’s student résumés include Broadway’s Matilda and Wicked, Lincoln Center, national Broadway tours, regional companies, European concert tours, Fox-TV’s American Idol, annual performances at Walt Disney World, and placement in top college and conservatory arts programs. Combining profession and hobby, Raye Lynn has directed Symphony of Horses productions across the country. Internationally, she has developed Electric Youth’s professional concert tours in Europe and taught musical theater workshops in Austria and Hong Kong. President and Executive Director of the Franklin Performing Arts Company, Raye Lynn is the visionary behind THE BLACK BOX, a performance and event venue located behind FSPA in the heart of downtown Franklin. Raye Lynn Mercer is the Executive/Artistic Director of the Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC), established in 1991. Raye Lynn facilitated the opening of FPAC’s home THE BLACK BOX in 2014. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Middlebury College and attended the Vienna International Music Center in Austria. Raye Lynn founded the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) in 1985 and serves as Administrator, oversees the FSPA musical theater program, and directs the international touring ensemble Electric Youth. Pianist, director, producer, and choreographer, she presents seasons of musicals, plays, concerts, and dance productions with both FSPA and FPAC. Her school’s student resumes include Broadway, national tours, regional companies, European concert tours, FOX-TV's American Idol, annual performances at Walt Disney World, and placement in top college and conservatory arts programs. Proud of bringing Broadway to Franklin, she is thrilled that the Franklin Performing Arts Company is a newly recognized Equity Small Professional Theater.
Board of Directors
Thomas D. Mercer, Chairman
Roger Breslin, William S. Buccella, Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Raye Lynn Mercer, David Porter, William Weiss, Lori Wirkus