DRAMAJuly 23-24 & July 29-30
A breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.
workshopAugust 9-13
A week long intensive proram in theater, performance, and playwriting, ages 14-19.
children's theaterSat, October 2 at 11 am
"Will you marry me?" gets put on hold each time the cell phone rings! A comic opera in one act.
July 23-24, Fri - Sat at 8pm
July 29-30, Thu - Fri at 8pm
by Moisés Kaufman & Tectonic Theater Project
Directed by Stephanie Williams and Lisa Zaleski
In October 1998 a twenty-one-year-old student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie outside Laramie, Wyoming. His bloody, bruised and battered body was not discovered until the next day, and he died several days later in an area hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was the victim of this assault because he was gay. Moisés Kaufman and fellow members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half in the aftermath of the beating and during the trial of the two young men accused of killing Shepard. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town. Some people interviewed were directly connected to the case, and others were citizens of Laramie, and the breadth of their reactions to the crime is fascinating. Kaufman and Tectonic Theater members have constructed a deeply moving theatrical experience from these interviews and their own experiences. THE LARAMIE PROJECT is a breathtaking theatrical collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.
The Newburyport High School Theater Department - The NHS theater program is built around the principle of collaboration and requires students who act to work backstage, and vice versa. The students are actors, writers, directors, designers and technicians and are expected not only to experience theatre through multiple viewpoints, but also to appreciate how these vaious viewpoints come together.
Last summer the NHS engaged in its first community project with the Firehouse Center for the Arts (Footloose, 2009) which allowed the students to perform alongside adults. Not only did this provide students the opportunity to work on a different stage, but it also placed many of the students in leadership roles. Students learned tenfold from this experience and were empowered by the confidence they gained through sharing newfound knowledge with others.
P.O.V. Stage Company was founded in 2006 by Newburyport High School teachers Lisa Zaleski and Stephanie Williams. P.O.V. Stage Company’s purpose is to provoke thought and inspire a sense of community through their programming. They produce works focusing on social issues, and in doing so, help bridge the gap between generations. They aim to attract a diverse group of performers and audience members.
This event is produced in collaboration with the Newburyport High School Theater Department, P.O.V. Stage Company and the Firehouse Center for the Arts.
Partial funding for this event is provided by the Newburyport Commission for Diversity and Tolerance.
$14 Members/Students/Seniors • $16 Adults
To learn more about Matthew Shepard and the Matthew Shepard Foundation click here.
