Northern Stage Production & Education Programming
Northern Stage to produce contemporary new drama Good People
Good People, by Pulitzer Prize-winning David Lindsay-Abaire runs live on stage at the Briggs Opera House in White River Junction, VT from March 5-23, 2014. For tickets and information, call 802-296-7000 or visit www.northernstage.org. Tickets start at $15.
Carol Dunne, who also serves at Northern Stage’s Artistic Director, directs Good People, a new play about a poor woman living in South Boston recently fired from her job and desperate for an opportunity to find employment. These opening circumstances in the plot set the stage for this show nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play in 2011. Northern Stage’s Producing Director Catherine Doherty stars and says of the script, “David Lindsay-Abaire in very direct an truthful ways explores issues of class, race, kindness – and the question of how much we may or may not have a choice in our own personal destiny.” This production features Dorothy Stanley, whose Broadway credits include La Cage Aux Folles, 42nd Street, Follies, Show Boat, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Annie as well as Charis Leos, seen in Northern Stage’s productions of Nunsense, Chicago (as Mama Morton), and Blithe Spirit, and who is leading actress at Main State Music Theater.
Performances are Tuesdays through Sundays, sponsored by Lake Sunapee Bank and Summit Wealth Group. Discounted tickets are available for preview performances March 5-7, and post show conversations with the cast are schedule for March 11 and 15.
When asked about the new Northern Stage under the management of Carol Dunne and Managing Director Eric Bunge, Catherine states “ This is a new era for Northern Stage, and what Carol and Eric have done so beautifully in their time here is to set a course for stability while exploring ways in which Northern Stage can challenge itself and its audience artistically.”
Northern Stage Announces New and Extended Education Programs
The Northern Stage Education Department announces the continuation of YES: Youth Ensemble Studio, a theater arts-focused group organized to give high school students the opportunity to study theater in a professional environment. Due to popular demand, the company is creating a new student theater group entitled YEA: Youth Ensemble Artists, which will give middle school students an opportunity to train professionally under the auspices of Northern Stage. Master classes will be given in voice, movement, improvisation, and acting. Faculty includes Jamie Horton, professor of Theater at Dartmouth College; Carol Dunne, Artistic Director of Northern Stage and the New London Barn Playhouse; Christian Kohn; Jarvis Green, Artistic Director of BarnArts; and Kimberly Sullivan, Northern Stage Education Associate. All faculty members are professional actors.
The spring curriculum for both programs begins March 10 and runs through May 12 and takes place Monday evenings from 6-8 PM. A theatrical performance for the public will be given by students to culminate the spring session.
Auditions for both groups will take place Monday, March 3, from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Miller Building, 76 Gates Street in White River Junction, VT. Students auditioning should prepare a one-minute monologue or tell a story of no more than one minute in length and are advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothing.
The cost for ensemble participation is $125, and scholarships are available by request. More information is available at northernstage.org or 802.296.7000.
Northern Stage is a regional non-profit professional theater that seeks to entertain, challenge and involve its audiences with ambitious productions. Based in the Upper Valley of the Connecticut River, Northern Stage brings national and area talent together on an intimate stage in diverse classic, contemporary, and new plays and musicals. One of only four independent theaters in the nation that is at least 40 miles from an urban center, exceeds $750,000 in annual ticket revenue, and produces a season of seven months or more, Northern Stage has offered over 100 productions in its 16-year history, and annual attendance is now over 25,000.