The Stage Door

Firehouse Travels to Boston

2012-05-15T17:58:27Z

Dear Friends,

The 14th annual Boston Theater Marathon will be held on May 20 from 12 noon to 10 pm. Fifty three ten-minute plays by 53 New England playwrights presented by 54 New England theatre companies will happen during a 10 hour period. Come and go as you please with your all-day pass.

This event may not be as well known to our Firehouse patrons but is revered by the Boston theater community. It is an honor to be selected and this year we are very excited to announce that several of our local playwrights, venues, directors and actors will be participating. This is the third year that the Firehouse has been asked to partake in this fun and prestigious event.

The Boston Theater Marathon weekend will also include The Warm-Up Laps on May 19 featuring three free full-length staged readings. A Book of Snow by Joshua Faigen, a Newburyport playwright, will begin at 12pm. Several of Josh's plays have been produced at the Firehouse Center for the Arts and the Newburyport Actors Studio. A Book of Snow was the winning full length play at our 2012 New Works Festival this past January.

If you do attend, look to the balcony in the Calderwood Theater and you will not miss the Newburyport contingency. Many of us will sport lunch bags, small coolers and picnic baskets, share each other's snacks and look around the stage and physical space in awe. You would think that we had never been in a Boston theater before or that we were a bunch of students on a field trip. But make no mistake, we are hard core theater lovers and don't want to miss one moment of the marathon. We pack our bags early in the morning, head to Boston, stake out our claim and dare anyone to ask us to give up our seat. Ten hours later, we will to head home full of inspiration and admiration!

Won't you join us too? You can stay as little or as long as you would like. Here is the highlighted schedule of our Firehouse friends who will be participating. The full lineup can be found on the Marathon website as well as directions and pricing below. I have highlighted the local talent in red since they are a hot bunch of talented thespians! You will notice that some of the plays will be produced by other venues...this is what makes it all interesting and exciting!

Sincerely, Kimm Wilkinson

Friday, May 19th - Warm Up Laps 12:00 pm
BOOK OF SNOW by JOSH FAIGEN

Sunday, May 20th - 10 minute memorized plays

12:00 - 1:00 PM

LYCANTHROPY by DANNY SKLAR, Theatre on Fire

2:00 - 3:00 PM

CALLING CUES by FONTAINE DOLLAS DUBUS, Hovey Players

A KIND OF LOVE by KEVIN HONG, Actors’ Studio of Newburyport - Directed by Jeff Rath (Actors:Teresa Donahoe and Jason Novak)

6:00 - 7:00 PM

SECOND LOOK by PATRICK GABRIDGE, Firehouse Center for the Arts - Directed by Stephen Faria (Actors: Bob DeLibero and Charles Van Eman)

8:00 - 9:00 PM

FRICKIN’ WOODPECKER by DEIRDRE GIRARD, Underground Railway Theater

9:00 - 10:00 PM

THE DRAMATURG by JACK NEARY, New Century Theatre

http://www.bu.edu/bpt/. You save money if you purchase your tickets ahead of time.

Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA in Boston's South End. Click here for directions.

--
Kimm Wilkinson
Artistic Director
"It wouldn't be so time consuming if it didn't take so long."

Firehouse Center for the Arts
Market Square
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-499-9931
www.firehouse.org

We All Win!

2012-05-09T21:00:45Z

Elena Bachrach accepts the Ultimate Townie Award 2012* Last Saturday night arts' lovers from all over the North Shore convened at the Firehouse to celebrate the local community and to support the Firehouse Center for the Arts in their mission to keep the arts alive at home. That night the theater was home to the First Annual Townie Awards and a Way-Off-Broadway Party. Party-goers were greeted at the front door with a red-carpet welcome by host John Budzyna. Other award ceremonies have Joan Rivers to utter the words "And who are you wearing?" but the Townie Awards have Angelina Bobo a.k.a. Tracy Bickel.

Inside, the theater was decked out in its very own award-winning attire: azaleas of many shades, glittering stars and balloons were scattered throughout the historic building and up on stage Jack Senier played show tunes on the new Steinway piano.

So who won? By keeping the arts alive in our community we all win. That being said, there were a few organizations and individuals who carried home Townie Awards to place inside their trophy cabinets.

In the Best Producer category The Institution for Savings was awarded for their role in helping to produce theater at the Firehouse! Best Individual in a Supporting Role went to Sam Collinson who put in a record-breaking 130 volunteer-hours at the Firehouse last year.

Every award ceremony has their "sweep" nominee and at the First Annual Townie Award presentation, the Newburyport Art Association stepped into that role. Voters were asked to select from non-profit organizations that were nominated for their contribution to community arts in the Lifetime Achievement Award. Elena Bachrach, Executive Director of the Association accepted the award on behalf of the art organization and then moments later returned to the podium to collect her own award as the Ultimate Townie 2012 -- the person who contributed to the greater Newburyport community by making it more fun, more interesting, and/or better for those around them.

The Firehouse would like to thank all of you who helped to make this event a successful and FUN evening: the generous sponsors, the donors who supplied wonderful auction items, the committee members and other volunteers who gave so much of their time and talents, and each and every guest who danced the night away!

*More photos here...

And the winner is...

2012-05-02T15:00:01Z

Townie AwardYesterday the 2012 Tony Award Nominees were announced. Presented by Kristin Chenoweth & Jim Parsons the nominees probably included some of your favorite productions, your favorite stage actors, your favorite Broadway tunes of the last year. Countless hours of hard work and preparation preceded that moment when, during the live webcast, the names were made public. There were hours of writing, set-building, rehearsals; hours spent making sure theater seats didn’t squeak, that lighting was just right, that the bar was stocked with wine, that tickets were printed, that ads were created and placed; sofas were tracked down and delivered to the stage and placed just so; costumes were designed and constructed; hair and make-up were conceived and painstakingly applied; there were hours invested to insure that the footprints of last night’s patrons were nowhere to be seen; programs were proofed, proofed and proofed some more. Besides all that (and way more), there is then still all the effort and care that is part of the mix to create an evening of theater and thanks for those being honored for superlative efforts in presenting the preceding theater season. Whew!

The Bard himself reminded us “The whole world is a stage.” Like the Tony Awards on Broadway, the Townie Awards have also been created to pay homage. Not just to the thespians who tread the boards regularly at the Firehouse but to those in our community who have played an exemplary role in the theater that is our day-to-day lives. Sometimes the individual efforts make front-page news and sometimes the deeds are of a more quiet nature… but all are heroic.

The excitement is mounting. There have been many hours of hard work and preparation to create a night of fun to honor all the Townies who make our lives in the Port City and environs a little more full, a little more rewarding. This Saturday, May 5, the envelopes will be taken upstage and the waiting will finally be over with the words ”and the winner is…..”

We still don’t know who will take home the 2012 Townie Awards but we do know that the evening of fun, frivolity and festivity has come about because of the countless number of hours that have gone into the creating and planning that such a gala event involve.

We thank co-chairs Cyndi Barry Rubenfeld and Louis Rubenfeld, Firehouse Director of Development Beth Falconer and all the Way-Off-Broadway Committee members: Maureen Daley, Jackie Guilmette, Amy LeJeune, Esther Sayer, Susan Signori, Ray Tiezzi, Lisa Wetenkamp, Christine Williams and Deborah Yameen. That the evening will unfold for all of us at a relaxed, leisurely pace that will afford us a few hours of relief from the stress of our “day jobs” is thanks to your efforts, your attention to detail, and your dedication to keeping the arts alive on the North Shore.

And of course we thank ALL the Townies -- whoever you may be and for whatever small acts of kindness, both seen and unseen, you have bestowed.

My inner nerd...

2012-04-24T18:37:50Z

Ok bloggers. I've been advised by a close colleague not to write like a "development director" and rather to be the nerd that I am...(nice, right?!)

It's true. I can get pretty enthusiastic about the things that I like. Whether I'm discussing my children or a cool new letterpress store I just visited, I'm likely to be waving my hands up and down in excitement. Right now, I'm excited about the May 5th Way Off-Broadway Party. I really am. You should get your tickets. Last year's event was a blast, and this year is going to be even better. I have my eye on several auction items- I really want the camera, I'm humming Broadway tunes, and I can't wait until the end of the evening (after a successful auction!) when I have a Mar-Townie in hand and dance the night away on stage.

When I imagine the night, I see success that goes beyond financial goals. I see us all together, (philanthropists, actors, artists, patrons, etc.), raising a glass and toasting our good fortune to have such a special place for theater right downtown. I see this event as an opportunity to create community. I know, I'm enthusiastic, but I can't help it. Guilty as charged.

So come on bloggers, log in and share the love. Let us know what you're looking forward to bidding on. What are you wearing?! What tunes do you want on the dance floor? (For those of you still with me, I have a little surprise for you! If you're one of the first ten individuals to email me here, with "Discounted Tickets Please" in the subject line, I'll reply with a discount offer for two. Please don't forget the please. Thank you.)

We ask: Why Support Community Arts?

2012-04-18T10:00:00Z

Coming up in just a few weeks on May 5, 2012, is the largest, single annual-fundraiser to benefit the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport: the Way-Off-Broadway Party! With your assistance this event will help make it possible for the Firehouse Center to continue bringing the best in arts and humanities to our community. The Firehouse Center serves approximately 20,000 patrons a year, including almost 5,000 young people through our school-show series and arts-education programs. In addition, funds raised will help to preserve the historic structure that anchors our beautiful downtown area.

Just why is this so important to you and to your neighbors here on the North Shore?

For an informed answer we turn to Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy at Americans for the Arts, the nation's advocacy organization for the arts. A member of the staff of Americans for the Arts since 1991, Randy is among the most noted experts in the field of arts funding, research, policy, and using the arts to address community development issues. His latest blog entry cited the top ten reasons to support the arts in 2012:

I was recently asked by a major biz leader for “10 reasons to support the arts.” He needed the points to help him pull an 8-figure inve$tment for a new arts center. "Make it compelling to government and business leaders," he asked. Oh, yeah, he’s a busy guy—didn’t want a lot to read: “Keep it to one page, please.” So, apart from the 10-1 flip (and with apologies to David Letterman), this is what I delivered:

10. True prosperity…The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. They help us express our values, build bridges between cultures, and bring us together regardless of ethnicity, religion, or age. When times are tough, the arts are salve for the ache.

9. Stronger communities…University of Pennsylvania researchers have demonstrated that a high concentration of the arts in a city leads to higher civic engagement, more social cohesion, higher child welfare, and lower poverty rates. A vibrant arts community ensures that young people are not left to be raised solely in a pop culture and tabloid marketplace.

8. Health and well-being…nearly one-half of the nation’s healthcare institutions provide arts programming for patients, families, and even staff. 78 percent deliver these programs because of their healing benefits to patients—shorter hospital stays, better pain management, and less medication.

7. 21st Century workforce . . . reports by The Conference Board show creativity is among the top applied skills sought by employers. 72 percent of business leaders say creativity is of high importance when hiring. The biggest creativity indicator? A college arts degree. Their report concludes, “…the arts—music, creative writing, drawing, dance—provide skills sought by employers of the third millennium.”

6. Improved academic performance…longitudinal data of 25,000 students demonstrate that students with an education rich in the arts have higher GPAs and standardized test scores, lower drop-out rates, and even better attitudes about community service. These benefits are reaped by students regardless of socio-economic status. Children motivated by the arts develop attention skills and strategies for memory retrieval that also apply to other academic subject areas such as math and science.

5. Arts in the schools = better SAT scores…students with four years of arts or music in high school average 100 points better on their SAT scores than students with one-half year or less. Better scores are found in all three portions of the test: math, reading, and writing.

4. Creative Industries…the creative industries are arts businesses that range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and advertising companies. An analysis of Dun & Bradstreet data counts 756,007 businesses in the U.S. involved in the creation or distribution of the arts that employ 2.99 million people—representing 4.14 percent of all businesses and 2.17 percent of all employees, respectively. (Contact Americans for the Arts for your local and state numbers.)

3. Arts are the cornerstone of tourism…arts travelers are ideal tourists—they stay longer and spend more. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that the percentage of international travelers including arts and culture events during their stay has increased annually the last six years.

2. Arts are good for local merchants…the typical arts attendee spends $27.79 per person, per event, not including the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, shopping, and babysitters. Non-local arts audiences (who live outside the county) spend nearly twice as much as local arts attendees ($40.19 compared to $19.53)—valuable revenue for local businesses and the community.

1. The arts are an Industry…arts organizations are responsible businesses, employers, and consumers. They spend money locally, generate government revenue, and are a cornerstone of tourism and economic development. Nonprofit arts organizations generate $166 billion in economic activity annually, supporting 5.7 million jobs and generating nearly $30 billion in government revenue. Investment in the arts supports jobs, generates tax revenues, and advances our creativity-based economy.

If he asked for 11 reasons . . . what would you have added?

Why not log in to the Firehouse blog (see the "Navigation" sidebar at the right) and give us your reason #11 for supporting the Arts. Get into the conversation and put the 'community' into "community arts."

The Firehouse is grateful for the generosity of individuals and businesses who understand that an investment in the Firehouse is an investment in the community and that the Firehouse contributes in numerous ways to the economic growth of our town by continuing to be a draw to Market Square and its many shops and restaurants. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

P.S.

Besides supporting the arts, the Way-Off-Broadway Party! is sure to be a blast -- dress up (or not), arrive on the red carpet with the flashbulbs popping, share some libations with your friends during the social hour while you munch on hors-d'oeuvres served by Not Your Average Joe's and see what auction items tempt you (sneak preview here). Maybe you, or someone you know, will take home the soon-to-be-coveted Townie Award as you end the night dancing on stage!

So What About Those Tony Awards?

2012-04-11T17:01:40Z

Tony Award

Sixty-five years ago the first ever Tony Award was presented to eleven individuals for their work as actors, directors, costume designers, choreographers and composers in the theater world during the preceding 1946-47 season. In addition, eight individuals were recognized with special awards including Arthur Miller (for Best Author) and Vincent Sardi, Sr., founder of the eponymous restaurant that he opened in 1947 which has been credited as being the birthplace of the Tony Award.

The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theater (that’s the official name of the Tony), were first handed out on April 6, 1947 in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The winners received a scroll and a silver compact case for the women; and either an engraved gold money clip or a cigarette lighter for the men. Following along at home was only possible thanks to Radio Station WOR, as the ceremony would not be broadcast on television until much later in 1967.

And just who was Antoinette Perry? Antoinette Perry (1888-1946) was an American actress, director and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing. She produced several successful plays in partnership with Brock Pemberton, a press agent from New York, with whom she was linked both professionally and romantically. Their most famous production was Harvey based upon the Mary Chase novel. In 1939 Perry, along with Rachel Crothers, founded The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) in Manhattan, an organization whose mission statement proclaimed it to be “dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre.” During WWII the Wing established the Stage Door Canteen to entertain American servicemen and then later, after the war, founded the Community Players to assist war veterans and their families as they returned home.

During the extended Broadway run of Harvey -- it ran for more than 4 years and was staged for 1775 performances before closing in January 1949 -- Perry died from a heart attack one day after her 58^th birthday. Subsequently, Brock Pemberton suggested to the Wing that they create a series of awards to be given in her honor -- an idea he came up while having lunch at Sardi’s. Pemberton would go on to host the very first award ceremony during which he coined the now much more common name “Toni,” when he referred to his nickname for Perry while handing out an award to a recipient.

The times have changed. This year the Tony Awards ceremony will be held at the Beacon Theater in NY for the second year in a row after 50 years at the Waldorf Astoria and more than a decade-long run at Radio City Music Hall. Televised nationally since 1967, the awards still signify achievement in live Broadway theater but the compacts and cigarette lighters have given way to a more substantial award that features a base upon which the medallion, originally designed by Art Director Herman Rosse, rests. Tony Award producers swear they are not trying to keep up with the Joneses… or in this particular case, the Oscars… but that the new design is easier to handle onstage during the presentation of the awards.

Yes, times have changed… but some things never change. The Firehouse New Works Festival Committee should take heart: you are not alone! The Tony Awards Official Site lists the rules and regulations of the awards process and they too continue to have difficulty year after year in discerning the exact definition of a “new play!”

The Tony Awards not only recognize the contributions to the theater world for on-stage contributions but also for off-stage contributions. One of the newly created non-competitive awards recognizes an individual who has made substantial contributions of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service or charitable organizations.

It is here that that the Tony Awards and the First Annual Townie Awards intersect.
Townie Award The Firehouse Center for the Arts is pleased to be able to present these awards to the local individuals and organizations that contribute selflessly of their time and resources to make our lives richer and more enjoyable here in our home town. We thank you and we salute you. The newly created Townie Award is a very small token of our appreciation for your efforts and for all that you do to make the North Shore area such a vibrant place to call home.

What? You still haven’t voted your favorite Townie? Click the Way-Off-Broadway Party logo now…voting ends April 23^rd and the winners will be announced at the Way-Off-Broadway Party at the Firehouse on Saturday, May 5^th.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Click here for downloadable forms or call Beth Falconer, Director of Development at 978/499-9931 for more information and check the website often for updates to be posted as received. In the mean time... mark your calendars!

Click the logo to cast your Townie Award vote NOW!

Vote Often and Early!

2012-04-04T13:58:12Z

Vote Often and Early...so goes the old slogan. The Firehouse would love to see a great voter-turnout for the First Annual Townie Awards so although we are not advocating that you vote often (one vote per computer please!), we are suggesting you cast your vote now. The Townie Awards are an opportunity to recognize the contributions made by individuals and organizations--not only to the Firehouse, but to the greater community. The Society for the Development of the Arts and Humanities Board and Staff know that the Firehouse wouldn't be here without the continued generous support of many individuals and organizations and we sincerely thank you!

Categories include Best Producer (the organization you believe most deserves a Townie for their role in helping to produce theater at the Firehouse); Best Individual in a Supporting Role (an individual who you believe most deserves a Townie for their recent volunteer contributions to the Firehouse Center for the Arts); Lifetime Achievement Award (a vote for the non-profit organization that you think most deserves a Townie for their contribution to community arts); and Ultimate Townie, 2012 (the individual who you think contributes the most to the greater Newburyport community by making it more fun, more interesting, and/or better for those around them).

Cast your vote online before April 23 and then join fellow patrons of the arts for a festive Way-Off-Broadway Party and fundraiser at the Firehouse Center for the Arts on Saturday, May 5th, to hear who the winners are! The evening will feature a red-carpet welcome to a fantastic party complete with red-carpet photos, drinks, delicious food, live and silent auctions, and Broadway tunes played on the new Steinway piano.

Don't delay – Way-Off Broadway is not far-off in the future and your favorite Townie hero deserves recognition!

Click the logo to cast your vote NOW!

And the nominees are:

Best Producer (Vote for the organization you believe most deserves a Townie for their role in helping to produce theater at the Firehouse):

Mary Alice Arakelian Foundation
The Harpley Foundation
The Institution for Savings
Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank
The Provident Bank

Best Individual in a Supporting Role (Vote for the individual below who you believe most deserves a Townie for their recent volunteer contributions to the Firehouse Center for the Arts - The wonderful volunteer Firehouse Board Members were not eligible for this category).

Jivonne Alley (Box Office Design)
Ben Andreozzi (Weekly Box Office Volunteer)
David Stawasz (Set Design and Painting for Proof, and a New Usher)
Sam Collinson (130 Volunteer Hours!)
JoAnn Boover (92 Volunteer Hours!)

Lifetime Achievement Award (Please vote for the non-profit organization that you think most deserves a Townie for their contribution to community arts. The Firehouse is so proud to be part of such an inspiring, creative community, and they honor you all, and sincerely hope they haven't missed anyone! Only non-profit arts organizations in Newburyport have been nominated.)

The Actors Studio of Newburyport
Exit Dance Theatre
Maudslay Arts Center
Newburyport Art Association
Newburyport Chamber Music Festival
Newburyport Choral Society
Theater in the Open
FINCH Coffeehouse
Newburyport Documentary Film Festival

Ultimate Townie, 2012 (A write-in Vote! This person contributes to the greater Newburyport community by making it more fun, more interesting, and/or better for those around them.)

Click the logo to cast your vote NOW!

Spring and MA

2012-03-27T19:20:14Z

Hunter in the Meadows of Old Newburyport by Alfred Thompson Bricher (c.1873)MA:
Abbreviation for Massachusetts?

Well it could mean More Arts. Looking at the upcoming spring lineup at the Firehouse it becomes abundantly clear that there is an amazing amount of artistic and creative talent in the Bay State. Beginning with April Fools’ Day one can see the dance talent of Newburyport’s own Joppa Dance showcased in their annual spring recital called Fools for Dance – no foolin’! We promise.

The talented young thespians at the Newburyport High School will be presenting the dramatic play by Neena Beber called Jump/Cut on April 14 at the Firehouse and then, the very next night, The Wizard of Oz will be presented in dance -- compliments of the Methuen Ballet Ensemble. Ms. Vanessa Voter continues to wow her audiences with colorful costumes and dramatic sets in each of her annual performances.

Later in the month, on Sunday, April 22, the Tanglewood Marionettes travel to the Port City from Ware, our neighbor to the west to perform Sleeping Beauty. These award-winning puppetry masters have been a favorite with Firehouse audiences for several years now and in this retelling of the classic story of the beautiful princess being awakened by her prince, a painted story book opens to reveal each scene.

The exception that proves the rule. OK, April Verch is Canadian; but you will not want to miss her when she becomes an honorary Bay Stater for a few hours on Thursday, April 26 as she performs with her band in the Arakelian Theater. Dirk Powell says, “April has an amazing ability to touch people’s hearts, get them having fun, and sharing the whole range of human emotions. She’s a grand master fiddler and a very expressive singer, but what sets her apart is the openness, humor and social fun she got growing up in the music. It’s not always easy for professionals to keep that social joy in their music. Even though April is playing at a very high level, she brings that explosive joy with her.” See for yourself in this video of April step dancing with her band accompanying!

Last but certainly not least. Rounding out the month’s activities will be the ever popular Newburyport Literary Festival! The writers’ festival is an annual event that brings people from far and wide to listen to their favorite authors talk about their new books and to hear them read selections. This year the spotlight will be on Newburyport’s own, Alfred Nicol, an award-winning poet and songwriter. Alfred has inspired this year’s Festival theme, “The Lyrical Voice – language that takes the most direct path from one heart to another.” No matter what your favorite genre you will be sure to find a favorite writer here in Newburyport the last weekend of April.

“The play’s the thing” and it would be a real tragedy to miss it!

2012-03-21T17:46:33Z

Think you've seen it already? Think again. Shakespeare's Hamlet is perhaps the most produced play of all time -- it certainly was in Shakespeare's own lifetime -- but thanks to the story it may be told again and again with each director putting their own personal spin on this classic tale of grief and revenge. Even the Bard himself supposedly reinterpreted an earlier play, known amongst literary scholars as the Ur Hamlet, written either by himself or Thomas Kyd.

Although that point is still up for debate what is more certain is that you shouldn't miss Shakesperience Productions' Hamlet when it arrives at the Firehouse Center for the Arts on Friday, March 23 at 8pm. Tickets are $17 Non-Members/$15 Members and may be purchased at the Box Office (Wed-Sun, 12N-5P), by calling 978/462-7336 or online at www.firehouse.org. This production runs about 90 minutes so it might be the perfect choice to introduce younger theater-goers to the classics.

Travel to Elsinore, the Danish royal castle where the ghosts, the trickery and some of the most famous of all the Shakespearian characters come alive: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Ophelia, Laertes… and of course Hamlet. This imaginative adaptation is set inside of a camera and inspired by contemporary art and philosophy, as it explores the landscape of Hamlet's mind using optical illusions, mirrored images, negative space, puppetry, and music.

Based in Waterbury, CT, the non-profit Shakesperience Productions was founded in 1996 by Emily Mattina and Jeffrey Lapham (Executive Director), with a mission to educate and inspire students, families, and theater professionals through the arts. Artistic Director Mattina comes from the Berkshires, an area teeming with culture. She earned her B.A. from the University of New Hampshire with a major in Theater; and then received her M.A. in 17th Century English Literature with an emphasis on Shakespeare from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England. Ms. Mattina has worked as an actor, director, teaching artist, and arts administrator for companies and regional tours based in California, Connecticut, Minnesota, and New York. In addition she has consulted and directed youth theater companies in both New York and California, including PCPA Theatrefest and the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, and is listed on the Connecticut Commission Directory of Teaching Artists.

Although especially well versed in directing Shakespearian productions (at Shakesperience Productions and elsewhere), Mattina’s credits include: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Alice in Wonderland, All in the Timing, All the Great Books (Abridged), Complete History of America (Abridged), Complete Works of William Shakespeare, (Abridged), Emperor's New Clothes, Hamlet, Henry V, I Think I Can (Musical), Jerry Finnegan's Sister, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Once Upon a Wolf, Othello, Paper Bag Princess, Peter and the Wolf, Pinocchio, Rapunzel, Robin Hood, Romeo and Juliet, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, The Prince and The Pauper, and The Taming of The Shrew.

Miss Shakesperience Productions' Hamlet one-night-only performance at the Firehouse and miss this classic tale as viewed through the eyes of the very creative Emily Mattina? "Fie! ‘Tis a fault to Heaven, a fault against the dead, a fault to nature, to reason most absurd." (William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1.2)

If you build it they will come...

2012-03-06T19:20:00Z

Behind the scenes of Proof

When Ray Kinsella needed a little direction in his life, a little spark, Stawasz(L) and James Atkins confer with Kimm Wilkinson during set construction for Proofa little forward momentum; he heard the memorable phrase "If you build it they will come..." emanating from the Iowa cornfields. And build it he did.

David Stawasz heeded the call he heard when he was just a small boy of ten and the kids in the neighborhood needed a set for the small play they were putting on. "I designed the set for that - couple of fences, a curtain and some sort of backdrop. My grandfather helped me build the fence. Little did I know till much later in life that I really enjoyed the three-dimensional aspects of set designing..." explained Stawasz when we caught up with him as he was putting the final touches on the set he has just built for the Firehouse's production of David Auburn's Proof scheduled to run from March 8-18.

With a bachelor's degree in studio art and a minor in art history, painting comes somewhat easily for Stawasz but it's the three-dimensional aspect of building stage sets that really grabs him. He has been designing sets for theater since the mid-70s and to-date has probably designed more than 75 sets for dramas, comedies, musicals and even some opera.

Stawasz recently relocated to Newburyport from the Springfield/Northampton area in Western Massachusetts with his wife. The couple had been looking for a place to retire and had already decided that Florida was not for them. They were familiar with Newburyport from summer vacations spent in Ogunquit and visits to their son's family in Topsfield so they made a weekend trip to the North Shore looking for appropriate places where they could retire and eventually ended up in Newburyport. Of course, as an artist he especially was drawn to the culturally-oriented historic town. "Walking the streets we saw house ads in the window of Coldwell Banker, and wondered why we hadn't considered Newburyport - a no-brainer, and the rest is now history," explained Stawasz.

After learning of all the activity taking place at the Firehouse Center for the Arts, Stawasz and his wife decided to investigate volunteer opportunities as a way to meet people involved in the arts in their new hometown. "Working [with] Evelyn sold us on volunteering as ushers," says Stawasz.

It certainly did. Stawasz has become a volunteer extraordinaire in the eyes of the Firehouse staff and the Proof cast and crew. Artistic Director Kimm Wilkinson praises the efforts of Stawasz: "He has been amazing! He just walked into our lives and said he would be happy to design this amazing set for Proof. Like manna from heaven! He hand-painted all the bricks -- this flat surface has been transformed into a believable, textured, three-dimensional wall. I really think people will experience an "ah-ha" moment when they walk into the theater."

Fred LaRoche is the builder who enabled Stawasz's design to materialize from the dream to the actual set that the actors will use on stage. Also new to working with the Firehouse, it is only with the generous help and fine carpentry skills of LaRoche that the Firehouse is able to offer this production of Proof complete with a full box set, something that rising costs have prohibited in recent years. An anonymous contribution coupled with LaRoche's efforts have made this possible again. Despite his many concurrent carpentry obligations to his private clients LaRoche made room in his very busy schedule to build this set. How did this amazing talent end up in the Arakelian Theater? Proof Stage-Manager Amy LeJeune (LaRoche is her landlord!) said of LaRoche’s abilities -- “Oh he can build anything” and that was all Kimm Wilkinson needed to hear. Wilkinson is “…over the moon about working with Fred. He has a wonderful temperament and is a dream to collaborate with…” Although this is the very first theatrical set LaRoche has ever built, “he gets it” says the Firehouse Artistic Director. “He knows that there is a difference between building a house and building a set. He gets that actors have to be able to utilize the structure in a way that real-life people don’t, but manages to accomplish this in a setting that feels very real.”

La Roche and Stawasz have built it (and have done an exceedingly fine job)… so you should come. Proof will be at the Firehouse Center for the Arts, Market Square, Newburyport March 8-18 (Thurs-Sat @ 8pm and Sundays @ 3p) with Suzanne Bryan directing the award-winning play by David Auburn. Tickets are on sale now ($22 Adults • $20 Students/Seniors • $19 Members) and may be purchased in person at the Box Office (Wed-Sun 12N - 5P), by calling 978/462-7336 or online at www.firehouse.org.

Although the cast and crew of Proof would love to see the art of the film Field Of Dreams imitate life in the form of cars lining up for miles along High Street and Merrimac Street to see the beautiful set designed and built by Stawasz and LaRoche for the David Auburn play, they would also be quite happy if the eight performances slated to run from March 8 -18 in the Arakelian Theater sold-out.

For more information about how you may volunteer at the Firehouse please contact Volunteer Coordinator Evelyn Kovach by email or call her at 978/499-9931.