Short Takes–News from Hartford Stage
A Look at our Lobby – A Christmas Carol’s 1,000th Performance!
On December 17, Hartford Stage will be presenting its 1000th performance of A Christmas Carol. In celebration of this milestone, our upper lobby will showcase Christmases past with photos from 22 years of holiday memories.
Marley and Scrooge: Frenemies Reimagined
Join us on Tuesday, December 10, at 7 pm at Hartford Stage as acclaimed author Jon Clinch reads passages and reveals secrets from his new novel Marley, a reimagined origin story that dives deep into Jacob Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge’s twisted “friendship.” Michael Preston and Noble Shropshire, who portray Scrooge and Marley in A Christmas Carol-A Ghost Story of Christmas, will read a scene from the play and talk about their characters’ relationship. Marley will be available for sale and signing by Clinch immediately following the event. Recommended for ages 16 and older. RSVP required. Co-sponsored with The Mark Twain House & Museum.
Holiday Food Drive
Please consider donating non-perishable, unexpired food items for our annual holiday food drive benefiting Hands On Hartford. You may drop off non-perishable food donations with Guest Services on performance dates. Suggested food items include: canned soups, boxed cereals and oatmeal, pancake mix and syrup, canned fruit and vegetables, peanut butter and jelly, and canned tuna. Thank you for helping us make the holiday season special for local families in need.
Project: Transform returns!
Project: Transform, a free program which provides Connecticut high school students with the opportunity to speak their mind about the change they want to see in their neighborhoods, community and world, will culminate with two public shares on December 14 and 15. This year, 13 participating students are creating a collaborative devised theatre piece under the guidance of guest artist Nilaja Sun (Pike St.). Project: Transform was made possible this year via a crowdfunding campaign launched last spring by members of Stage One, the young professional arm of the Hartford Stage Board. Funds were generously matched through a corporate gift from Locke Lord LLP. Learn more about Project: Transform here.
Save the Date for the Hartford Stage Gala!
Mark your calendar for The Heart of Connecticut Ball, the annual Hartford Stage Gala! The party of the year is set for Saturday, April 18, 2020. The gala raises essential funds for Hartford Stage’s artistic and educational programs. Be part of this unforgettable night! For more information, contact Jennifer Levine, Manager of Donor Events and Corporate Relations, at jlevine@hartfordstage.org or 860-520-7241.
Lights Up on Hartford Stage
Our lighting department recently hosted 36 donors for an intensive learning experience in lighting design. The group was able to climb the catwalk, program lighting cues, and see the equipment up close. Aaron Hochheiser, Master Electrician, spoke with donors about his team (which includes Jackie Hecker, Assistant Master Electrician, and Ethan Sepa, Electrics Apprentice) and what it’s like to be in charge of 300-500 lights at any given time. “For one thing,” he said, “you can’t be afraid of heights.” If you are interested in participating in similar behind-the-scenes donor events, visit www.hartfordstage.org/donor-events. To give a gift for lighting upgrades, or to learn more, contact Kati-Liss Hensel at khensel@hartfordstage.org or (860) 520-7243.
Melia Bensussen to direct We All Fall Down at the Huntington
Hartford Stage Artistic Director Melia Bensussen will direct We All Fall Down, a new comedy about a family trying out tradition for the first time, at the Huntington Theatre. The play was written by Huntington Playwriting Fellow Lila Rose Kaplan. We All Fall Down begins performances at the Calderwood Pavilion on January 10. A group trip to see the show has been scheduled for Sunday, January 26. For more information, contact Kati-Liss Hensel, Manager of Major Gifts & Planned Giving, at khensel@hartfordstage.org or 860-520-7243.
A trip to Broadway to see The Inheritance
Last month, 38 donors enjoyed a trip to see Matthew Lopez’s The Inheritance at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway. The two-part, Olivier Award-winning epic drama was commissioned by Hartford Stage through Lopez’s Aetna New Voices Fellowship. Donors watched Parts 1 and 2 and attended a celebratory dinner with Lopez, Artistic Director Melia Bensussen, Managing Director Cynthia Rider, and Associate Artistic Director Elizabeth Williamson.
Humana Festival of New American Plays Trip
Save the date for Hartford Stage’s spring trip to The Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Kentucky (April 2–April 5). Experience America’s most renowned festival of new work and enjoy five brand-new plays over three days, meet the artists involved, and enjoy lively discussions with Hartford Stage Artistic Director Melia Bensussen. See the line-up of plays here. For more information on the trip, contact Kati-Liss Hensel, Manager of Major Gifts & Planned Giving, at khensel@hartfordstage.org or 860-520-7243.
Up Next: Pike St. (January 9 to February 2, 2020)
If you loved Feeding the Dragon, you won’t want to miss Pike St., a solo tour de force from acclaimed playwright, actor and teaching artist Nilaja Sun. Sun vividly brings to life three generations of a Puerto Rican family living on New York’s Lower East Side in Pike St. Evelyn, a mother struggling to hold her life together with both grace and humor as she cares for her immobilized daughter and supports her womanizing father, relies on money from her brother who is serving abroad in Afghanistan. When he comes home, suffering from PTSD, Evelyn fights for her family’s healing, redemption and survival in the face of a threatening storm – both natural and man-made.
