"Well, there's a couple of major things," Board of Trustee member Ed Simeone says. "We completed a survey of the audience, over 100 responded ... we hired a managing director ... and we hope to open in October."
First, the new Managing Director is Matthew Parent; the small theater has hooked an impressive catch.
"Hiring him is our attempt to increase quality and diversity of the productions, and better the audience experience at the Ring," Simeone says. "We think ... Matthew's strong artistic experience and even stronger budget and financial experience will help."
Parent has both an artistic and administrative background. His professional career began at Theatre by the Sea as an Equity Stage Manager. He was a Producing Artistic Director at the The American Stage Festival, (where he and Simeone met 20 years ago) and later went on to a career as a consultant and production accountant both for off and on Broadway shows, including noteworthy and long-running productions.
The new Ring position will be half-time initially.
"For the first year we have to evaluate finances and the return on this investment. Then we'll see if we maintain or increase those hours," Simeone says.
"Matthew is joining Production Manager Margherita Giacobbi to strengthen the mission and the community of locally performing artist," he adds. "We want to engage more people, and want this to be a destination. - That's what we hope for."
The other big news is the questioner, which is helping guide the Rings moves during this uncertain time. It contained two major questions, Simeone says. Question one asked it they would come back to the theater in October, or December 2020, or June 2021, or not until a vaccine was available. The second question was would they watch live streamed material if the Ring provided it.
The results were twenty-six percent would return in October. Those waiting for a vaccine came in at 40 percent.
When asked about watching live streamed, 43 people said they would, 11 responded no, and 36 were uncertain.
"So based on all that info we have decided to open up in October," he says. "We're going to open up with 'Mary And Me' a one-woman show written about a young teen in 1986, and who is having a conversation with the Holy Mary. ...I think the subject matter will be fascinating. "
The production will be the play's United States premier.
The theater will be able to accommodate 33 viewers "maintaining all of the distancing regulations."
Recently a team got together to reconfigure the space. While the crew moved seats about people passing, poked their head through the open door to see what was going on, Simeone says. One applauded the fall opening, "another thought we were crazy," he says. "It's tough. ... I’m second-guessing myself all the time."
Workshop day retooled
Portsmouth Poet Laureate Tammi Truax's has retooled "The Come Create! Workshop Day," one of her numerous laureate projects, and yet another altered by the times.
"I'm reworking it, ... with the (Portsmouth City Library), which is sponsoring the virtual symposium, rather then the live workshop we were going to have," Truax says."It's for any age (about 7 on), and any ability; you can have no experience with poetry or be a very sophisticated poet."
Its four programs, which will explore Japanese Poetry and Art, will be presented via Zoom.
"I think they'll work out pretty well. There was a visual art component, ... impossible on Zoom," she says. "But, we will have demonstrations of Japanese art forms."
Pre registration is required. Participants will receive Zoom invitations the day before the event by email.
The symposium is not the only change in Truax's laureate project line-up; "Changes? Everything about it has changed really."
A trip planned for Japan in April was cancelled, hopefully a go in 2021. The "big final celebration" set for Portsmouth Music and Art Center in December is also off, "but we're hoping for a spring date."
"Everything is in a holding pattern," she says. "Everything except this online workshop."
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Seacoast Rep to be featured on NBC
Seacoast Rep has been selected as one of a number of national businesses to be featured on NBC's "Rebound," an upcoming multi part series.
The Rep is doing it's own filming with equipment supplied by NBC, "because of Covid," Director of Marketing & Development Brian Kelly says. Kelly is currently behind the camera, with resident actor Kevin Mahaney and Co Artistic Director Brandon James beginning filming this week.
"Essentially it's a diary of whatever is going on in the space. And we have a lot going on," Kelly says. "Honestly, they basically want a snapshot of what the work is like. ... It's more a testimonial or a diary for the whole organization."
NBC wants to know what things were like before Covid, and how the organization has adapted since.
"They want to know how does the future look, how does it change things you're doing. Basically they want the inside perceptive on the operation - and we're happy to provide it. ... We sent our first footage (last Friday) and we'll keep going till they tell us to stop."
"I think this is very, very important right now for people and places that are struggling - to tell their stories," he adds. "We're all going through a very similar struggle. I think a lot of people are feeling hopeless, and I think there's value and comfort that can be had by saying 'we're all in this together. ... We're all feeling the same thing.'"
Adapting is a key requirement these days James says. For the eighth time in mere months the Rep has changed its lineup. The latest move was replacing "Hair" with three, rotating plays.
The rights to two in the trio only just skidded at the last minute - one with an unexpected extra.
The Rep had already secured the rights to premier Najee Brown's original "Bus Stop," (author directed) for both live and live stream viewing. It just sealed the deal for the established scripts, "Roar of the Grease -The Smell of the Crowd" and "The Last Five Years," both small cast musicals.
Since Covid's arrival, the Rep has made it policy to request live stream rights when applying for licensing, though experience taught them it was an unlikely outcome, James says.
"But 'Roar' said yes!" he says. "And yes, it was surprising."
The shows start up Aug. 13, and play in rotation through Sept. 20.
August will also see the return of "Drag Haus." "It starts August 12," James says. "And that's live-stream and in person. We're excited about that."
Jeanné McCartin keeps her eyes and ears open for gossip at maskmakernh@gmail.com.
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August 09, 2020 at 11:25AM
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Gossip: The Players Ring continues to make big changes while shuttered - Foster's Daily Democrat
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