Short Takes
News from Hartford Stage
A Look at our Lobby
Hartford Stage is excited to partner with the Hartford History Center at the Hartford Public Library to present an upper lobby exhibit illuminating the cultural, industrial, and neighborhood life of the Puerto Rican community in Hartford during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Audiences will see how the community took on discrimination and challenges around housing, education, employment, and politics, and made huge cultural and social impacts on their neighborhoods in order to make Hartford their home. Curated by the Hartford History Center (HHC) team, the exhibit will feature a selection of photographs from the HHC’s Hartford Times photograph collection. This exhibit will complement the dynamic, intergenerational Puerto Rican family unit portrayed in Pike St., written and performed by Nilaja Sun.
Meet-and-Greet with Hartford Stage leadership at the American Clock & Watch Museum
Thirty Hartford Stage patrons and donors from the Bristol and New Britain community visited the American Clock & Watch Museum on November 19. Guests were able to meet Managing Director Cynthia Rider and Artistic Director Melia Bensussen, who talked about the future of Hartford Stage. We are grateful for the support from the museum’s Executive Director Patti Philippon and Director of Interpretation Colleen Nicastro (wife of Hartford Stage Board Secretary Michael Nicastro) in helping us meet these longtime supporters.
Register for Winter, Spring, April Vacation Week studio classes with Education @ Hartford Stage!
From a friendly spider named Charlotte to a popular frog and grumpy toad to the bright lights of New York City – registration is now open for Education @ Hartford Stage winter and spring studio classes for youth. And don’t forget about April Vacation Week! Visit www.hartfordstage.org/education to learn more and register online. Returning students save 10% on registration fees. Payment plans and scholarships are also available.
Thank you for supporting our Holiday Food Drive
Hartford Stage staff, volunteers and patrons who came to see A Christmas Carol generously donated 800 pounds of non-perishable food items on behalf of Hands On Hartford’s MANNA Community Pantry to assist local residents in need this holiday season. We’re grateful to the community for helping to make our fifth annual food drive a success!
Reimagining Marley and Scrooge
Many thanks to the Mark Twain House & Museum and to all who attended Marley and Scrooge: Frenemies Reimagined on December 10. Author Jon Clinch read passages and spoke with Hartford Stage Artistic Associate Rachel Alderman about his new book, Marley – a reimagining of the iconic but little-known character from Dickens’ classic tale. Michael Preston and Noble Shropshire enacted a pivotal Scrooge and Marley scene from A Christmas Carol–A Ghost Story of Christmas to the delight of the crowd and joined the discussion about their characters.
Opening our doors to the community
Our doors opened to the community on December 13, as we welcomed congregants from Christ Church Cathedral, led by Rev. Canon Jorge Pallares, who shared a moving Las Posadas celebration with us. This was followed by an inspirational caroling performance from Cuatro Puntos’ Music Moves Hartford Street Choir, which had everyone from volunteers to staff to patrons singing along to a medley of popular holiday tunes, including a rousing rendition of “Feliz Navidad.”
Community Reading: A Christmas Carol in Spanish
On Saturday, December 14, community members from the Greater Hartford Area gathered in the theatre to read selections from A Christmas Carol in Spanish. Together, family and friends performed cold readings of the translated script, playing notable characters such as Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim. The program was helmed by Hartford Stage Artistic Director Melia Bensussen and produced/directed by Artistic Apprentice Jasmine B. Gunter, with a script translation from Education Apprentice Malena Gordo, who is originally from Argentina.
New! Summer Show Announced – The Complete History of Comedy (abridged)
If you enjoyed the zany humor of The Comedy of Errors, you’ll love The Complete History of Comedy (abridged). From the highbrow to lowbrow, and everything in between, The Reduced Shakespeare Company in The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) covers comedy through the ages. Enjoy fast and furious funny from such sources as Aristophanes and Shakespeare and Molière to Vaudeville and Charlie Chaplin to The Daily Show and Drunk History. Limited Engagement: June 11-21, 2020.
Up Next: Jane Eyre
Fans of The Age of Innocence will enjoy this new adaptation of the Charlotte Brontë classic Jane Eyre by Elizabeth Williamson, who also directs. Orphaned as a child, Jane takes a position working as governess at Thornfield Hall for the brooding Edward Rochester. The strong-willed Jane falls in love with her mysterious employer, but the discovery of a dark secret and its devastating aftermath forces the young governess to make a heart-wrenching decision that changes their lives forever. On stage: February 13 – March 14, 2020.
