 “I’m eighty years old. I find that unforgivable and suddenly it’s a millennium and I stink of the past century, but what can I do?” So asks the title character in the final show of the Peterborough Players 2019 Summer Season, Rose. Written by Martin Sherman, the celebrated American author of Bent, the play features Players’ favorite Carolyn Michel as Rose. This one woman, tour-de-force performance will run from September 11th-15th at the Players. Howard Millman returns to the Players to direct the piece.
Rose is a survivor. Her remarkable life began in a tiny Russian village, took her to Warsaw’s ghettos and a ship called The Exodus, and finally to the boardwalks of Atlantic City, the Arizona canyons and salsa-flavored nights in Miami Beach. The play is both a sharply drawn portrait of a feisty Jewish woman and a moving reminder of some of the events that shaped the 20th century. Rose premiered at the Royal National Theatre in London where it was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best New Play, and was produced on Broadway by Lincoln Center Theater. Carolyn Michel has delighted Players' audiences in two one-woman-plays before: The Lady with All the Answers and Family Secrets. Rose promises to do the same. Carolyn was most recently at the Players in their production of Driving Miss Daisy with Taurean Blacque and Kraig Swartz. She has appeared on Broadway with Sid Caesar in Sid Caesar & Company, and has performed across the country. She was a resident company member of the Asolo Repertory Theatre for 24 seasons. The work of director Howard Millman has been seen at the Players many times before, in such popular productions as Driving Miss Daisy, Nobody Don’t Like Yogi, and Visiting Mr. Green. Most recently, he directed the Players’ production of The Whipping Man. He was the Producing Artistic Director of both the Asolo Repertory Theatre and Geva Theatre, and has received multiple awards including the Richard G. Fallon Award for Excellence in Professional Theatre. Rose will have a very limited run — from September 11th-15th ONLY. The show is exclusively sponsored by People’s United Bank. Showtimes are Wednesday, Thursdays, and Friday at 7:30pm, Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 4pm. Tickets and more information can be found at www.peterboroughplayers.org, or by calling the Box Office at (603) 924-7585. As the summer season comes to a close, make plans now to join the Players for Arts on Screen beginning in October including dazzling opera from The Met: Live in HD, exceptional plays from National Theatre Live, and new this year, three special screenings including a documentary and two musical theatre productions. There’s always something exciting happening at the Players – in every season.  Peterborough Players is proud to bring the recent Broadway hit play, A Doll’s House, Part 2, to Players audiences from August 28th-September 8th. The play received 8 nominations for the 2017 Tony Awards, including one for Peterborough Players’ alumnus Jayne Houdyshell, and became the most produced play in America in the 2018-2019 season.
Lucas Hnath’s audacious comedy picks up the story of Ibsen’s classic A Doll’s House, in a witty, sharp, and modern play about conflict, commitment, and consequences. It’s been 15 years since Nora slammed the door on her marriage and children in the revolutionary final scene and set off to blaze a new trail for herself and for women everywhere. Now a successful yet scandalous writer, she’s being blackmailed by a judge and needs her former husband’s help. But her family has a few grievances they need to air first. While the play relates to Ibsen’s classic, it’s not necessary to be familiar with the original piece to enjoy A Doll’s House, Part 2. The play echoes present day issues of women’s rights, familial responsibilities, and more. Though set as a period piece, Hnath has written the play in modern language, driving home the question, “How far have we come in present time – if we’ve progressed at all?” Players’ favorites Lisa Bostnar (Annapurna, The Voysey Inheritance at the Players, The Madras House and others at the Mint Theatre) and Carolyn Michel (Driving Miss Daisy at the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and the Peterborough Players) take on the roles played on Broadway by Tony winners Laurie Metcalf and Players alum Jayne Houdyshell. Artistic Director Gus Kaikkonen plays Nora’s husband, Torvald, and Second Company member Katie Shults appears as Nora’s Daughter, Emmy. Players’ Managing Director Keith Stevens directs this exciting production. A Doll’s House, Part 2 runs from August 28th-September 8th and is co-sponsored by NBT Bank. Showtimes are Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 4pm. In addition, there is a 2pm matinee on September 3rd. Tickets and more information can be found at www.peterboroughplayers.org, or by calling the Box Office at (603) 924-7585. Rated PG-13. September First Friday Event an Examination of Design and Production from Peterborough Players8/19/2019
Peterborough, NH – Join us for our September Peterborough Players First Friday event in downtown Peterborough on September 6th from 6:00-7:00pm. The Mariposa Museum will once again host this event, this time a discussion with costume designer Bethany Mullins and Managing Director Keith Stevens on theatrical design process, from inception through production.
This event offers another rare “look behind the curtain” at what our audiences don’t see – the process, inspiration, collaboration, and finally creation that goes behind design elements that come together on a given show. What an audience experiences at a performance is the culmination of countless hours of design and direction work that result in an overall cohesive look, feel, sound, or flow of a production. Bethany Mullins is both the Costume Shop Manager and Resident Costume Designer at the Players. She is a New York City based costume designer and technician. This summer, her deisgn work was featured in our productions of Mahida’s Extra Key to Heaven and Gertrude Stein and a Companion, and will be seen in A Doll’s House, Part 2, and Rose. She has worked at theatres in New York and around the country as a designer, wardrobe supervisor, or stitcher. She has contributed her talents to touring productions like The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables. She attended the University of North Alabama as well as Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, where she graduated from their Wardrobe Technician and Costume Design Specialist programs in 2018. This year, Keith Stevens marks his twenty-fourth summer season as Managing Director of the Peterborough Players. Under his leadership, the Players has greatly expanded its season, increased its budget, established a cash reserve, successfully completed two major capital campaigns, and renovated its facilities. Prior to coming to Peterborough, Keith worked for five years as the General Manager of the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, MA. He has served on negotiating committees for the Council of Resident Stock Theatres and the League of Resident Theatres, and he holds an MFA in Arts Administration with a concentration in Directing from Virginia Tech and a BA in Theatre with a Capstone in Business/Marketing from Ohio State. He currently teaches as a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Keene State College, serves as an adviser to the drama program at ConVal High School. This season, he directs A Doll’s House, Part 2 at the Players. Be sure to bring your questions and thoughts to this unique event. Admission is free, doors open at 5:30 pm, and the program will begin at 6:00pm at the Mariposa Museum, 26 Main St, Peterborough, NH 03458. Peterborough Players Performs Modern Musical Version of the Cinderella Story, CINDY REILLY8/15/2019
 The Peterborough Players has another great musical coming up for our young audiences - and the young at heart! Bring the family to see Cindy Reilly, a modern, musical retelling of the beloved Cinderella story performed by the Players’ Second Company, running from August 17th-24th.
Anyone familiar with the tale of Cinderella will recognize Cindy Reilly’s journey - Cindy is a hard-working, bespectacled CPA, in her family-run luxury hotel, surrounded by her chic stepsisters, a rockstar “formerly known as Prince Charming,” and her Leona Helmsley-ish “Queen of Mean” stepmother. With the help of some of her furry (and not-so-furry) friends, will Cindy be able to live the life of her dreams? The 10 members of the very gifted Second Company – young artists from around the country – bring Cindy and her family and friends to life. Written by Players’ Artistic Director Gus Kaikkonen and Players’ favorites Kraig Swartz and composer Ellen Mandel, Cindy Reilly is tailor-made for young audiences, but filled with plenty of laughs for adults. A runtime of under an hour makes it the perfect activity for summer! Please note that Cindy Reilly is a VERY limited run, so be sure to reserve your tickets! Performances are Saturday, August 17th at 2pm, Monday August 19th at 7pm, Tuesday, August 20th at 10:30am, Friday, August 23rd at 2pm, and Saturday, August 24th at 2pm. Visit www.peterboroughplayers.org for tickets, or call the box office at (603) 924-7585. |
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