FL Henley Jr
At some point, you just need to have a place all your own.
That may apply to a young person, but it also may apply to a young arts collective.
In 2016, Narçisse Theatre Company began a residence in the basement of H*MAC, with a small stage, wooden kitchen chairs and church pews. It was cozy, and fun, but it also was time to grow.
“Although we really dug the spot and were grateful for the support all those years, we were thrilled to move out on our own,” said founder FL Henley Jr.
Earlier this year, the theater officially raised the curtain on their permanent home, a dedicated space on Chestnut Street in downtown Harrisburg, the former site of International House.
The space has great bones and even greater potential. Like any young tenants just moving in, they’ve got furniture from their old house wedged into corners, lots of hand-me-downs—renting this, borrowing that. It’s a modular space overflowing with room for growth and manifesting goals, with Henley turning one blank wall of his new theater into a life-sized vision board.
OK, it’s not truly a traditional vision board. It’s more like a notional outline of where Henley wishes a door would be when they have enough money to remodel. The gray paint of the otherwise blank wall shows blueprint-blue tape outlining the shape of a door, complete with a blocky smiley-face where a doorknob might be.
Henley had initially hoped to locate NTC farther out to broaden the reach of the Harrisburg arts community. However, the theater is now more centrally located as part of the growing downtown arts district—and the location won’t stop Henley from reaching people who may not have access.
He credits the staff at Harristown Development Corp. for helping to secure the space and for assistance with redecorating the walls of the 60-seat theater.
It’s at this point in the tour that Henley mentions, not so casually, “We’re always looking for corporate sponsorships, partnerships and grants.”
Image courtesy of PHotos
Education Focus
Part of NTC’s growth includes big plans for young creatives.
It’s not enough for the company to just provide their signature brand of uncomfortable entertainment—performing plays that challenge the average audience to ask questions, think critically, and get cozy with ambiguity.
“We must keep pressing forward every day,” Henley said. “We’ve got to move past boundaries of what a typical theater company does, expanding into different fields, pivoting towards arts education.”
Henley has a heart for the community that formed him. He grows concerned about issues impacting the city today, such as teacher shortages, funding cuts for arts programs, and an immigrant population that is often overlooked.
In this spirit, he plans to pilot high-quality arts education classes starting in small batches, for students aged 10 to 18, for two or three afternoons per week through the newly forming Young Artists Academy.
While access is at the core of what NTC is about, that doesn’t mean everyone who applies will be enrolled. Henley wants to create a competitive paradigm to challenge students to earn admission with a vigorous audition process, with students continuously working to maintain their spots in the program.
“We’re getting rid of the pay-to-play capitalistic concept. We’re not looking for people with degrees. We’re not looking for derivative art,” Henley said. “We’re looking for people with talent, welcoming non-commercial art. Art for art’s sake. Keeping it weird. Keeping it creative.”
Henley pops with excitement when talking about his plans for NTC, so much that his passion is already spilling over into a new outdoor courtyard.
A brightly colored mural overlooks the space, serving as another vision board of sorts, further reinforcing the theater’s core value of diversity in the arts. Weather permitting, the courtyard will serve as an excellent standalone venue for upcoming performances and educational classes.
In the artistic community spirit that continues to nurture NTC, Henley will gladly loan his new space to other theater companies in need of a venue.
“Now that we have a spot, they have a spot,” Henley said. “We’re always looking for partnerships to fulfill our mission.”
Narçisse Theatre Company is located at 312 Chestnut St., Harrisburg. The season’s first show, “Doctor Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe, runs Sept. 1 to Sept. 9 in the theater’s courtyard. For information and tickets, visit www.narcissetheatre.org.
A Look Ahead
Narçisse Theatre Company’s 2023-24 season includes:
- “Dr. Faustus,” 1 to 9
- “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Nov 3 to 19
- “American Son,” 2 to 18
- “The Spirit of Hispania/El Espiritu de Hispania,” April 5 to 21
- “Day of Absence,” June 7 to 23
If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!
