Tag Archives: Melissa Nicholson

The Bard in The Burg: All Harrisburg’s a stage, as Gamut Theatre brings home the annual Shakespeare conference

December 29, 2021 | by Gina Napoli

Debra Ann Byrd performs “Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey”

Hark! Who goes there?

Thespians. Hundreds of them from around the globe, who will travel to Harrisburg in early January for the annual Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA) conference, courtesy of the city’s own Gamut Theatre.

STA provides a forum to support theater companies producing Shakespeare’s works and to advocate for Shakespearean productions and training. Some 120 theater companies around the world comprise STA’s membership, so hosting the January 2022 conference is a colossal—as well as a classical—honor.

One need only look as far back as 1997 to see STA’s influence on Harrisburg, when Gamut’s partnership with the group began.

Gamut Theatre’s board sent founders Clark and Melissa Nicholson to an STA conference just to see what they would learn. What sounded initially like an experiment, or maybe even a lark, turned out to be “an amazing, educational experience,” said Melissa Nicholson, Gamut’s executive director.

“Without our partnership with STA, I doubt we would have continued doing Shakespeare,” she said.

Although most of STA’s conference sessions are members-only, you can eavesdrop on “Classics Fest” events open to the public the way Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spied on Hamlet. Unlike those two, you need not be sneaky about it. Accessible pricing makes the events affordable.

Choice local artists, namely David Ramón Zayas and Paul Hood, will take the opportunity to showcase their own plays during Gamut’s Classics Fest while all the big players are in town. And internationally renowned artists Lisa Wolpe and Debra Ann Byrd add their star power to the marquee.

As with all things Gamut, the conference highlights are not purely Shakespearean and come with a number of twists, highlighting “diversity and classic works, homegrown artists writing new plays and musical collaborations,” Nicholson said.

Gamut’s intent to re-invent classic stories makes theater more accessible for the community, not just something to occupy the glitterati.

“We’re rethinking BLM, other inequities, and how we stay viable economically,” Nicholson said.

These concerns segue neatly into this year’s conference theme, “The Power of Reinvention: ‘We know what we are, but not what we may be.’” The theme conveys a deliberate action of glancing back to help us reach forward, of preparing to do better in the future.

Closed conference sessions will connect Shakespeare to many of the scorching headlines of today, such as diversity, the language of identity terminology, trauma and gender. And they will address trade topics, such as making classic theater relevant, ensemble auditions, outdoor theater and digital theater in the age of COVID. Gamut’s Founding Artistic Director Clark Nicholson will offer several sessions of teaching improvisational techniques to invigorate classical performances.

“The presenters have a nice mix of voices in the room, underrepresented groups, so we hear as many voices as possible,” Melissa Nicholson said. “Shakespeare may be an old, dead, white male, but he’s also an excellent playwright and an amazing poet… We can discover things about ourselves and each other through the vessel of his writing.”

There’s Power

Making The Bard relevant to today’s world is paramount to moving forward in this space.

STA members will open the topic to outside focus groups, hosting teachers and students digitally via Zoom to share their ideas on how to make Shakespeare resonate with them and to explore what about his works makes their hair stand on end.

Turning foul play into fair play, or “De-colonizing The Bard,” represents another hot button topic. STA members recognize their role in education and engagement, and they feel a responsibility to contextualize Shakespeare’s plays to give delight and hurt not. They will delve into critical explorations of the sometimes-detrimental legacy of Shakespeare as a cultural icon, rethinking their own programming to foster community and promote social justice.

Shakespeare’s works have helped a key, often marginalized group express themselves. A group of veterans took classes and formed their own company to help them express their own experiences about combat.

The Veterans’ Performance Ensemble at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, dubbed Olive Branch & Laurel Crown, will present “And To Be a Soldier” as part of Classics Fest.

“They found words they didn’t have before to help them process what they had been through,” Nicholson said.

Because our national borders are less of an obstacle than during Shakespeare’s time, today’s actors are not hindered the way old Bill once was. Crossing the Atlantic is routine, and we don’t even have to appear physically somewhere to give a performance.

“Being forced into a virtual conference [for 2021] gave STA a good opportunity to reinvent itself,” Nicholson said. “There’s power in working with your community, in expanding that reference group.”

As The Bard himself once penned, “It’s a brave new world.”

Shakespeare Theatre Association’s 2022 Conference will be held Jan. 3 to 8, split between Gamut Theatre, Whitaker Center and the Hilton Harrisburg. For information on the sessions accessible to the public, visit www.gamuttheatre.org/classicsfest.

To Be There

Classics Fest events are open to the public Jan. 3 through 8.

Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m.: “I Don’t Speak Spanish” by David Ramón Zayas at Gamut Theatre

Jan. 4, 8 p.m.: “Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender” by internationally renowned actress Lisa Wolpe at Whitaker Center

Jan. 5, 7:30 p.m.: “Market Square Concerts presents ‘Tempesta di Mare,’” a Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, featuring Gamut actors performing short scenes and sonnets

Jan. 6, 8 p.m.: “Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey” by internationally renowned actress Debra Ann Byrd at Whitaker Center

Jan. 7, 2:15 p.m.: “TRACE Practices in the Theatre: A Critical Tool for Moving Harm Reduction to a Culture of Healing,” featuring Bridget McCarthy, executive director, Atlanta Artist Relief Fund

Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.: “The African Company: The Mystery of the African Grove Theatre” by Paul Hood at Gamut Theatre

Jan. 8, 10:30 a.m.: “Strong Reasons Make Strong Actions: Innovative Partnerships and Collaborations” with Sharia Benn, Sankofa African American Theatre Company; Debra Ann Byrd, Harlem Shakespeare Festival; F.L. Henley, Narcisse Theatre Company; Paul Hood, playwright; Clark Nicholson, Gamut Theatre; Melissa Nicholson, Gamut Theatre

Jan. 8, 1:30 p.m.: “And To Be A Soldier” by the Olive Branch & Laurel Crown, the Veteran’s Performance Ensemble of Chesapeake Shakespeare Company at Whitaker Center

Dec. 1 to Feb. 28: The Art Association of Harrisburg presents a Shakespeare-themed art exhibit in the Capital Blue Cross lobby at Gamut Theatre. Featured artists include Kim Stone, Carrie Wissler-Thomas and Tina Reiley.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Burg Review: Take a surreal, madcap journey into Gamut’s Wonderland

November 6, 2021 | by Gina Napoli

Gamut Theatre’s rendition of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass” (interpreted by Sean Adams) is a dive into the mystical, exotic, twisted time and space of Victorian England that holds true to the original books.

If you consider the stories as curiouser and curiouser political satire during the author’s lifetime, you will surely find it. Both stories are rife with British humor, a healthy dose of absurdity and psychedelic influence. One wonders whether 7-year-old Alice (Kennedy Commissiong) is dreaming or whether her toys came to life. That is a riddle with no answer. Whether in Wonderland or through her looking glass, both would be true simultaneously. Imagine if the cast of Monty Python stole everything in your kid’s toy box and set them loose at the Renaissance Faire.

Commissiong delivers the audience a sensible, plucky Alice who isn’t afraid to speak up for herself when faced with characters who chastise or try to behead her. Alice struggles to learn the rules and sometimes tries to assimilate. Every attempt to socialize is met with characters who weaponize their wordplay to ensure Alice is kept in her place. Most of them seem to be irrationally angry at odd things and motivated by intense missions that swirl around royalty’s whims.

Throughout her adventures, Alice continues to encounter glib strangers who are strange themselves to any onlooker outside of Wonderland. Like a Fellini film, the costumes (Jen Kilander) alone tell a story cobbled together with hookah pipe smoke. Particularly inspired in the sartorial sense—the Cheshire Cat, the Jabberwocky and Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

Despite the macabre undertones of the overall play, Director Melissa Nicholson said, “This has been a joyful experience for us.”

Part of the joy stems from the eclectic musical pieces.

“Originally, this play did not have music,” Nicholson said. “When we auditioned the actors, we asked them if they had any special skills. We didn’t know we had so many musicians.”

Much like Alice’s heroine’s journey, the song selections don’t confine themselves to any one theme, yet they all huddle together under a large mushroom umbrella. After all, in what other play can you find a ukulele-wielding minstrel bestowing British history lessons (Francesca Amendolia), operatic arias (Benjamin Krumreig), and a keyboardist (Marc Lubbers) playing Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit?” And it somehow all works.

Something else that works is the improv routine smack in the middle of a scene, chosen by the audience at the beginning of the play. So subtly interwoven into the action, it snuck up on me, its only giveaway the little ding of the bell to change the direction of the dialog.

Don’t make the same mistake I did and think the play is over when the first book ends (intermission). Although not as popular as Lewis Carroll’s first story, “Through the Looking Glass,” Act II contains just as many outlandish characters, purposefully clashing costumes, and ridiculously backwards situations. In this land, up is down, and left is purple, but you’d better paint it red.

Come and join the audience. We are all mad here.

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass” runs Nov. 6 to 28 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, visit www.gamuttheatre.org.

Wacky Wonderland: Gamut introduces an “Alice” for all ages

October 29, 2021 | by Carolina Nicholson

This month, Gamut Theatre opens their signature fall play, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass,” an original play by Sean Adams.

The role of Alice is played by student Kennedy Commissiong, while her wacky counterparts are played by adults, many with decades of comedic acting experience. As per Gamut’s new show ratings system, this nonsensical thrill ride is great for all ages.

I have the opportunity to bring you a look behind the scenes at the upcoming show.

Melissa Nicholson, director of this whirlwind production, is excited to share the story with audiences.

“I love directing this play,” she said. “The challenge with ‘Alice’ is that it is such a bizarre story when you stay as true to the books as we have, and we want that strangeness to be inviting, not off-putting. We’ve added original music, dance and movement to keep things rolling, and our multi-talented ensemble cast has created a truly unique play that is fun for all ages, whether you’re 5 or 105!”

Nicholson has actually directed this story, and, more specifically, this script before. Playwright Sean Adams adapted the play from the books by Lewis Carroll, initially intending it to be performed by students.

In 2014, that’s exactly what Gamut’s Young Acting Company did. Erin Shellenberger, who played Alice in that student production, joins the current cast for this reimagined telling of the story.

“That first production of Alice in 2014 was a pivotal moment in the development of my confidence as an actor, and I couldn’t be more delighted to return to Wonderland with Gamut Theatre,” she said.

Nicholson and Adams revisited the script together during the pandemic and decided they could make it a full-scale mainstage production fairly easily. One shared vision and several rounds of edits later, they had a script that was both adult and student friendly. And amazingly, many parts didn’t have to change—where it was adorably lovable to see little faces in lobster costumes singing and dancing, it’s hysterical to see those parts filled by grown adults.

While Gamut promotes the play as being family-friendly, that doesn’t mean parents will sit back and snooze while their kids are entertained. Always aiming to make their shows accessible to all ages and all types of people, Gamut has hit the mark again with this interpretation of a child’s epic adventure. You’ll laugh, you’ll empathize… you and your kids will be on the edge of your seats wondering what happens to Alice next.

Alice puts it quite plainly: “I shouldn’t like a romantic story—I’d much prefer a silly one.”

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass” runs Nov. 6 to 28 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information, call 717-238-4111 or visit www.gamuttheatre.org.

UPCOMING THEATER EVENTS
AT HARRISBURG’S PROFESSIONAL
DOWNTOWN THEATERS

At Gamut Theatre
www.gamuttheatre.org
717-238-4111

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass”

By Sean Adams

Based on the books by Lewis Carroll

Nov. 6 to 28

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.

Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Doors and bar open one hour prior to the performance.

Tickets are “pick your price.” You can choose the recommended $38 ticket, or a discounted ticket price of $26 or $14.

TMI Improv

Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Doors and bar open 45 minutes prior to the performance.

Tickets are $10

At Open Stage
www.openstagehbg.com
717-232-6736

“Violet Oakley Unveiled”

Nov. 12 & 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Harrisburg Black NewsBeat with Dr. Kimeka Campbell

Nov. 10 & 24 at 8:30 p.m.

Noxious Live

Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

The Obstructed View

Nov. 6 & 20 at 9:30 p.m.

Court Street Cabaret

Nov. 20 & 27 at 7:30 p.m.

“Who’s Holiday!”

Nov. 26 to Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Burg Review: Wit and fancy take the stage with “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Gamut Theatre

October 8, 2021 | by Gina Napoli

Methinks the Bard overindulgeth in his snuff box when he quill-penned this script.

By its very nature, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is a farce: play within a play, a dream within a dream. You may recognize some lines that have been both emulated and parodied in contemporary culture, the play’s five interconnecting sub-plots themselves are only loosely cohesive, because dreams usually are.

Using an ensemble cast, the play’s sub-plots revolve around an aristocratic wedding. A troupe of six actors, each awkward in their own delightful way, are preparing a play as a wedding gift. Playing out in other scenes, a love parallelogram shifts dimensions several times when spirited woodland creatures cast love/hate spells and spread general confusion and mischief.

Directed by Melissa Nicholson, the Gamut actors deliver their audience clever interpretations of their roles and confident delivery of Shakespeare’s signature iambic pentameter, with moments on a sliding scale of sinister and silly.

The absurd comic relief Nick Bottom (Nick Wasileski) is by far the character that commands the most attention. During the troupe’s rehearsal for the wedding play, Bottom’s obnoxious grandstanding evoked hilarity and made me feel grateful that I didn’t have to personally work with him. The scene in which he tries to kill himself in the most blundering way possible had me laughing so hard I snorted in public. (I only embarrassed my teenage daughter sitting near me, so it was worth it.)

Part of that same scene was the bumbling play actor Flute (Ross Carmichael). Extra kudos to Carmichael for rocking a Brian May wig, and for showcasing his range in also playing the play’s more hardened characters (Oberon, Theseus). His performances were each so convincing that I didn’t realize he played multiple characters until I read the program after the fact.

Romantic rivals Hermia (Abby Carroll) and Helena (Najuma Norman) engage in stage combat over their love interests before the spirits make things right again. (Read: a good old-fashioned catfight.) Although analysts of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” can point to many aspects of this play that promote feminism, this scene is likely not one. Still, both actresses battle each other compellingly from the first lunge to the last hiss.

The eventually empowered Puck (Kim Greenawalt) gave a spritely performance, playing harmful pranks, yet somehow emerging as cutesy and flower-smelling in the end. A special round of applause goes to the student actors in the forest for serving their masters as both supporting characters and a capable woodlands decorating crew (Daniel Hutchins, Leighann Koppenhofer, Georgia Bailey, Eurya Aviles, Rio Gonzales, and Adam Bateman).

As an honorable mention, a character interpretation I particularly enjoyed was the play actor Starveling (Christopher Ellis). Not only did his uptown costume give off a swagger opposite of the word “starve,” he was the only character to briefly stray from iambic pentameter, oozing “too cool for school” sophistication in his brief, measured dialogue.

Before you “whither wander you” to Gamut Theatre to see “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” it might help the course run smoother if you brush up on your Shakespeare. Click through Wikipedia for the synopsis, or break out your old Cliff’s Notes, if you’re my age. The play-by-play reads like the latest episode of your favorite soap opera meets Downton Abbey, with just a wand-ful of Harry Potter to make it fanciful.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” runs Oct. 8 to 17 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, visit www.gamuttheatre.org. Prior to each show, check the website for specific show dates and times, as well as any late-breaking COVID-19 guidelines and protocols.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

A Season of Their Own: For the 2021-22 mainstage, Gamut Theatre exclusively features women directors.

September 30, 2021 | by Carolina Nicholson

Rachita Menon, Melissa Nicholson, Sharia Benn, Francesca Amendolia

For the first time in its nearly 30-year history, Gamut Theatre will have all female directors for its mainstage season.

The directors of Gamut’s 29th season are a powerful and unique group of women. Each will bring her own vision to the Select Medical Mainstage over the course of the year.

Season 29 will open with back-to-back direction from Gamut’s Executive Director Melissa Nicholson. First up is a public showing of the 2021-22 educational engagement production “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which has been adapted by Melissa and Clark Nicholson.

Though it is her fifth time directing the play, Melissa Nicholson is still finding new and exciting ways to introduce the next generation to Shakespeare.

“I don’t even mind going through the play again,” she said. “I’m always finding something in the source material that I didn’t find last time.”

“Midsummer,” running Oct. 8 to 17, is a pinnacle example of a magical story, which really sets the tone for the rest of the season. In fact, “a little bit of magic” seems to be the theme at Gamut this year.

Next comes “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass,” an adaptation of the absurd and delightful books by Lewis Carroll. While “Alice’s Adventures” will be very different from other classic children’s stories (because there is no specific lesson at the end), Nicholson feels there is a greater meaning available—when you take the time to notice it.

“I feel that Alice is universally relatable for most of us who grew up with her story,” she said. “As a woman who broke the mold a few times in my life, it is especially meaningful to watch this young girl who can’t seem to fit in anywhere or get herself out of trouble.”

Sometimes, that spark of creativity and being different leads people to their “ultimate station in life,” she added.

“But some of this story is purely just good fun,” Nicholson said, laughing.

You’ll have a chance to see the giant Cheshire Cat puppet and the full cast of playful characters, Nov. 6 to 28.

In 2022, the magical shows get more intentional and earnest. Gamut will celebrate Black history by partnering with Sankofa African-American Theatre Company.

“Echoes of Voices of the Eighth,” an expansion of the show from 2019, will debut Feb. 11 to 20. Written and directed by Sankofa’s Executive Artistic Director Sharia Benn, this play uses the stage to connect a present teenager with generations past. Benn brings to life the people who once lived in the Old Eighth Ward, where part of Harrisburg’s Capitol Complex now sits.

“When you know your past—for yourself—you have strength and truth for the journey ahead of you,” Benn said.

The show encourages celebration of the self and one’s history, especially in Harrisburg, where many are unfamiliar with the roots directly under their feet. Benn brings this history alive for current and future generations with her new script.

In March, Gamut will present “Orlando,” directed by Francesca Amendolia. It’s a story that transforms itself and its characters and brings audiences along on a journey through centuries.

Orlando, a young nobleman in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, yearns for love and adventure and to find his place in the world. So strong is his longing that he becomes untethered in time. Two hundred years of adventures and love later, Orlando, who is now only 30, awakes from a weeklong sleep to discover he has become a woman. Transformed and yet essentially the same person, Orlando still hungers for adventure and love and understanding.

Adapted from the novel Virginia Woolf wrote for her lover, Vita Sackville-West, Sarah Ruhl’s “Orlando” is a hilarious, tender and joyful celebration of queer love, gender and the complicated and beautiful journey we all must take to discover our true selves.

“‘Orlando’ tells us that people do not need to be defined or confined by gender, fashion, society, or even time itself,” Amendolia said. “Orlando does not age or die because they are so determined to figure out who they are, to find their voice, and that means they must discard their assigned gender to explore more of what it means to be fully Orlando.”

Rachita Menon will co-direct the Young Acting Company’s “Panchatantra Tales” with Melissa Nicholson this spring. The show, portrayed by students ages 8 to 18, will detail a compilation of lessons-turned-stories from India.

“My entire childhood flashes in front of me when I think about these stories and what they meant to me growing up,” Menon said.

It will come to the Gamut stage April 8 to 10 for four performances only, complete with animals, dances, adorable faces and a little bit of magic.

The directors of this season will bring a combination of warmth, excellence, synergy and fearlessness to the mainstage, which in turn will create one of Gamut’s most diverse seasons yet.

Gamut Theatre is located at 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, call 717-238-4111 or visit www.gamuttheatre.org.

Special Events
at Gamut Theatre

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
By William Shakespeare
Oct. 8 to 17
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2:30 p.m.
Doors and bar open one hour prior to the performance.
Tickets are “pick your price.” You can choose the recommended $38 ticket or a discounted ticket price of $26 or $14.

TMI Improv
Friday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Doors and bar open 45 minutes prior to the performance.
Tickets are $10.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Take Your Seats: Harrisburg theaters make plans for a new season—eagerly, carefully

August 31, 2021 | by Gina Napoli

Clockwise, from top, left: James Mitchell, Aneesa Neibauer, Paul Hood & Frank Henley

It’s been almost 18 months since the pandemic extinguished the faint amber glow from the hobnail light fixtures by backstage doors.

Last season, local theater companies offered audiences a socially distant mix of virtual performances, partially opened, sanitized spaces and reduced audience volumes, with some taking advantage of the downtime to regroup.

Now, they’re all set to reopen to live audiences for the 2021-22 season, as the theater companies, like society in general, continue to stutter-step through the protracted pandemic.

Lot of Joy

Gamut Theatre was first to offer COVID-conscious, in-person performances to limited audiences, then later outdoors.

“Re-opening has been so emotional,” said Gamut Theatre’s Executive Director Melissa Nicholson, who feels stress (the good kind) from organizing this season in three months rather than the usual eight.

Last season, Gamut used all core company actors. This year, they’re holding actual auditions and leveraging partnerships to open up to other artists.

A few blocks away, Open Stage, offered videos, with some re-shuffling of lineups to accommodate socially distant filming.

“The impact [of re-opening] didn’t hit me until I was back onstage, with a crowd looking at me,” said Marketing Manager Rachel Landon. “I immediately started crying happy tears. We feel grateful to do what we love in front of an audience again.”

Producing Artistic Director Stuart Landon said that he was “overwhelmed seeing people back in the space.”

“Muscles had atrophied after having been away for 15 months,” he said. “It was a little shock and a heck of a lot of joy.”

Frank Henley, artistic director and founder of Narcisse Theatre Company, described feeling “cautious optimism,” with further uncertainty about the delta variant.

“We’re still in the age of COVID,” he said. “Moving forward, the most important thing is the health and safety of our audience, actors and production crew. We’re responsible to navigate this new environment.”

After last season’s strategic pause, Theatre Harrisburg will stage productions again. Artistic and Production Director Kristi Ondo stressed a commitment to welcoming audiences safely, as well as excitement, in re-opening.

“It’s wonderful to be back in the production center, working, planning, dreaming of what is to come,” she said.

Season Sampler

The shows to come this season will be different from where we dropped our programs in March 2020 and abruptly ushered ourselves out the door. And because we have all lived through this incredibly weird time, we inevitably will view the plays through our own changed perspectives.

In this spirit, each theater will present thoughtful offerings that, taken together, promise to expand upon and round out our thinking.

Open Stage

“As the world was reopening, we were in the midst of planning,” Stuart Landon said. “We didn’t know what the rules of engagement would be.”

This explains Open Stage’s one-person fall shows, with themes of healing, moving forward, reckoning and beckoning.

To quote Monty Python, here’s something completely different: “White Rabbit/Red Rabbit.”

Without any rehearsal or advanced reading, a different actor every night will read the play cold in front of the audience. Curious? Me too. If you need a little guidance on whether you should bring your teenager along, you can find more information on the website. If you do find out any spoilers, please don’t leak. The rest of us want to be surprised.

Less surprising—Open Stage will offer exciting Christmas shows, one of which is the silly and heartwarming “Who’s Holiday.”

“I miss making people laugh and making a fool of myself, so it’s important for me to wear Cindy Lou’s wig,” said Rachel Landon, the star of the show. “She can overcome dark places to find joy, love and life.”

Other offerings this season include “Every Brilliant Thing” in September and “The Mad Ones” in February and March.

Out of all of the plays, the Landons are most excited about “Fairview,” which, in partnership with Sankofa African American Theatre Company, will cap Open Stage’s season in May.

“This is a timely and important piece for Harrisburg,” Rachel Landon said. “It’s about white privilege and the white lens, white fragility, the way we see others, the way our race may play into that.”

Stuart Landon saw “Fairview” in Brooklyn and deemed it “a glorious experience.”

“I came home and I couldn’t stop jibber-jabbering about it,” he said. “It’s easily in the ‘top-three’ theatrical experiences of my life.”

Themes of connectedness will also emerge through their season.

“After the stagnancy thrust upon the theater world, characters will break through the fourth wall to interact with the crowds,” Rachel Landon said. “It’s just as important for the performers as the audience.”

Gamut Theatre

For their mainstage plays, Gamut Theatre’s all-female director lineup worked independently on their own concepts, landing on plays with smaller ensemble casts playing multiple roles.

Director Melissa Nicholson opens the mainstage season in October with Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” In November, she directs local playwright Sean Adams’ clever script for “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass,” full of adult nuances that will sail right over kids’ heads.

“It’s one student surrounded by strange adult characters,” Nicholson said. “We can look at this play through the lens of the pandemic, attacking this bonkers world Lewis Carroll wrote about.”

Notably, in January, Gamut will host the Shakespeare Theatre Association’s annual conference, bringing some of the world’s top theater professionals to Harrisburg.

Like Open Stage, Gamut will partner with Sankofa this season. In February, they will present “Echoes of Voices of the Eighth: Stories from Harrisburg’s Old 8th Ward.” This continues a series begun before the pandemic, which focuses on the largely African American, immigrant and working class neighborhood razed a century ago to expand the Capitol complex.

Later Gamut shows include Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando,” in March and “The Winter’s Tale” in June, which is this year’s selection for the always-popular “Free Shakespeare in the Park.”

Theatre Harrisburg

Four main-stage shows comprise Theatre Harrisburg’s return, with themes of “joy, renewal, choices and laughter,” said Ondo. “We wanted to celebrate with uplifting, heartwarming storytelling everyone can use after the last year.”

Unless you’ve been living in a pineapple under the sea for the last several decades, you’ve heard of SpongeBob. And you may know about The SpongeBob SquarePants musical’s successful run on Broadway. Theatre Harrisburg intends to spark joy in its audiences with this season opener.

“On the script, the author’s notes read, ‘Embrace joy.’ No other notes,” Ondo said.

Much like the cartoon, the play appeals to all ages.

“This show is about the power of optimism, reinforcing that anyone with the right mindset can pull a community together,” Ondo said.

Other highlights include “The Secret Garden” in February and “Now and Then” in April, the only play in their lineup without Tony nominations.

“This is a relatively new and unfamiliar play, a heartfelt romantic comedy about the choices we make,” Ondo said. “I’m excited to see what the director will do with it. I think audiences will like it and be surprised by it.”

Narcisse Theatre

You might find Narcisse’s themes on the other end of the joy spectrum, with promises of difficult or ambiguous endings during this challenging time.

The first performance is “Rashomon,” a hard-boiled psychological thriller set in Japan. Henley described it as a blend of western culture and traditional kabuki and kagura theater, topped with a layer of tribal African art.

Not necessarily for the kiddies is “Wise Old Crow Shadow Puppet Show,” a folk tale to teach the commonality of humanity. As part of Narcisse’s mission, this show will tread on “racial ethnic lines, tearing down the walls that divide us and building bridges that connect the theater scenes in Harrisburg,” Henley said.

Narcisse has engaged local playwrights, performance artists and the Blacklisted Poets of Harrisburg to present original works and expand traditional boundaries.

In partnership with Gamut, Narcisse will present a staged reading of “The African Company: The Mystery of the African Grove” by Paul Hood. The performance will take place during Gamut’s Classics Fest Celebration. The same author will present another original play called “Kill Keller,” a semi-autobiographical work featuring two teen brothers who have moved to Harrisburg with their abusive alcoholic stepfather.

Keeping it local, we can look forward to more original works. Aneesa Neibauer will read dramatic poetry “Black and Unknown Bards.” Local actor and artist James Mitchell will perform an inventive one-man show called “Mi Diego’s Playhouse.”

“We don’t want audiences to walk away with answers,” Henley said. “We want them to feel challenged, uncomfortable, walking away with the types of questions that cause psychological distress.”

For More Info

Whichever plays you see this season, please consider donating to any number of ongoing fundraising efforts. Help that light by the stage door to burn a little brighter.

You can find more information about the local theaters’ individual 2021-22 seasons at these websites:

The Blacklisted Poets of Harrisburg: www.facebook.com/theblacklistedpoetsofharrisburg

Gamut Theatre Group: www.gamuttheatre.org

Narcisse Theatre Co.: www.narcissetheatre.org

Open Stage: www.openstagehbg.com

Sankofa Theatre of Harrisburg: www.sankofatheatrehbg.com

Theatre Harrisburg: www.theatreharrisburg.com

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Burg Review: Tiny person, big chuckles with Gamut’s “Thumbelina”

July 16, 2021 | by Gina Napoli

One of the more obscure Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales, “Thumbelina,” is the story of a tiny, yet fierce heroine who is kidnapped and then begins an epic adventure homeward to her mother.

You can always count on the Popcorn Hat Players, the children’s outreach arm of Gamut Theatre, to encourage plenty of audience participation. The players approach all their audiences with enormous enthusiasm and silliness aplenty. If you’re in the audience and you’re not dancing and singing along with the cast, you might just be the odd one out. (Go ahead and groove; no one’s looking, and I won’t tell anyone.)

For the adults watching the play alongside their little ones, “Thumbelina” delivers slapstick comedy, familiar dance tunes, and Charlie Chaplin plunked right into the storyline. (Story adaptation by Melissa Nicholson.)

The story of Thumbelina (Abby Carroll) begins the way most fairy tales do: deep in the woods where we meet talking animals and super sketchy people. The beautiful ones are trustworthy, and the evil ones have ugly costumes, facial warts (usually), and ulterior motives. It’s easy to tell apart good from evil.

Thumbelina’s beautiful mother (Erin Shellenberger) wishes for a child. From stage right, enter an old witch (Lyeneal Griffin) who lives down the lane, who—poof!—grows a tiny daughter from the center of a flower.

Because Thumbelina was no bigger than her mother’s thumb, she could not help much with the housework. So, she entertained her mother instead, with endearing ballet and jazz dancing to songs best described as reworked vintage genre bends. (Think Postmodern Jukebox.)

Then Thumbelina gets kidnapped by some ugly toads (Shellenberger and Griffin), one of whom wants to marry her. (Talk about built-in facial warts!) This plot twist transports the audience into a world where all the characters are Thumbelina-sized.

Then Charlie Chaplin (Ross Carmichael) comes to the rescue, arms and legs flailing, to “The Sting” theme, “The Entertainer,” as he runs. Carmichael showcases an excellent command of silent movie-era non-verbal communication, miming through the entire show, and making use of every speck of stage space to get his ideas across.

Together, Thumbelina and Charlie brave the elements—snow, wind, a near-drowning in the bog. Their adventure takes them to live with a cute Field Mouse (Shellenberger), who puts Thumbelina to work sewing and storytelling. They all live happily until Field Mouse whips out her ulterior motive, proving that sometimes characters with beautiful outsides aren’t always the good guys.

Thumbelina and her new friend, Charlie, follow their tiny hearts back home where her mother awaits her.

To give the audience perspective on how small Thumbelina’s world is, the characters crowd underneath a butterfly kite, reminiscent of walking below the huge monarch-patterned butterflies that used to hang in the breezeway to Strawberry Square.

Before the pandemic locked us all down, I would not have identified so hard with Thumbelina, who lamented, “We are so little, and the world is so big.”

Thumbelina and her world may be small, but the Popcorn Hat Players deliver her story with loud laughs and a huge amount of fun.

“Thumbelina” runs on Saturdays, July 17 through Aug. 14, at 1 p.m., and on Wednesdays during that date range for select school groups. For more information and to order tickets, visit www.gamuttheatre.org or call 717-238-4111.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Drama and Adventure: TheBurg Podcast, June 2021

June 10, 2021 | by Karen Hendricks

Are you easing, or careening, into post-pandemic life?

Either way, our latest podcast can help, by adding a touch of drama and adventure to your June plans.

Melissa Nicholson of Gamut Theatre describes what it’s like to return to live, outdoor theatre in Harrisburg, with Shakespeare in the Park’s “Hamlet.” You never know what’s going to happen, with live theatre—she shares funny stories of summers’ past. Plus, she previews the 2021 summer theatre lineup.

Live life on the edge, through Julie McKelvey of Lemoyne: She explains the driving forces propelling her—and the life lessons she’s gained—in attempting to climb the Seven Summits. Plus, she describes how she’s “giving back.”

Step into a Central PA hiking adventure: George Conrad, president of the Standing Stone Trail Club, shares the latest news from the Thousand Steps Trail and beyond.

It’s pretty rare for Lawrance Binda, editor of TheBurg, to be “stunned.” He describes something he’s never witnessed, in all his years in Harrisburg, in this month’s “Most Harrisburg Thing.”

TheBurg Podcast is hosted and produced by longtime Harrisburg-area journalist Karen Hendricks. Visit her website here.

Every month, TheBurg Podcast introduces you to some of Harrisburg’s most fascinating people. Their stories start on the pages of TheBurg magazine, and are expanded here, on TheBurg Podcast… because “there’s always more to the story.”

This month’s backstories:

Staging a Comeback: Gamut’s “Shakespeare in the Park” returns with the classic “Hamlet” /

Peak Purpose: Harrisburg-Area woman nears a rare achievement—mounting the “Seven Summits” / Stepping Stones: The Thousand Steps Trail is a Rock Star Among Area Hiking Trails

DYK? TheBurg Podcast recently received two prestigious awards:

First place, Excellence in Journalism Award, Society of Professional Journalists, Keystone Chapter

Honorable mention, Keystone Media Award, Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Foundation

Interested in sponsoring TheBurg Podcast? Contact Lauren ([email protected]). TheBurg is a monthly community magazine based in Harrisburg, Pa.; Lawrance Binda, co-publisher/editor.

Staging a Comeback: Gamut’s “Shakespeare in the Park” returns with the classic “Hamlet”

May 28, 2021 | by Gina Napoli

To perform or not to perform?

That was the question Gamut Theatre staff asked following a long hibernation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I don’t think Hamlet ever got a straight answer to his question, but Gamut is giving an emphatic “yes” to performing Shakespeare in the Park this summer.

For the event’s 27th year, Gamut will treat Harrisburg with free performances of Shakespeare’s royal soap-opera tragedy “Hamlet,” promising a show even more dramatic than what England’s royal family can conjure today.

“This is an opportunity to see a professional Shakespeare play in one of Harrisburg’s most beautiful outdoor venues,” said Melissa Nicholson, Gamut’s executive director.

Technical Director Ross Carmichael feels there’s something special about performing Shakespeare under the stars, among all the natural elements.

“So many of Shakespeare’s plays involve nature in some way,” he said. “Being able to reference outdoor elements, while out in nature under an open sky, creates a different feeling than you will ever get inside. I think the productions there really elevate how nice it is in Reservoir Park.”

Gamut’s interpretation of “Hamlet” won’t feature the traditional Danish prince as you may remember him. Sure, Hamlet will be characteristically broody and cursed, but, according to Gamut’s Founding Artistic Director Clark Nicholson, the backdrop will be retro-contemporary, corporate and even a little Gothic. That’s as much of a sneak-peek that he would offer without the slippery slope of spoilers.

On the tail end of this pandemic, it’s fitting that we watch something darkly funny, a little gritty, peppered with puns and dirty jokes.

“The modern rendition of this play falls in line with Gamut Theatre’s mission to tell classic stories in new and exciting ways,” Carmichael said.

Pre-COVID, “Hamlet” was Gamut’s educational engagement production for its 2020 school tour, featuring 10 actors and a full set. The show for 2021 is scaled back to six actors and uses the backdrop from the school shows, as well as many of the same actors who were ready to perform before the pandemic.

“We had to find something with a small cast for COVID safety and minimal expenses coming out of financial recovery, so [‘Hamlet’] was a good fit for the company,” Melissa Nicholson said.

With its spacious outdoor venue and gorgeous scenery at the highest point in Harrisburg, Levitt Pavilion in Reservoir Park supports Shakespeare’s assertion that all the world’s a stage.

“We’re taking back the band shell—reviving it, reinvigorating it,” Clark Nicholson said. “It’s an excellent place to gather communities together.”

Carmichael and crew will transform the look and feel of the venue’s iconic band shell with a blend of the established gravitas of an old estate castle with a more modern, present-day setting.

“The band shell itself is such a marvel because it’s been around as long as it has, and it has amazing amplification vocally,” Carmichael said. “Considering that the audience is 50 to 100 yards away, they are still able to experience the play.”

Clark Nicholson assures us that the cast and crew will have the “all-clear” on vaccinations by the time the proverbial curtain rises. Depending on the weather, 2,500 to 5,000 people attend every year, with lawn chairs, blankets and flashlights. Gamut asks its audience members to observe COVID protocols and sit at least six feet from other groups.

If you can, stick around afterwards for the post-show interactive conversations with the audience.

“It’s always so rewarding to hear how people perceived the show, whether we intended [certain things] or not,” Carmichael said. “Everyone’s life experiences—getting all those viewpoints—is what drives me.”

“Hamlet” runs June 4 to 19, Wednesdays through Saturdays, at 7:30 p.m., weather permitting, at the band shell in Reservoir Park in Harrisburg. The event is free, but donations are appreciated. Gamut Theatre also is collecting monetary donations and canned goods for Bethesda Mission. The play is sponsored by Dauphin County and the Foundation for Enhancing Communities. For more information, visit www.gamuttheatre.org/fsip or call 717-238-4111.

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A Song, a Dance, a Mask: This art season is like no other

September 30, 2020 | by M. Diane McCormick

Midtown Cinema

“You ask me what audiences can expect.”

Stuart Landon gives it his best shot. How about fun tales from awesome storytellers, delivered virtually, without a paywall, and in never-before-done formats?

“If we have to re-create something anyway, why don’t we re-create with our hearts?” said the producing artistic director of Open Stage.

In the arts world, fall usually means splashy launches of new seasons. Cooler weather brings the cultural comfort food of thought-provoking plays, glorious symphonies, pulse-quickening concerts and colorful artworks.

Oh, that. The fall season is back, but pandemic-style.

Safe and Safer

While devising a safe return to live theater, Gamut’s Artistic Director Clark Nicholson found himself researching hydroxyl generators.

“So we’re getting a hydroxyl generator that cleans the air,” he said.

“We got a grant for it!” enthused the budget-minded Executive Director Melissa Nicholson.

“You have to sort through what’s quackery and what’s real,” added Clark. “When I first heard about it, I thought, ‘Yeah, right.’ But it really is viricidal.”

To boldly go to live performances, Gamut adopted a litany of safety protocols. Actors quarantine in cohorts. Patrons agree to follow the rules, including wearing masks, before they can even buy tickets. Actors are safely distanced from patrons, no longer delivering lines from the aisles.

“We’re just looking forward to getting back in front of people,” Clark said.

No matter their exposure to live patrons, organizations are taking precautions. HSO made sure to count Maestro Stuart Malina in the 25-person limit recommended for many gatherings. Susquehanna Art Museum visitors are encouraged to use one restroom, which is cleaned between visits whenever possible.

Midtown Cinema’s small-group showings are scheduled in staggered starts, to prevent groups from mingling. Midtown Cinema and Open Stage, both managed by Landon, invested in “crazy cleaning stuff,” he said.

Building a Season

COVID-19 has disrupted the seasonal rhythm of the arts.

“The rules have changed, so it’s not just rinse and repeat,” said HSO Executive Director Matthew Herren. “Everything is new. We’re working overtime to make everything work. The staff has been terrific.”

Open Stage has “doubled down” on technology to present its virtual season on its own YouTube Channel, said Landon. A new chat moderator keeps conversation going in social media.

The Susquehanna Art Museum moved its planned Modernism exhibit from summer to fall, while adapting as works became available or unavailable.

“Not much is committed as far as traveling exhibits out there in the world,” said Executive Director Alice Anne Schwab. “The best we can do is plan what we can and do it as well as we can.”

Even while the Art Association opens its doors, it continues to rearrange its yearly calendar. The Vision Gala—the former Bal Masque—was postponed, re-postponed and finally scheduled for March as the 2021 (Corrected) Vision Gala. The hosts of all five 2020 summer soirees agreed to postpone until 2021.

Supporters remain onboard because “they love the Art Association offerings and know that what we provide is essential to their physical and mental well-being,” said Executive Director Carrie Wissler-Thomas. “You can’t survive in a normal world without art, and in an abnormal world like we have now, the art is absolutely vital. You need to find some joy and beauty in your life.”

New Ways

HSO’s “A Conversation with the Maestro” on YouTube. Gamut’s TMI Improv on Zoom. HU Presents seeking out new venues. A specially designed virtual art session for high school students at SAM.

New approaches are popping up, and artists finally have time to pursue what Herren calls these “backburner ideas.”

“We’ve said we should do more social media, or more online content, and now we’re all doing it, because we have to,” he said. “I think it’ll pay off. It can only help grow the audience, because a lot of it is free.”

Open Stage took the free idea to the limit, making access to its streamed performances “pay what you will”—even if you pay nothing.

“We felt it was important for us to take this moment to assess our industry and to make sure that it’s as inclusive and equitable as it could possibly be, even if we are in ‘survival mode,’” said Landon. “Ultimately, our central product, our core competency, is taking a big leap of faith, but I just know that our community will support us and will join in on the fun.”

Of course, arts groups, like all other organizations and businesses, need money to survive.

Many organizations have received federal, state and local grants and loans. Emergency appeals have been fruitful. Patrons are holding on to their pre-March ticket purchases, patiently waiting for the lights to come back up.

“We’ve been around for 90 years,” said Herren. “We wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for the generosity of this community. We didn’t invent COVID. The arts didn’t invent COVID. They want to come with us and see us come out the other end.”

Melissa Nicholson’s voice rises to a question mark when she says, “Right now, we’re good.” Then she adds, “But this could be a long time, and that’s one of the reasons we wanted to explore trying live shows.”

Frank Schofield, Harrisburg University’s director of music and media services, has been asked to refund only about five tickets purchased for postponed shows.

“The resilience of the live entertainment ticket holder in central PA is pretty amazing,” he said. “This tells me that people are understanding. They’re patient. They realize that their investment will bear fruit.”

As for next summer, watch for a “very full and active” concert season, Schofield says.

After all, artists gotta art.

“When this is all over and all the actors can come back, you’re going to see an explosion of creativity,” said Clark Nicholson. “They’re like horses in the starting gate, and they can’t get out. There are performers who are ready to do anything and everything for you. There’s gonna be a boom when it’s all done.”

Show Goes On

With a pastiche of video, streaming and—yes—live performances, here’s a peek at the 2020-21 season for several arts organizations (subject to change, of course).

Gamut Theatre Group. Live theater returns, under strict safety and sanitation protocols. Three short productions through November include a night of Chekhov comedies, Edward Albee’s searing “The Zoo Story,” and a modern twist on “Little Red Riding Hood.” Seating is limited, distanced, and grouped in no more than threes. Tickets, offered at budget-friendly levels, must be purchased in advance.
Open Stage. Nine original productions are live-streamed through June 2021, based on such public-domain works as Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Agatha Christie’s “Poirot Returns!” Open Stage’s five full-time staffers do all the acting, employing centuries’ worth of theatrical devices, from puppetry to green screen. Tickets are free or donation, while monthly “Inner Circle” donors get access to special features.
Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. “A Season Like No Other” offers four digital concerts through December, recorded in new venues—the state-owned Forum building remains closed—by 24-person ensembles. Audience members will receive links to view each concert.
Art Association of Harrisburg. Patrons can visit the Front Street gallery for exhibits, including a Li Hidley exhibit and the annual fall member show. An invitational is scheduled for early December.
Susquehanna Art Museum. Open to the public since June, the Midtown museum’s new show, “The Modernists: Witnesses to the 20th Century,” includes a Marc Chagall loaned by a local collector.
Midtown Cinema. The renovated movie house reopens in October under a new business model. Single tickets are not for sale, but private parties of 10 or fewer can rent a theater and choose from a slate of nostalgic classics or seasonal films to view.
HU Presents. Live shows return in February with Black Pumas at XL Live. The Jason Isbell camp loved their December 2019 Harrisburg visit so much that they are returning to Riverfront Park on May 29. All shows canceled this year are being rescheduled.

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