Harbor Stage Company to Take Over Theatre at Wellfleet Harbor

Recently founded Harbor Stage Company plans to take up residence at the iconic theater on Wellfleet Harbor in Summer 2012. The newly minted ensemble includes longtime Well?eet theater artists Amanda Collins, Jonathan Fielding, Stacy Fischer, Lewis Wheeler, and Brenda Withers, and will be led by Artistic Director Robert Kropf.

The six founders, who met while working for the space’s previous tenant, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, are intent on maintaining the Harbor as a haven for dynamic, progressive live theater. Best known to Well?eet audiences for their turns onstage in local hits like The Bald Soprano and Sexual Perversity in Chicago, the ensemble has been lauded by critics for a brand of “impeccable”, “darkly hilarious” work that “any savvy theater goer would be crazy to ignore”.

The company’s artists will double as its administrators. Artistic Associate Brenda Withers (scribe of the recent The Ding Dongs) suggests that expanding the roles of the company’s actors, directors, and playwrights will promote integrity within the collective. “An artist-run company ensures an operation that prioritizes the artistic process.”

The company hopes this model will also prove benefcial in an economy that demands professionalism and ingenuity. “We’re removing the wall between artists and administrators,” Withers continues. “We want our decisions in every arena to be inspired by the same creativity and passion we bring to our work onstage.”

Fundraising efforts are being launched on several fronts to support the company’s inaugural season and keep events affordable for patrons. According to Co-Founder Lewis Wheeler, “This is an amazing
responsibility for the six of us. Revitalizing the theater and securing funds for a professional season in the space of three months is a huge endeavor. But we know it’s the right thing to do. The Well?eet community has given us so much inspiration and support as artists- we’re determined to give back and keep the Harbor spirit alive.”

Artistic Director Kropf, who has appeared in over twenty Well?eet productions and helmed the critically acclaimed Storytelling Ability of a Boy and Body Awareness says, “This is a very exciting time for us down at the Harbor - our artistic home. There’s an immediacy and intimacy in this space that’s quite unique, one which our ensemble has come to understand and de?ne. We remain true to the spirit of what began here, the scrappy theater on the harbor that’ll keep you awake and inspired.”

To introduce themselves to the community, the Harbor Stage Company is planning a presentation for the “Wellfleet Blossoms” festival in April. Further information on the company’s mission, members, and milkshake preferences can be found at www.harborstage.org.

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