New Harbor Stage Company Opens 1st Season with HEDDA GABLER, Now thru 7/14

The newly established Harbor Stage Company announces their much anticipated inaugural season. The artist-run ensemble will offer three mainstage productions in Summer 2012 at the beloved theater on the Harbor. 

Beginning tonight, the company will present a modern portrait of Ibsen’s smoldering classic, Hedda Gabler. Adapted and directed by the group’s Artistic Director, Wellfleet favorite Robert Kropf, the piece is a perfect match for the actor-driven ensmble’s aesthetic and will re-introduce their unique brand of fiery, authentic performance to the intimate space. 

Next up will be the New England premiere of Church, a creation of playwright Young Jean Lee. Equal parts revival and revolution, the play uses music, dance, and traditional storytelling to upend our thoughts about religion, redemption, and personal responsibility.

Rounding out the season will be David Rabe’s tragic farce, Sticks and Bones. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play, the piece is a rarely produced gem, an unflinching look at the haunting ravages of war. As another American generation finds itself facing a post-war landscape, The Harbor Stage Company sees this biting, adbsurdist comedy as a chance to engage local veterans and the extended Cape community on a topic as essential as it is mystifying. The company’s hope is to solicit enough dedicated donations to fund an initiative allowing all Cape veterans to attend a performance for free. 

According to Kropf, this grouping of plays is “an inspired season. They’re three very different plays, but they’re all pieces we’re passionate about championing- they’re where we’ve been and where we’re headed.” 

In order to ensure accessibility and attract a more diverse audience, the company has established a $20 single ticket price and is offering a further-discounted season subscription for $48. “We’re presenting work we love in one of the most unique venues on the planet- we want everyone to be able to afford to see it,” explains Artistic Associate Brenda Withers. “Theater is the only art form where an audience has a direct impact on the final product; the broader an audience’s make-up, the more potential there is for a complex, inspiring experience. We want all of the Wellfleet community to feel welcome at the Harbor.” The group will also host a pay-what-you-can night for each production. 

More information on subscriptions, donations, and individual ensemble members can be found at www.harborstage.org.