New Hampshire Theatre Project Presents WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

In early March, 2020, New Hampshire Theatre Project had it all figured out. The nonprofit, in existence since 1988 and operating out of a 50-seat black box theatre in Portsmouth's West End since 2004, was putting the finishing touches on the plans for their new season. "We'd weathered the Islington Street reconstruction and the odd traffic patterns thereof, we had a brand new sign on the way, a bunch of electrical updates completed, a new Board of Directors in place - you know, like everyone else, we had a lot of plans," says Catherine Stewart, artistic director.

We all know what happened next. The theatre's leadership, many of them new to the organization and new to nonprofit boards in general, used their first major vote to cancel all scheduled shows for 2020. Meetings went virtual, and almost no one set foot in the theatre for weeks. "That was hard, because I so strongly believe in that space - that gathering space for the community, and I miss it," said Suzana Mihajlica, one new board member.

But almost right away, a silver lining began to materialize. The extended pause and time of reflection became an opportunity to consider the theatre's mission and values, and to reaffirm its commitment to community. Stewart and Executive Director Genevieve Aichele (the sole-remaining founding member of the organization, who is herself transitioning out) discuss this long pause on The Last Podcast, a local podcast about the arts and its intersection with community leadership hosted by Zac Little, another member of the theatre's board.

The episode "What Are You Waiting For?" is one of several in a series on the podcast documenting the impact of the coronavirus on the arts and beyond. Past guests on this series, titled "On The Line," include John Burns, of SOS Recovery Community Organization, Lori Waltz-Gagnon of Leadership Seacoast, and Akilah Hughes, comedian and host of Crooked Media's "What A Day" podcast. Stewart and Aichele detail the critical decisions the theatre made early on, and the artistic motivations that carried them through a sometimes arduous process.

"What Are You Waiting For?" is the theme of New Hampshire Theatre Project's new and completely-reimagined 2020-2021 season, which will include a mix of live, in-person performances and live streamed events. You can listen to the podcast "On The Line: What Are You Waiting For?" on Apple Podcasts here, on Stitcher here, or on a web browser at thelastpodcast.libsyn.com. Visit New Hampshire Theatre Project's website for more details on their 2020-2021 season, which begins with Gemma Soldati's The Adventures of Sleepyhead, an escapade for dreamers of all ages, which runs November 27th through 29th.

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