Interview: Director Gina Sarno and FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY at NLT

For the final production of their 90th Season, Nutley Little Theatre (NLT) presents FOR PETER PAN ON HER 70TH BIRTHDAY, written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by lifelong Nutley resident, Gina Sarno. The production will run from June 13th through June 28th in Nutley, New Jersey.

The role of Peter Pan is traditionally played by a woman, such as Betty Bronson in 1924 and Mary Martin in 1955. For Peter Pan on Her 70th Birthday, by Sarah Ruhl, tells the story of a woman who played the part in her youth. It a loving look at a family’s view of death, life and the allure of never growing up. 

Broadwayworld had the pleasure of interviewing Gina Sarno about her theatrical career and the upcoming show at Nutley Little Theatre.

Sarno is a lifelong Nutley resident, is beyond excited to be making a return to the Director’s chair at Nutley Little Theatre after making her directorial debut in 2019 for LOVE LETTERS. Gina has been acting since she was 9 years old. Some past acting credits include GEMINI (Judith), PERFECT ARRANGEMENT (Millie), MATILDA (Miss Honey), THE DIVINE SISTER (Agnes), and BLACKBIRD (Una), to name a few.

We know you've been active in the theatre since childhood.  What inspired your early interest in performing?

I remember going to see Broadway shows such as Beauty and the Beast and Annie at an early age with my parents and Grandparents and feeling like I wanted to be up on stage too and it just grew from there. That feeling never went away so my parents enrolled me in a summer acting program through our school system and would take me to auditions for the town musicals.

How has being in front of the footlights informed your work as a director?

I feel as though I am more open to my actor’s suggestions whether it’s in terms of blocking or delivering a line a certain way, etc.. They are the ones who are onstage and since I have my fair share of experience being onstage, I know how it feels when something doesn’t feel quite right. I’ve also learned just how much hard work this job is and all of the various elements you need to look at on top of directing during rehearsals.

Nutley Little Theatre has a top reputation as a community entertainment venue.  Why do you think it has been so successful?

NLT has been putting on shows for the past 90 years in our little red barn. Since space is limited for us, we can’t produce huge musicals that other theaters are able to put on, so we tend to lean towards different plays that haven’t been done much. We take risks. We take pride in working hard to curate our seasons. I call it playing Tetris. We always strive to have a good mix of shows in our seasons so that there is something that will appeal to everyone. We are a very welcoming theater that believes in inclusivity and equality for all. Even if you aren’t a member, you are still welcome to attend our monthly meetings and you can even audition and be cast in our shows. NLT has certainly been like a second home to me and I know that is the case for a lot of other people as well. Some of our current members have been involved in NLT since the 70's!

Tell us a little about the cast and creative team that is working on For Peter Pan on Her 70th. 

 There were about 28 people who attended auditions for this show, all of whom were very talented. I had a lot of hard decisions to make but once Ann, Andrew, Mead, Nick, Tara and Martin were on the stage together, it just clicked! I turned to my Stage Manager, Erin, and said “This is the family!” I’ve worked on productions with Mead and Nick before, I know Tara from working on the NLT Board with her, but I’ve never had the chance of working with Ann, Andrew and Martin until now. Each of them have brought so much to their characters and have exceeded my expectations, and we are still early on in the process. They are a great group to work with. While this show is a tear jerker, we still find ways to have fun!  

I am incredibly lucky to have the creative team that I do. All of them were willing to jump in and help. NLT is an all-volunteer organization, so none of us are getting paid, but they were all quick to say “YES” when I asked them if they could help me with this show. My creative team consists of NLT members, actors from my show and even my Brother in Law! Erin Sabat is my Stage Manager. As soon as I found out I was chosen to direct this piece, I immediately reached out to them and asked them to be my SM. Erin is truly one of the best SM's I have ever had the pleasure of working with (both acting and directing) and I don't know where I'd be without them! 

What are some of the challenges of directing this show?

 Since NLT is a small, 48 seat theater, and our budget isn’t huge (we survive off of ticket sales and donations), we had to work around the “flying” parts in the show. It would’ve been really cool to be able to get everyone in a harness and have them all flying around but it’s just not feasible at NLT. With that being said, my creative team and I have found ways to work around it and still make it seem like they are flying.

Why do you think the show will appeal to audiences?

 The themes of family values, growing up, coping with death of a loved one, coping with your own mortality are all universal themes. Depending on what people in the audience have gone through in their own personal lives is going to determine what they walk away from this show with.

 Anything else, absolutely anything you want readers to know.

Sarah Ruhl is such an amazing playwright. I’ve been living with this show since 2017 and I am so excited to finally have the chance to bring it to life with my cast and crew and share it with our audiences!

Nutley Little Theatre is located at 47 Erie Place, Nutley, NJ  07110-1705.  For more information, please visit www.NutleyLittleTheatre.com. The direct ticket link is CUR8 - For Peter Pan On Her 70th Birthday Details

Follow NLT on Facebook @NutleyLittleTheatre and on Instagram @NutleyLittleTheatreNJ.

Photo Credit: Olivia Christina Photography 

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