JAG Productions Partners with Upper Valley Venues to Create Monthly Series, JAG UNDERGROUND

JAG Productions has announced JAG Underground, a monthly series of bold, Black art by Black creatives running from mid-April to June in some of the Upper Valley’s most beloved venues. The series will spotlight the work of some of the most lauded artists in the business, offering a dynamic blend of cultural expression and artistic innovation. 

In 2016, Jarvis Antonio Green, the heart and soul of JAG as well as its Founder and Artistic Director, set off to create a Vermont-based theatre company for Black creatives. Today, JAG has built a reputation of being a highly-respected beacon of inclusivity, community, and artistic expression — not only in the Upper Valley, but in New York City and beyond. JAG Underground’s April-June shows promise to be a continuation of just that.

In the summer of 2023, Jarvis learned that JAG Productions had lost their outdoor venue for Theatre On the Hill, a popular summer staple that attracted over 300 new donors to JAG Productions and quickly grew to be the leading source of JAG’s ticket revenue. The reason for Theatre On the Hill’s departure is not a common problem for most theatre companies: The performances were so well-attended that the venue determined they no longer had the capacity to host at such a large scale.

The financial repercussions of this loss have been severe for JAG’s foundation and it has deprived the community of a singular space for diverse narratives. “Losing [TOTH] meant going from a place of abundance to starting an emergency fundraising campaign to keep the lights on. It was scary,” Green states. In conversation, Jarvis continues to look to the future by focusing on “foundational work so that JAG can live beyond us. We’re working our way back to expanding our staff and producing a season of mainstage productions.”

Thankfully, JAG’s emergency fundraising was extremely successful, and as a result of those funds (plus a matching grant from a Montpelier-based company), JAG Underground was born. “JAG Underground embodies our spirit of adaptability and resilience. It’s not merely a series but a monumental reset.”

JAG Productions is excited to welcome and host several New York City guest artists here in the Upper Valley.

The first weekend of JAG Underground, on April 20th and 21st, will take place at the AVA Gallery in Lebanon, NH, and features a production of The Lesson, written and performed by Tyrone Davis Jr. and directed by Henry Gottfried. About:

In responding to a first-grade student’s question about her body, an elementary school teacher at an elite New York City school accidentally propels the school into controversy and the press. This original solo play, Written and performed by Tyrone Davis, Jr., this original solo play details a community’s charged response to a well-intentioned lesson. 

This will be followed by a cabaret performance straight from New York City’s 54 Below, Why Have I Never Heard of You? by Alex Joseph Grayson and directed by JAG Founder and Artistic Director, Jarvis Antonio Green. Head to Sawtooth Kitchen in Hanover, NH for dinner and a show on the evenings of May 18th and 19th. About:  

Join Grammy nominee and breakout star of the Tony Award®-winning revivals of Parade, Into the Woods, and Girl from the North Country, Alex Joseph Grayson, for his Upper Valley solo show debut! Doors open for food and drinks at 5:30 PM and the show starts at 7 PM.

Enjoy an evening of music, stories, and immaculate vibes as Alex shares his unique journey to stardom; featuring songs from Luther Vandross, Soundgarden, Michael Bolton, and many more. Come experience the magic, and discover why everyone is asking, Why Have I Never Heard of You?

Finally, JAG Productions Will Close its Underground series with Sondheimia, performed by Larry Owens and running at 7:30 PM on June 14th and 15th at Briggs Opera House. About:

Sondheimia is an intimately curated cabaret by multi-award-winning musical theatre actor Larry Owens (Off-Broadway: A Strange Loop, TV: Abbott Elementary, High Maintenance, Betty) in which he explores time, love, and ambition through the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. Music direction and supervision by Josh Kight. 

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