Northern Stage Announces 2021/22 Season And New Courtyard Theater

Northern Stage is thrilled to announce the construction of a new, seasonal outdoor performance venue, the Courtyard Theater, to open its 2021/22 Season on June 9, 2021. Situated directly behind its main performance venue, the Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction, VT, the Courtyard Theater was created to allow a safe, socially-distant gathering space for live performances this summer.

Northern Stage's return to live and in-person theatrical productions promises joy, with a season that will take audiences on a hilarious journey through ALL of Shakespeare's plays, bring rock'n roll legends to glorious life, celebrate the beauty and unpredictability of the human connection, and bring Monty Python to White River Junction in a glorious musical show. Putting audiences' safety first, the company will produce the first two shows of their four-show main stage season outside at the newly unveiled Courtyard Theater before returning to the Byrne Theater for the second half of the season.

Opening the Courtyard Theater will be the irreverent romp, THE COMPLETE WORKS OF William Shakespeare (ABRIDGED), June 9-July 4, 2021. Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield, and directed by Carol Dunne, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) will feature 37 Shakespeare plays in 97 minutes...outdoors. Three madcap actors in tights weave their wicked way through all of Shakespeare's comedies, histories, and tragedies in one wild ride that will leave audiences helpless with laughter. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare is sponsored by Stave Puzzles, hand-crafted jigsaw puzzles made in Vermont.

The outdoor summer season at the Courtyard Theater will conclude with the roof-raising musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, August 11-September 12, 2021. Million Dollar Quartet takes patrons back in time to December 4, 1956, when icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins gathered for the first and only time at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions ever. That legendary night will

come to life with a score of rock hits including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Great Balls of Fire," "Walk the Line," "Folsom Prison Blues," and "Hound Dog."

The breathtaking pas-de-deux play HEISENBERG, February 16-March 6, 2022, will bring audiences back into the Byrne Theater for the first indoor, fully produced play since March 2020. An electric encounter between two strangers in a train station grows, over six scenes, into a complex and life-changing relationship. Written by Simon Stephens and starring Northern Stage favorite Jamie Horton, the quietly powerful Heisenberg lays bare the beauty in the natural unpredictability of human connection.

Capping off the 2021/22 season at Northern Stage will be the uproarious MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT, April 13-May 15, 2022, in the Byrne Theater. With a book & lyrics by Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, Monty Python's Spamalot is lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The outrageous and gloriously entertaining story of King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake will delight audiences as they search for the Holy Grail and "always look on the bright side of life."

Carol Dunne, Northern Stage's Producing Artistic Director, comments on the season ahead: "As we emerge from COVID, we are putting audience safety first, which is why we are introducing this exciting new hybrid season. When we searched for an outdoor venue, we found the best spot is behind our buildings in the heart of White River Junction. We are creating a simple space that celebrates the industrial feel of White River while offering a beautiful and intimate place to enjoy joyous performances."

Designed by Scenic Designer Michael Ganio, the Courtyard Theater will be created to hold an audience of up to 250 people, but will initially seat 120 audience members for the upcoming summer in order to adhere to pandemic safety precautions. "Imagine the delight to discover in the softening twilight a hidden theater at the end of an abandoned alley. Hidden from view by old buildings of rough concrete and gravel, the elegant performance space seems to whisper, 'Something is about to Happen...'," states Ganio.

All Courtyard seating for the 2021/22 Season will be sold as General Admission, but seating locations will be assigned in advance on the day of performance. Early Bird Subscriptions cost $135 (more than 35% off the single-ticket price) and are currently on sale for Northern Stage Director's Circle, Ensemble Members, and 2019/20 Subscribers only. Subscriptions for the general public go on sale March 24th. Single tickets cost $45 in the Courtyard Theater, and $34-$59 in the Byrne Theater. $19 tickets are available for all full-time students regardless of age, with a valid photo ID. Single tickets go on sale to the general public on April 1st.

In addition to the two main stage productions, the Courtyard Theater will host this season's Summer Shakespeare Intensive, a professional-level theater training program for students ages 12-18 and a cornerstone of Northern Stage's Education Department. Over the course of five weeks, a group of approximately 25 students will rehearse and perform Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in July in the Courtyard Theater. Audition information can be found at https://northernstage.org/summer-shakespeare-intensive/.

Northern Stage will also present workshop productions during the 2021/22 season of two new pieces most recently featured in its New Works Now Festival: Shook and Enough. With music and lyrics by Zoe Sarnak and a book by Alexis Scheer, Shook marks Northern Stage's first-ever commissioned musical work. The story of high school thespians that have been preparing for the highly anticipated National Shakespeare Competition, Shook takes the audience on a rollercoaster ride through song and sonnet, foes turned friends, and kingdoms lost and won. Enough, written by Celeste Jennings (Citrus), focuses on a family discovering beauty and strength in things not remembered as they realize that some things are meant to be forgotten. More information about these workshops and calendar information will be announced at a later date.

This spring, Northern Stage presents Mud Season Mystery: The Lodger, a witty new adaptation of the classic mystery, created for Zoom and performed live each night, April 14 through May 2, 2021. The Lodger, adapted by Brenda Withers (Jordan), uses suspenseful storytelling to engage the audience in a live, interactive, communal experience guaranteed to entertain and provoke. Tickets for The Lodger are $29, with a maximum of 40 participants per performance. Private group parties are encouraged. For tickets, visit northernstage.org, or call the Box Office directly at 802-296-7000. The Lodger is supported in part by Mascoma Bank. Northern Stage's 2020-21 Season is underwritten by Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, who has been a season underwriter for the past two years.

As a part of its Anti-Racism Community Dates series, Northern Stage will be offering Understanding: A Workshop in Cultivating Empathy and Peace this May. This workshop will introduce participants to the world of duality in order to bring us closer to understanding the social conflict that we are facing at this current time. Led by peace activist Mohsen Mahdawi, a third generation Palestinian refugee, this four-week workshop will give participants the tools to find and create peace between communities made up of different races, classes, religions or political views. For more information, contact the box office at 802-296-700.

Northern Stage is currently offering "Portraits of the Pandemic," a weekly podcast series running every Thursday through the end of March. Director of Education Eric Love has curated the stories of 34 young actors from 6th to 12th grade into a devised theater piece that explores the first eight weeks of the pandemic from the teenage perspective. Tickets are FREE with a $25 suggested donation. To subscribe, please visit https://northernstage.org/youth-training/portraits-of-the-pandemic/.