Photo by John Anderson.
Outreach—it’s an important part of Plymouth State University’s mission as a regional comprehensive university. And when you have 75 community ambassadors from eight years olds through senior citizens as part of your outreach toolbox, you are sure to get attention.
That’s just what happened in February, when for the first time in its 13-year history, the Educational Theatre Collaborative (ETC) toured its winter show to the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord.
ETC is a partnership between PSU, Plymouth Elementary School, and Friends of the Arts in Plymouth. Its productions feature an intergenerational cast—from children to senior citizens—of people in the Plymouth community. Until this year, all ETC productions were performed on the PSU campus.
Concord’s Capitol Center for the Arts, photo courtesy of Capitol Center for the Arts.
“PSU’s presence in Concord was previously marked by the flags on the Manchester Street Bridge that represent the Capital Area Colleges’ Chamber of Commerce efforts, and the open houses at our new site at 2 Pillsbury Street. ETC in Concord was a wonderful way to conrm PSU’s presence in Concord,” said Dennise Maslakowski, associate vice president for graduate studies.
But that all changed with the 2007 ETC production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, starring PSU senior theatre major Allison Duhamel as the charming Belle, professional actor and Newport, NH resident Braden Miles as the Beast, and PSU Class of 2001 alumnus Michael David Stoddard as the burly, rude rapscallion Gaston. Aer a string of sold-out performances at Plymouth’s Silver Center, the troupe headed south to Concord for two additional shows.
Challenges, Rewards
Photo by John Anderson.
“After the logistics of the technical requirements for the tour to Concord were settled, the biggest elephant in the room was publicity,” said ETC co-founder, producer, and artistic director Patricia Lindberg, who is also a professor of education and coordinator of PSU’s graduate program in integrated arts. “No one knew ETC in Concord. Although we had the Plymouth State name going for us because of the graduate presence in Concord, and the strong network of educators across the state who follow ETC through our integrated arts conferences, it was daunting to think of trying to ll a 1,200-plus seat auditorium for two performances.What if nobody came?”
To help publicize the shows, ETC embarked on a media blitz. Area teaser performances were lined up the prior weekend, along with several radio interviews on NHPR and WKXL radio. The Mall of New Hampshire children’s group, Kidgits, hosted members of the cast so that area children could meet characters from the show and take pictures. In addition, they “blasted” an e-mail about the shows to more than 1,500 members and posted the Concord performances on a signboard at the mall. The Common Man restaurant advertised the show on their signboard and donated some of their advertising time on NHPR for the cause. And cast members performed at Kaleidoscope, a new children’s museum in Concord, for a members-only event that also drew a capacity audience.
Photo by John Anderson.
The result of all this effort was a theatre full of delighted patrons for both shows, judging by the gasps of excitement, laughter, cheers, and standing ovations at the end of each performance. ETC’s Beauty and the Beast was voted 2007’s best Concord-area show in a reader’s poll by The Hippo—a news, food, arts and entertainment weekly, based on responses in paper and online balloting.
“The ETC performance of Beauty and the Beast was presented to a very receptive audience, which was captivated by the singing, dancing, and the chemistry of the performers, representing a range of ages and stages,” Maslakowski said. “Dr. Lindberg does an incredible job of directing an outstanding play and transforming the story page to the stage production.”
“When we received two standing ovations aer our Capitol Center performances, we realized our dream and felt very happy and proud of all the many individuals who had worked tirelessly to bring about the success of this project,” Lindberg noted.
“This is an example of the amazing artistic and cultural resources that Plymouth State University brings to central New Hampshire,” said PSU President Sara Jayne Steen. “ETC is community engagement at its finest.”
About ETC
Photo by John Anderson.
The Educational Theatre Collaborative (ETC) was founded in 1994 by Patricia Lindberg, PSU professor of education and integrated arts, and her colleague Dan Perkins, PSU professor of music, with the support of the University, Plymouth Elementary School, and Friends of the Arts. The goal of ETC is to produce the highest quality theatre and collaborative integrated arts experiences possible.
About Patricia Lindberg
Lindberg’s work has been recognized by the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, which presented her the 1999 Governor’s Arts and Education Award. In 2002 she won the prestigious NETC Moss Hart Trophy for Best Overall Production of 2002 for her original work A You and Me World. She was also named PSU Distinguished Teacher of 2003, the 2003 Youth Theatre Director of the Year, and one of New Hampshire’s most remarkable women by New Hampshire Magazine. In 2004, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education named Lindberg New Hampshire Professor of the Year. She was selected from among nearly 400 top professors in the U.S. She is the winner of the 2006 Award for Excellence in Children’s Theatre from the New Hampshire Theatre Committee.
