By Harley Nefe
Ensemble Stage is busy preparing for its 2022 Summer Season, which encompasses four Main Stage performances that are all various types of premieres.
“We’re really excited about the fact that they’re all some type of premiere – with the two regional premieres, the international premiere, and then of course, the world premiere,” said Gary Smith, Artistic Director of Ensemble Stage.
The lineup for the Main Stage shows includes “No Wake” by Erica Berman, “Catch The Butcher” by Adam Seidel, “Baby on Board” by Claude Montminy, and “Zaglada” by Richard Vetere.
“I’m excited about all four shows because all four are completely different,” Smith said.
The first two productions are regional premieres, which have never been performed in North Carolina or any of its border states.
The opening show, “No Wake,” is a heart-warming comedy following a crotchety, old retiree who is on a mission to save the loons of Lake Winnipesaukee with determination (and a bullhorn), according to the show’s description from Ensemble Stage. His summer expectations are thwarted by a brash, townie teenager hired to clean the house next door. While the two initially grate on each other, they gradually form a unique intergenerational bond. This heart-warming show is an often humorous, and sometimes poignant tale of two individuals learning to take back control of their lives.
“It’s going to be really sweet, pulling on the heartstrings,” Smith described.
“No Wake” will premiere June 24 through July 2.
The second show on the schedule from July 15 through July 23 is “Catch The Butcher,” a suspense-thriller.
“It will be just like most of my suspense-thrillers – just really messed up and leaving you thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh. What just happened?’ during it in a couple of places,” Smith said.
The show summary is as follows: In this serio-comic thriller, a woman is rendered unconscious and kidnapped. She awakens to see a man standing in front of her wearing an industrial apron, with a cabinet full of chemicals and surgical instruments behind him.
Ensemble Stage didn’t want to say anything more for fear of giving too much away, but staff don’t want viewers to be put off by the subject matter. The description states that it is, in fact, a delightfully different kind of “suspense-thriller.” It’s a fantastic twist on a nightmare scenario that explores human nature and relationships in an oddly entertaining way.
The third production on the list for August 12 through August 20 is “Baby on Board,” an international premiere, which has never been performed outside of its country of origin.
“The playwright is French-Canadian, and so, it’s only been performed in Canada,” Smith explained. “It’s never been performed outside of Canada, and it’s never been performed in English either. He translated it to English from the French he wrote it in and that it’s been performed in.”
Ensemble Stage wrote that “Baby on Board” revolves around David who all he can think about is becoming a father. The problem is that Christine, his career-centered girlfriend, is definitely not ready to be a mother. David is trying by all means to convince her when Allison, Christine’s sister, shows up with her new boyfriend Richard who is… twice her age. They have an offer David can’t refuse. Time is running out! How badly does he want a child?
Smith described the playful comedy as a really fun one. “It’s very fun and funny,” he said.
Ensemble Stage will close out its summer Main Stage productions with its first ever world premiere, “Zaglada,” a powerful drama that examines how far we’ll go to protect the ones we love.
The description reads: When a journalist goes to interview an aged man for her book on World War II, he fires a gun at her. Promptly arrested, he gets the attention of a Homeland Security agent. It seems the elderly man lied on his initial immigration application when he entered the United States from Poland after World War II and is wanted for international war crimes. Is he who she thinks he is? Did he commit the crimes she is accusing him of? Is the fact he was a prisoner at Buchenwald Concentration Camp and not a German soldier provide any justification for what he may have done?
This show is one that Ensemble Stage has been wanting to produce for a while.
“As a matter of fact, the world premiere is something we had planned on doing in 2020, but then when Covid hit, we were not able to do it,” Smith explained. “The playwright was good enough to say, ‘We’ll make sure you’re still the world premiere when you can open back up.’ He’s been an award-winning playwright. He’s written some movies for TV and lots of plays. He’s going to be here the opening weekend, and so, we’re probably going to do some talks with the audience.”
The show will star an actress who has appeared in numerous plays around the world, including Broadway, and it is set to take the stage from September 9 through September 17.
However, Main Stage performances are not all Ensemble Stage has in the works. There’s a Kid’s Theater Series show, a staged radio play, as well as a Holiday Musical Variety Show scheduled to take place this year.
“We’re looking forward to getting back out there and doing some shows for everybody,” Smith said.
Ensemble Stage is currently in the process of selling season subscriptions, which is for tickets to all four Summer Main Stage Productions. It does not include tickets to the kid show, staged radio play, or the Holiday Musical Variety Show.
“We’re in the process of selling our season subscriptions right now. We’re only doing those right now and then come April 30, we’ll start selling single show tickets,” Smith explained. “But right now, it’s strictly subscriptions up until that point, so that our subscribers get a pretty good choice of seats available.”
Ensemble Stage has also recently started its 2022 Donor Campaign, and folks are encouraged to reach into their pockets and join other supporters who have already contributed. Ensemble Stage welcomes all levels of financial support, so donations, yearly pledges, or show sponsorships can be as large or small as desired.
Lastly, Ensemble Stage is taking reservations for its Summer Theatre Camp that will run from June 27 through July 1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for ages 7-13.
“It’s the same way it is every year where the kids actually create their own show,” Smith said. “We only have a few slots left because they seem to go fairly quick, with only doing 15 in the camp.”
For more information about Ensemble Stage’s upcoming season events, please visit the website http://www.ensemblestage.com/ or call 828-414-1844.
“We have all these things going on, and between picking out the castings for the shows and getting everything prepared for the first of the season, we’re pretty busy,” Smith said. “We have actors coming from all over the country. I know we have them from New York, Florida, Iowa, Georgia, and Massachusetts. From all over the country these actors come into town, and there are a lot of real quality actors coming in, so I think people are going to enjoy the season. This is what they do for a living, and this is what we do for a living. It is professional theatre with all of the bells and whistles that go along with that.”
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