Merrimack Valley Magazine

Vital Voices – Christa Brown and the Free Soil Arts Collective

by

The Free Soil Arts Collective, an organization based in Lowell, recently celebrated its two-year anniversary. 

 “I think it’s a real accomplishment,” says Christa Brown, the founder and executive director of Free Soil. “I mean, two years to me is not a really long time. And I think we’ve been able to make a really great impact.” 

In light of racial tensions in this country, Brown created the organization to help amplify and strengthen the voices of people of color by providing the community with youth programs, theatrical productions and community projects that shed light on the lived experience of people of color in the Lowell area. 

Brown was an actor by trade who became frustrated when she didn’t see enough people like herself represented in the media. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, she decided to start an organization that would spark conversations and inform members of the community about local history.

“My opinion is the Black experience is not brought up enough in the community discourse as it should be,” she says. “We work with all artists of color, but a lot of initiatives have come out specifically for Black history.”

 

Free Soil Arts Collective is sponsored by the Greater Lowell Community Foundation, but also works in partnership with other local organizations, such as DIY Lowell and the Lowell Cultural Council.

“Hidden in Plain Sight: Stories of Black Lowell,” an upcoming project in partnership with Merrimack Repertory Theatre and the Kindred Project, will be something for the community to look forward to.

“It will be a documentary theater piece based on the lives of Black people,” Brown says. “We’ll be interviewing Black people who have worked and/or lived in Lowell throughout the years, and then turn those interviews into a play.” 

Thinking about my own personal connection with Lowell, I am simply a student at UMass Lowell; I am not a Lowell resident and I am not knowledgeable about its history, aside from the mills. Brown says that one of the goals of her organization is to help people such as myself learn about the history of people of color in Lowell. 

“There’s this whole connection between the mills and the cotton in the South that isn’t amplified enough,” Brown says. “People talk about the mills, but they don’t really talk about how, if it wasn’t for slavery, the mills wouldn’t have been able to function. The wealth up here was directly related to that. I think this project in particular is like, just trying to let people know, we have to acknowledge what happened.”

 

Brown says COVID-19 has created difficulties for the organization, such as the inability to charge for tickets and put on live theater performances. “I just feel like if we could do stuff in person, that’s way more people coming. There’s networking happening, and that same stuff just doesn’t happen virtually,” she says. 

There are still ways, however, that the community can use the organization’s resources and get involved with the projects. Free Soil is actively expanding its board membership, accepting donations, and hiring artists of color in all disciplines for events.  

Brown created Free Soil Arts Collective because she was annoyed by the lack of representation and realized she had to create it for herself. “To anybody out there who thinks about doing something similar, don’t wait for a seat at the table, just make your own table,” she says. “I think that’s what Free Soil is all about.” 

Visit FreeSoilArts.org or email Christa Brown at Christa@freesoilarts.org for more information and to get involved in upcoming projects and events. 

Setting the Stage – Meet MRT’s New Artistic Director

by

Courtney Sale could not have started her new job at a more challenging time. It was March 23, just 13 days after Gov. Charlie Baker had declared a COVID-19 state of the emergency in the Commonwealth, when Sale sat down for her first day as Nancy L. Donahue artistic director of the Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT). She was new to the area — fresh off the plane from her former residence in Seattle. 

“It definitely has been a bizarre time to begin a new theater leadership role,” she says with a laugh. The understatement is not lost on Sale, who has built a career around a field for which in-person connection is key. “But being adaptive to challenges is what we’re all about, and I know that MRT will survive and thrive well after this pandemic.”

Sale’s new role has been decades in the making. A longtime theater buff, she developed a passion for the performing arts at the age of 15, when she participated in a summer performing arts training program at Boston University. She calls it “one of the most transformative experiences” of her life. 

“I grew up in a very rural part of Virginia, so up until that point there was very little access to professional performing arts opportunities,” she says. “When I was able to finally afford this, I jumped at it. It was the defining moment that solidified my career path.” 

 

And she never looked back. After studying theater as an undergraduate, and later as a graduate student, she moved on to the world of directing, eventually becoming the associate artistic director at Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis and the artistic director at Seattle Children’s Theatre, where she served for three years. 

When the job posting for artistic director of MRT came up online, Sale says she couldn’t have been more thrilled. Despite the cross-country move that the position would require, she found herself instantly enlivened by the theater’s mission to support new scripts. 

“MRT is one of the nation’s premier stages for new and emerging artists,” Sale says, “and when I looked into it, I knew I needed to be part of their journey. … More than anything, I want to help infuse the field with more diverse voices. I want to be a part of a progressive conversation.”

Sale’s interviews and discussions with MRT staff and patrons only solidified her decision to take on the role. She found herself inspired by MRT’s consistent commitment to promoting equity in the arts, and by its ability to engage audiences with work that has never been seen. 

“This theater really asks audiences to be adventure seekers,” she says. “Culturally we’re accustomed to being spontaneous with many of our entertainment platforms. We’re less inclined with theater, so I love that our audiences lean into that. They enter the space not knowing what will happen. That’s the joy of it.” 

Throughout the spring and summer months, spontaneity took on a new meaning for MRT staff as they scrambled to address the unique challenges brought on by the pandemic. The theater, normally bustling with energy, was suddenly left with curtains drawn.

For Sale and her team, that meant putting more focus on content online. A scan of MRT’s social media pages reveals an array of new interviews and talks with emerging playwrights and artists, all of which have helped MRT stick to its goal of advancing innovative theater while ensuring the physical and psychological safety of its audiences. 

Asked what she is most looking forward to in the coming year, hurdles aside, Sale is quick to take the conversation back to the appeal of the theater’s physical space. 

“Above all things, I’m looking forward to that first opening night,” she says with a smile. “The idea of everyone sharing this beautiful space again — that’s what keeps me buoyed.”   

 

495 Podcast LogoWant to go behind the scenes?

Courtney Sale talks about her unique journey to the MV, what makes Lowell unique, and the role of arts and culture in the age of COVID on mvm’s weekly podcast, The 495. Listen to all episodes here. >>>

 

MRT Announces Major Changes to 2020-21 Season

by

Due to the global pandemic, Courtney Sale, the Nancy L. Donahue artistic director, and Bonnie J. Butkas, executive director, announced major changes to the schedule for the upcoming season at Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT). They revealed five of the seven upcoming productions, including the postponed “Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End,” and said they will announce an audience safety plan in December.

Sale said, “The health of our artists, patrons, staff, and volunteers is our paramount priority. In order to provide a safe place for all our community, we must shift our season. While we are saddened by this change, the well-being and safety of our community must lead our decision making. COVID has brought forth many uncertainties, and we will continue to consider further difficult actions if necessary.”

MRT will produce seven shows beginning in March of 2021. The 279-seat theater had hoped to begin performances this October. The new schedule will play over 15 months — three in the spring of 2021 and four between November 2021 and May 2022. Seven-show subscriptions already purchased include all of these shows. All three presentations next spring will be one-person plays to allow for flexibility in responding to COVID-19.

 

“I have the utmost faith in Courtney, Bonnie, and the MRT staff, along with the guidance of a remarkable board of trustees, to help us deliver an even stronger and more relevant MRT when we return to Liberty Hall next spring,” Joanne Yestramski, president of the board of trustees, said. “We are so fortunate to have the unwavering support of our longtime subscribers, donors and the Lowell and Merrimack Valley community during these extraordinary times!”

Butkas said the $3 million theater has been forced to make some difficult, and often heartbreaking, decisions to stabilize the 42-year-old nonprofit. The pandemic has devasted the entire arts and culture industry, which is 4.5% of the U.S. economy. MRT’s losses already tally close to $600,000 with the cancellation of two shows last spring and delayed productions in the fall.

“Our goal is to preserve the organization and return to live theater in Lowell as soon as it is truly safe to do so,” Butkas said. “To that end, we’ve been making hard choices since March. We’re looking for continued support from all sources — our patrons; the city, state, and federal government; foundations; and corporations.”

The spring 2021 season comprises “Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End,” by Allison Engel and Margaret Engel, March 24 to April 11, 2021; “Wild Horses,” by Allison Gregory, April 21 to May 9, 2021; and “Until the Flood,” by Dael Orlandersmith, May 19 to June 6, 2021. The remaining four plays — to be presented from November 2021 through May 2022 — will include “Every Brilliant Thing,” by Duncan MacMillan with Jonny Donahoe and “Young Americans,” by Lauren Yee (Cambodian Rock Band). Two more titles will be announced at a later date. “The Lowell Offering,” postponed from last April, will not be produced during the next 15 months due to the costs of such a large show, but it will remain a potential production for future seasons.

MRT will introduce a “no risk” policy for all theatergoers. The theater pledges to be flexible and sympathetic in accommodating ticket exchanges, as well as credit and refund requests, for any patron who does not feel safe attending a performance. The company hopes to offer subscribers their usual seats, but if health officials require social distancing, those seat assignments may change temporarily.

In addition, MRT will convert to a fully digital platform for brochures, invitations, and programs. MRT will also consider video recordings of select productions during emergency shut-down situations. The company will evaluate all options and share a safety plan in December. That plan may still change over time as situations with the virus and a possible vaccine shift.

If you have questions, contact the MRT box office staff at (978) 654-4678 or box_office@mrt.org. For further information, visit MRT.org.

 

Want to go behind the scenes? Courtney Sale talks about her unique journey to the MV, what makes Lowell unique, and the role of arts and culture in the age of COVID on mvm’s weekly podcast, The 495. Click here to listen. >>>

 

MRT Hosts Online Auction and 2020-21 Season Announcement Event

by

Join the Merrimack Valley Repertory Theatre in cyberspace to celebrate the future of local theater. On Thursday, April 9, they will host an online auction and their 2020-21 Season Announcement with Nancy L. Donahue and  Artistic Director Courtney Sale.

Hosts:
Courtney Sale and Bonnie Butkas

Special Guests:
Andy Bayiates and Genevra Gallo-Bayiates (“The Lowell Offering”)
Robert Cornelius (The Young Company)
Allison Gregory (Playwright)
Karen MacDonald (“Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End”)
Deanna Reed-Foster (“Nina Simone: Four Women”)
Lauren Yee (“Cambodian Rock Band”)

Thursday, April 9, 2020
4:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

RSVP at marketing@mrt.org.

Clockwise:  Bonnie Butkas, executive director; Courtney Sale, artistic director; Deanna Reed-Foster, “Nina Simone: Four Women”; Karen MacDonald, “Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End”; Lauren Yee, playwright, “Cambodian Rock Band”; Robert Cornelius, director, The Young Company; Allison Gregory, playwright; and Andy Bayiates and Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, playwrights, “The Lowell Offering.”

The Wickhams: Wicked Good

by

Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s (MRT) production of “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley” has occasioned a visit from select residents of Jane Austen’s classic novel “Pride and Prejudice,” along with three unforgettable new characters.

Last year, in “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” playgoers witnessed drama and hijinks at Pemberley estate’s upstairs. It was the bestselling show in MRT’s 40 years. This year, Miss Bennet playwrights Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon bring us a new perspective: that of the servants who, from their downstairs quarters, are the hidden operators who make the holiday celebrations happen. Austen obscured the existence of such servants in her novel, so their inclusion in “The Wickhams” adds new complexity and depth to a fictional world beloved by many.

Contemporaneous with the events of “Miss Bennet,” “The Wickhams” serves as a “Pride and Prejudice” sequel. It picks up two years after the novel’s end, in which readers saw three of the five Bennet sisters married. Alexis Bronkovic reprises her role as Elizabeth Darcy, who, alongside her husband, Fitzwilliam Darcy (Lewis D. Wheeler), awaits the arrival of her lovably over-the-top younger sister Lydia Wickham (Katie Grindeland, returning) and other family members who will remain out of view in Upstairs World.

New to the Austen universe are Pemberley’s dedicated housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds (Laura Latreille), Brian (Paul Melendy), a footman with a passion for inventing, and Cassie (Philana Mia), the new housemaid who longs for something a little better than the orphan’s life she’s known. Through the private conversations of Cassie and Brian, we get to know them in a way that allows their spirits and aspirations to stand out in an already vibrant setting.

 

Paul Melendy; Philana Mia; Katie Grindeland; Alexis Bronkovic; Lewis D. Wheeler; Laura Latreille. Photos by Meghan Moore for MRT.

While Cassie and Brian each exhibit a historically accurate tendency to respect the boundaries of their stations, neither lets this hold them back when the time comes to stand up for their convictions. Both speak sincerely and meaningfully on what matter most to them, whether it’s ethics, or books and tea.

Their immediate superior, Mrs. Reynolds (Latreille), never misses a beat of Pemberley’s heart, and is frequently after the two younger staff members to get things done just right. While Mrs. Reynolds is played as severe, her deep bond to Pemberley and its residents shines through, and her tough exterior means the brief smiles and moments of vulnerability are well-earned.

Wheeler and Bronkovic as Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, despite their posh accents, are no stereotypes of the uncaring master and mistress. Mrs. Darcy comes through with authentic warmth in her gratitude and respect, and Mr. Darcy, while steelier, is there with considerate affirmations. He is also capable of righteous indignation, exhibited when Lydia’s husband, the booming-voiced George Wickham (Ed Hoopman), arrives at the servants’ entrance while Lydia is missing him upstairs, resenting her family’s rejection of him..

Much moral reckoning ensues. Lydia’s manic dialogue careens from high to low — a comedic delight that also accentuates the play’s serious undertones.

At one particular showing (I won’t tell which one), one particular actor (I won’t tell which one), fell against a wall at such an appropriate moment of excitement that it almost seemed deliberate. We were advised later, during the applause, “Don’t fall into any walls!” Even without such unexpected moments, you will find more than enough magic at Pemberley this year.

Who We Are

mvm is the region’s premier source of information about regional arts, culture and entertainment; food, dining and drink; community happenings, history and the people who live, work, play and make our area great.

© Copyright 2021 Merrimack Valley Media Group Inc. All rights reserved.