LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
All the World's a Stage, Even Sussex CountySpotlight on the Henlopen Theater Project and Managing Director James FitzSimmons |
by Kristen Minor |
There are many things that Sussex County is famous for. Chickens. Nylon. Scrapple. If asked to make a list of the hallmarks of Slower Lower, not a person would say "The theater scene." Henlopen Theater Project (HTP) is trying to change this. HTP, now in it's sophomore season, is dedicated to promoting the arts in Sussex Countytruly a daunting task. I recently had a conversation with James FitzSimmons, HTP's managing director, about his work with the theater project and what's in store for theater lovers this summer. "If we can pull it off, it's going to be a pretty amazing season," James says of the summer's scheduled performances. Given the work ethic and experience of James, as well as the other Henlopen Theater staff, there is every reason to believe that HTP will be wildly successful. James brings spectacular credentials to his positionhe has been a professional stage manager for 13 years and has worked on and off Broadway, in London, and across the country in regional theater. James is a "born and raised New Yorker" who went to New York University. Most of his work has been with new plays and premiershe considers one of the high points of his career to be the original stage manager for Terrence McNalley's Corpus Christi. "That was fun. We had boycotts, bomb threats, and protests," he says of the experience. (Several Christian groups were offended by the play's portrayal of a gay Christ.) Despite his exciting theatrical background, James is happy to be living in Lewes with his partner. He didn't expect to land the job of managing directorhe saw HTP's advertisement in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth"and they foolishly hired me," he joked. There is nothing foolish about HTP's summer schedule, however. James says that to him, the most exciting project is the New Works, New Voices series which presents three works by three emerging women playwrights. The first production, of Mary Lynn Dobson's Two on the Aisle, Three in a Van was presented in May to full houses and rave reviews. On July 14 and 15, HTP will hold a staged reading of Stones, an original play by Kristen Foery. Finally, the acclaimed actor John Ritter will be appearing on July 17 in a one night performance of actress/director Jenny Sullivan's J For J. Also noteworthy is the production of Another American Asking and Telling by Mark Wolf. This distinguished play won the Obie award in New York and was nominated for the Drama Desk and Outer Critic's Circle awards. It is a one man show in which Wolf plays about 40 different characters. The play, which took years for Wolf to write, is an account of the military's policy of "don't ask, don't tell." It's not just a "gay play", though, says James. Asking and Telling is lyric and historicalit's theater that anyone can enjoy." Asking and Telling will be performed from July 19-22. Of course, any theater company worth its salt puts on a Shakespearean play at least once. The comedy Two Gentlemen of Verona will be performed from July 26-30. Since one of the largest elements of promoting the arts is education, HTP will be sponsoring Shakespearean workshops for middle and high school students, as well as adults, during the play's run. The final production of the summer will be A. R. Gurney's Ancestral Voices. "We have several theater legends coming to town for this one," says James. The cast includes Sada Thompson, who is best known for her starring role in the TV series Family, and Len Cariou, who originated the role of Sweeney Todd, for which he won a Tony. Ancestral Voices is scheduled to run from August 2-6. HTP will be performing most of its productions at Cape Henlopen High School's Little Theater. They maintain close ties with the Cape Thespiansseveral students are working as interns this summer, and HTP is generously refurbishing the lights of the Little Theater. It is safe to say that professional equity theater has finally hit Sussex County. The Henlopen Theater Project is currently accepting donations and offering season subscriptions. For more information, call 226-4103 or write to Henlopen Theater Project, P.O. Box 606, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 10, No. 7, June 16, 2000. |