In a Stagedoor Manor first, owner/producer Cindy Samuelson announced today that her performing arts camp will produce the pre-New York staging of playwright Arlene Hutton's upcoming new show, LETTERS TO SALA.
LETTERS TO SALA, slated for production in New York City next season, tells the true story of 16 year-old Sala Garncarz who, in 1940, was sent from her home to Geppersdorf, a German forced-labor camp. During her five-year internment, Garncarz received more than 300 letters that were mailed or smuggled to her by friends and family on the outside or in camps themselves. Remarkably, she was not only able to preserve these letters during internment, but kept them safe for nearly five decades following her liberation and subsequent marriage to American GI, Sidney Kirschner.
Eric Nightengale, who has directed other Hutton productions such as LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC and GULF VIEW DRIVE will direct LETTERS TO SALA at Stagedoor Manor this summer. Both Hutton and Ann Kirshner, author of the book SALA's GIFT on which LETTERS TO SALA is based, will be present at the Stagedoor student performance.
"We are both excited and grateful to be able to offer this educational opportunity to our student body. The continued support, giving back, of theater artists like Arlene Hutton and Eric Nightengale are what shape the creative talents of the future," said Samuelson.
Arlene Hutton is best known for THE NIBROC TRILOGY, which includes LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC (NY Drama League Best Play nomination), SEE ROCK CITY (In the Spirit of America Award) and GULF VIEW DRIVE (LA Weekly and Ovation Award nominations). Other plays include AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, about Kentucky Shakers, and PARHELIA, a new work about the Bronte family. Her work has been presented throughout the world, including four times at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Residencies include New Harmony Project, MacDowell Colony and Yaddo. Hutton was twice named Tennessee Williams Fellow in Playwriting at Sewanee. LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC will be presented in London this summer.
Her latest play, LETTERS TO SALA, received Honorable Mention at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre New Play Festival and was chosen as the featured play for festival of new works at Centre Stage in Greenville.
Eric Nightengale is currently artistic director of 78th Street Theatre Lab in New York. Other NYC credits also include work with Circle Repertory Theatre, The Acting Company, Circle in the Square, The River Ensemble, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and Classic Stage Company. Chicago directing credits include work with Victory Gardens Theatre, Bailiwick Repertory Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago Dramatists Workshop, the Broadway Arts Center, and Second City. His work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has resulted in four Fringe First awards, a Best Ensemble award, eight published scripts, four adaptations for BBC radio, and a London Transfer.
Stagedoor Manor was founded by Carl and Elsie Samuelson in 1975, along with artistic director Jack Romano. Located in Loch Sheldrake, New York, Stagedoor has, over the years, been the subject of many national profiles and newsmagazine pieces as its alumni campers became famous faces in stage, screen, music and television. In 2006, Stagedoor produced the premiere performance of Disney's High School Musical; in 2007, Stagedoor produced special workshop productions of
Avenue Q and
Rent in partnership with MTI (Music Theatre International). Stagedoor received nationwide attention when former camper and film director
Todd Graff created a fictionalized account of his personal experiences as the basis for the independent break-out film, "Camp," and then again when Alexandra Shiva released her behind-the-scenes documentary, "Stagedoor."
For more information about the camp, visit
www.stagedoormanor.com.
