New Stage Theatre Announces Education Touring Program

In the 2017-2018 school year, New Stage Theatre, a professional theatre located in Jackson, Mississippi, partnered with Entergy Mississippi to provide over 2,890 students with touring performances and over 200 students with Power Play Workshops, as part of the Arts-in-Education statewide touring program available to schools, libraries, and community centers.

This past season, New Stage presented Oh Freedom! The Story of the Underground Railroad, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Julius Caesar as touring productions. The three shows were performed for Mississippi schools by the professional apprentice company, a racially diverse company of four young actors who recently graduated from college with degrees in theatre. Entergy sponsored performances to 12 schools, featuring 16 performances, and reaching an audience of more than 2,890 students. Additionally, Entergy sponsored Power Play Workshops in conjunction with the touring performances; these workshops were provided for over 200 students at various schools.

All touring productions were performed by New Stage's Professional Acting Company members Kyle Parker Daniels, Jessica Debolt, Brianna Hill, Xerron Mingo. Oh Freedom! was directed by New Stage Resident Teaching Artist Chris Roebuck and music directed by New Stage Education Director Sharon Miles. Jumping Frog and Julius Caesar was directed by New Stage Education Director Sharon Miles.

New Stage has a strong reputation for presenting quality performances and has been touring successfully to high school and middle schools since 1990. The tours travel throughout the state, from Clarksdale to New Albany to Gautier and most of the public school districts New Stage visits are to underserved audiences. During the 2017-2018 season, the professional apprentice company performed The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Julius Caesar and Oh Freedom! for more than 17,000 students in 49 schools.

New Stage Theatre was chartered as a not-for-profit organization in 1965, producing its initial season in the winter/spring of 1966. Founded by Jane Reid-Petty with the assistance of the American National Theatre Academy and Actor's Equity Association, dedication to professional excellence in theatre arts was part of the theatre's original mission. New Stage's education department was founded in 1989 and received the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts in 1995 for its efforts to introduce tens of thousands of young Mississippians to live theatre.

The New Stage Arts-in-Education touring program is sponsored by Entergy Mississippi, The Selby and Richard McRae Foundation, The Chisholm Foundation, and the Fountain Family Foundation.

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