A story of hope, humor and lopsided idealism at Pontine Theatre

In the late 1830s, the Transcendentalist cultural movement in Concord, Mass., included environmentalists, religious mystics, human rights advocates and no small amount of doggedness. The men and women behind the movement were proto-hippies, including young spiritually minded philosophers who studied at Harvard and then retreated into the New England woods with 1,000-volume libraries to form new societies situated on land no farmer would touch. And now the Pontine Theater has brought their journey to the stage with their original production of “The Common Heart.”

A new play prize has been awarded to several UNH students, who will see their work performed in a showcase of one-act plays April 17 to 21.

William George summons Henry David Thoreau to Pontine Theatre in ‘Walden’

While scholars have spent more than a century stalking the intellectual territory of Henry David Thoreau’s ‘Walden,” last week Pontine Theater hosted a one-man, one-act show by William George that renewed the vigor of Thoreau’s text in a performance as lively, deep and human as the man himself.

Seacoast Rep announces 25th anniversary season: In 2013, The Rep celebrates 25 years as the Seacoast’s largest year-round professional live theater with seven mainstage performances of popular favorites. “A Chorus Line” kicks off the season during the month of March. Memorable songs like “One,” “At the Ballet” and “What I Did for Love” will be directed by the Broadway revival’s own Bryan Knowlton.

‘Little Gem’ comes to Portsmouth all the way from Dublin

Irish playwright Elaine Murphy’s debut work, “Little Gem,” premiered at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2008 and went on to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it won the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award in 2009. It has been in continuous production ever since, and it now makes its local premiere at The Players’ Ring in Portsmouth.

Deb Cram was in the audience covering “The Kids Are Our Business” breakfast for Sexual Assault Support Services, when something someone said struck a chord. Now, with the help of writer and director Lars Trodson, Cram has crafted her response into a monologue.

Beyond the absurdist dialogue of Beckett’s script, the cast makes this production memorable. Hundertmark and Motson, who also co-starred in last year’s season opener, “Faith Healer,” have remarkable chemistry as two indigents grappling with the futility of their existence. With total immersion in their characters, they carefully tiptoe along the line between the comic and the tragic. Simply watching their expressive faces and pronounced body language is enough to keep the crowd engaged.

Garrison Players Arts Center celebrates its 60th season with a new stage and Shakespeare.

The Garrison Players purchased the Hiram R. Roberts Grange in 1986. Constructed a century earlier, the building had been vacant for a decade and was in a state of disrepair, with no heat, plumbing or electricity. It would be 18 years before the Garrison Players Arts Center finally opened. Priscilla Barton, who has been involved with the Garrison Players since 1974, remembers the feeling of watching the theater stage its first show in 2004. “It brought tears, I’m afraid. It was pretty emotional,” she said.

‘Wait Until Dark’ offers seasonal scares at The Ring

The title of this 1966 thriller by Frederick Knott serves as a warning to attendees, for it’s after the lights go out that the scares start piling up. By that time, the play has already built enough tension to keep any guest waiting until dark to see—or at least hear—what happens. The current production at The Players’ Ring in Portsmouth is a taut sensory experience, and a timely Halloween treat.

Artist Marshall Carbee teams up with the financially stressed Seacoast Repertory Theatre for ArtRep, an art show and fundraiser.

When local painter Marshall Carbee mentioned the idea of putting on an art show to benefit the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, artistic director Craig Faulkner weighed the pros and cons, and quickly determined there were no cons. The idea comes at a fortuitous time for The Rep, which is entering its 25th anniversary season but has been treading water throughout the recession. The one-day exhibition, called “ArtRep,” will present recent works by Carbee at two downtown Portsmouth locations. Half of the proceeds from each sale will go to the Seacoast Repertory Theatre to support its programming, allowing collectors to obtain original artwork as a tax deductible donation.

The Ogunquit Playhouse began its 2012 season with a production about another American music legend who died young in “Always, Patsy Cline.” The theater is wrapping up the season with “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” onstage through Oct. 21. Part rock concert, part variety show, and part biographical tribute, the musical is, above all else, first-rate entertainment. All the cast members, including Kurt Jenkins as Holly, sing and play their own instruments live onstage, creating an authentic music experience. They perform close to 20 Holly classics, as well as other popular hits from the 1950s.

During Telluride by the Sea, The Music Hall in Portsmouth opened its newly restored upstairs lobby for the first time since renovations began over the summer, featuring a new bar, new lighting, new paint and rugs.

The Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of New Hampshire will offer a guest artist master class in African dance, present an encounter with Shakespeare, and honor the best of its own up-and-coming playwrights with a juried showcase on the main stage.

A pub, a pint and a play—that’s the concept behind a new Shakespeare series coming to the Press Room in Portsmouth this fall. There are plenty of other new performances on tap all around the Seacoast, as well.

The play centers around three brothers, and follows them through roughly 18 months of their lives. The first two installments previously presented at the Players’ Ring, “Sharp Dressed Men” and “All the Rage,” focus on the romantic relationships of the brothers. “From Now On” emphasizes the bond between the brothers themselves, Gaskell said.

Generic Theater and Stage Force have both announced titles for their fall play readings series in Portsmouth. The shows are presented as one-night-only reader’s theater—with no props or set, putting the focus wholly on the script in hand. All readings are followed by discussion among the audience, director and actors.

The folks behind Shakespeare in the Park have announced they’ll take the stage for a special nighttime finale on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.

August is the hottest, steamiest month of the year, and Seacoast Repertory Theatre is making the nights even hotter and steamier with its Red Light Series. The new series is bringing “Wonderlust Burlesque” to the stage this month.

As a pre-professional program, NHTP offers opportunities to young individuals who exhibit a strong commitment toward the art of acting. The NHTP Junior and Senior companies will combine in 2013 for a production of “Two Gentlemen of Verona.”

The Players’ Ring opened its Late Night Summer Series with a production of “Crossroads (or The Piano of Death)” in June. The series concludes with “Women & Love: 5 Short Plays,” beginning on Aug. 17.

Neal Medlyn discusses his latest performance piece, based on the culture of the Insane Clown Posse, and coming soon to Kittery

After a successful run of performances at The Kitchen in New York City in February, Neal Medlyn is bringing his newest compilation show, “Wicked Clown Love,” to the Seacoast. The show, which comments on the culture surrounding the hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse, will be staged at the Buoy gallery in Kittery, Maine, on Friday, Aug. 10. The event is presented in partnership with 3S Artspace.

Seacoast Rep presents ‘Chicago’ in Portsmouth

The 1920s are notorious for the gangster crime, speakeasys and iconic fashion that took America by storm during prohibition. Add femme fatale characters and a storyline fit for vaudeville, and it’s easy to get lost in the Broadway musical “Chicago.” But a difficulty of producing the play is finding a way to illuminate its risqué content tastefully, without compromising its rawness and authenticity.

‘Much Ado About Nothing’ brings Shakespeare back to Prescott Park

After its inaugural production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” proved to be a hit last July, Shakespeare in Prescott Park is returning for a second season. Without further ado, the Seacoast theater company will present “Much Ado About Nothing” beginning on Sunday, July 22, at Prescott Park in Portsmouth.

‘Much Ado About Nothing’ brings Shakespeare back to Prescott Park

After its inaugural production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” proved to be a hit last July, Shakespeare in Prescott Park is returning for a second season. Without further ado, the Seacoast theater company will present “Much Ado About Nothing” beginning on Sunday, July 22, at Prescott Park in Portsmouth.