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Welcome to the Sharon Playhouse 2025 Season

As we said, there is truly something for everyone in the 2025 Sharon Playhouse Season! Come for one, come for all! For further information and tickets, please visit https://sharonplayhouse.org.

But wait, there’s more…

Announcing the 2025 Sharon Playhouse Summer YouthStage Season!

We’re thrilled to unveil six dynamic YouthStage productions this summer, offering exciting opportunities for young performers ages 5 to 20. Mark your calendars and join us for an unforgettable season of creativity, collaboration, and theater magic!

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS

FINDING NEMO, JR.

KIDS’ CABARET

THE GREAT AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY!

101 DALMATIANS, KIDS

SHARON PLAYHOUSE STARS

More information to come in future newsletters!

And stay tuned for Sharon Playhouse’s 2025 Special Events!

LOVE LETTERS – A Special Event Staged Reading Written by A.R. Gurney, Starring Gretchen Mol & Campbell Scott.

Love Letters is an intimate evening of emotion and nostalgia, beautifully written by A.R. Gurney and starring Gretchen Mol and Campbell Scott as two lifelong friends who share their love story through the timeless art of letter writing.

One night only: February 15 in The Bok Gallery

THE 2025 SPOTLIGHT GALA

This year’s Spotlight Gala is scheduled May 31 in The Bok Gallery on the Patio and in The Bobbie Olsen MainStage. An unforgettable evening of celebration to kick off the season, featuring exquisite performances, a dazzling dinner, a thrilling cocktail party and the recognition of an individual who embodies our passion for theater and community. Mark your calendars. More information to come!

THE SHARON PLAYHOUSE WINS PRESTIGIOUS BERKSHIRE THEATRE CRITICS AWARD!

All this progress is a result of the impressive efforts of Michael Kevin Baldwin, Associate Artistic and Education Director, and Sarah Cuoco, Company and Education Manager.

With recognition by our community and theater critics alike, it is no wonder that during the 2024 Season, The Sharon Playhouse:

·       Welcomed nearly 13,000 patrons to the Playhouse.

·       Created jobs for nearly 200 people.

·       Engaged with 1,500 local youth through our education programming both on-campus and off.

·       Was recognized by Jesse Green of The New York Times as one of the top 15 summer theaters for a ‘nearby out-of-town experience.’

Thank you All for making this possible!

Come spend the next several months with us and experience the power and impact of live theatre!

Please visit https://sharonplayhouse.org  for more information about upcoming productions and special events, including our just revealed 2025 Season!

LET’S HEAR IT FOR STAGE MANAGERS, “THEY ARE INDISPENSABLE!”

Q: Who hires the Stage Manager, and to whom does the Stage Manager report?

A: Stage Managers are typically hired by the Artistic Director and staff. They report to the Director during rehearsals, and once the show is up and running, they maintain communication with the Director, Technical Director, Theater Leadership and other key personnel.

Q: Is it important that the Stage Manager be at every rehearsal?

A: Absolutely! The Stage Manager is present at every rehearsal to track blocking and choreography, note changes, and ensure that everyone is on the same page. They maintain detailed notes and serve as the communication hub for all departments, so their presence at every rehearsal is vital to the production's success.

Q: Do we use one Stage Manager per season or per production? Which is more typical?

A: It depends on the season’s production schedule, and we have done both. We have hired a different Stage Manager for each production, when the performance schedule overlaps with the rehearsal process of the following production. This approach allows each show to have a dedicated person who is fully immersed in the details of that particular production. When a Stage Manager works on multiple productions in a season, there is an advantage of continuity and knowledge of the production process carried throughout the season. For each production there are two Stage Managers – a Production Stage Manager (PSM) and an Assistant Stage Manager (ASM). The PSM is the lead and runs the show from opening night onward, overseeing all aspects of the production, while the ASM focuses on managing the stage, props, and assisting with daily operations.

Q: What background do we want our Stage Manager to have as far as academic and real work experience? Is there any specific technology required?

A: A strong background in theater is essential, with many Stage Managers holding a degree in theater management, production, or technical theater. Real-world experience at multiple theaters of similar size is extraordinarily valuable, as well as works in other backstage roles. Familiarity with production software such as CueScript, QLab, Google Docs and Microsoft Office, is often necessary for scheduling, communication, and technical coordination.

Q: What qualities are most important for the Stage Manager to have?

A: A Stage Manager must be highly organized, detail-oriented, and calm under pressure. Communication skills are key, as the manager must liaise with various departments. Being proactive, enthusiastic, flexible, and having strong problem-solving abilities are crucial qualities for a successful Stage Manager. Communication skills are key, as the manager must liaise with various departments. Being proactive, enthusiastic, flexible, and having strong problem-solving abilities are crucial qualities for a successful Stage Manager.

Q: How does the Stage Manager maintain communication to keep a production consistent throughout the run of the show?

A: During pre-production and rehearsals, the Stage Manager will be in contact with the production team and cast via usual methods like email and Zoom. They provide daily detailed reports following each production meeting and rehearsals to a select distribution list. When performances begin, the stage manager uses prompt books to call cues via headsets with other tech personnel or walkie-talkies with house management and holds regular meetings with the cast and crew. They ensure that all cues and technical elements are executed consistently each night, so the show is always performed at its best. They also provide a detailed performance report after every show to a distribution list including producers, directors, and designers sharing any notes or issues that may have arisen during each performance, so that repairs or adjustments can be made.

Q: How important is the Stage Manager to the production?

A: Stage Managers are indispensable! They are the glue that holds everything together. Without them, there would be chaos backstage and onstage. They ensure that every performance runs smoothly, that the artistic vision is preserved, and that the cast and crew are supported throughout the process.

Q: Give us a glimpse of what goes on in a typical Stage Manager’s day.

A: A typical day for a Stage Manager can include reviewing rehearsal notes, coordinating with the director, cast, and crew, preparing the prompt book, conducting rehearsals, and managing schedules. On performance days, the Manager oversees the backstage crew, calls cues, and ensures everything runs on time and safely. The Stage Manager is typically the first to arrive at the rehearsal studio or theater and the last to leave at the end of the day.

Q: What's the difference between the Director and the Stage Manager?

A: The Director is the creative visionary, responsible for shaping the artistic direction and staging of the production. The Stage Manager handles the logistics and operations, ensuring that the Director's vision is realized by keeping everything organized and on track.

Q: Are Stage Managers members of Actors Equity?

A: Usually, yes, Stage Managers working at professional theaters like ours are accredited by the union are often members of the Actors' Equity Association (AEA), the union that represents theater actors and stage managers. This ensures they have the proper protections and benefits while working on Equity productions. They are responsible for ensuring that all policies and rules from the Equity Rulebook are followed throughout the production.

Q: Do Stage Managers ever receive Tony Awards?

A: While a Tony Award category for Best Stage Manager does not exist, Stage Managers are often recognized with prestigious honors for their contributions to theater. For example, the Stage Managers' Association (SMA) presents The Del Hughes Award, which honors exceptional leadership, skill, and artistry in stage management. This award celebrates individuals who have demonstrated excellence throughout their careers and honors the legacy of Del Hughes, a celebrated American theater stage manager. Additionally, various theater festivals and regional awards may include categories for outstanding stage management, further recognizing the crucial role that Stage Managers play in the success of a production. Stage Managers truly are the lifeblood of every show and deserve respect and recognition within the industry!                                                                     

READY, SET, GO...FOR OUR NEW LAUNCHPAD COMPANY

Then I went to college and moved to New York City, where I was an actor and had a wonderful time in my twenties working on national tours, in regional theaters, and in the city. In my thirties I got interested in education, got my master's, and started to pursue a career as a teaching artist. Then I got a job in The Hunter College High School drama department in Manhattan and taught drama there for a year before moving to The Brearly School for another seven years. When the job of Director of Education became available at The Sharon Playhouse, I applied for it…and here I am starting my fifth year on the staff as the Education and Associate Artistic Director.

Q: During your early years at The Playhouse, was there anything resembling a youth company? How did the idea for The Launchpad Company come about?  

A: In the 1990s and early 2000s, when I was a kid and then a teenager, there was some likelihood that local youths could find themselves on The MainStage if they wanted to in the summertime. There were big musicals with 30 or 40 young people in them, which was wonderful. But in putting together a fun musical very quickly there wasn’t a lot of room for education.

When I came on as Director of Education decades later, it was clear to me that The Sharon Playhouse had become more of a professional theater, which means there was less flexibility in terms of opportunities for young people in the summertime. So, I built the YouthStage Program, which has absolutely exploded in popularity.

At first we had something like 70 kids participating, and this season we will have over 160. So, we've really grown over the past five years. That being said, when local kids turn 15 years old, many of them are not looking to do a camp program that their parents pay tuition for. They're looking to do something closer to adulthood, a job like lifeguarding or being a busser at a restaurant. They're looking either to make money, or they want to feel like they're getting real experience, whether it's through an apprenticeship or something that is closer to what they will be doing as late teenagers or in their twenties. So, when our teen program was offered to 13- to 18-year-olds, many signed up.

I would love for us to create a pre-professional program that can give kids who may not be cast in a Main Stage show but are also not looking for just a camp experience, the opportunity and the enticement to come here to The Sharon Playhouse and create real theater in the summertime.

When our beloved house manager and Playhouse Angel Mary Graf passed away last April, she left a gift to our education program that allowed us to fund and create The Launchpad Company, which will give those 15 to 20 year old kids the chance to audition for a show, hopefully get cast in that show, and even get a little bit of a stipend towards gas money and meals just like apprentices in other professions and in other areas,

We want to create a really transformative experience that will attract people from the age of five all the way into adulthood. It's also a way to ensure that we have a gateway from The YouthStage to The MainStage, which should help us to fill more roles with local people who have the sufficient training.

Additionally, statistics show that the sooner you introduce young people to theater, the more likely they are to become theater goers, supporters and theater advocates. This is an initiative to offer young people in our community a platform that gives them a realistic trajectory to becoming theater supporters, theater artists, and theater goers throughout their entire adult lives.

Q: What has the reaction been like so far?

A: It has been extraordinary. We hear the support through emails, texts, calls and even when I bump into people at the grocery store. The kids are absolutely thrilled. It's something that I wish I could have been a part of when I was a teenager. We have so much talent in our local youth community. This program will capitalize on the fact that we have a talented group of people who are hungry to perform and are hungry to express themselves and tell stories…and also that there's an audience for it.

Q: Is this the first time in your directorship that something for youth will be purely audition-based?

A: Actually, our YouthStage holiday production is audition-based, and that started in 2021. What I am proud of is that we have programs that are audition-based but don't require tuition—The Holiday Show—and now a program that you audition for and actually get paid to do.

And the ages are strategic. Our YouthStage program is for 5 through 20 year olds. Our holiday show is for 12 to 18 year olds. I'm not asking a 10-year-old to audition for a YouthStage show that they could likely be rejected for. This new program starts at 15, and there's a chance we may not be able to cast everyone, but some of our kids have already started to experience that with the holiday show. I think that it's a scaffold, and an appropriate life lesson for them to learn. These kids are applying to high schools, they're applying to colleges, and they’re applying for jobs. This is a way for them to learn about rejection and vulnerability – about self-improvement and self-reflection in these types of difficult moments in life when you're not going to get every single thing that you want. I think this helps teach our kids and our community about preparedness, gaining skills, and the realities of live theater.

Q: Fast forward five, ten years, what is your dream outcome for The Launchpad Company?

A: It's such a great question. I'm a little hesitant to even say them out loud. I am a little superstitious, but I would love for this company potentially to include all facets of theater production—stage management teams of 15- to 20-year-olds, production teams and marketing teams. We can really create a training ground for these young people to learn what it takes to produce a show.

I don't think there's any better way to train young people on how to be successful adults than the theater. And I'm not talking just about empathy and public speaking, but I'm actually talking about the skills of social media, ticketing, design, scenic design, costume design, lighting design, prop design, and the unbelievable amount of administrative work that goes into it. Down the road, I think there's great potential for The Launchpad Company to be a training ground for young people who are looking to grow and build all sorts of skills.

The moment you get those skills, the moment you know how to use a power drill, the moment you know how to use Cap Cut to create a promo video, the moment you can run a sewing machine, the moment you understand how to hang a drop -- you become employable in a way far beyond just having skills as an actor. That, for me, is huge. In this day and age to be a theater artist—more often than not—you need to be able to do more than just one thing. I want our young people to have as many skills as possible and to be so employable that they get whatever job they want.

Q: What made you decide on Once Upon a Mattress as the first show?

A: Once Upon a Mattress is a musical that I have wanted to direct for a long time. As a kid I saw a production of it at The Hotchkiss School, and I remember the joy that was on the stage. Sutton Foster had just closed a revival on Broadway, so I knew it would be a show that people were aware of. I wanted to choose a show that our community would be excited to see, our younger kids would be able to see, and—most importantly—a show that was fun. Once Upon a Mattress is hilarious and ticks all the boxes. Next year, maybe we'll do Rent, maybe the year after that we'll do a big play or an original work.

Q: In the past, have you shied away from more of the grittier, more dramatic shows because this type of company hadn't existed yet?

A: The first year I did a teen play, we did A Midsummer Night's Dream—we had never done Shakespeare before—and that was one step. The following year I did Pride and Prejudice in The Bok, which also felt exciting and a little bit outside of the branding of the normal Sharon Playhouse youth program.

I chose Once Upon a Mattress, which is a big, fabulous, wonderful, fun musical that you could certainly expect to see on The MainStage of The Sharon Playhouse. We wanted to create a space where those young people can aspire to be in things that are similar, have a similar value, gravitas, to The MainStage shows. However, I want to say that in the future I think The Launchpad Company, once it creates a name for itself and builds an audience base, it can be whatever it wants to be on a yearly basis.

The Holiday YouthStage Show has taken a similar trajectory. We started with A Charlie Brown Christmas, then I did Elf, then last year we took a leap and did The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. This year we took another leap and did a very cool rendition of A Christmas Carol. Each year the group that makes up the show gets to decide what it wants to be and what the rules are, and that's what I hope to be the case for The Launchpad Company as well.

OUR SHARED HUMANITY IS CELEBRATED AT THE SHARON PLAYHOUSE

For me, the power of theater became clear when I was just 10 years old and was cast as a workhouse boy in Oliver. That first experience on stage opened a door to a world of creativity and community that shaped my life in profound ways. I continued to immerse myself in theater as I made my way through school and college, performing in countless productions. These experiences weren’t just fun or fulfilling—they were transformative.

Theater taught me how to work as part of a team, how to communicate effectively, and how to present myself with confidence. I learned how to take risks, overcome challenges, and understand perspectives different from my own. Every production, every rehearsal, and every performance prepared me for the life and career I have today. Theater gave me the tools to step into any role—whether on stage, in the workplace, or in my community—with courage and a sense of purpose.

For communities like ours in Sharon and the surrounding areas, theater plays an essential role in creating a sense of identity and belonging. The Sharon Playhouse isn’t just a venue; it’s a cultural hub where individuals from all walks of life can come together to celebrate creativity. From professional productions to youth programs and community-led initiatives, our Playhouse ensures that theater is accessible to everyone.

The educational programs we offer are particularly impactful, nurturing the next generation of artists and community leaders. Young people who participate in theater not only learn about performance but also develop critical life skills such as teamwork, communication, and self-confidence. Theater empowers them to use their voices, find their passions, and, in many cases, discover who they truly are.

Beyond personal growth, theater also contributes to the economic vitality of our region. Productions at The Sharon Playhouse draw visitors from near and far, filling local restaurants, shops, and hotels. The Playhouse generates not only art but also opportunities—whether for actors, stagehands, or small businesses benefiting from increased tourism. This ripple effect reinforces how integral the arts are to a thriving, sustainable community.

As a nonprofit theater, The Sharon Playhouse relies on the passion and support of our community to continue this important work. Every ticket purchased, every dollar donated, and every volunteer hour contributed helps us bring transformative stories to life on our stage. Together, we ensure that this Playhouse remains a beacon of creativity and connection for generations to come.

Theater teaches us that every person’s story matters, that every voice deserves to be heard, and that together, we can build a community where art and humanity flourish. As we look ahead, we are committed to expanding our reach, deepening our impact, and continuing to celebrate the transformative power of live performance.

Whether you’ve been attending shows here for years or are just discovering The Sharon Playhouse, we invite you to join us on this journey. Your involvement—whether as an audience member, donor, volunteer, or performer—helps sustain the vital role of theater in our community. Together, we can ensure that the stage remains a space where stories are told, connections are forged, and our shared humanity is celebrated.

Thank you for being a part of The Sharon Playhouse family. Let’s continue to create community together!

This article was written by Chris Drago, a member of The Sharon Playhouse since 2019. Chris is Dutchess County Legislator for District 19 representing the people in the New York towns of Milan, Millerton, North East, Pine Plains, East Red Hook and Stanford.

MEET THE TEAM BEHIND CURTAIN UP!

Publisher: The Sharon Playhouse Editor-in-Chief: Emily Soell, President of the Board of Directors*
Editor/Reporter: Jacqueline Markham-Priaulx*
Managing Editor: Rod Christensen
Design Director: Justin Boccitto
Reporters: Lee Davies,* John Christian Lange*
Advisors: Carl Andress, Artistic Director; Michael Kevin Baldwin, Associate Artistic Director/Director of Education; Sarah Cuoco, Education & Company Manager & Wendy Prause, Business Manager

*Members of the Board of Directors

All of us at Curtain Up! thank you for reading our newsletter.

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