Spotlight on Argos Productions Spotlight on the Elliot Norton Awards
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The impetus behind this company Huntington came to town, and many of our theater Plaza Hotel. Altman had just completed the inaugural came from Marks; during his time working at multiple theatre companies in organizations have been founded. Prior to regional season of the Huntington Theatre Company, and the town, he often observed the difficulties of producing new work professionally, theater coming to Boston, we were considered American Repertory Theatre was in its third season and from both the producer and playwright perspective. Marks saw a unique hospitable to college, community and commercial the award recognized a new beginning in Boston-area opportunity to simplify the process with the resources at his disposal by theater, but without an audience to support non- theater – a move away from Broadway tryouts and toward a striving to produce professional-quality shows, but on a much smaller scale and profit theatre. When I look at the depth and breadth of our community in homegrown, creative community. on a project-by-project basis. Marks also was interested in closing the divide 2012, I marvel at how much that has changed. The number of listings in this Now, as we approach the 30th anniversary of the Elliot Norton Awards, Monday he perceived between producer and playwright; as a producer he wanted to StagePage are testament to that. May 21, 2012 at The Paramount Theater, much has changed in the Boston create more transparency about the intentions behind “interest in the work,” But this story isn’t as well known as it should be. The growth of our sector has theater community. While the awards still recognize excellence in local theater, and he also sought to have playwrights in the rehearsal room on a more also seen a decline in arts coverage. We are all exploring how social media and many more have been given each year to keep up with the multiplying number consistent basis, interacting with artists and seeing first-hand what it took to new technology can be leveraged with our art form. The match is not always of theaters and productions and an expanded, talented group of locally based produce plays. With these goals in mind, Argos Productions was formed. obvious. Nor is it easy. But the conversations continue, and we will work on actors, directors and production teams. In the spring of 2011, Argos Productions was awarded a Black Box Fellowship ways to use our talents as storytellers in this new world. In the beginning, the Elliot Norton award selection committee was comprised at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre to produce three new plays in 2011-2012. There are many opportunities for dialogue in our community: of Mr. Norton, who had just retired after serving for 48 years as the critic for Just a few short months later, Argos opened its inaugural show, a one- • Conversations between audiences, organization and practitioners. the Record and the Herald American; Boston Globe theater critic Kevin Kelly; character piece about redemption in the face of heroin addiction, by Junkie Boston Phoenix theater critic Carolyn Clay; and was led by longtime theater Huntington Playwriting Fellow alumnus John Shea, featuring local actor Sean A. • Dialogues about the work, about the art form, and about the process. supporter William Morris Hunt. Proceeds from the event supported the Boston Cote. Shea was an integral part of the rehearsal process, working with Marks • Opportunities for outreach using formal meetings, technology, social media, Theater District Association, a group working to clean up the downtown theater (who directed) and Cote to further refine the script and ready it for production. informal gatherings and meetups. area, which was part of the Combat Zone, a neighborhood where peep shows In April, Argos will produce Murph by Catherine O’Neill, a political drama set in Though the new world can be daunting, it offers great opportunities for competed for attention with touring Broadway productions. connection. And that plays to the strength of our community. We connect the back room of the Massachusetts State House and recently had a reading Today, the committee consists of Don Aucoin, Jared Bowen, Terry Byrne, through storytelling, both on and off the stage. Technology and social media of the new play Ax-Heads by William Orem. For more information on Argos and Carolyn Clay, Nick Dussault, Iris Fanger, Joyce Kulhawik, Sandy MacDonald, helps us leverage our strength. their spring production Murph, please visit www.argosproductions.com or write Bob Nesti, Jenna Scherer and Ed Siegel. [email protected]. Towards that end, StageSource (@StageSourceBos) and I (@JulieHennrikus) Since then, the award has come to symbolize excellence in Boston-area are going to start using the hashtag #BosThtr on Twitter. We invite you to do theater, honoring outstanding productions, directors, performers, playwrights, the same . We have the power to shape a dialogue. Let’s use it, and make and technicians, including Sir Ian McKellen, Robert Morse, Julie Harris, Lynn the conversation what we want it to be.