by Kirby Lindsay, posted 15 September 2014
Starting September 19th, the New Century Theatre Company (NCTC) will bring ‘Mary’s Wedding’ to the West of Lenin theatre for a four weekend run. NCTC Managing Director Kayti Barnett acknowledged that, “we’ve been a bit nomadic,” over the company’s seven years. “This is our first show at West of Lenin,” she said, and likely their last.
Next year, NCTC joins two other small, independent theater companies as tenants of the new 12th Avenue Arts Center theater. For their final traveling work, the members of NCTC chose an original, rarely seen work. “Just as a piece of art,” Barnett explained, “this is very beautiful. We’re very proud of it, and to be bringing it to Fremont. It will resonate with everyone. We’re all going to find something that is poignant.”
‘A Beautiful Piece Of Art’
NCTC selects plays for the company to produce with an elaborate care that almost guarantees high-quality, well-considered art for its audiences. Founded by a group of twelve theater artists, NCTC is a professional theater company that works with equity actors and is overseen by all its members – now numbering sixteen.
The NCTC members pick the plays they produce, choose a specific venue for each work (until next year,) share a vision and (usually) provide the bulk of the talent both on stage and behind it. Additionally, NCTC has affiliate artists – other directors, designers, playwrights, and actors – who help with NCTC shows, and the monthly play reading, Pipeline, held on third Mondays at Solo Bar.
‘Mary’s Wedding’, written by Canadian playwright Stephen Massicotte, is “a bit different for us,” acknowledged Barnett, “but people will really enjoy it, including fans of NCTC.”
NCTC members pick plays based on content, not on whether the works chosen will showcase the considerable talents of NCTC members, or whether the play will put butts in the theater seats. Instead, the NCTC members look for interesting stories that, “speak to how we live,” Barnett explained. They want pieces audiences can relate to, but also ones that spark conversation. After all, following every NCTC performance audience members are welcome to stay for a talk-back about the production and the play.
NCTC members seek plays they might want to attend, and ones that create “a beautiful piece of art,” Barnett observed.
‘Visually Very Stunning’
“People can come from all over town,” Barnett said of NCTC productions, “and see top tier talent in works that they [the talent] are really passionate about, that has something to say, that is enriching.”
‘Mary’s Wedding’ has all the elements of a NCTC production, even though none of its members have taken roles in this story of two young people. “It does not have a company member in it,” Barnett admitted, and instead has Maya Sugarman and Conner Neddersen as the only two cast members. An affiliate artist to NCTC, John Langs, Associate Artistic Director at ACT, has directed this story, chosen almost entirely on the criteria of quality storytelling.
‘Mary’s Wedding’ is a love story, between a young English woman and a young Canadian man who meet in rural Canada on the eve of World War I. The tale explores the ideas of honor and duty, the glory of young men going to war, and touches on Canada’s role in the Allied efforts. “It’s a dream play,” Barnett said, “visually very stunning.”
‘To Create Art’
“We do not usually do plays about younger characters,” Barnett acknowledged, “What we kept coming back to,” about ‘Mary’s Wedding’, “is the story. The beauty of ‘Mary’s Wedding’ is that it talks to us about an experience common to all of us.”
The NCTC members operate their company – which has only two staff (Barnett and Artistic Director Darragh Kennan,) – out of passion, not care for their pocketbooks. “They are artists, and they love to create art,” Barnett explained, and they’ve been fortunate to find donors who will support art.
NCTC members, all professional theater artists, work year ‘round on other productions, yet they come together, invest their time and energy, to produce plays like ‘Mary’s Wedding’, to create a great piece of art. “Our shows are produced with visceral simplicity that will stir your imagination to new heights and never do your thinking for you,” according to their website.
“We’re really excited to be in Fremont,” Barnett said of ‘our last migrant home.’ “It is great that there is a venue for companies of small size.” It is also fortuitous for Fremont audiences to be able to enjoy and experience an NCTC production ‘at home’ before we will have to travel all the way to Capitol Hill for future opportunities.
“Our goal is to tell great stories,” Barnett said. Purchase tickets today to hear a great NCTC story, at WofL. Tickets for the production, on stage September 19th through October 11th, can be purchased on-line through the NCTC website.
Don’t miss this opportunity for theater created entirely for the art!
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