JAG To Bring “Next to Normal,” Burlesque, to King Arthur Baking Company Campus
JAG To Bring “Next to Normal,” Burlesque, to King Arthur Baking Company Campus
Film features Green and downtown White River Junction
Outdoor theater is abundant this summer: Northern Stage, Dorset Theatre Company, Opera North. After a 17-month hiatus from live performances, JAG Productions returns to the stage with the Theatre on the Hill outdoor summer series, hosted by King Arthur Baking Company and running August 13–September 12.
Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening over the course of five weekends, JAG Productions will offer live theatrical productions: workshops, concerts, burlesques, and staged readings that illuminate Black life and Black aesthetics.
“A picturesque grassy hill” at King Arthur Baking Company on Route 5 in Norwich, Vermont is the venue for the four productions. According to JAG’s press release, “local food and beverages will be available starting at 6:30 P.M. each night of the series, including Upper Valley food trucks like Munchie Rollz, Griddle and Groovy, and more.”
Event schedule: (click here for the full press release and for a synopsis of each play)
August 13–15 — a curious thing; or superheroes k’aint fly by Jeremy O’Brian
August 20–22 and August 27–29 — Next to Normal in concert, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt
September 3–5 — Life in Sepia: Vermont’s Black Burlesque Revue
September 10–12 — For the Love of Jazz by Raven Cassell
Performances will begin at 8:00 P.M. Tickets are $25 and will go on sale Wednesday July 21 at 12:00 P.M. Learn more and book your tickets early at the series website.
The return to the stage is not the only good news for JAG and its founder and Producing Artistic Director, Jarvis Antonio Green. Deloitte, a global consultancy company, recently featured Green as one of six millennials in a new film series exploring the concept of “resilience;” he was the sole representative from North America. The 8-minute, beautifully produced film, “The Inclusive Storyteller,” was shot on location in White River Junction, Vermont, juxtaposed with a few shots of New York City. Contrasting the two, Green comments on the quiet here, and finds that for Black people and Black artists, there is “a beauty in reclaiming rural spaces.” The film is available on JAG’s website as well as here on YouTube.
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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word