Dear friends,

When I wrote to you in our last member newsletter, I shared a little about Northern Stage’s education programs and the impact theater can have on a young person’s life. This fall, I wanted to tell you about something that will allow that work to grow in ways we simply haven’t been able to before: our new Studio Theater.

For years, our education programs have grown within the spaces available to us. Camps fill. Programs have waitlists. Rehearsals, classes, and student performances compete for space with everything else happening at Northern Stage. The Studio Theater will change that. For the first time, our education programs will have a dedicated, year-round home.

That new home will allow us to expand camps and youth productions, welcome more students, deepen our partnerships with schools and community organizations, and develop programming for different ages and abilities. It will also dramatically change what is possible for student performances. Our current education performance space seats approximately 60 people; the Studio Theater will welcome approximately 140–150, giving more families, friends, and community members the opportunity to see and celebrate our students’ work.

But to me, the most important part of having a home of their own is what it says to our students: you belong here. This will be a place where young people can take risks, build friendships, find their voices, and be fully themselves. For students who already think of Northern Stage as a second home, and for those who will walk through our doors for the first time, that matters.

Education will be at the heart of the Studio Theater, but when students are not using the space, it will also give Northern Stage an intimate setting for workshops, readings, cabarets, developing new work, and other artistic programming. We also envision producing two professional productions in the space each year. It means more opportunities for people to gather at Northern Stage and even more activity in downtown White River Junction!

Our hope is to open the Studio Theater in early 2027, but there is a lot to do between now and then. We are working closely with the Town of Hartford on the improvements needed to make the building safe and functional for our work, including a new sprinkler and fire alarm system. We will also begin transforming the space for theater and education use, with needs such as lighting and sound, curtains, and dressing room space.

This is another way your membership makes a difference. Your support helps Northern Stage invest not just in what happens on our mainstage, but in the people, programs, and spaces that make our work possible. Thank you, thank you!

We’ll be sure to keep you updated as the Studio Theater takes shape and we get closer to opening the doors. We can’t wait for you to see it come to life, and even more importantly, to see what happens inside it!

Thank you for believing in Northern Stage and in the power of theater to change lives. We are deeply grateful for your support and for everything your membership makes possible!

With gratitude,