Perseverance Theatre
Encyclopedia
Perseverance Theatre is a professional theater company located on Douglas Island
in Juneau
, Alaska
. It is Alaska's only professional theater and is particularly dedicated to developing and working with Alaskan artists and to producing plays celebrating Alaskan culture, history
, and themes.
Perseverance Theatre was founded in 1979 by Molly Smith
and, over the past quarter century, has emerged as an important not-for-profit regional theater, collaborating with leading theater artists and premiering more than 50 new plays by Alaskan and national playwrights. Paula Vogel
’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize
-winning play How I Learned To Drive
was written and developed while Vogel was an artist-in-residence with the company.
Smith served as artistic director from the theater's founding until 1998, when she left to become artistic director of the Arena Stage
in Washington, D.C.
She was succeeded by Peter DuBois, who served until the fall of 2003, when he was appointed Associate Producer, then the Resident Director, at the Public Theater
in New York
. In July 2008, DuBois will become Artistic Director of Boston's Huntington Theatre. In 2004, PJ Paparelli became Artistic Director. He left in November 2007, to lead the American Theatre Company in Chicago. The current Artistic Director is Art Rotch, a Perseverance alumnus who left to earn an M.F.A. in set design at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts
In addition to a full season of plays produced from September to May on its 161-seat Mainstage, Perseverance Theatre also produces a Second Stage season in its on-site rehearsal space, commonly referred to as "The Phoenix," which features smaller-scale productions, and, often, the work of developing actors, designers, and directors. Readings, as well as productions generated by the theatre's educational programs, are also regularly produced in the Phoenix.
In 2001, Perseverance Theatre signed an agreement with the University of Alaska Southeast
to assume responsibility for all theatre education activities at the University, offering minors to its students. In December 2002, the theatre was one of just seven American theater companies to receive a $500,000 endowment challenge grant from the Doris Duke
Charitable Foundation in New York through its Leading National Theatres Program. The company successfully completed the challenge in 2005. The theatre also recently rasied $1.1 million for a facility renovation and expansion project.
From the 2007-08 Season:
Perseverance Theatre's "Young Company" performs on the Second Stage.
Douglas Island
Douglas Island is a tidal island in the U.S. state of Alaska, just west of downtown Juneau and east of Admiralty Island. It is separated from mainland Juneau by the Gastineau Channel. The Juneau-Douglas Bridge, connecting the island with Juneau, provides a two lane road to and from the island and...
in Juneau
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It is Alaska's only professional theater and is particularly dedicated to developing and working with Alaskan artists and to producing plays celebrating Alaskan culture, history
History of Alaska
The history of Alaska dates back to the Upper Paleolithic period , when Asiatic groups crossed the Bering land bridge into what is now western Alaska. At the time of European contact by the Russian explorers, the area was populated by Alaska Native groups...
, and themes.
Perseverance Theatre was founded in 1979 by Molly Smith
Molly Smith
Molly Smith is the artistic director of Arena Stage in Washington D.C.. She has been focused on new play development for the past 30 years while at Arena Stage as well as Perseverance Theatre on Douglas Island in Juneau, Alaska, the theater she founded and led for 19 years...
and, over the past quarter century, has emerged as an important not-for-profit regional theater, collaborating with leading theater artists and premiering more than 50 new plays by Alaskan and national playwrights. Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel
Paula Vogel is an American playwright and university professor. She received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, How I Learned to Drive.-Early years:...
’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning play How I Learned To Drive
How I Learned To Drive
How I Learned to Drive is a play written by American playwright Paula Vogel. The play premiered on March 16, 1997 off-broadway at the Vineyard Theatre...
was written and developed while Vogel was an artist-in-residence with the company.
Smith served as artistic director from the theater's founding until 1998, when she left to become artistic director of the Arena Stage
Arena Stage
Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest Washington, D.C. Its declared mission"is to produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit. Arena has broad shoulders and a capacity to produce anything from vast epics...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
She was succeeded by Peter DuBois, who served until the fall of 2003, when he was appointed Associate Producer, then the Resident Director, at the Public Theater
Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In July 2008, DuBois will become Artistic Director of Boston's Huntington Theatre. In 2004, PJ Paparelli became Artistic Director. He left in November 2007, to lead the American Theatre Company in Chicago. The current Artistic Director is Art Rotch, a Perseverance alumnus who left to earn an M.F.A. in set design at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts
In addition to a full season of plays produced from September to May on its 161-seat Mainstage, Perseverance Theatre also produces a Second Stage season in its on-site rehearsal space, commonly referred to as "The Phoenix," which features smaller-scale productions, and, often, the work of developing actors, designers, and directors. Readings, as well as productions generated by the theatre's educational programs, are also regularly produced in the Phoenix.
In 2001, Perseverance Theatre signed an agreement with the University of Alaska Southeast
University of Alaska Southeast
The University of Alaska Southeast is a regional university in the University of Alaska System. Its main campus is located in Juneau and it has extended campuses in Sitka and Ketchikan....
to assume responsibility for all theatre education activities at the University, offering minors to its students. In December 2002, the theatre was one of just seven American theater companies to receive a $500,000 endowment challenge grant from the Doris Duke
Doris Duke
Doris Duke was an American heiress, horticulturalist, art collector, and philanthropist.-Family and early life:...
Charitable Foundation in New York through its Leading National Theatres Program. The company successfully completed the challenge in 2005. The theatre also recently rasied $1.1 million for a facility renovation and expansion project.
Mainstage
An example of the range of productions mounted by the theatre on its Mainstage can be seen in the list of shows from the 2006-07 season:- "HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
," by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, directed by PJ Paparelli. - "Noises OffNoises OffNoises Off is a 1982 play by English playwright Michael Frayn. The idea for it was born in 1970, when Frayn was standing in the wings watching a performance of Chinamen, a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave...
," by Michael FraynMichael FraynMichael J. Frayn is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce Noises Off and the dramas Copenhagen and Democracy...
, directed by Keith BaxterKeith Baxter (actor)Keith Baxter is a Welsh theatre, film and television actor.- Early years & RADA :Born in Newport, Wales in 1933. Baxter was educated at Newport High School and Barry Grammar School, Baxter studied at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, during which period he shared a flat with classmate Alan...
. - The World Premiere of "Raven Odyssey," by Ishmael C. Hope and PJ Paparelli, directed by Rubén Polendo. A theatricalization of Alaska Native stories about the mythical figure of RavenRaven (mythology)Ravens are common characters in the traditional narratives and mythology around the world, notably a part of North American, Siberian, Norse mythology and Celtic mythology...
. - "MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
," by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, translated into the TlingitTlingit languageThe Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English...
language by Johnny Marks, conceived and directed by Anita Maynard-Losh. An Alaska Native-influenced production, performed by an all-Alaska Native cast largely in the Tlingit language. - "The Who's TommyThe Who's TommyThe Who's Tommy is a rock musical by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff based on The Who's 1969 double album rock opera Tommy, also by Pete Townshend, with additional material by John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Sonny Boy Williamson.-Productions:...
," music and lyrics by Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, book by Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
and Des McAnuffDes McAnuffDesmond McAnuff is the Canadian-American artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and director of musical theatre of such Broadway productions as Big River, The Who's Tommy and Jersey Boys.-Biography:...
, directed by PJ Paparelli. - "EquusEquus (play)Equus is a play by Peter Shaffer written in 1973, telling the story of a psychiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses....
," by Peter ShafferPeter ShafferSir Peter Levin Shaffer is an English dramatist and playwright, screenwriter and author of numerous award-winning plays, several of which have been filmed.-Early life:...
, directed by PJ Paparelli.
From the 2007-08 Season:
- "Yeast Nation," Music and Lyrics by Mark HollmannMark HollmannMark Hollmann is an American composer and lyricist.Hollmann grew up in Fairview Heights Illinois, where he graduated from Belleville Township High School East in 1981. He won a 2002 Tony Award and a 2001 Obie Award for his music and lyrics to Urinetown. He is a former ensemble member of the...
, Lyrics and Book by Greg KotisGreg KotisGreg Kotis is a New York-based playwright, who specializes in dark, disturbing comedies with socially relevant themes.-Earlier career:Kotis studied political science at the University of Chicago. He dropped out when took a course on the Short Comic Scene, he realised that he wanted to be part of...
, directed by PJ Paparelli.
Second stage
The theatre's Second Stage features more intimate productions and, often, the work of developing actors, directors, and designers. The 2006 - 07 Second Stage season included:- "Red Light Winter," written by Adam RappAdam RappAdam Rapp is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, musician and film director. His play Red Light Winter was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2006.-Early life:...
, directed by Jaime Castaneda. - "Speech And Debate," written by Stephen Karam, directed by David Charles Goyette.
- "A Question Of Mercy," written by David Rabe, directed by Brandon Demery.
- "Translation: A 31-Year-Old Woman's Strange Journey Toward Herself," written by Sarah Brooks, directed by John Leo.
- "Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage BlockheadDog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage BlockheadDog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead is a play written by Bert V. Royal.An "unauthorized parody," the play imagines characters from the popular comic strip Peanuts as teenagers...
," written by Bert V. Royal, directed by David Charles Goyette. Performed at the University of Alaska SoutheastUniversity of Alaska SoutheastThe University of Alaska Southeast is a regional university in the University of Alaska System. Its main campus is located in Juneau and it has extended campuses in Sitka and Ketchikan....
, featuring students from the University's "Acting II" class. - "The Typographer's Dream," written by Adam BockAdam BockAdam Bock is a Canadian playwright currently living in the United States. Adam was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is an artistic associate of the Shotgun Players, an award-winning San Francisco theater group. His play Medea Eats was produced in 2000 by Clubbed Thumb, who subsequently...
, directed by Jesse Morgan Young. - "The Last Five YearsThe Last Five YearsThe Last Five Years is a one-act musical written by Jason Robert Brown. It premiered in Chicago in 2001 and was then produced off-Broadway in March 2002. Since then it has had numerous productions both in the United States and internationally....
," written by Jason Robert BrownJason Robert BrownJason Robert Brown is an American musical theater composer, lyricist, and playwright. Brown's music sensibility fuses pop-rock stylings with theatrical lyrics...
, directed by Colin Høvde.
Perseverance Theatre's "Young Company" performs on the Second Stage.
- "A Christmas Carol" written by Charles DickensCharles DickensCharles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, directed by Shona Strausser.