Constellation Theatre Company

Constellation Theatre Company
Constellation Theatre Company Logo
Formation 2007
Type Theatre group
Purpose Epic, ensemble theatre from around the world
Location
  • Washington, D.C.
Artistic director(s)
 Allison Arkell Stockman (Founding Artistic Director)
Website http://www.constellationtheatre.org/

Constellation Theatre Company is a non-profit theater company located in Washington, D.C. It performs at Source, a flexible black box theatre in Washington, D.C. Since its founding in 2007, Constellation has received several Helen Hayes Awards including The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company in 2009.

Mission

Constellation Theatre Company tells big, powerful stories in an intimate space. Constellation sparks the curiosity and imagination of the people of greater Washington, D.C. with world-class entertainment that features visual spectacle, dynamic movement, live music, and passionate acting ensembles. Drawing from the genres of fantasy, farce, and epic adventure, Constellation transports audiences to new and exciting worlds where the action is larger than life. According to Metro Weekly magazine, Constellation “does some of the best, most adventurous, most reliable work in town, all presented on an epic scale with a level of intimacy that can’t be beat.”[1]

Constellation’s artistic goals are to:

1) Connect audiences to the communal power of live theatre;

2) Inspire conversation and curiosity about art and the creative process;

3) Treat all participants with dignity, kindness, and respect;

4) Showcase diverse stories that reflect the vast range of human experience.

Facilities

The Source Theater, Washington DC during the run of Constellation Theatre Company's production of Zorro

Constellation Theatre Company uses the facilities of CulturalDC's Source at 1835 14th St NW. It features a 120-seat black box performance space. The upper floor has a rehearsal room, conference room, and office space[2]

Artistic Leadership

Constellation Theatre Company's founding artistic director is Allison Arkell Stockman. A 1996 graduate of Princeton University and a 2001 graduate of Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, Allison was a freelance director in Washington, DC and New York City. In 2006 she quit her job as a teacher, took short-term jobs for a year, and then started the theater company in 2007.[3]

Productions

Notable Past Productions

  • The Arabian Nights - This production received critical acclaim and brought the company to the notice of the Washington Theater going audiences.
  • The Oresteia
  • The Ramayana - This production was so well received that it was remounted.
  • Metamorphoses - The pool required by this production made it extremely challenging technically.
  • Zorro - The company's first world premier production.

Current Productions

2018-2019 Season: Epic Love

Production History

2017-2018 Season: Survival Instincts
2016-2017 Season
2015-2016 Season - Playtime for Grownups[4]
2014-2015 Season
2013-2014 Season
2012-2013 Season
* world premier
2011-2012 Season
2010-2011 Season
2009-2010 Season
2008-2009 Season
  • Temptation
  • The Marriage of Figaro
  • Crazyface
2007-2008 Season

Significant Events

In September 2013, the American Theatre Wing, (the Founder of the Tony Awards) awarded a National Theatre Company Grant to Constellation Theatre.[8] The grant is for general operating support to companies that "have articulated a distinctive mission, cultivated an audience, and nurtured a community of artists in ways that strengthen and demonstrate the quality, diversity, and dynamism of American theatre".[9]

The specific award citation read:

Constellation Theatre Company's mission is to spark the curiosity and imagination of their audiences by bringing stories to life from all over the world. By opening their creative process to the community, the company cultivates interdisciplinary collaboration that unites the acting ensemble, the written word, visual spectacle, original music and movement to form an intimate and vibrant entertainment experience. [10]

Awards

The Constellation Theatre Company and its productions have been awarded the following Helen Hayes Awards.[11]

  • 2009 - The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company
  • 2010 - Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production, Tom Teasley, Crazyface
  • 2011 - Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production, Tom Teasley, The Ramayana
  • 2012 - Outstanding Costume Design, Resident Production, Kendra Rai, Green Bird
  • 2013 - The James MacArthur Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor Resident Play , Matthew McGee, Taking Steps[12]

In addition the following performer was nominated for Helen Hayes Awards

  • 2012 - Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production, Tom Teasley, Green Bird
  • 2013 - Outstanding Set Design, Resident Production, AJ Guban, 36 Views
  • 2013 - Outstanding Lighting Design, Resident Production, AJ Guban, 36 Views

The Constellation Theatre Company was nominated for the following Audience Choice Awards

  • 2008 Crazyface (Favorite Ensemble)[13]
  • 2009 Three Sisters (Favorite Plays, Favorite Actress in a Play)[14]
  • 2013 Taking Steps (Best Play, Best Actor in a Play), Zorro (Best Ensemble Cast, Best Actor in a Play) [15]

Costume Designer Kendra Rai was awarded a 2014 Princess Grace Foundation honorarium to be used for the company's 2014-2015 season costumes[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Origins: Peter and the Startcatcher at Constellation Theatre - Metro Weekly". www.metroweekly.com. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
  2. ↑ "Source Rental". Cultural D.C. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Jacobson, Louis (7 March 2012). "The D.C. theater scene". The Princeton Alumni Weekly. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  4. ↑ Playtime for Grownups - 2015-2016 Season Mailing. Constellation Theatre Company. July 2015. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ↑ Treanor, Lorraine (21 June 2007). "A Dream Play". DCtheatrescene.com. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Pressley, Nelson (6 October 2007). "Constellation Sparkles In 'Arabian Nights'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  7. ↑ Horwitz, Jane (April 9, 2008). "Bertolt Brecht's Human Touch Constellation's 'Good Woman of Setzuan' Isn't About Isms". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "AMERICAN THEATRE WING ANNOUNCES RECIPIENTS OF 2013 NATIONAL THEATRE COMPANY GRANTS". StageLight Magazine. 2013-09-03. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  9. ↑ "American Theatre Wing Reveals Recipients of 2013 National Theatre Company Grants". broadwayworld.com. 3 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  10. ↑ "National Theatre Company Grants: Recipients 2013". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  11. ↑ "HHA Nominees & Recipients". theatreWashington. Retrieved February 7, 2013.
  12. ↑ Pressley, Nelson (8 April 2013). "The 29th Annual Helen Hayes Awards Recipients". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  13. ↑ Treanor, Loraine. "Audience Choice Awards – 2008/09 Season". dctheatrescene.com. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  14. ↑ Treanor, Lorraine. "Voting ends tonight for Audience Choice Awards". dctheatrescene. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  15. ↑ Treanor, Lorraine. "Audience Choice Awards 2012-2013". DC Theatre Scene. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Theater Honoraria: Kendra Rai". pgfusa.com. Princess Grace Foundation-USA. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.