By Nancy Shuffleton
Hampton Union, Friday, July 11, 2003
HAMPSTEAD – The Hampton Summer Theatre, the core program of the Artists’ Collaborative Theatre of New England (ACT ONE), may draw people to Hampton for its productions, but the theater is based in Hampstead, about 25 miles west of the beach community, where ACT ONE founder and Executive Director Stephanie Voss Nugent lives.
Nugent works from her home 10 months of the year doing administrative work for ACT ONE, a Hampton summer theater, and Arts Alive!, an educational outreach program.
Another Hampstead connection is Hampstead native Kerry Cussen, a graphic artist and recent college graduate, who was contracted to design the season’s posters and brochures. Also, Hampstead mother and son Annette and Nick Griffin are in the cast of the “Godspell” production this week and next week. [See related article at end.]
Nugent said she believes that there is potential to capture more theater-goers from the Derry-Hampstead area and other communities west of Route 125.
In marketing mode, she rattles off statistics, like the fact that 40 percent of the theater’s audience comes from Seabrook to Ogunquit, Maine, and out to Kingston; 30 percent comes from New Hampshire, outside of the Route 125 line; and 30 percent comes from Newburyport, Mass., to Fitchburg, Mass.
Nugent said that the curtain times of 2 p.m. for Wednesday matinees and 8 p.m. for evening shows Wednesdays through Saturdays, and the impressive, air-conditioned location at the Performing Arts Center at Winnacunnet High School, provide a wonderful opportunity to combine a lunch or dinner, a drive along the shore in the less-crowded late afternoon or early evening and an excellent theater experience.
Nugent grew up in Midland, Texas, where she says there was “incredible community theater.” She started acting when she was “very young.”
She attended the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas, studying theater arts and arts-and-science. In her last year of college, she was offered an acting job with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. She then went on to act with the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in California and studied privately for six weeks in Pennsylvania with Alvina Krause, a well-known acting coach.
“I’m one of those people who has a great education, but no degree to show for it,” Nugent said.
When she visited friends in Portsmouth, she fell in love with New England and never left the area. Nugent said she felt fortunate to join Theatre by the Sea in Portsmouth, a professional acting company that later became one of the victims of the economy in the 1970s and ’80s, according to Nugent.
From 1976 to 1986, she acted with some top New York actors and directors at the theater.
Nugent is married to Bob Nugent, a former Pinkerton Academy physics teacher, who owns and runs the popular lakeside campground, Sunset Park, in Hampstead. She has three stepdaughters and three stepgranddaughters she adores.
Nugent said she considers herself a character actor. She said she is not a strong singer, but can harmonize and “pull off a singing role.”
She is producing now and, despite the stress and strain, she said she has learned a lot. She studied directing a bit in college, but has not yet done any “full-fledged directing.”
While she loves musical theater, she said her favorite is “‘dramedy’… something that makes me laugh and cry, where the characters have a revelation.”
When Nugent started ACT ONE in 1997, her original plan was to produce comedies with small casts to travel around New Hampshire.
Then, in March 2000, she learned that the Hampton Playhouse had closed its doors after 56 consecutive years of live theater. Loyal Hampton theater supporters called her to say they had a mailing list and they wanted to do theater that summer.
“We put the season together in eight days. That first season, 2000, we offered four plays and one week of concerts by Ed Gerhard, an internationally known guitarist from New Hampshire,” she recalled. “ACT ONE kept the tradition going. We rescued theater for the area.”
As artistic director of the Hampton Summer Theatre with a “wonderful board of directors,” she selects the season’s productions, hires directors, arranges space, hires technical staff, develops publicity materials, develops the budget and does fund-raising.
For nine months of the year, she is the only person and takes no salary. Then, for three months, “we blossom into a full-fledged theater company.”
Nugent said she often works 100-hour weeks. As with many theater companies, funding is a constant concern.
Nugent said that most arts companies consider ticket sales as 50 percent of their budgets, but Hampton Summer Theatre does better, raising about 75 percent from ticket sales. In addition to direct appeals and ticket sales, the theater has a concession stand and theater officials have learned that “our audiences seem to love raffles.”
“We walk a tight rope. We mostly do direct appeals to a circle of friends and corporations. Lily Software saved our lives in 2001, thanks to forward-thinking corporate leadership dedicated to the arts,” she said.
As a nonprofit, tax-exempt arts and education organization, donations are always appreciated.
For information, call the box office, at 926-2281, or Nugent, at home at 329-6025.
Mom, Son In ‘Godspell’
By Nancy Shuffleton
Hampton Union, Friday, July 11, 2003
HAMPSTEAD – A dynamic red-headed mother-son duo from Hampstead is taking on the summer theater world in Hampton Summer Theatre’s production of “Godspell” at the Performing Arts Center at Winnacunnet High School in Hampton this week and next.
Annette Griffin and her eldest son, 16-year-old Nick, agreed that it’s been fun rehearsing and performing together. They act in several skits and sing in the chorus in “Godspell,” as well as translate one of the songs in sign language.
They had previously performed together in “A Song for Ireland,” a new rock opera in which Annette played the lead character.
“Godspell” is the story of the last seven days of Christ, based on the gospel according to St. Matthew. Originally performed off-Broadway in 1971, the musical is a unique, contemporary approach to a timeless theme of love, kindness and tolerance. With ear-catching musical numbers and wild, colorful costuming, the production appeals to people of all generations and backgrounds.
“It’s been fun. Nick’s a good kid and easy to work with. He knows more than I do about the theater. It’s made a difference in our relationship because he is seeing me more than just ‘mom.’ He sees me interacting with the other cast members and goofing around … ” Annette said.
“She’s a fun mom to work with. She’s doesn’t act like Mom when we’re acting,” said Nick.
Married for 20 years to “very supportive” Jeffrey, Annette has three sons, Nick, 14-year-old Chris, and 12-year-old Stephen. With three children, and a job at a Hampstead health club, the two-and-a-half weeks of daily rehearsals have been “pretty intense” for Annette.
On top of these commitments, the family is playing host to two teenagers in conjunction with the Children’s Friendship Project for Northern Ireland. While this is her second musical, Annette said she has “sung my whole life,” including a stint with a rock band called “Synergy,” which performed Top-40 rock in area venues.
“I was probably the only mom with Spandex and leather in my closet,” she laughed.
Nick will be a junior at Pinkerton Academy this fall and has an eclectic mix of interests. An honor-roll student, he is taking a typical pre-college course load as well as drafting classes in preparation for a career as an architect. This summer, he is also working full time at an architectural firm in Haverhill, Mass..
At Hampstead Middle School, he played in the band, sang in the chorus, and played supporting roles in “The Music Man” and “The Pajama Game.” He said he likes music and going to concerts. While he has been bitten by the acting bug, “I’m not really one to go to plays. I like being in them.”
Nick is also an outdoorsman and member of Pinkerton’s Outing Club. He enjoys hiking, white water kayaking, and white-water rafting. He reported that he has hiked “21 of the 48 4,000 footers” in New Hampshire and hopes to complete the rest by the time he turns 18.
The Hampton production’s 22 cast members range from a 14-year-old boy – “amazing,” according to Annette – to three grandmothers the cast lovingly calls “Charlie’s angels.”
Directing and choreographing “Godspell” is Michael Tobin, a professional actor, director, choreographer, educator and theater administrator. Tobin is the artistic director of Cocheco Stage Company in Dover.
“He’s amazing,” said Annette. “He knows how to pull out of us what he wants. He’s really smart, really knows his stuff.”
“He’s fun,” said Nick. “He’s really understanding. There’s never a down moment. He keeps us going.”
Stephanie Voss Nugent, executive director of ACT ONE, said “Godspell” has “great music, great heart and laughter.”
Performances of “Godspell” are running Wednesday through Saturday evenings, July 9 through 12 and 16 through 19 at 8 p.m. In addition, there are Wednesday matinees that begin at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $21 for the matinee, with $17 discount tickets for senior citizens and students, and $25 for the evening performances, $21 for seniors and students. Tickets are available at the door or by calling the box office at 926-ACT1 (2281). Advance ticket purchases are advisable for Wednesday matinees.
The box office can also provide information on other 2003 productions.