Stages on the Sound was founded in 2005 and incorporated in 2006 as a 501(c)3 not for profit theatre company. The original mission of the company was the restoration of the Rosemary Open Air Theatre on the grounds of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Lloyd Neck, NY overlooking Long Island Sound. Our founding members galvanized their vision to create a theatre company that provi
ded quality theatre education and production during the clean-up weekends with friends, family and community members at the historic amphitheater. While the amphitheater project would remain elusive, Stages began its programming in earnest beginning with an educational residency at Huntington High School which culminated in a joint production of Romeo and Juliet. The residency and production allowed students to learn and perform alongside professional actors. Since then Stages moved its base of operations to Brooklyn, NY and has produced almost 20 original productions for both student and adult audiences. Some of our production accomplishments include:
-4 adapted works of William Shakespeare for both adult and student audiences including Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest and a Midsummer Night’s Dream.
-9 original Christmas plays written by our former Artistic Director, Will Ditterline. Several curriculum-based original adaptations of American classics for student audiences including works from Mark Twain, Nathanial Hawthorne
-2 original interview-based plays for adult and student audiences including Crossings, an exploration of the lives of recent immigrants to New York City. John’s University and represented the United States at Outsiders: an international theatre festival in Poznan, Poland. In addition to these productions, Stages simultaneously developed its theatre education programs under the direction of our Artistic Director and Dir. of Education, Scott Barrow. The education program began with an original introduction to Shakespeare performance tour and companion workshops entitled Shakespeare in ACTion. The tour has travelled to almost 100 schools. Beginning in 2009 Stages began to pilot semester long performing arts residencies in elementary schools in Queens. Since that time, Stages has partnered with the Diocese of Brooklyn to provide long-term residencies to over 50 parochial schools in Brooklyn and Queens which provides film, playwriting and Shakespeare education to over 16,000 students every week. In the future, Stages is committed to expanding its arts residency programs with the same quality and attention we are known for, creating new partnerships with schools and community organizations and continuing to create new and inspiring works of theatre that capture the imagination of students, parents, teachers and adults alike.
