Merrimack Repertory Theatre

Merrimack Repertory Theatre

Historic Liberty Hall, home of Merrimack Reportory Theatre; Lowell Memorial Auditorium adjoined at left.
Address 50 East Merrimack Street
Lowell
United States
Coordinates 42°38′42″N 71°18′15″W / 42.645068°N 71.304172°W / 42.645068; -71.304172
Type Non-Profit Theatre
Capacity 279
Opened 1922
Years active 1922-Present
Website
www.MRT.org

Merrimack Repertory Theatre is a non-profit professional theatre located in Lowell, Massachusetts. Performances are presented September–May at the historic Liberty Hall, a 279-seat theatre located adjacent to the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. Known for its contemporary productions and classic revivals, the company currently produces seven plays each season, plus a number of education programs for students and adults.

History

Merrimack Repertory Theatre was co-founded in 1979 by Barabara Abrahamian, John Briggs and Mark Kaufman. Barbara Abrahamian met actor and directors Mark Kaufman at a summer stock in NH (where Michael Chiklis played a teen in Bye, Bye, Birdie). There they planned the beginnings a of professional non-profit theatre company in Lowell, MA. Returning to Lowell in the Fall of 1978, the three formed the Committee for Legitimate Theatre of Lowell. Kaufman and Briggs wrote the "proposal" and commuted in Kaufman's car from NYC to Lowell meeting and planning with Barbara and husband, Al. Merrimack Regional Theatre's first venue was provided by University of Lowell President John Duff, who allowed the company use of the university's Mahoney Hall. Merrimack Regional Theatre incorporated on February 1, 1979, and Nancy Donahue assumed presidency of the company.

Merrimack Regional Theatre opened its first production, The Passion of Dracula on October 23, 1979. Mark Kaufman was the theatre's first Artistic Director, and John Briggs the first Managing Director.

In 1980, Merrimack Regional Theatre began a season of free outdoor theatre weekends in Mack Plaza local to downtown Lowell, MA. Acting for the theatre during this time was Michael Chiklis, of later TV drama The Shield fame and Bruce Sullivan [ tv Actor ]and appeared in the Film [ The Fighter ] in 2009 The free summer theatre program was canceled after just one season.

In 1982, the Broad of Trustees hired Dan Schay as Producing Artistic Director. One year later, Merrimack Regional Theatre moved to its current location at Liberty Hall. During the 6 month relocation, Merrimack Regional Theatre changed its name to Merrimack Repertory Theatre. During this period, the theatre's subscription base increased to 2400 and the theatre's budget grew to 500K/yr.

In 1989, the Board of Trustees hired David Kent to become Producing Artistic Director. Over the course of the next twelve years, David Kent tripled the operating budget and contributed income, and brought subscriber levels to 5400/yr. Kent built a highly talented and award winning group of actors, designers and writers together in Lowell, and the group's bold and unique undertakings marked a significant artistic decade in MRT's history. The Lowell Trilogy was developed and produced during this period with Kent as Director and Jon Lipsky adapting Kerouac's Maggie Cassidy into Maggies Riff, and Haign Ngor's Cambodian Odyssey into The Cambodian Odyssey. In 1992, Merrimack began Partners in Education growing the outreach program in a few short years to serve 14,000 students yearly. In 1997 The Young Artists at Play summer theatre camp for student’s grades 1-12, was founded. It continues today. In 2000, Kent left the company, and Charles Towers was hired as Artistic Director. In 2005, the company hired its first Executive Director Tom Parrish. In December 2010, Parrish announced he would leave at the end of February 2011 to take a similar position at a much larger theater in Rochester, New York. Steven Leon was hired to succeed Parrish in June of 2011, but was forced to resign for health reasons in the fall of 2012. Elizabeth Kegley was hired as MRT's new Executive Director in May of 2013.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre Now

Merrimack Repertory Theatre has produced over 200 productions, including 16 world premieres and numerous regional premieres. In October of 2012, MRT presented the world premiere staged-reading of Jack Kerouac's only play, Beat Generation, which received national attention. Merrimack Repertory Theatre's annual attendance exceeds 40,000 and the company has sold over one million tickets. Merrimack Repertory Theatre is committed to artistic excellence and attempts to be accessible to all members of its surrounding community with a number of discount programs for low-income communities, students and seniors. Over the last 34 years, Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s education, outreach, and discount programs have served over 100,000 students and 100,000 senior citizens while building working partnerships with more than 50 different community and ethnically based service organizations. Merrimack Repertory Theatre is a member of the League of Resident Theatres. Since 2006, MRT has operated in the black.

The current mission statement of Merrimack Repertory Theatre is:

To advance the cause of human understanding by creating theatrical productions at the highest level of artistic excellence and making them affordable to the broadest possible community.

2008-09 Season

The 2008-09 Season Included:

2009-10 Season

The 2009-10 Season included:

2010-11 Season

The 2010-11 Season included:

2011-2012 Season

The 2011-12 Season included:

2012-2013 Season

The 2012-13 Season included:

Select Awards

1989 - Boston Drama Critics Award for production of Waiting for Godot.

1990 - New England Theatre Award for Excellence.

1990-94 - Four Boston Drama Critics Awards for Filumeni.

1992-93 - The Survivor:A Cambodian Odyssey named Best Play at Humana Festival of New American Plays.

1996 - All in the Timing wins Boston Drama Critics Award for Best Play

1996 - Hamlet wins Best of Boston Award

1997 - 'night, Mother wins Best of Boston

1998 - Nixon's Nixon wins Best of Boston

2005 - Harold Pinter's The Homecoming named to the Best of 2005 list of the Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix, Boston Courant, Edge Boston and Lowell Sun.

2008 - A Delicate Balance receives seven Independent Reviewers of New England Awards, including best production and best director for Artistic Director Charles Towers.

2009 - Bad Dates wins Elliot Norton Award from Boston Theatre Critics Association for Outstanding Solo Performance.

2010 - The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead wins an IRNE (Independent Reviewers of New England) Award for Best Solo Performance.

2012 - Daddy Long Legs wins the Independent Reviewers of New England Award for Best Musical, Large Theatre.

External links

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