NHTP MainStage Opens October 11 With THE NICETIES

New Hampshire Theatre Project presents The Niceties by Eleanor Burgess, an explosive new play focused on race. The Niceties opens Friday October 11th and runs through October 27th with performances on Friday & Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm. More information and tickets, including discounted opportunities, can be found at www.nhtheatreproject.org.

NHTP's season opens with a new work by Massachusetts playwright Eleanor Burgess. Beginning October 11, The Niceties, starring Genevieve Aichele and Malikah McHerrin-Cobb, and directed by Catherine Stewart, will be produced in partnership with the Office of Community, Equity and Diversity based at the University of New Hampshire.

At an elite East Coast university, an ambitious young black student and her esteemed white professor meet to discuss a paper the college junior is writing about the American Revolution. They're both liberal. They're both women. They're both brilliant. But very quickly, discussions of grammar and Google turn to race and reputation, and before they know it, they're in dangerous territory neither of them had foreseen - and facing stunning implications that can't be undone. Written with powerful truth and humor by Eleanor Burgess, this work premiered at The Manhattan Theatre Club in partnership with the Huntington Theatre Company and McCarter Theatre Center.

The Niceties will star NHTP's Founding Executive Artistic Director Genevieve Aichele in the role of Janine, with guest artist Malikah McHerrin-Cobb in the role of Zoe. The Niceties will be directed by NHTP's Associate Artistic Director Catherine Stewart."This production turns our expectations and ethics on their head," explains Stewart. "As part of our provocative 2019-2020 Season we will be challenging our artists and our audiences to think deeply about the many aspects of life we take for granted. This play asks us to look at the education we receive, and the perspective from which we see the world - when a play is this eye-opening we had to make sure it came to our stage."

The theme 'Can one person make a difference?' will carry through NHTP's MainStage, and into other areas of programming including classes and workshops. The Niceties has this idea at its core, where both characters feel that the power for change lies in the hands of their counterpart and not themselves.

The Niceties is made possible thanks to the generous support of our show sponsors UNH Office of Community, Equity and Diversity; JCM Management Company, Inc.; Harman Law Offices; and Threshold Stage Company. The NHTP 2019/2020 Season is supported by the NH State Council on the Arts and the NH Charitable Foundation.

New Hampshire Theatre Project will continue the new RUSH40 program which offers half-price tickets for all MainStage Productions for audience members under the age of 40 when purchased 30 minutes before curtain at the theatre. "We're working hard to make sure that all individuals have an opportunity to participate in the arts, and we found that our programming was out-of-reach for the 20 and 30 year olds that are moving into Portsmouth," explains Stewart.

Memberships and individual tickets for the 2019-2020 season are available now. Theatre-lovers can also take advantage of NHTP's new subscription package - Premiere Pass. One ticket for all of the six MainStage opening nights for only $95 - a saving of $85 and an opportunity to be the first to see new plays, re-imagined classics and world premieres at our intimate theatre. Premiere Pass is only available until October 1, 2019.

For more information about the artists and work in New Hampshire Theatre Project's 2019-2020 season, visit nhtheatreproject.org

New Hampshire Theatre Project (NHTP) uses the art of theatre-making to spark conversation, connect individuals and strengthen communities. The company is based at the 50-seat black box theatre in the heart of Portsmouth's culturally vibrant West End, and programs are delivered across the region in schools, businesses, healthcare institutions and community organizations. NHTP is known around the state as an applied theatre company that promotes challenging dialogue through productions, workshops, and artist-in-residence programs.

PHOTO CREDIT: Cora Paradiso