STONINGTON – It might not have been the wisest business decision, but artistically, it’s a slam dunk.
Opera House Arts, the nonprofit arts group that operates the Stonington Opera House, will host the National Theater of the United States of America and its traveling “Chautauqua!” show for its only Maine performance at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
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The show mixes song, dance and storytelling, and will integrate local and Maine history into the evening. Maine journalist Colin Woodard will serve as guest speaker, and community members will participate in the grand finale.
Linda Nelson, director of Opera House Arts, saw a National Theater “Chautauqua!” show in January 2010, and knew she had to book it — even if it meant in the middle of the week in early spring.
“The Chautauqua circuit used to come to the Stonington Opera House, so it’s a great form for us,” she said. “We do this really interesting mix of education and entertainment, and Chautauqua really is a popularized form of education, with entertainment and other things mixed in. I love that form, and we have that history here.”
The catch is, the show is expensive. It costs $15,000 to bring the nine-member troupe to town, and the opera house seats about 250.
If Nelson had to cover the cost of the show with ticket sales alone, it would be almost impossible.
Instead, she was able to snag a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts and a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Both will help, but she still has to sell a lot of tickets to cover the cost.
She is charging $20 per ticket, and Deer Isle students will be admitted for free.
To entice folks from other parts of Maine to make the Down East trek in early April, Nelson and her team have put together package deals, including “Hilarity on the Harbor” that includes an overnight stay, tickets to the show and dinner, for $75 per person.
Local residents can buy the ticket-and-dinner package for $38 per person.
“We have to work with local businesses to build these kinds of packages so people can come to the end of the earth to see this kind of programming,” she said.
During the first half of the 20th century, the Chautauqua circuit steamed to the Stonington Opera House from Rockland.
In 2011, performers will travel by land, but still offer the same style of song, dance and storytelling.
In each location, the theater company integrates local history.
Staff Writer Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or at:
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