CLAREMONT —On Dec 21, the New Hampshire Theatre Alliance announced the top nominees for its annual theatre awards that celebrates the best in theatre from around the state in three categories, Youth, Community and Professional. Members of Amplified Arts’ “Academy” of Claremont made the cut for the second year in a row!
Amplified Arts and members of their early career artist program at the “Academy” are nominated in the following categories: Best Supporting Actor in a Youth Production – Matt Hennig, Best Actor in a Youth Production – David Stark and Best Director of a Community Comedy/Drama – AMP Artistic Director – Shelly Hudson. Nominations are for their work on The Laramie Project, which premiered on Amplified Arts stage this past spring in partnership with Rural Outright, a program of TLC.
The cast of The Laramie Project will also be presenting a scene from the show as part of the award night’s festivities on Jan. 19 at the Capital Center for the Arts in Concord.
“We couldn’t be more honored to have this production and its actors recognized at this year’s New Hampshire Theatre Awards. The Laramie Project, beyond its subject matter, is a challenging piece for seasoned actors. However, our cast of 11 early career artists (ages 13-18) played more than 60 characters with such grace and commitment to telling Matthew Shepard’s story 20 years after his death,” said Hudson.
“We are so excited to share this story with the larger NH theatre community and if we win a few awards… well even better!” says AMP’s producing artistic director and director of The Laramie Project, Shelly Hudson. “We are also excited as one of the only youth theatre companies dedicated to non-musical theatre to be nominated this year! Super cool!”
The Laramie Project is the 2000 play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project about the reaction to the 1998 murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyo. The murder was denounced as a hate crime and brought attention to the lack of hate crime laws in various states, including Wyoming.
The play draws on hundreds of interviews conducted by the theatre company with inhabitants of the town, company members’ own journal entries, and published news reports. It is divided into three acts, and actors portray more than 60 characters in a series of short scenes.
Tickets for the New Hampshire Theatre Awards are available at the Capital Center for the Arts while they last!
Up next for Amplified Arts, their adult “Company” production of The Country Wife by William Wycherley, a saucy, period comedy of manners, which opens Feb. 14 and runs through Feb 23 at their intimate performance venue in Downtown Claremont. Make sure you find them on social media and visit their website atwww.amplifiedartsnh.com for more information.
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