The Nola Project Inc

Programs: The nola project's 2015-2016 season, the company's 11th, was an incredibly successful and artistically ambitious season, marked by world premieres, immersive audience engagement, and national recognition. In september 2015, the company was awarded the national theatre company award by the american theatre wing, producers of the annual tony awards. Artistic director a. J. Allegra was flown up to new york city and presented with the award by distinguished members of the american theatre wing. The same week, the company began its season with a vibrant regional premiere of david adjimi's new play "marie antoinette. " the nola project presented the play at the new orleans center for creative arts and partnered with the alliance francaise, a local nonprofit that supports french culture and french foreign language classes for the new orleans community, to provide engaging discussions and talkbacks about the central figure at all of our matinee performances. The following production, adam szymkowicz's "clown bar" was a clown noir comedy that played in an immersive format upstairs in one of new orleans most iconic and historic jazz clubs, the little gem saloon. "clown bar" was presented as a part of the faux/real festival, a festival dedicated to fringe-style theatre, music, and culture in new orleans. The company followed this with a site-specific production of william shakespeare's "the winters tale" presented inside the new orleans museum of art's historic great hall. The production enjoyed a nearly sold-out run. Next up, in march of 2016 was the southern premiere of john b. Keane's irish play "sive" presented at the ash cultural arts center's powerhouse theatre. The production was directed by nola project education and engagement director alex ates and featured many prominent new orleans actors such as janet shea, ron gural, and john grimsley. The show achieved high critical praise and was visited by a group of visiting nyu tisch school of the arts (where our company's founders studied together) students who engaged the company in an extended talkback and dinner after the performance. The final performance of our 2015-16 season was the world premiere of "don quixote" by company member pete mcelligott, adapted from the famous cervantes novel. The production was produced as a co-production with the new orleans museum of art and presented outdoors in their besthoff sculpture garden. The production was a sold-out success that extended it's run, was enjoyed by mayor mitch landrieu of the city of new orleans, and won the big easy award for best original work 2016.

summer 2015 saw the fourth annual nola project high school intensive geared towards local teens interested in theatre arts. For four weeks in july, students ranging from age 13-18 take core classes in movement, character, technique, and voice & speech, in addition to specialized master classes and rehearsals for a fully-produced production at the program's end. The program featured two tracks of varying skill degrees for students, resulting in an increased capacity for student attendance, and a deepening of skillsets learned by older students. The program is a full day program running 9am-4pm and offers several students full and partial scholarships in order to increase access for all students regardless of income levels.