CONCORD – In what may be seen as a breakthrough moment for a small theater program that has been quietly producing original works for nearly half a century, the NH Theatre Alliance gave top honors to Andy’s Summer Playhouse of Wilton, NH, at the 17th annual NH Theatre Awards.

Andy’s original production of The Arrival was lauded as the state’s “Best Youth Production” for 2018, and the show received top honors for “Best Sound Design” for Brooklyn-based composer Dylan Glatthorn and “Best Lighting Design” for DC-based designer Peter Leibold in the Community Production division. Additionally, actors Siraj Husainy (age 17, Amherst, NH) and Aidan Harper (age 18, Francestown, NH) had been nominated for recognition, along with directors Colette Krogol and Matt Reeves of Orange Grove Dance of Baltimore, MD. The show had also been nominated for awards in scenic and costume designs, for DC-based Sanaya Forbes and Brooklyn-based Betsy Rugg-Hinds, respectively.

Based on the graphic novel by Shaun Tan, The Arrival explores a father’s journey of immigration and cultural adaptation, which are timely and relevant themes in today’s world. Andy’s daring interpretation of The Arrival relied solely on movement, symbols and stagecraft to convey Tan’s powerful storyline. The actors moved wordlessly through a challenging and sometimes heart-rending portrayal of departure, inquisition, isolation, and eventual reconciliation and friendship. As preamble to the performance, the Andy’s ensemble cast led each audience member though an immigration process as they entered the theater, situating the audience as immigrants to the foreign land that would unfold on stage. True to the original book, the actors portrayed the narrative without spoken word, relying on dramatic gestures and repeated symbols to communicate with each other and to guide the audience through their participatory role in the play.

The Arrival was co-directed by Colette Krogol and Matt Reeves of Orange Grove Dance of Baltimore, MD. The pair directed a workshop production of The Arrival during Andy’s 2017 season and returned for a full-scale production in 2018.

After the awards ceremony, Producing Artistic Director, Jared Mezzocchi said, “It was an absolute honor to be recognized by the NH Theatre Alliance. Andy’s holds a rare mission, where award-winning professionals from all over the country join the Southern NH community to work eye-to-eye with the children to produce original work for audiences of all ages. The Arrival was exemplary of this, and to see our nominations alongside the other theaters in the category makes us deeply proud. These awards bolster our confidence to continue making form-bending original work!”

Leading up to its 50th performance season in 2020, Andy’s has been exploring a sequence of guiding themes. Starting in 2016 with the Summer of Identity and followed by the 2017 Summer of Adversity, 2018 was the Summer of Legacy. 2019 will be the Summer of Rebellion, which leads into the 50th. Each year, the plays produced at Andy’s explore the main theme from multiple angles, and throughout the summer Andy’s offers workshops for kids and adults to delve deeper into specific topics.

Enrollment for the 2019 season will open at the end of January. Andy’s will hold free orientation sessions for the 2019 season on four upcoming weekends, February through May. All children ages 8-18 are welcome and required to attend one orientation session, which take the place of auditions, in order to be cast in a mainstage production. A parent or guardian must also attend the orientation session to meet the directors and staff and learn more about the upcoming season. Please bring your calendar to be ready to sign up for the summer productions and workshops. Orientation dates will be published on community calendars throughout the region and are available on the Andy’s website at andyssummerplayhouse.org.