RGC Theatre to present 'Seminar' at the Players' Ring

Following its highly successful run at The Hatbox in Concord in 2021, RGC Theatre will present Theresa Rebeck’s dark comedy "Seminar" at The Players’ Ring Theatre Sept.9 to 25.

Multi-award winning playwright Theresa Rebeck ushers audiences into the lavish Upper West Side apartment of Kate as she and her fellow aspiring writers - Martin, Douglas, and Izzy - anxiously await the arrival of their professor, internationally renowned author and critic, Leonard.

With each student paying $5,000 to participate in the ten-week writing seminar, expectations are high and tensions are even higher as Leonard quickly tears into not only the work but the very character of the students he has been hired to instruct. As the lines between lessons and life begin to blur, the students’ relationships, dreams, confidence, sexuality, and futures are put to the test. Through cutting humor and heartbreaking prose, Rebeck asks audiences to feel the gravity of how much a person is willing to sacrifice for their art.

“There’s something so powerful about 'Seminar' and the way Theresa Rebeck writes. She has created this world that is so adjacent to our own reality and how things are,” said director Ro Gavin. “She brilliantly balances the darkness and insecurities that each of us faces with laugh-out-loud wit and humor. Some of my favorite moments are when there are just a couple of 20-somethings being dorks with each other in private, something I’m sure we all relate to and understand.”

Nicole Jones, who is reprising her role as Kate, added, “It has been fantastic to see the different direction the new cast members are taking these characters, as well as how the returning actors are exploring and discovering new traits or motivations and how those choices impact the piece as a whole.”

RGC Theatre’s "Seminar" reunites performers from the 2021 production including Nicole Jones (Kate), Colin J. Malette (Leonard), and Alexandra White (Izzy) with new cast members John Campbell (Douglas) and Joseph Solari (Martin).

The production team includes Ro Gavin (Producer/Director/Scenic Designer), Nicole Jones (Production Manager), Meghan Flynn (Lighting Designer), Geehae Moon (Costume Coordinator), Katelin Garland (Technical Director), Jordan Formichelli (Wardrobe), and scenic artists Kat Mail, Hunter Anderson, Robert Collinge II and Sarah Collinge.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. GeneralaAdmission tickets are $27; $24 for students and seniors. "Seminar" is also available as a part of The Players’ Ring subscription packages. Tickets can be purchased at playersring.org.

Ro Gavin Collaborative Theatre (RGC Theatre) is a new outlet for the arts in New Hampshire with a focus on presenting theatre that is unconstrained and inclusive. RGC Theatre offers a unique experience for theater artists by providing an auspicious environment for artists to create with ingenuity.

The Players' Ring provides the Seacoast with an intimate and distinctive performance experience by cultivating artistic creativity and freedom and by engaging audiences with unique and exciting theatrical opportunities.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: RGC Theatre to present 'Seminar' at the Players' Ring