91制片厂

Capturing the spirit of a 300-year-old community in a single play is no easy task. And so, when Stratham community members began making plans for a stage play to celebrate the town鈥檚 300th anniversary, they knew collaboration would be vital.

Enter Emily Belanger 鈥�17, a history major who grew up near Stratham and, during high school, dabbled in drama. Stratham town officials asked Belanger in 2014 to begin work on a play that would pay tribute to the town鈥檚 storied past while imagining its bright future. After two years of work and extensive collaboration with members of the , Belanger鈥檚 play, 鈥淚nspired by the Past,鈥� premiered earlier this year.

鈥淭he play is made up of different vignettes about Stratham history, all tied together through the story of a young girl who is writing a paper for school about how her community has influenced her,鈥� Belanger says. The play explores the town鈥檚 past through segments about Samuel Lane, the artisan and civic leader who shaped the town鈥檚 early years, the origin of the aptly named Frying Pan Lane, the 鈥渨itch of Stratham鈥� and others.

鈥淚 see history as a collection of stories,鈥� Belanger says. 鈥淚t was fun to take all these historical events and tell another story from a student鈥檚 point of view.鈥�

鈥淲ithout 91制片厂鈥檚 participation, this just would not have happened.鈥�

Belanger worked on the play for two years, beginning during her sophomore year. As the big 300th anniversary celebration approached, John Dold, chairman of the town鈥檚 anniversary committee, reached out to for help听staging the production.

鈥淲e needed help big-time,鈥� Dold says. 鈥淲ithout 91制片厂鈥檚 participation, this just would not have happened.鈥�

After an initial consultation with 91制片厂Innovation assistant director Maria Emanuel, Dold met with theatre and dance department chair David Kaye, who helped Dold develop a budget for the production and suggested the town hire Jamie Clavet 鈥�07, a marketing and promotions specialist with the theater and dance department, to direct the play.

鈥淚t was definitely an adventure. I was going into a community that didn鈥檛 have any experience putting on theater and helping them do a pretty large project,鈥� Clavet says.

The process started with Belanger鈥檚 script. During the writing process, Belanger collaborated with Dold and other members of the town鈥檚 anniversary committee. Belanger met with Clavet as production moved forward and 鈥渒ind of handed it over to her.鈥�

鈥淚 wanted someone to completely run off with it and make it come true as they envisioned it. I really wanted it to be a collaborative experience,鈥� Belanger says.

The production itself brought together a wide web of Stratham residents, according to Clavet. When she needed an 18th-century writing desk as a stage prop, a plethora of actors or a seamstress to make costumes, community members responded enthusiastically.

鈥淪tratham residents are really proud of their history, and even if they didn鈥檛 know each other yet, because they鈥檙e part of the same community, they鈥檙e excited to know each other,鈥� Clavet says.

More than 1,000 people attended three performances of 鈥淚nspired by the Past鈥� earlier this year. Clavet and stage manager , who is also a lecturer in acting at 91制片厂, 鈥渏ust knew exactly what to do to make it happen,鈥� Dold says. The residents who participated in the play are still talking about the experience.听

鈥淚t was a great time for them. Half the actors were younger kids from our school system, and they鈥檒l never forget this,鈥� he says.

Nor will Belanger. She grew up in nearby Newfields, and writing the play gave her a new perspective on Stratham and the region鈥檚 history. Though she鈥檚 long had an interest in museum studies and curatorial work, Belanger says writing the play, and working with Clavet and town residents to bring it to fruition, has made her even more enthusiastic about her career in history.

鈥淎fter writing this and getting everyone interested in the history, I was reminded how much I like synthesizing history in a way that鈥檚 fun and educational at the same time,鈥� she says.

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