Archive for category: News

Cloudsplitter Foundation Director Chenelle Palyswiat (R) presents Depot Theatre Executive Director Kim Rielly with a check for $5,000.

Cloudsplitter Foundation Director Chenelle Palyswiat (R) presents Depot Theatre Executive Director Kim Rielly with a check for $5,000. 

The Depot Theatre has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Cloudsplitter Foundation for ongoing operational needs and improvements to its artist housing.

The grant represents continued support from Cloudsplitter Foundation for this mission-driven project which will ultimately allow the theatre flexibility to expand programming into the winter months.

In 2019, the Depot was awarded a $4,000 grant from the Cloudsplitter Foundation for capital improvements to its artist housing, following a $2,000 grant in 2018 toward Phase 1 of the project, which included upgraded HAVAC and new smoke-CO2 alarm systems.

The 9-bedroom house currently serves as seasonal housing for part-time artistic and educational staff, crew and visiting Actors’ Equity artists. As a professional theatre operating under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Depot is required to provide housing for its visiting artists who work at the theatre during its summer main stage season. The goal is to ultimately also use the building as a center for artistic collaboration, including community access and year-round programming.

“Our actor housing is not only essential to our operations, but it is a key element of our strategic goals that include year-round programs using that space,” said Kim Rielly, Depot Theatre Executive Director. “We are grateful to the Cloudsplitter Foundation for their ongoing commitment to the improvement of our vital infrastructure and support of our mission.”

“It is encouraging to see that even in these challenging times, the Depot continues to pursue its strategic goals,” said Chenelle Palyswiat, Director of the Cloudsplitter Foundation. “We are committed to supporting projects and organizations that improve the quality of life in our communities, and we’re pleased to be part of this Depot Theatre initiative.”

For more information about the Depot Theatre, visit depot.polaredgedesigns.com/. More information about the Cloudsplitter Foundation can be found at cloudsplitter.org.

ABOUT THE CLOUDSPLITTER FOUNDATION

The Cloudsplitter Foundation is dedicated to improving the future for the flora, fauna, communities, and people of the Adirondacks. Over 70% of the grants made by the Cloudsplitter Foundation go to improve the environment, economies, and lives of the people in the Adirondacks. The primary purpose of the Cloudsplitter Foundation is to improve the environment, both physical and cultural, in the Adirondacks and to make life easier, healthier, and more rewarding for the people who live there. While over 70% of the Foundation’s grants go to institutions in the Adirondacks, their secondary mission, to the extent that funds are available, is to aid other organizations dedicated to humanitarian causes, wilderness preservation, protecting civil liberties, and cultural development. http://cloudsplitter.org/

ABOUT THE DEPOT THEATRE

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” The Depot Theatre’s 2021 programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by Adirondack Foundation – Generous Acts Fund and the Essex County Arts Council. http://depotheatre.org

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CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FILM SERIES PRESENTS HOME TOGETHER FILM SERIES’ SECOND REEL TALK ABOUT MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 30 at 7:30pm.

WHALLONSBURG, N.Y. – Depot Theatre Producing Artistic Director Kenney Green will be the special guest for the discussion about the film MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM on January 30, 2021, at 7:30 pm.

In order to keep the community safe, The Champlain Valley Film Series, typically shown at the Whallonsburg Grange Hall during winter months, has announced its Home Together Winter Film Series, which consists of five movies selected for individuals to watch anytime at home, followed by a REEL TALK via Zoom. The REEL TALK will be a provocative discussion about the film with a special guest, and participants are invited to submit questions.

Participants are to watch the film, MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM [streaming on Netflix] on their own, and join for a live Zoom “Reel Talk” with a discussion on the movie with  Kenney Green, producing artistic director at The Depot Theatre in Westport.  Green has extensive experience as a choreographer, musical director, and director.  He is also a faculty member in Musical Theatre Performance at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, in New York City.

ABOUT THE FILM

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM streams on Netflix. This is the powerful, riveting story of the real-life, legendary Ma Rainey. Academy Award-winner Viola Davis is unforgettable as the larger than life “Mother of the Blues.” In his final role, Chad Boseman is electrifying as Levee, the hot-headed trumpeter who dares to lock horns with Ma in a shabby Chicago recording studio where they’re forced to make music the way the white bosses want it. The year is 1927 but the bristling racial tensions feel as timely as ever. “Mesmerizing” – Washington Post.

REGISTER

The Zoom Event is Free and Open to the public, but registration is required. Questions may be submitted to the moderator and will be responded to in the second portion of the program.

REGISTER ONLINE HERE: https://www.thegrangehall.info/events-page/reeltalk-marainey

This is the second movie in the Winter Home Together Series:  February 13thCollective;  February 27thThe Personal History of David Copperfield;  March 13thMangrove.  Visit www.thegrangehall.info for reviews, trailers and additional links and information.

 

 

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THANK YOU!

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Although the 2020 season did not play out as originally planned, the Depot Theatre remains strong and ready to tackle 2021 – all thanks to our dedicated and generous sponsors, donors, and volunteers!

We hope you’ll have time during this intermission to read our “Plan B” Playbill, which seeks to express our gratitude for all those who continue to KEEP US STRONG!

 

CLICK BELOW to read the Playbill (select the box in the lower right to view in full screen mode)! 

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Depot Theatre AcademyWestport, N.Y. –The Depot Theatre Academy outreach and education program is pleased to offer an in-person Musical Theatre/Monologue Rep Class from September 28-October 26 on Mondays from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

This 5-week course is ideal for those interested in preparation for auditions, public speaking training and general acting craft development. Participants ages 18 and older will learn two monologues and two songs, and work together with instructors to find a monologue that complements the song to form a seamless package to utilize for auditioning and showcasing.
 
Course instructors are the Depot’s Producing Artistic Director Kenney Green and Adam Michael Tilford, both seasoned theatre professionals. “We’re excited to offer this new program,” said Kenney Green. “Participants will learn how to ACT a song, not just sing it, and to learn how to find and implement new techniques of expression.” 
 
The class will be held at the Depot Theatre at 6705 Main St., Westport, NY, and is limited to 10 participants. Face coverings will be required while entering and exiting the theatre, and any time when in close proximity to others. Strict physical distancing will be implemented, with designated seating in the theatre, and one participant on stage at a time.
 
Interested individuals should contact Katie Shepard by email at ks@depottheatre.org to reserve their spot and/or print and send the registration form to Depot Theatre, PO Box 414, Westport, NY 12993. More information and the registration form is available online at depot.polaredgedesigns.com/
 
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Depot Theatre Producing Artistic Director Kenney Green addresses physically-distanced 2020 senior Academy students. The theatre will welcome participants for its Musical Theatre/Monologue Rep Class this fall.

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ABOUT THE DEPOT THEATRE
 
The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” The Depot Theatre’s 2020 programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by Adirondack Foundation – Generous Acts Fund and the Essex County Arts Council.

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The Depot Theatre Academy outreach and education program is featured in a recent episode of Mountain Lake Journal’s Spotlight feature on Mountain Lake PBS. Click through to view the video of the program, as well as interviews with the participants, instructors, and Depot Theatre Producing Artistic Director Kenney Green.

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NYSCA NEA CARES grants of $10,000 support community-based arts organizations, prioritizing underserved communities

 

Westport, NY — The Depot Theatre in Westport, N.Y. is one of only five organizations in the North Country Region to have been awarded a $10,000 NYSCA NEA CARES Grant.

This grant is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with Federal grant funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, funds made available as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provides economic assistance for American workers, families, and small businesses, and preserves jobs for American industries, including the arts sector.

NYSCA NEA CARES Grants of $10,000 each were given to arts organizations with budgets of less than $1.5 million and which have a proven track record of essential contributions to their communities. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, these grants will cover salaries and supplemental benefits, fees for artists and other contracted personnel, and operational facilities costs, including rent and utilities payments.

“We’re grateful to NYSCA and the NEA for this timely funding,” said Kim Rielly, Depot Theatre Executive Director. “The grant will support this season’s altered Academy outreach and education program, which requires additional safety measures and personnel to provide in-person professional workshops for youth in voice, dance and scene work in a safe, outdoor setting.”

For more information about NYSCA, visit www.arts.ny.gov. For more information about the Depot Theatre, visit depot.polaredgedesigns.com/.

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About the New York State Council on the Arts

The New York State Council on the Arts preserves and advances the arts and culture that make New York State an exceptional place to live, work and visit.

NYSCA upholds the right of all New Yorkers to experience the vital contributions the arts make to our communities, education, economic development and quality of life. Through its core grantmaking activity, NYSCA awarded $43.8M in FY2020 to 2,500 organizations statewide through direct grants and regrants in our 15 programs, the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative and the Mid-Size Capital Project Fund. NYSCA funding supports the visual, literary, media and performing arts and includes dedicated support for arts education and underserved communities. NYSCA further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in 1960, and continued and expanded to the present day with the support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, NYSCA is an agency of the executive branch of the New York state government. For more information on NYSCA, visit www.arts.ny.gov, or follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, Twitter @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.

ABOUT THE DEPOT THEATRE

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” The Depot Theatre’s 2020 programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by Adirondack Foundation – Generous Acts Fund and the Essex County Arts Council.

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Westport, N.Y. – The Depot Theatre is pleased to announce that it has developed an alternate outreach and education program for in-person learning this summer.

The Depot Theatre Academy 2020 outreach and education program, originally set to be held inside the Whallonsburg Grange Hall as in past years, will be held outdoors, under a large, open-sided tent in the one-acre parkland behind Whitcomb’s, the Grange-owned building directly across the street. The dates for the junior program (ages 8-12) are July 13-24, and the senior program (ages 13+) dates are July 27-August 7, 2020.

“We are partnering with the Whallonsburg Grange Hall to provide a safe, outdoor space for this ‘al fresco’ version of the Academy. The Grange will be sponsoring community events some evenings under The Big Tent as well,” said Kim Rielly, Depot Theatre’s Executive Director. “I think it’s imperative for arts organizations to alter our perspectives and to find creative and collaborative solutions in order to persevere in the current environment and into an unknown future.”

“The Grange is thrilled to help with this innovative Academy program. Our entire community will benefit from a program that brings people together safely and provides an outdoor space for events,” said Mary-Nell Bockman, program manager at the Grange. “We’re looking forward to hosting music, movies, and food under The Big Tent.”

“The curriculum we’ve developed will provide the junior participants with safely-distanced training in dance, voice and scene work, and the ability to connect with each other to produce a take-home video compilation of their individual and collective performances, which we intend to present in a pubic showing,” said Adam Michael Tilford, Depot Theatre Academy Artistic and Musical Director. “The senior program will include scene and song study using modern day Broadway hits (such as Dear Evan Hansen, Hadestown, Mean Girls and many more), will include audition preparation for stage and acting on-camera, and participants will take home a demo reel of their work.”

“We developed this alternate program for in-person learning in consultation with past participant families,” said Kenney Green, the Depot’s Producing Artistic Director. “Of course, strict physical distancing and health and safety protocols will be observed, in accordance with federal and state recommendations and guidelines, and pursuant to New York State’s approval of the North Country Region entering reopening phase 4.”

The Depot Theatre Academy is made possible in part with a generous sponsorship from the Rogers-Carroll Family Foundation and by Depot Theatre Academy underwriter, the Brooks and Joan Fortune Family Foundation. Special thanks to the Whallonsburg Grange Hall and the Hub on the Hill.

Program details, frequently asked questions, and registration is available at www.DepotTheatre.org. Scholarships are available. Although it will be held in the great outdoors, space is limited, and participants will be accepted in the order of registrations received. Questions regarding the program should be directed to Adam Michael Tilford at academy@depottheatre.org.

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ABOUT THE DEPOT THEATRE

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” The Depot Theatre’s 2020 programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by Essex County Arts Council.

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The Depot Theatre is pleased to have been awarded a $3,000 grant from the Adirondack Foundation’s Generous Acts Fund to support operations in 2020.

Though the Depot’s 2020 main stage season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Theatre will alter its Academy outreach and education program to provide professional workshops for juniors and seniors in voice, dance and scene work in a safe, outdoor setting that allows for social distancing, culminating in take-home video performances.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Generous Acts Fund for this funding, which will support critical repairs to the Depot’s artist housing,” said Kim Rielly the Depot’s Executive Director. “This grant will help us to ensure the safety of visiting artists and our Academy staff, which is vital to our ability to fulfill our mission to to entertain, enrich, and educate through professional theatrical arts and related programs based in a historic train station.”

The Generous Acts at Adirondack Foundation is a force for good that pools gifts from generous donors who love the Adirondacks and care about our communities. Adirondack Foundation works to enhance the lives of the people in the Adirondacks through philanthropy. To learn more, visit adirondackfoundation.org/GenerousActs.

For more information about the Depot Theatre, visit depot.polaredgedesigns.com/.

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ABOUT THE DEPOT THEATRE

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” The Depot Theatre’s 2020 programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by Adirondack Foundation – Generous Acts Fund and the Essex County Arts Council.

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A message from the Depot Theatre administration:

Our biggest priority is the health and safety of our supporters and our cast and crew.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are postponing our planned 2020 main stage season. It is our intention to pack up the whole 4-show lineup, and produce it in its entirety – hopefully in 2021 – once it is possible to do so at the theatre.

Rest assured that we will honor exchanges and refunds for tickets and subscriptions as required. If this applies to you, you will hear from us soon.

But there’s good news: Although we cannot assemble for a shared live theatre experience in our intimate space in the train station, our goal is to provide you with an alternate, al fresco live theatre experience this season – and we are going to try our hardest to do just that – as circumstances allow. We’re also planning to provide an alternate version of the Depot Theatre Academy outreach and education program this year.

 

Stay tuned for announcements about UPDATED 2020 events and programs!

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[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″] Participants will have opportunity to become Equity Membership Candidates Westport, N.Y.  Young thespians will have the opportunity to perform on the Depot Theatre main stage alongside professionals through the organization’s new education and outreach program, the Depot Theatre Academy. […]