Marywood University and TNT Join Forces

The Northeast Theatre and and the Marywood University Theatre Program announce The Portal Project–A Partnership Between the Educational and the Professional–A Collaboration of Equals

“Theatre is, as anyone who has been seriously involved in it for any length of time well knows, a collaborative medium,” So says Dr. Paulette Merchel director of The Marywood University Theatre Program. “Everything relies on teamwork, on ‘playing well with others’” It is in this spirit that the department is joining with The Northeast Theatre, a professional company located in the old Hotel Jermyn in downtown Scranton, to form The Portal Project; a living link between educational and professional theatre.

The two organizations have been working together for several years, now. The relationship began in response to discussions initiated by Dr. Devorah Namm, Dean of the College of Creative Arts and Management, and quickly moved into a series of spontaneous but unconnected exchanges. In the fall of 2004, Tony Award winning playwright Mark Medoff (whose play, The Same Life Over, premiered at The Northeast Theatre) presented Marywood students with a master class in the business and art of playwrighting, an event hosted by Dr. Merchel. A short while later, David Zarko, the Theatre’s producing artistic director, gave a master class in directing for the stage. Since then, people, ideas, and resources have been moving in both directions, enriching both Marywood’s Theatre Program and The Northeast Theatre. A few months ago, Dr. Merchel and Mr. Zarko decided that it was time to formalize the relationship, and the result is The Portal Project.

The Portal Project is designed to enhance the training students at Marywood receive, to provide them an opportunity for professional experience, and to strengthen Marywood’s acting program. For the Theatre, the Portal Project provides new blood and an opportunity for members of the acting Company to teach. “Most of the artists we work with from outside the area (and many of those from the region, as well) have a great passion and ability for education, but many aren’t associated with an institution,” says Zarko. “Now, we look forward to the possibility of the Theatre’s offering its professional Conservatory as part of a formal degree program. Being able to do so will both strengthen the current company, and help to create a pool of artists for the future.”

This year, The Portal Project will begin with three main efforts.First, professional artists from the Theatre will help prepare cast members for Anouilh’s Antigone which will be produced by The Marywood University Theatre Program in February. The production will be guided by one of The Northeast Theatre’s directors, Mary Ethel Schmidt, and will feature a graduate of the TNT Conservatory, James Langan, in the role of Creon. The Theatre will also provide assistance to a select group of students in developing a workshop for high schools that will travel through the region next spring, bringing theatre arts to the classroom. The Portal Project will also include “Spotlight on Stage”, a half hour television show focusing on developments, highlights, and performance in theatre and entertainment. It will be produced by David Zarko of The Northeast Theatre and Dr. Douglas Lawrence of the Digital Media Department of Marywood University, directed by Mr. Ernie Mengoni, and hosted By Dr. Paulette Merchel. The program will provide viewers insight into the worlds of theater and entertainment though interviews with professional performers, on-location packages, and live performances. It is an exciting, entertaining, and educational broadcast concept. “Spotlight on Stage” will air its first program on Marywood TV in March 2007.

Finally, Marywood is considering a proposal that The Northeast Theatre Conservatory move towards becoming an ancillary part of Marywood’s Theatre Program. The Conservatory is a 14-week intensive training program for early and mid career actors (of any age) that runs from February into June. It is designed to be an augmentation of — or an alternative to — a graduate program in acting. It is optionally available for credit, initially as independent or field study. The vision is that The Conservatory may eventually become part of a course of study towards a graduate degree in Marywood’s Department of Communications.

The Portal Project will not stop with these three programs. If it is to open doors, then it should open doors in many directions. “We’re really excited about where this could go,” says Dr. Merchel, “its a dynamic relationship that embraces a mutual passion for education, and it is a unique and almost revolutionary prototype for how educational and professional organizations can work together. As far as we’re concerned, the sky’s the limit.”

For more information about The Portal Project and all of its components, contact Dr. Paulette Merchel at 570-340-2552 or David Zarko at 570-558-1520.