Theater Co. Hires Two Students

Harvard undergraduates have many opportunities to perform in amateur theater productions. But, through a new arrangement with one resident theater company, some undergraduates are getting a taste of professional theater.

The Nora Theatre Company--which performs in the Harvard Union--has hired two undergraduates to act in its current production of The Speed of Darkness.

"The thing that's special about [The Speed of Darkness] is that we've hired for the first time two Harvard undergraduates working not as interns but as young professionals in their own right," said Eric C. Engel, managing director of the company.

Christiana I. Nelson '95 and Matthew P. Damon '91-'92 are appearing in The Speed of Darkness this spring.

Nelson says the experience has been very valuable. "There is more strength in my acting," Nelson said. "I have a new confidence from working with these people."

The Nora Theatre Company, which moved to the Union from Boston's Lyric Stage in 1989, has traditionally provided acting opportunities to undergraduates.

"We have an arrangement with the Freshman Dean's Office," Engel said. "In exchange for space at the Freshman Union, we provide internships for two rising sophomores."

The selected students gain experience working on a production over the summer, which is performed at the end of the season.

The Nora Theatre Company also sponsors a collaborative project with the Freshman Dean's Office in late fall. The cast is not entirely composed of first-years, however. "We provide two guest artists, one of [whom] is a professional actor," said Engel.

Paula B. Rand '93, who acted in The Seagull two years ago, said "[The Nora Theatre program] was one of the best things I did my freshman year."

Previous plays that the Nora Theatre Company has produced at the Union in affiliation with the Freshman Dean's Office include A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller, The Runner Stumbles by Milan Stitt, The Private Ear by Peter Shaffer, and the current production of The Speed of Darkness by Steve Tesich.

Yet some participants in the program say that the company doesn't receive the attention it deserves. John A. Haddon '94, who acted in The Floating Palace his first year, said, "My one criticism of [the Nora Theatre] program is that there was very little publicity."

Scheduling Difficulties

Attendance at Nora productions sometimes suffers from scheduling difficulties, Engel explained.

"Unfortunately, the times that we produce [plays] are times that Harvard students have exams or are not on campus," Engel said.

Despite scheduling challenges and lack of publicity, however, the Nora Theatre-Harvard Union relationship continues to be successful, according to Virginia L. Mackay-Smith '78, acting dean of first-year students.

"It's a real sign of success when you can institute a program that is strong enough to adapt," said MacKay-Smith. "I hope the association between the Freshman Dean's Office and the Nora Theatre [Company] continues for many years."