Welcome to American Stage Festival

A Not-For-Profit Arts and Education Organization

The 1995 Summer Season marks the 21st anniversary of the American Stage Festival. New Hampshire's largest professional theatre. Attended by more than 42,000 theatregoers each year, the Festival produces five plays in its Mainstage series and maintains a budget of $625,000. Located on the banks of the Souhegan River in the town of Milford, the Festival seats 496 theatregoers.

The most exciting theater news is that the American Stage Festival now has a permanent headquarters in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Our belief is that live performing arts play an important and unique part in the quality of life in our region. As a Not-For-Profit organization our mission statement is to:

1) Provide a diverse theatre arts program of the highest professional quality that is affordable and accessible to the entire population.

2) Nurture the vitality of the art form by producing established and enduring works, developing new plays, and educating theatre professionals, pre-professionals and children.

To read more about who we are, our Summer Season schedule and other areas of interest, choose from the topics listed:

More about the American Stage Festival
How to Contact Us
List of Performances
Subscription Information
Other Home Pages Related to Theatre

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American Stage Festival, 14 Court St., Nashua, NH.

Our wonderful new facility in Nashua provides space for administrative offices, set construction, prop storage, costume design and storage, rehearsal halls and a newly renovated black box theatre. This 33,000 sq. ft. building is leased from the City of Nashua and allows us to produce a true winter season, give the Peacock Players a permanent home and provide the opportunity to conduct classes in acting and improvisation. Although one third of our patrons now come from Nashua, the remainder of theatregoers come from throughout the state, as well as neighboring states of Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. The Festivals, new presence in Nashua will enhance the Nashua community and increase the number of audience members from Nashua.

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Founded in 1974, Four Distinct Entities Thrive Under The Umbrella of the American Stage Festival

MAINSTAGE

Produces a selection of five plays during the Summer Season offering a menu of musical theatre, drama, mystery, comedy and a new play. The American Stage Festival's credits include the premieres of many new plays now regularly performed throughout the country, including several works that moved from New Hampshire to Broadway. Premiere productions have featured such notable actors as Olympia Dukakis, Bonnie Franklin, Keir Dullea, Austin Pendleton, Gary Sandy, Jeffrey Jones and Micheal Gross. Plays include the original productions of LEND ME A TENOR, winner of the 1989 Tony Award for Best Play; STARMITES, 1989 Tony Award-nominee for Best Musical CORPSE!, an Off-Broadway smash; and ALMOST AND EAGLE, a Broadway drama starring James Whitmore. 

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EARLY STAGES

Is a series of staged readings of new plays by promising American playwrights. Approximately six readings are presented throughout the summer. A staged reading prefaced by a short introduction and followed by interactive discussion between the audience, playwright, and director presents a fresh insight to play development. This exercise is extremely helpful to the playwright, educational for the audience and always free to the general public. Early Stages also acts as a launching pad for future Mainstage new works. 1993's reading, HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY, opened Off-Broadway at the Actors Playhouse last spring.

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THE YOUNG COMPANY

Provides training to young professionals through the development of educational and entertaining pieces for young audiences. We search for the most talented theatre undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students from colleges and universities nationally to study and work with Mainstage professionals as interns. Nearly thirty student actors, technicians, and designers create both traditional and innovative work for young and young-at-heart audiences.

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PEACOCK PLAYERS CHILDREN'S THEATRE

Allows young people between seven and seventeen to explore the magical world of theatre in a professional environment. Workshops taught by professionals, introduce players to a wide variety of skills, public speaking, team interaction, acting, stage movement and improvisation. It also teaches the technical crafts of lighting, sound, costume and set design. As these skills are understood, they are practiced and applied in the real experience of producing and presenting four plays a year. The growth that occurs with each accomplishment builds self-esteem, self confidence and a naturalness with communication skills that will last a lifetime.

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American Stage Festival
P.O. Box 225
Milford, NH 03055-0225
Administration: 603-673-4005
Fax: 603-673-4792
Subscription Information: 603-673-7515
Box Office: 603-673-7515

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

A subscription offers you a savings of up to 21% over single-ticket buyers. It's like getting five shows for the price of four! Plus subscribers get many great additional bonuses... the BEST SEATS in the house... THE WAY TO GO!

For Subscription information just call: 603-673-7515

Enjoy:

• A modern, comfortable, air-conditioned theatre on the Souhegan River in Milford
• Free Parking
• Only 9 Miles from Nashua
• 17 Miles from Manchester
• Senior, student and substantial group discounts to all performances
• Wonderful antique shops and restaurants within walking distance
• 15 Minutes from Temple Mountan, Peterborough and the Monadnock Region

HOT LINKS:

• Theatre Box Office Software
• Theatre at Harvard
• Paramount
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• Manchester Theatres
• Theatre Building
• Barre Opera House