A new play detailing the history, people and stories
of four historic Boston neighborhoods will be presented January 14-23,
2005 at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for
the Arts. Titled “Hinges Keep a City: Neighborhood Stories,”
the play is produced by the Huntington Theatre Company Education
and Outreach Department's Storytelling for the Ages (STAGES)
program, in association with the Boston Center for the Arts.
"STAGES is an innovative community arts initiative that combines
oral history with the performing and visual arts," commented
Huntington Education and Outreach Director Donna Glick.
"Through this process, we gather the stories of young people
and elders from Boston neighborhoods and with the help of professional
artists, transform those stories into new works of art.”
The goal of STAGES is to forge connections between divergent Boston
communities, and to promote understanding between generations across
a spectrum of neighborhoods where the Huntington does its work. Glick
also hopes that by working with professional artists, residents will
find a unique perspective on their lives and those of their neighbors.
“Hinges” weaves together a quilt-like narrative of stories
based on real people who lived in Boston during the 20th century.
The central character, Lynnette, a modern-day young woman, interacts
with a wide range of characters who, through monologues and short
scenes, recount their experiences in living, working, and raising
families in the community. Characters with varied ethnic backgrounds
relive what life was like in Boston neighborhoods during the past
century.
"Memories, transitions, and legacies are explored throughout
the play," Glick says, "and the characters portrayed are
drawn from real people who lived their lives here." The play
centers on social issues facing these neighborhoods as well, from
racial integration and racial tension to socioeconomic disparity and
gentrification. Original music and choreography based on ethnic dances
and sounds punctuate the show, whose sets are based on paintings inspired
by the neighborhoods.
During the development process of “Hinges,” Huntington
educators conducted and transcribed nearly 300 pages of oral history
interviews with residents from the South End, Fenway, Mission Hill
and Lower Roxbury. These transcripts were turned over to a team of
professional artists who teased out common themes, focused in on the
most compelling stories and fleshed out a narrative storyline.
The artistic team include playwright Kirsten
Greenidge, theatre director Judy Braha,
visual artist Chandra Dieppa Ortiz, composer Hugh
Hinton, and the Bennett Dance Company led
by dancer/ choreographer Christine Bennett.
Early drafts of the play and each of its artistic
components (visual art, dance, music) were presented in community
forums that provided feedback, which was incorporated into the final
work. A staged reading of the play was held for community members
in October 2004.
Playwright Kirsten Greenidge says, "The task for me, and all
the artists, was to be true to the 15 people whose stories we were
using, and to present their lives and conflicts in a dramatic way.”
She says her biggest challenge was to limit the number of characters
in the play and find ways for these very different people to interact
and talk to each another. "I combined several storytellers together
to create composite characters, and in one instance, gave one man's
stories to several different characters.”
Performances of “Hinges Keep a City: Neighborhood Stories”
are free and open to the general public. However, patrons must have
physical tickets to be assured admission. Tickets can be acquired
in person at the Calderwood Pavilion Box Office, 527 Tremont Street,
or the BU Theatre Box Office, 264 Huntington Avenue. The Box Office
opens daily at 12 noon. Call 617-266-0800 for further information
and an exact performance schedule.
