Pontine Theatre "The peace of portsmouth"
Pontine Theatre premiered its original play "The Peace of Portsmouth" to rave reviews on April 22nd and reprised performances for the Centennial celebration. Using period newspaper articles, historical photographs, and turn of the century music and staging techniques, Co-Artistic Directors, Greg Gathers and Marguerite Mathews (NH Artist Laureate 02-06), explore this international diplomatic event from the viewpoint of the local citizens. "The Peace of Portsmouth" provides a glimpse of Portsmouth as it was in the summer of 1905.
The entire text of Pontine's play was drawn from historical sources, particularly research in local newspapers of the day which detailed a chronicle of intimate encounters between local townspeople and the foreign celebrities, including:
"The Peace of Portsmouth" premiered on April 22, 2005, ran through May 8, 2005 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, then resumed performances on Thursday Aug 11 and Sep 1 and Sunday Aug 14 and 28. Performances were held at Pontine's West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington Street, Portsmouth.
The entire text of Pontine's play was drawn from historical sources, particularly research in local newspapers of the day which detailed a chronicle of intimate encounters between local townspeople and the foreign celebrities, including:
- A tea hosted by Mrs. Helen C. Knight, Portsmouth's oldest resident, which featured the use of genuine Japanese tea which the hostess had received as a gift over 30 years previously.
- Baron Rosen's embarrassed reaction to the "crowd of camerists," who pursue him day and night to "catch him dishabille."
- The Japanese Fete held in York Harbor featuring a jiu jitsu demonstration by Professor Yamashita and a host of local girls, "dressed in Russian peasant garb and dispensing lemonade and other cooling drinks."
"The Peace of Portsmouth" premiered on April 22, 2005, ran through May 8, 2005 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, then resumed performances on Thursday Aug 11 and Sep 1 and Sunday Aug 14 and 28. Performances were held at Pontine's West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington Street, Portsmouth.
A Pontine Community Theatre Workshop
Pontine focused their six-week series of workshops on acting and stagecraft around their original play, created from actual newspaper accounts of the Treaty summer of 1905. The workshops took place on Tuesdays, September 16 through October 28 at West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington Street, Portsmouth.
Open to all, with no experience necessary, the workshop proved especially good for teachers of world history looking for creative ways to incorporate "World War Zero" and turn of the century international relations in their classrooms. The workshop concluded with three public performances (reading from the script) of “The Peace of Portsmouth” on October 31, November 1 and 2 using the original props created for the play in 2005.
Pontine focused their six-week series of workshops on acting and stagecraft around their original play, created from actual newspaper accounts of the Treaty summer of 1905. The workshops took place on Tuesdays, September 16 through October 28 at West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington Street, Portsmouth.
Open to all, with no experience necessary, the workshop proved especially good for teachers of world history looking for creative ways to incorporate "World War Zero" and turn of the century international relations in their classrooms. The workshop concluded with three public performances (reading from the script) of “The Peace of Portsmouth” on October 31, November 1 and 2 using the original props created for the play in 2005.