In the beginning it was just a passion project.
When my co-founders and I launched a 2018 production of “Next to Normal,” it was a labor of love born from the combined powers of an unreasonably close trio of theater artists.
After years in the trenches of professional and educational theatre, my husband Tom, friend Newton Buchanan and I had developed complementary skill sets, a knack for reading one another’s minds, and a passion for creating meaningful artistic experiences, and we wanted to nurture young theater students in the beginning stages of their development.
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Never could we have imagined the reaction that the show would receive. We were overwhelmed by the community support and generosity from donors.
Wanting to pay it forward, we set aside a portion of the funds raised from the sold-out run and made a donation to The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. The organization is committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness — the subject at the heart of “Next to Normal.”
It was then we realized we had an opportunity to be a catalyst for change — for young actors, for the arts community and for local nonprofits. Thus, New Light Theatre (NLT) was officially founded with a mission to create productions that raise awareness and support for causes that improve the human condition, while also providing opportunities for emerging theater artists to work in a professional setting.
NLT believes that theater has the power to be a force for change in the world, to bring light to the darkness, to connect us in the human experience, and to deepen our empathy and understanding of one another.
By partnering each production with a thematically connected charitable cause, we are able to raise awareness and financial support throughout the course of the show and beyond.
In addition to donating a portion of our proceeds to our partner organizations, we use our social media platforms and lobby space during productions to amplify the work that these nonprofits do in the community. We educate audiences on the resources available to them and how to become advocates in their community.
We also turn to our partner charities to provide training sessions to our cast and crew during the rehearsal process. This allows our artists to be better informed voices for the cause and portray more truthful and respectful representations on stage. Our partner charities also are gifted a block of performance tickets which they can distribute to the communities that they serve.
Since its founding, NLT has produced five in-person productions, including “Othello,” which raised awareness and funds for the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence; “Shakespeare’s R&J” — by local playwright Joe Calarco — in support of PFLAG Wilmington; and RENT, which raised more than $1,000 for AIDS Delaware and provided an opportunity for cast members to continue their support after the curtain fell by performing for participants in the Wilmington AIDS Walk last September.
Like many of our fellow arts groups, NLT pivoted to virtual programming during the pandemic, including two fully mounted streamed shows, a tutorial series with a variety of industry professionals, and a monthly music video. We were buoyed by the engagement during this time, but as was the case for so many arts and entertainment organizations, COVID took its toll.
This week, we will join our fellow nonprofits as we embark on one of the most important fundraising initiatives of the year — Do More 24 Delaware. During a 24-hour period between March 2 and 3, any donation made to NLT – and hundreds of other nonprofits throughout the state — will be met with extra dollars in the form of matching gifts, rewards and incentives.
We cannot continue our mission to empower young artists and shine a light on important issues in our community, without the support of the people of Delaware.
Please visit domore24delaware.org between 6 p.m. on March 2 and 6 p.m. on March 3 and make a donation to New Light Theatre, or another Delaware nonprofit close to your heart.
This critical funding allows us to illuminate important causes within our community, support our actors and produce high-quality theater that makes a difference.
In just a few weeks, we will present Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge,” March 17-26 at OperaDelaware Studios in Wilmington. Directed by Megan Bellwoar, the show — a troubling family saga about immigrants navigating early 1950s New York — will support RISE, the Refugee Integration Support Effort, a division of Jewish Family Services.
Thanks to your support, these productions are possible. We hope to see you in March!
Lena Mucchetti is the artistic director of New Light Theatre. She is a theater maker, artist and parent. Lena has worked as an actor, stage manager, director, and makeup artist for theaters throughout the greater Philadelphia area and has spent much of the last decade directing high school and college students around Delaware.
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