The Kearsarge Arts Theatre (KAT) Company is a long-established, non-profit summer program for children interested in the arts. Based in the New London area of New Hampshire, KAT operates out of the Kearsarge Regional High School annually for the entire month of July. Classes primarily run Monday through Thursday, and give students a wide variety of classes, including Chorus, Dance, Visual Art, Photography, Acting, Improv, Costuming, Technical Theatre, and much more. Depending on the class offerings, students have the option of taking up to two morning classes and one afternoon class. The end of the month culminates in performances for those in the higher-level performing arts classes, and are treated as a community or even small professional musical production, open to the public.
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Programs
KAT offers a variety of classes within its summer program, which may vary year to year and often attempt to tie into the themes of the mainstage shows.
Youtheatre
KAT's longest-running and mainstage theatre class is Youtheatre. Students audition for parts at the beginning of the month, and participate in rigorous rehearsals 12:45-4PM, Monday through Thursday, to collaborate on large-scale, Broadway-style musicals that show for five performances at the end of the fourth week. Students receive experience working with a large cast, professional music directors and dance choreographers, and working in a professional rehearsal process with integrated technical and performance processes.
Youtheatre productions tend to be large, lavish, and generally well received. Recent productions include musicals such as Peter Pan, Godspell, The Wizard of Oz, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and Seussical the Musical. Alternatively, KAT occasionally produces new and original musicals, such as its award-winning 2002 production of A You & Me World, or the similarly themed Hope Is Like a Feather (2007) and the recurring Mail to the Chief (2000 & 2004). In 2010 they performed A Star Spangled Salute, honoring the soldiers fighting overseas. Casts often number well into the seventies, including performers aged 8–18 with varying levels of experience, and occasional professional guest performers and returning alumni.
KAT Kabaret
More geared towards the experienced performer, KAT Kabaret begins the summer program with a week-long intensive rehearsal process. Under the direction of Robb Dimmick, students learn to interact with an audience in a more intimate space and setting. Often set in the round or thrust-stage style, performances take place in the school's cafeteria/lobby area, which undergoes major transformations to become the chosen production's setting. Performers interact with audiences before the performances in an optional dessert-theatre. Drinks, desserts and treats are available for additional purchase, and the performers act as waiters, chefs and hosts at individual tables.
Productions range from original revues created by Dimmick to full musicals. Recent productions include noted Broadway shows like Putting It Together (2008), Honk! The Musical (2007), and original revues Christmas in July (2006) and A Celtic Cabaret (2005). The revue-style format, smaller casts and more intimate playing space (under 100 seats) give students the chance to build strong ensemble work while allowing each the opportunity to shine in various musical numbers. With an earlier production schedule (beginning one week before normal KAT classes, and performing one week in) older performers often take KAT Kabaret concurrently with KAT Youtheatre, allowing for a largely varied theatrical experience for the month of July.
In 2009, Kabaret celebrated its 20th year with Celebrate! 20 Songs for 20 Years, a musical theatre revue which was built around the talents and performing style of each individual ensemble member. For the first time in its 20-year history, KAT cut Kabaret's performing schedule from two weekends down to one, adding an extra matinee showing for younger (and elderly) audiences.
Awards and honors
Throughout its long history, KAT has received many honors and recognitions for both its staff and its productions.
Outstanding productions
In 2002, Dr. Lindberg's original musical production of A You & Me World, performed with an international cast and based on the writings of children across the world, gained recognition as the New England Theatre Conference's pick for Youth & Children's Theatre category before going on to win the prestigious Moss Hart Trophy as the Overall Best Production for 2002. At the awards ceremony in Bedford, New Hampshire, Dr. Lindberg thanked the NETC for recognizing "unique and outstanding productions throughout the six state region," and announced that an international tour of the production would be taking place in South Africa the following summer.
Additionally, starting in 2008, KAT applied for submission into the statewide New Hampshire Theatre Awards. In its first competing production (The Wizard of Oz), KAT took away 11 top-ten nominations in the community theatre category, including Best Director and Best Production. At the NHTA ceremony on February 10, 2009, KAT was honored to receive two awards for members in its production: Best Costume Design (Jessica Pribble), and Best Actor (Kai de Mello-Folsom, for his work as "The Scarecrow"). In its second year running, KAT has been nominated for 7 top-ten nominations for its production of Godspell.
Artistic Director Trish Lindberg
Artistic Director Dr. Trish Lindberg has notably been the recipient of numerous awards for her work in the integrated arts and children's theatre. In 2003, she received the National Youth Theatre Director of the Year Award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education (AATE). The same year, Dr. Lindberg was named the Plymouth State University Distinguished Teacher of the Year (2003) and one of New Hampshire's most remarkable women by New Hampshire Magazine (2003). In 2004, she was awarded New Hampshire Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and in 2007 she received the Excellence in Education Award from the New Hampshire Department of Education. In 2007, Dr. Lindberg was specially honored with the Excellence in Children's Theatre Award from the New Hampshire Theatre Awards, a statewide non-profit organization which recognizes outstanding productions and contributions to the NH Theatre scene, professionally and in the community sector.
National and international tours
For nearly a decade, KAT has been the hub for a number of international theatrical tours, hosted independently or through the Plymouth State University's International Outreach programs. In these programs, a handful of student performers
In 2000, KAT began its tradition with a national tour of its original summer production, Mail to the Chief. Written and conceived by Dr. Trish Lindberg, the production was based on the writings by American children to the next president, and in its touring production featured 45 young performers from Massachusetts and New Hampshire. After premiering in NH, the production was invited to the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for a special run of performances for its newly commissioned, free public performance Millennium Stage Theatre.