The Civic Theater Project
A Civic Theater Project production is far more than a performance; every step in the creation process– from writing to rehearsing, volunteer cooking to set construction, acting to attending– is an opportunity for engagement and connection across cultural divides.
When we talk about Civic Theater, we mean theater in the broadest sense of the word – a homemade carnival, a live-action automaton, an original dinner theater performance. The common thread of our theater projects is that they involve, entertain, reflect, and contribute to the community in which we live.
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A Civic Theater Project production is far more than a performance; every step in the creation process– from writing to rehearsing, volunteer cooking to set construction, acting to attending– is an opportunity for engagement and connection across cultural divides.
While community theaters traditionally produce pre-existing “professional” plays, Civic productions are made from the town. They are set in the region where they are performed, and are written by and for people who live there. Where many theaters serve audiences who have the cultural capital needed to attend, the Civic actively connects with unlikely theater goers. Success is measured not by press recognition or awards but by the diversity and engagement of our attendees.
Our wider volunteer crew is massive, as we invite and include community participation at every step in the process. These volunteers come from all walks of life, offering a rich variety of professional and lived experiences.
The Civic Theater Project
Our latest production...
The Wedding Tale
The Wedding Tale, is an immersive soap opera by, for, and about Hardwick! On October 25-26 and November 1-2, esteemed guests are invited to celebrate the union of Taylor and Aspen—an unlikely match made not in heaven, but very close by, at the Highland Lodge. Alongside their beloved family and friends, witness their transcendent love bloom into a new chapter during a service and reception at the American Legion Hall. The evening will feature premier entertainment, a three-course meal, a cash bar, and a dance floor fit for all dancing shoes.
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This production was created by our team of writers, and features a cast of 28 local and professional actors. Click here to view the program.
Director's Note
Although we don’t see eye to eye, and think each other alien,
We do share something small that makes us more than all our failings.
For though we live by strife, and think it matters most to win it–
But what, we ask, is life without a touch of romance in it?
Hail, romance! Surprising spark! The only way through the deep dark.
Hail, flowers, and the stars above! All hail, all hail, profound and simple love!
These are the newly rewritten lyrics, set to the music of “Hail, Poetry!” from Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance.
In our original production, The Wedding Tale, this song is sung in harmony by all 27 characters—the bride and groom, their parents, relatives, friends, and neighbors, the priest and the photographer. This show is a love story about two families who don’t understand each other. It is a comedy about class and culture and nearly catastrophic misconceptions. It is about place and belonging and the reality found in two very different towns which happen to be right next to each other. And it is about being human – hopeful, joyful, afraid, and in love.
The point of making an elaborate dinner theater performance which looks and feels like an actual wedding is to get everyone in the same room, having a shared experience. But unlike a real wedding, where attendees all share a connection to the couple, our audience is there because of a shared connection to this place. The bride and groom—Hardwick and Greensboro incarnate—demonstrate how difficult it can be to come together across differences, even when we literally live next door to each other. But the reason they are trying to build a union, in spite of disapproval and discouragement, is because of love—the unplanned, inconvenient, unasked for romantic connection!
And so, our sprawling, chaotic, and sparklingly epic evening of theater invites participants to do all the things we can do when we get together in person—perform ceremonies, commit to each other, eat cake, dance, sing, embarrass ourselves, drink, fight, kiss, and make speeches. We are asking our audience to reconsider what is meant by romance, and how it might belong in our daily community interactions, not just our special occasions.
The dictionary definition of romance is “a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life.” It’s the feeling that the Civic Standard tries to bring into all our events and programs. Unnecessary delight, unexpected generosity, beauty, fun, and thoughtful small gestures. Let us woo and court each other for no good reason at all. Let’s party together in spite of our disagreements. Let’s raise a glass, whatever is in it, to romance! To love! To Taylor and Aspen and the place that made them!
Past Productions
A Christmas Carol
December 2024
Scrooge isn’t dead, he’s here in our town today! The Civic Theater Project’s adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” tells the classic holiday story, but is fully present to our shared reality. This grand production, spilling out of the of the Highland Center for the Arts, features a huge cast of professional locals, children, musicians and first time performers, and includes an elaborate feast worthy of the Crachit’s table.
Change Your Life: Hardwick's Only All Human Game Show
May 2024
“Change Your Life” was a homespun game show played by locals beginning back in 1846 and lasting until 1979. But, like many town traditions, it abruptly ended, leaving a hole in the heart of Hardwick. We are dusting off the sequins, updating the games, and bringing this interactive spectacle back to life onstage at the Hardwick Town House! Featuring thrilling games of chance and skill, fabulous prizes, and real fun, all attendees have a chance to win big, and change their lives in front of the whole audience!
The Garage of Doom
October 2023
A mysterious object has appeared in eroded soil along the Lamoille River. The exact nature of this unique and dangerous "device" is unknown. Citizens will have one opportunity to view this diabolical engine before it is permanently removed by the authorities. Viewings will be held at regular intervals in the weekend leading up to Halloween, at the site of the former Brochu Citgo Garage.
The Hardwick Midway Project
May 2022 & 2023
In the middle of Atkins Field, at the edge of downtown, you can find the famous "STEP RIGHT UP" CARDBOARD CARNIVAL. Don't miss out on a chance to play games such as "Grader Rager", "Slots O'Fun", and "What's My Job?"
Developed to Death
A Murder Mystery
April & September 2023
The Legal Voters of the Town of Hardwick (and beyond), are hereby notified and warned to act on the following business: A zoning meeting to take place at the Hardwick Legion, concerning a proposed multi-use development on Bridgman Hill. At said meeting, there just might be a murder, and (during a three course meal) the mystery of whodunit will certainly need to be solved.
WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
Contact us to help with the next big show or event. No experience necessary, all skill sets welcome.