ABOUT THE NORTH STREET PLAYHOUSE

The North Street Playhouse began in the fall of 1986, around the proverbial kitchen table, and from the beginning, made the cultural and artistic enrichment of the Eastern Shore of Virginia its business.  Now, twenty years and over a hundred productions later, thousands of audience members have come to know the company for its quality theatre and exciting programming.

Offering three separate theatre series and more than 60 performances/events per year, The North Street Playhouse is the only regularly producing theatre company on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Despite geographic obstacles (an expensive 17 mile ride across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel), the Playhouse continues to attract audience members from the Tidewater area of Virginia, as well as from the Maryland portion of the shore, and beyond. Our mailing list now includes more than 1,600 listings from two dozen different states.

Committed to presenting top-notch productions of plays by some of the world's best playwrights, The Playhouse has won critical acclaim and popular support for the performances of its actors and its production values. A special critic's award from PortFolio Magazine was given in 1998 for North Street's production of "Purlie Victorious", and Monica Shields won PortFolio's award for Best Actress in a Comedy for her role in the same production. In 2002, we were honored to be invited to and perform at an international theatre festival in Holzhausen, Austria.

While classic comedies are a big part of its repertoire, The North Street Playhouse has consistently also produced challenging contemporary works covering topics from racial tension to A.I.D.S. Smaller productions presented as staged readings or workshop performances have allowed audiences to enjoy a wide range of both cutting-edge and classic material. Innovative programming is a priority.  Each July since 1996, in addition to a major production, the Playhouse has presented a “Summer Sampler” of programs which has included staged readings of new plays, movie series, theatre camps and acting classes, jazz and gospel concerts- even an evening of magic and juggling. We have been especially pleased with response to our children’s series for younger audiences and to our "Festival Cultural” in September, 2004, focusing on Latin/Hispanic music, art and culture.

In addition to our own productions, we have been pleased to be the venue for a number of original ballet performances, the local orchestra, and events sponsored by other Shore organizations. Once, we were even the site for a Las Vegas wedding chapel style renewal of vows. We provided the Elvis impersonator!

NORTH STREET HISTORY

During the first several years, artistic director Terry Bliss and her band of actors turned any flat space with a little room to move, into a stage. They produced surprisingly good theatre in a dozen venues from the town park gazebo in Onancock to public school auditoriums, retirement homes, and the upstairs of the town hall, developing an impressive reputation and a loyal following along the way.

In 1995, the Playhouse began producing on a year around basis and offering season subscriptions for the first time, as a result of renting its first ‘home’- a 1300 square foot storefront on -where else! - North Street in Onancock. Theatre supporters from the community pitched in to transform the old shop into an intimate auditorium with a 55-seat capacity. A Board of Directors was installed and the Playhouse was awarded not-for-profit status by the federal government. Grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Eastern Shore of Virginia Foundation allowed the company to continue to grow and enhance its productions.

In 1999, an ideal space for the expanding company presented itself- an old Dollar General store, right around the corner on Market Street. After months of renovations, 9000 square feet of open space became an intimate but versatile theatre and lobby, along with supporting scene shop and rehearsal areas, plus an art gallery, a florist/gift shop and a couple of offices.

The North Street Playhouse has become an established part of the community life of the Eastern Shore, and is proud of its wide base of support. Not only are we thankful to the numerous local businesses who are our production co-producers and advertisers, we are also very grateful for the support of a number of private and public foundations.  We count among our greatest assets a large group of dedicated and talented volunteers who enable us to produce theater of  professional quality.

Won’t you join us- on stage or back stage or a member of the audience. There’s always room for new friends and fresh ideas. We’ll look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

The general goals and purposes of the Corporation shall be to promote and encourage the appreciation of and the participation in the performing arts, particularly the theatre arts, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia through the production and presentation of performances which enrich, educate, and appeal to diverse audiences of adults and children.