A Note from the Artistic Director

I hope this finds you healthy and adjusting well to life in our “new normal.”

Since March 1st, when the curtain fell on our production of Pinocchio – A Commedia Adventure, life has changed dramatically and Newton Theatre Company has had to change with it. Our in-person theatre spaces sit dark, but we have kept the theatre lights on by pivoting to productions over Zoom. Our world is different but our mission stays the same: to bring excellent, accessible and relevant theatre to our community.

The purpose of theatre is to explore what it means to be human.  Our goal is to entertain, but also to arouse emotion, stimulate thoughtful reflection, and even inspire action. While we have continued to do that, we know we can do better by including different voices on and off stage. We have set goals for ourselves at Newton Theatre Company that we want to share with you. 

Beginning with our new season, we will seek to cast at least 40 percent of our roles across the year’s productions with artists of color.  We pledge that at least 30 percent of the shows we do will be written by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) playwrights, with an emphasis on female writers. We are reaching out to local BIPOC directors and are excited to collaborate. We also pledge to make fundamental changes at the board level by growing our four-person Board of Directors to six, adding two BIPOC members. We are thrilled to welcome our newest board member Tamika Olszewski.

Our Season 2020-2021 will begin with a virtual production inspired by the anti-racism work, demonstrations, and courage of those fighting for social and racial justice: 

Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 by Anna Deavere Smith on October 10th

• Starring Equity Actor Regan Sims
• Directed by Rosalind Bevan

Stay tuned for more details on our exciting upcoming season!

For more information, like our Facebook page, or subscribe to our email list!

Hope to see you at our next show!

Melissa Bernstein

Melissa Bernstein (Artistic Director) founded the Newton Theatre Company in 2013 and has directed most Newton Theatre Company shows including Wonder, Our Town, The Song of Achilles: Parts I and II, The Imaginary Invalid, Junie B. Jones and That Yucky Blucky Fruitcake, The Importance of Being Earnest, Agamemnon, Junie B. Jones and that Meanie Jim's Birthday, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Bourgeois Gentleman (or The Would-Be Hipster), The Oresteia, Junie B. Jones Sneaky Peaky Spying, Ethan Frome, Natural Shocks, Ada and the Engine, Iphigenia at Aulis, Living in Exile, Mansfield Park, Women,Exhibiting, It's a Wonderful Life, Helen, The Witches, Marie Antoinette,Pinocchio, Sorry, Wrong Number, The War of the Worlds, Rebecca, All About Eve, Under Milk Wood and The Mrs . She was the founder and Executive Director of the Newton Youth Players, housed in the Newton Cultural Center at City Hall. Over the program's history she has directed over 50 productions involving close to one thousand youth actors. Melissa holds a Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an MFA in Playwriting/ Theatre Education from Emerson College and a BA in Theatre from SUNY-Binghamton.