STONINGTON — Opera House Arts is honored to present the world premiere of Lena Kaminsky’s “Salvage”, the newest production in our continuing tradition of offering audiences the opportunity to experience contemporary theater. As an artistic team, we eagerly await the response of an audience and hope theatergoers are as excited as we are to be part of this creative process.
In 2020 writer and actor Kaminsky began to write a play. After a robust career in New York and regional theaters, Kaminsky found herself turning more and more to the page. And with the pandemic shutting down live theatre and leaving actors stranded in front of their zoom screens, she began to crave the human connection that is so much a part of everyday life. Having moved Upstate from New York City, she found a little bit of normalcy in a most unexpected place – the town dump.
“I grew up on Long Island, and our garbage was picked up by a truck every week. I never encountered “the dump” until we moved Upstate and got a transfer station pass. In my mind I expected a place filled with trash, but it was a beautiful spot with rolling hills and open sky. I was struck by its beauty, by the organization of it. Someone would bring something to drop off, and someone else needed it. Consciously or unconsciously, people were helping each other. The dump is the place we let go of our trash, but it also becomes a place where strangers meet, where connections are formed, and where getting rid of something may be a gift for someone else.”
Over the next year, Kaminsky worked on the play that became known as “Salvage”, doing some informal readings, and eventually sending it out to producers and directors.
In 2023 Kaminskycame to Opera House Arts to appear in “Almost, Maine” and was immediately struck by the sense of community on the Island. The way people knew each other’s lives so well, the way they welcomed visitors. Kaminsky went on to say, “In small towns, people take care of each other in a different way. My mother grew up in a tiny, rural town in Denmark, and I see it there. I see it where I live, and I see it in Stonington. “
While working on the 2023 season, Artistic Director Kathryn Markey took inspiration from playwright John Cariani’s thoughts on the need for plays that represent rural characters with dignity, heart, and full lives. She read Salvage and thought it was a perfect match for OHA’s mission and community. Kaminsky and OHA are both thrilled to be collaborating on this world premiere production.
Opening night: June 20 at 7 p.m. Performances: June 21, 22, 26, 27, 28 at 7 p.m. and June 23 and 30 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $29, $39, and $49
Purchase tickets here 17 & Under Half Price
All live performances are free for K-12 Hancock County students. Call ahead to reserve.
Kaminsky is thrilled that “Salvage” is premiering at the Stonington Opera House where she was last seen on stage in “Almost, Maine” directed by Kathryn Markey. Her short film “Little Mouse” (written & directed) premiered at Dances With Films, NYC where it won the Audience Award. Her short play “Crime of Curiosity” premiered in Chicago with The Eclectic Full Contact Theatre and she is currently in post-production for the film “Last Hope” (written & directed). Kaminsky studied acting at Emerson College and has been working in the theater professionally for over 20 years. She is a member of The Dramatists Guild and The Actors Center. As an actor, she has worked in tv, film, and regional theaters around the country. She lives with her wife in NYC.
Kaminsky’s (Carla) most recent credits include The Age of Innocence at The Old Globe, and A Bright New Boise at the Signature Theatre in NYC. On Broadway she appeared in Harry Potter & the Cursed Child, and The Lyons. She has performed Off-Broadway at the Playwright’s Realm, Director’s Company, The Play Company, Roundabout, and Axis theaters. Her film credits include The Dark Tower, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and Human Capital. She has been featured on television in recurring and guest starring roles in FBI: Most Wanted, Chicago Med, Manifest, Billions, The Sinner,’ Younger, Madam Secretary, and Law & Order. Eva has also recorded over 350 audio book titles.
Chris Thorn (Kenny) appeared on Broadway in Death of A Salesman (2022) and Bernhardt/Hamlet at the Roundabout Theatre. His Off-Broadway credits include Greater Clements at Lincoln Center, Pride and Prejudice at Primary Stages, and King John at the NY Shakespeare Exchange. His film and television credits include Madam Secretary, Evil, The Good Fight, Girls on the Bus. A native of South Berwick, Maine, he attended Boston University where he received a BFA and was awarded an MFA at the University of Idaho.
Adina Alexander (Elaine) was a member of the original Broadway cast of Kinky Boots, Wicked, Wedding Singer, Urban Cowboy and Parade where she made her Broadway Debut. Off Broadway she has appeared in Adding Machine, Love Janis, Ruthless, Leap of Faith, and The No Thrills Revue. She has appeared on television in FBI, Law and Order, The Deuce, The Last OG, Bull, Lights Out, and Nurse Jackie. A member of The Actors Center, Alexander has performed at regional theaters across the nation.
Kathryn Markey is a director, actor, writer, and creative entrepreneur and serves as the Artistic Director of Opera House Arts. She is the co-curator of Plays For Us, finding and developing new work with substantial roles for women, and has been a featured artist at Symphony Space, Merkin Concert Hall, and In Your Face New York. She is an audiobook narrator, a comedy writer, one-third of the satirical country band The Chalks, and a solo performance artist. Her career spans New York, regional and international screens and stages, from Broadway to Stockholm with many stops in between. A native Vermonter, Kathryn spent 20 summers working in theaters around New England and the Northeast, and is thrilled to connect and create with the folks of Deer Isle and Opera House Arts. Proud Member of Actors Equity, SAG-Aftra, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and the Writers Guild of America.
Designers
Scenic design by Braden Hooter
Lighting design by Shannon O’Rourke
Costume design by Therese Bruck
Sound Design by Brandon Gautier
Opera House Arts is grateful to the Anahata Foundation, the Maine Community Foundation, the Town of Stonington, the Onion Foundation, and many friends and donors who have enabled us to produce this remarkable performance.
We are also funded, in part, by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Opera House Arts, a 501 [c] [3] nonprofit organization, was founded in 1999 to restore the 1912 Stonington Opera House, on the National Register of Historic Places, and its original purpose as a performance space and community cornerstone. Professional theatre, movies, variety acts, music and dance, educational programs, and special events are offered year-round. Hancock County students are invited to attend live performances for free thanks to the generous supporters of Opera House Arts.
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