CCB MEDIA PHOTO
Matt Kohler and Aisha Stewart of the New Classics Company, which is based at the Guyer Barn in Hyannis.
HYANNIS – The New Classics Company, based out of the Guyer Barn in Hyannis, has a number of events planned for this summer from plays to readings to a movie series on the Hyannis Village Green.
The group is kicking off the summer with a staged reading of “Proof” by David Auburn. on June 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Guyer Barn. This show will feature Martha Paquin, Matt Kohler, Robert Bock and Aisha Stewart.
Their other staged readings this summer include: “Mary Sister Ignatius Explains it All to You” by Christopher Durang, on July 29; “Alice”, an original by Greg Parker, on July 1; and “Mrs. Warren’s Profession” by Bernard Shaw, on August 28. All the play readings will be at the Guyer Barn and are free and open to the public.
The group will also be producing two mainstage productions and a special performance.
“Alex Comes Clean,” written and directed by Matt Kohler is about a young girl who struggles with one of life’s biggest struggles, cleaning her bedroom. The play will be presented July 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, and 25 at 7 p.m., and 12, 19, and 26 at 5 p.m.
In “Alice,” written and directed by Greg Parker, the world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice Liddell gets a makeover in a New Classics adaptation of an old classic. It will be performed August 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7 p.m., and 9, 16, and 23 at 5 p.m.
“Laugh it Up Fuzzball: New Classics Presents A New Hope!” is written and performed by Matt Kohler, Brett Burkhardt, and Justin Jay Gray, and is adapted from the film by George Lucas. It will be presented for one weekend only, July 3 at 7 p.m. and July 4 at 9 p.m.
Movies will be shown at the Guyer Barn on Sundays at 7 p.m. These are also free and open to the public. Here is the list of movies: June 7: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; June 21: National Lampoon’s Vacation; July 5: Big; July 12: Young Frankenstein; July 19: Dirty Dancing; July 26: Mrs. Doubtfire; August 9: Monty Python; August 23: Dr. Strangelove; and August 30: The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
There will also be movies shown on the Hyannis Village Green. Here is the schedule: June 14: The Wizard of Oz; June 28: Wall-e; August 2: Casablanca; and August 16: Guardians of the Galaxy.
The New Classics Company was founded by three young people who wanted to bring a fresh approach to theater to Cape Cod.
It was formed in the summer of 2013 by college classmates, Brett Burkhardt, Matt Kohler, and Justin Jay Gray, as a way to help them self-produce their three man production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged.
Since that time, they have blossomed into a full-fledged theatre company and this summer, their second at the Guyer Barn in Hyannis, they are producing not only plays, reading and workshops, but also a movie night on the Hyannis Village Green.
Devoted to the reinvigoration of theatre, the New Classics Company seeks to produce exciting, original work, as well as reimagined classic works. In addition, New Classics prides itself on its commitment to communication between art forms, seeking to create a large network of artists across a vast range of disciplines, embracing the theatre’s nature to inspire collaboration between all art forms.
Relying heavily on modern dramatic techniques, such as projections, audience interactions, and environmental staging, the theater group strives to help push the art form fully into the 21st century, and create the next generation of classic theatre. Above all, the group remains committed to engaging with its mission by providing professional quality entertainment at minimal cost to the audience.
Raised on Cape Cod, Matt Kohler is a 2012 graduate of Keene State College who holds a degree in Theatre and Dance with a specialization in directing.
Since graduating, Kohler has been working steadily as a freelance theater director, technician, producer and teacher. He has been an assistant drama coach for the Barnstable High School Drama Club since the fall of 2012, as well as the production manager of the D-Y High School Drama Department since spring of 2013.
Kohler has worked with the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, Boston Children’s Theatre, Iowa Pacific Holdings, ArtsEmerson and Cotuit Center for the Arts, among others.
He has also been working as an assistant director with the entertainment company, Quahog Corner, on developing an educational children’s television show that teaches kids how to draw.
Listen below to Matt Kohler and Aisha Stewart discuss the New Classics Company.
