Patchwork Players to Present “The Old Man and The Old Moon”

WHITEFIELD, NH—Weathervane Theatre’s 2023 Patchwork Players are proud to present The Old Man and The Old Moon. Described by Time Out New York as “a transcendent theatrical experience for all ages,” this epic sea-faring tale plays Weathervane and the North Country August 2 – September 1. It is sponsored by Crosstown Motors and New England Wire Technologies. 

The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he can remember. When his wife, the Old Woman, is drawn away by a mysterious melody, the Old Man must decide between duty and love. 

Encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, The Old Man and the Old Moon is an Americana fable about the power of love and change. This imaginative folksy quest is packed with theatre enchantment—shadow play, puppetry, live music, and more. 

The live music will be played by the Patchwork Players themselves—a first on the Patchwork stage. Composing the cast of The Old Man and the Old Moon are the 2023 Patchwork Players, six early-career artists selected from a highly-competitive nationwide search. The 2023 Patchwork Players are Jaheim Hugan (Baldwin Wallace University), Langley Leilani (University of Utah), Evan Lilienthal (Baldwin Wallace University), Madison Mintzer (University of Central Florida), Jack Prisco (Baldwin Wallace University), and Justine So (Rollins College). Madison Mintzer, Justine So, and Joseph Rivera all appear courtesy of the William Daniel Mills Theatre Apprentice Program of Central Florida.

In addition to the six Patchwork Players, three local youth performers round out the cast—Scott Black, Abigail Bovay, and Claudia Canuto. 

“It’s incredibly exciting to incorporate additional young people from our community into our programming,” says Weathervane Intern Program Director Marisa Kirby. “We’ve never done that before for a Patchwork production and it truly furthers Weathervane’s mission to make the arts more accessible for patrons and artists alike.”

Also new, this production will perform an enhanced version on the Mainstage in addition to the Patchwork stage and touring the North Country. Playing on the Mainstage for four performances only (August 4, 15, 26 and September 1), the enhanced version runs 80 minutes and features additional scenes and musical numbers as well as heightened production value. Tickets range from $14 – $19 and are available at the box office or online. For more information contact the box office by phone (603.837.9322) or by email.

In addition to these four enhanced Mainstage performances, The Old Man and the Old Moon will perform inside the Weathervane at 11 AM on Friday, August 4th and 11th as part of its regular Patchwork series. Tickets for these shortened morning performances are $9.50 and will be sold at the door. 

This shortened production will also play on the road at Bethlehem’s Colonial Theatre (Wednesday, August 2), the Lisbon Regional School (Wednesday, August 8) and Colebrook’s Great North Woods Center for the Arts (Thursday, August 9). All performances are at 11 AM. Patrons should check with the venue about ticket pricing and ordering for all touring performances.

The Old Man and the Old Moon is directed and choreographed by Marisa Kirby. It is music directed by Andrew Morrissey. The Old Man and the Old Moon also features designs by Cailan Barton (lighting design), Joseph Rivera (sound design), Rien Schlecht (set design), Kathryn Sutton (props and puppetry design), and Pyper K Williams (costume design). Additional creative team: Scout Hough (production manager), Emma Aldrich Jordan (stage manager), and Camden Dalie Keech (technical director).

ABOUT THE WEATHERVANE

The Weathervane Theatre was founded in 1965 by Gibbs Murray and the late Tom Haas and is under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Ethan Paulini. For over half a century, it has presented high quality professional productions of plays and musicals. One of the few remaining alternating rep companies in the United States, the Weathervane is recognized as a historical institution nationwide, boasting among its alumni 2021 Tony nominee Elizabeth Stanley, Tally Sessions, four-time Tony nominee Judy Kuhn and recent Tony Award Winner Ari’el Stachel. 

Weathervane can be found on Facebook and all other social media platforms @weathervanenh. 

Media Contact: Carrie Greenberg
[email protected]