Help Fund 'The Red Badge of Courage' at Southampton Cultural Center
Boots on the Ground Theater, which had a “wildly successful” debut withThe Miracle Worker in April 2018, has achieved funding for their next production, The Red Badge of Courage, at Southampton Cultural Center. But the campaign isn’t over! They’re continuing to gather money for two more days to improve the production, through Wednesday, August 22!
The original $6,000 goal was reduced to $5,000 early on, thanks to the generosity of North Haven artist April Gornik, but they’ve since met and exceeded that goal to the tune of $9,260, according to an announcement on Monday. With two days left, Boots on the Ground Theater is hoping to reach $10,000—that’s just $740 more.
Donations will help bring playwright Catherine Bush’s new adaptation of Stephen Crane’s classic story to life at the Southampton Cultural Center this fall with authentic costumes, props and sets. They have invited Civil War re-enactors and Wounded Warriors to be a part of the acting ensemble. Free performances, with Q&A sessions, will also be held for local students.
Anyone donating $100 or more will receive two tickets to any performance.
Led by producer Bonnie Grice and director Josephine Teresi-Wallace, the show represents the heart of Crane’s novel, which has been called a “parable of the inner battle every man must fight.” Set during the Civil War, it tells the story of Henry Fleming, a young Union soldier who battles his inner demons as he runs from and eventually faces his greatest fears.
Published in 1895,The Red Badge of Courage is considered the first great war novel, though it has surprising anti-war overtones. The book has never gone out of print since its first publication.
You can watch Grice and Teresi-Wallace talk about the production in the video below.
Southampton Cultural Center is holding open auditions for The Red Badge of Courage on Sunday, August 26 at 5:30 p.m., and Monday, August 27 at 6:30 p.m. There are several male roles to fill for professional and student actors.
The play will be performed at the Southampton Cultural Center (25 Pond Lane) this fall, from October 19 to November 4.