In the summer of 2017, ‘Helping Hands,’ a new sculpture, was installed on a vacant city-owned lot at the corner of Perry and Montgomery streets in Trenton, New Jersey. Shortly after, there were claims that the sculpture too closely resembled a gang symbol and could send the wrong message to residents—so, the piece was removed and placed back in its artist’s studio.
Now, the piece—and surrounding issues—are being examined in a new show, and it highlights what one piece of art can mean to a community.
Trenton-based company Passage Theatre will be continuing on its 37th season with ‘The OK Trenton Project,’ based on that exact experience. What the show is aiming to do is explore the role of art and the impact it can make on people when it’s taken away.
As Passage’s Artistic Director Ryanne Domingues explained, the theatre’s mission is to create and produce socially relevant new plays and art programs that resonate with and reflect their diverse and unique community.
“We do this through three main programs,” Domingues explains. “Our main-stage productions, Passage Youth Programs, and PlayLab, which is the program we created to help develop new theatrical work. We strive to foster authentic relationships with local nonprofits that address the topics touched on in our shows, and often hold talkbacks and panel discussions that allow our audiences to dig deeper into these topics as well. All in all, we are about using theatre as a way to start conversations that will encourage concrete solutions and positive change in our community.”
The PlayLab that Domingues described was designed to provide additional resources to playwrights who are writing for diverse audiences while simultaneously addressing topics relevant to the community. It was started by former Artistic Director June Ballinger and former Associate Artistic Director (and co-writer of ‘The OK Trenton Project’) David Lee White. The program has been expanded in recent years with the goal of offering support over the timespan of three years to writers in the field culminating in a full-scale production on Passage’s main-stage.
“While each piece of theatre and each writer is completely different—and therefore calls for a different developmental process—the writers that have gone through the program in its current incarnation have received a number of professional workshops, small stipends to supplement their income, and resources that aid in necessary research, etc. along the way. ‘The OK Trenton Project’ is the first play to be developed through this newer process, and ‘Group!’, the new musical we are producing in May, will be the second,” Domingues explains. “We have learned a lot along the way about how to better foster and support playwrights, and we hope to further improve the process with every show.”
‘The OK Trenton Project,’ as stated, was part of [our] program, and it took about four years to complete. The plot follows the work of the 17 students from a summer camp run by the nonprofit group HomeFront, in collaboration with Isles, Inc., and artist Eric Schultz of Grounds for Sculpture. Together, when they built ‘Helping Hands,’ the after-effects of removing the structure played a larger role in what unfolds for Trenton’s community.
This particular show is also part of Passage’s Trenton Makes’ season, demonstrating their commitment to telling their community’s important stories, and giving Trenton residents a voice in their artistic programming. The cultural organization is repeating this ideology for the rest of 2022 as well. Philadelphians can also keep an eye out for more shows in the future from passage such as ‘Junior High #2: The Hedgepeth-Williams Story’ and ‘Group!’
“The OK Trenton Project’ and ‘Junior High #2: The Hedgepeth-Williams Story’ are both based on true stories that happened in our city, so I wanted to find another show that would feel similarly close to home,” says Domingues. “While the musical ‘Group!’ is not a true story, the piece is set in Trenton, and touches on the topics of mental health and addiction—two issues our community is struggling with right now. While all three shows address difficult topics, they also feature characters with huge hearts who fight for what they believe in. They remind us that the people in Trenton carry with them an enormous amount of strength and hope. I thought that in the wake of the past few years, it would be good to produce a season that would unify us as a community, lift us up, and inspire us to keep going.”
The world premiere production of ‘The OK Trenton Project’ will play onstage at the Mill Hill Playhouse (205 E. Front Street, Trenton) from Feb. 10 to 27.
“For me, this show is about discovering how to make decisions out of hope for the future rather than fear of the past. It’s about what we are passing on to the next generation,” Domingues explains.
Stories that should be heard will continue to be a priority for Passage.
Next up for the theater and its PlayLab program will be ‘I Am Not Okay’, by Marcus D. Harvey, an interview-based play that investigates the causes behind the rise in suicides within local Black and Brown communities. The program will also be undergoing a bit of a change designed to help playwrights when submitting work.
“That show is in its first year of the program, and is slated to premiere in 2024. What we are working on now is a better way for playwrights to submit to PlayLab. We are hoping to develop a panel of people who can help read and consider submissions for the program, which would allow for a more equitable and accessible opportunity,” continues Domingues. “The program in its current incarnation is still very new, so we are still looking for sponsors and funding to better support it. New work is incredibly expensive to develop and produce, but it is absolutely essential if we want our art-form to remain relevant. My hope is that programs like PlayLab can peak the curiosity of the public with regards to how plays are made, and perhaps even deepen their appreciation of the challenging, yet incredibly rewarding journey.”
The artistic director also noted that the venue is about a 10-15 minute walk away from the Trenton Transit Center (easily accessible by SEPTA or NJ Transit), “so if people have never been to Passage, we’d love to welcome them to the Playhouse.”
Those who are interested in finding out more about ‘The OK Trenton Project’ or the topic it addresses can also check out details and a link on their website at passagetheatre.org.
