The New Hampshire Theatre Project mounts productions and runs educational programs for people who are passionate about the stage. Linda Chase, who served as House Manager for a recent production, got involved with the project about six years ago.
LINDA: I have had the dream of being an actor since I was a very little girl, but never the courage to attempt it. I became an attorney. I loved speaking in court. I became a teacher after twenty five years and became an actor in my classroom, but I never dared to pursue the dream for myself until I was fifty eight years old and discovered New Hampshire Theater Project.
I was inspired by an artist in residence who came to my fifth grade class and opened me up to the possibility that maybe dreams could come true at age 58. And I also discovered that Genevieve Aichele, the artist director of the NH Theater Project, was giving an adult acting class and I signed up. I’ve been attending that class now for six years and I’ve been given the courage, the opportunity to learn and train as an actor, discover talents I thought I might have but was never quite sure, to perform in two of their professional productions and actually earn a little money as an actor.
NH Theater Project has given me a safe, nurturing environment in which to train and perform. If it didn’t exist I don’t think at age sixty three I would be able to say my dream has come true. I am an actor.
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