Haverhill, MA (August 19, 2024) – More than a year after it initially touched down, Northern Essex Community College Theater’s production of “Hurricane Diane” is still going strong. The multi-national award-winning show will be performed at Newburyport’s Firehouse Center for the Arts this fall.

“This is a wonderful collaboration. The Firehouse supports us, and we support them,” says director and NECC Professor Brianne Beatrice. “Theater is a community and we’re proud that more people will get to see what our students can do.”

“Hurricane Diane” cast

The show has already made a splash on the national collegiate theater scene. “Hurricane Diane” was originally staged as NECC Theater’s Spring ’23 production. It was then selected as a Region 1 finalist for the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). Beatrice and most of the original cast restaged the whole show for the festival this past February. The show, its cast, crew, and Beatrice were then selected for a series of national awards from the KCACTF. At the ceremony this past spring in Washington, D.C., they took home 13 awards total, the most of any college including many four-year private schools.

“It was just mindboggling,” recalls Beatrice. “It was such a blur.”

The title role in Hurricane Diane is played by Liberal Arts: Writing major Mirrorajah Metcalfe of Haverhill. Metcalfe was named one of three winners in the “Outstanding Performance by An Actor” category at the KCACTF. While that is an extraordinary accomplishment for any actor, Beatrice says it’s even more remarkable considering Metcalfe had very little acting experience before getting involved with NECC Theater.

“Theater at community college gives students so many opportunities. It’s an incubator for wherever they want to go or whatever they want to do.”

Hurricane Diane will open at the Firehouse on October 4, 2024, at 7 pm. Additional shows will be on October 5 at 7 pm and October 6 at 2 pm. Ticket sales are expected to begin in the next few weeks.

Northern Essex offers a variety of theater and acting courses. Additionally, they stage several full productions and readings throughout the year. Anyone interested in learning more about NECC Theater or the audition process should email Professor Beatrice at bbeatrice@necc.mass.edu.