Next, we chatted with Mark Hoebee, the Producing Artistic Director  at NAMT member Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, NJ about the theatre’s upcoming world premiere of The Sting, by Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone, Fest ’04), Mark Hollmann (The Girl, The Grouch, and The Goat; Fest ’91) and Greg Kotis. The musical is based on the 1973 film of the same name.

New musicals are the key focus of Paper Mill Playhouse’s mission; tell us a little more about that mission, and what makes Paper Mill such a special place to develop new work.

A key part of our mission is to foster a creative environment for advancing the art form. We strive to be as supportive and collaborative as possible during the arduous process of premiering a new work. That means committing all of the resources of our organization including a skilled and dedicated staff, a state-of-the-art facility, and the best stage crew in the business. It’s also an advantage to be so close to New York City, which enables the artists involved in our productions to maintain a “home base.”  Our mission also stresses developing future theater lovers, and what better way to do that than to present new work.  Our audience becomes part of that birthing processthey get to see it first!

Read More