Distant Voices Touring Theatre

• Wilmington, DE
• 302-494-2109
• visit website

Distant Voices Touring Theatre (DVTT) is a professional non-profit arts organization dedicated to producing and performing original works for the stage that bring to life historical issues that still resonate in today's society. The organization was founded in 1999 by Danny Peak and Julie Nishimura who continue to serve as Artistic Directors. Mr. Peak (Director, Playwright and Actor) has directed productions off Broadway and at many regional theatres across the country and from 1985 to 1994 served as Assistant Artistic Director at the Delaware Theatre Company. Julie Nishimura (Musical Director and Pianist) is the faculty accompanist for the Department of Music at the University of Delaware and has performed at Carnegie's Weill Hall in New York City, the Delaware Chamber Festival, the Philadelphia Orchestra Connection Series and the Delaware Symphony's Chamber Music Series. The company is currently touring two productions: Distant Voices and September Echoes. Distant Voices is a dramatic reading, with piano underscoring, of the diary of Hiroaki Nishimura written during his experiences as an internee in the Japanese American Internment Camps of World War II. DVTT's second docudrama, September Echoes, focuses on the voices and events of September 11 and explores the challenging issues of balancing national security with our civil liberties. DVTT continues its commitment to expanding its existing repertory and as such, will premiere a third original work, Reflections on an Execution in the 2008 "“ 2009 season. The play will deal with the ongoing controversy surrounding the trial and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and will examine this country's struggle between national security and Constitutional rights during the McCarthy era. The play will feature trial transcripts, newspaper articles, political speeches and letters written by the Rosenbergs during their imprisonment. For this work, a composer was commissioned to write an original score for piano and cello. In conjunction with our productions, we also offer post-show discussions for adult audiences and pre-show workshops for student performances. Post-show discussions provide adults opportunities to examine and discuss a range of ideas and perspectives while opening a dialogue that promotes cultural understanding and mutual respect. Likewise, pre-show workshops give students an historical and political background on the productions as well as an interactive learning environment to role-play, question, and reflect upon current issues such as racial profiling, exclusion and civil liberties. DVTT tours to a variety of venues including arts centers, religious institutions, public libraries, senior citizen communities, universities, elementary and secondary schools. Each season, we seek to serve a wide and diverse population, in particular, educational institutions and those organizations unable to afford our regular performance fees.

Lectures & Workshops Music Theater & Performance Northern Delaware

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