This is the look of a happy fella’. It’s Opening Night of Last Stop on Market Street at The Green Room Community Theatre and, well, mushy, love-fest time.

My experience with this company on this quirky, funky odyssey of a show is what I’ve known and expect community theatre to be; a positive, creative, storytelling escape; a cooperative community effort & uplifting event—three producers and at least four organizations #crossthestreams; family involvement on- and offstage; unfettered artistic vision (let artists be artists and trust one another); void of toxicity and free of ego (no “This is my moment” moments); with gratefulness and respect to our personal lives; a simple desire not to be THE best, but be OUR best. We accomplished all of this together. “This is the way.”

I directed my first One-Act at AppState 30 years ago. I’ve learned what keeps good casts and crew coming back for more is the sanctity of the process. Good plan. Good tone. Good people. Good support. Great show. It seeps into the pores of an audience and has staying power.

My favorite line in the show is, “You never know the road people are traveling on, honey, or even if there'll come a day where you find yourself traveling on the same road.”

Last Stop on Market Street reminds us of the responsibility we have to exercise empathy, move towards what we don’t understand, and challenge ourselves to hold each other accountable in love.

Theatre has always been a good place to seek and experience diversity. The adaptation from book to stage is ripe with opportunities for diverse casts to speak and sing in languages and musical styles they and audiences alike may have never experienced on stage, before. I couldn’t be prouder of our cast and creative team for literally popping off the pages of the source material and representing the spirit and magic of Market Street. Break legs! March 17-26 #laststopmarketstreet @greenrm_theatre

Jeff Hartman
Artistic Director