NOVA is Northern Sky’s next-generation new works development and incubation initiative
Lachrisa Grandberry named as director of Northern Sky’s NOVA Initiative
A fan favorite, audiences in Door County have come to know Lachrisa Grandberry over her past five seasons with Northern Sky as a performer, playwright, and composer. Starting this year, Grandberry will add ‘program director’ to her list of roles as she will lead the organization’s newly-formed NOVA Initiative.
What is NOVA? NOVA stands for Nurturing Original Voices and Artists. It is Northern Sky Theater’s next-generation new works development and incubation initiative. The goal of NOVA is to foster, nurture, and expand creative opportunities for alumni, BIPOC, and emerging writers in Northern Sky’s development process.
“The Nova Initiative is a reflection of what Northern Sky has always been,” said Grandberry. “In my time working on Sunflowered, I learned so much in the writing process and could not have done it without the hands-on support of the leadership staff. I am in no way, shape, or form an expert, but I do have knowledge and resources to further this part of Northern Sky’s Mission. I’m excited to pay it forward and be more intimately involved with my theater home. Even more, I’m excited about the infinite possibilities that’ll come as we continue to make space for next generation storytellers.”
Elements of NOVA include: Writing Circle, explorative writing workshops; The Nesting Place, a writer to writer mentorship program; and Pot of Luck, a writer’s retreat festival. In addition to advancing these elements, Grandberry will also serve on Northern Sky’s IDEAS Task Force (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access Solutions) and will support Northern Sky’s marketing efforts to reach new audiences.
“When Lachrisa joined us in the summer of 2018, she didn’t just embrace Northern Sky, she embraced Door County,” said associate artistic director Molly Rhode. “Lachrisa’s commitment to storytelling here in the peninsula has enriched the creative fabric of our company. We are overjoyed that she’ll be lending her leadership skills to our team as we look to Northern Sky’s future.”
Lachrisa was also recently named one of Wisconsin’s 52 Most Influential Black Leaders! Anyone who’s met Lachrisa knows that her influence is palpable. We feel extremely lucky that she’s chosen to spend so much of her time in Door County, benefiting from her influence right here. Congratulations to this most deserving human!
To learn more about The NOVA Initiative, please reach out to lachrisa@northernskytheater.com.
Register for Upcoming Events
I have an IDEA!
Monday, September 11, 2023
9:00 – 11:00 AM
Virtual Workshop via Zoom
In this 2 hour workshop, writers will explore different brainstorming techniques to assemble new ideas/concepts for a new play or musical. If you are a writer with an idea for a show (or too many ideas for one show) this workshop is for you. This workshop is all about expanding the seed of an idea, and the fruit that comes from that seed.
Something about an outline…
Monday, September 18, 2023
9:00 – 11:00 AM
Virtual Workshop via Zoom
Are you having trouble getting your new musical from A-Z? Then an outline might be for you. Join us as we work through multiple styles of outlining a play/musical. Outlines can be fun, and we’ll show you how!!
Writing for the sky!
Weeks of October 16 – November 20, 2023
Day of week and time will be determined by groups availability
Virtual Meetings (Zoom)
This six-week writing circle is for writers specifically interested in writing a new musical for Northern Sky Theater. We will examine how you master the art of keeping true to your artistic voice while writing with a formula in mind.
Writing Circle – The Exchange!
Weeks of November 13 – December 18, 2023
Day of week and time will be determined by groups availability
Virtual Meetings (Zoom)
This six-week writing circle is for writers of all stages looking for accountability, exercises, and prompts to help further their process. Whether you’re new to writing, or you’ve been around the block a few times this is for you. We all get stuck, we’re all constantly looking for inspiration to carry us through the journey of writing a new show.