July 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New City Scenic begins renovations on Historic Town Hall
Easthampton, MA – July 7th 2008.
In preparation for the arrival of the volunteer run arts collective, Flywheel, New City Scenic & Display, Inc., an Easthampton based event design and fabrication company, are donating their services to remove non-weight bearing walls that once housed the police station in the Historic Town Hall Building on Main Street in Easthampton. The demolition entails removing many layers of renovations done throughout the 20th century as use changed to accommodate various municipal offices. Once the demolition is complete the space will resemble its original “great room” form from when the building was constructed in 1869. New City Scenic & Display, Inc. is also salvaging the historic molding and tin for the city to reuse. Owners of New City Scenic, Amy Davis and Andrew Stuart, anticipate having the space ready for Flywheel by mid-July.
Currently the Old Town Hall, which was the hub of municipal activity from 1869 to 2003, is being reinvented as a space for community based arts and cultural activities. CitySpace, Inc. has leased the building from the City of Easthampton and is acting as the governing board for the building and its reuse. The first floor of the building is currently occupied by the Eastmont Frame Shop, the Eluise Gallery, and the offices for Easthampton City Arts and Easthampton Cultural Council. Flywheel, a not-for-profit which produces concerts and events, will relocate their performance space to the first floor
New City Scenic plans to spend approximately 40 hours gently removing old tin, lath and plaster to create approximately 1600 square feet of open space. Their hope is that this charitable donation will help allow Flywheel to focus its expenses on the design and build out of the space. Located in Eastworks, New City Scenic has worked on several local projects in the Pioneer Valley. In Easthampton, their work can be seen at the Apollo Grill where they designed and built the new bar to compliment the restaurant’s space age aesthetic. New City Scenic is eager to support Easthampton’s burgeoning arts community. For additional information, see www.newcityscenic.com and www.flywheelarts.org
April 2008
Business West Magazine names Amy Davis one of Western MA Top Entrepreneurs of 2008:
 Amy Davis grew up in Oregon, but as a third-grader, she wrote a report about Vermont — and New England has never lost its appeal.
She wound up studying Theater and Sociology at Marlboro College in Vermont — “I knew little about the area, but it sounded nice, so I came out here.” Then, after returning to the West Coast for a string prop-building, special-effects, and related work in television and cinema, she earned her master’s in Scenic Design at UMass Amherst.
She could have headed west again, but an opportunity arose that convinced her to remain in Massachusetts. “There was a scene shop in Greenfield, and I had worked for them on and off while in grad school,” she said. “They eventually had to close, but for personal reasons, and not any lack of business. We had a little money, so my partner, Andrew Stuart, and I bought their equipment and materials....”
The two had already developed ties with some of the former owner’s clients, and began to cultivate others after launching New City Scenic & Display in 2005 at the Eastworks complex in Easthampton. Today, they design and build sets and displays not only for film, TV, and theater, but also for museums, restaurants, places of worship, trade shows, and other venues large and small. For example, New City recently designed and built a new bar for the Eastworks-based Apollo Grill.
“I like the fact that I never stop learning,” she said. “With every project I work on, I learn something new, whether it’s about design or how materials go together. But I couldn’t do this without Andy and Ava. To have such a great working relationship with my partner, and have such a fantastic daughter, make even the stressful parts of my job worth it.”
Joseph Bednar
For more information:
www.businesswest.com
Praise for WELL, New Century Theatre
"Kudos to Heather Crocker Aulenback’s costuming, Daniel D. Rist’s lighting, Andrew Stuart’s set design (Ann’s oasis is a hypochondriac’s dream), and especially to Director Keith Langsdale for a "Well" that charms and challenges."
- In the Spotlight, Inc.
Praise for Sisters Rosensweig, New Century Theatre
"As is evident from the elaborate stage set at Smith College's Theatre 14, Sara Goode, nee Rosensweig, lives in a lovely home in Queen Anne's Gate, London."
- The Daily Hampshire Gazette
"In this strong professional cast, I particulary enjoyed Stasack's coolly amused detachment as Sara, Roddy's relaxed aplomb as Geoffrey, and Mila and Simpson's hip naivete as the young idealists. Director Ellen W. Kaplan moves things along at a nice clip, ...on Andy Stuart's sumptuous setting...."
- The Valley Advocate
Praise for Sight Unseen, New Century Theatre
"Before a full screen backdrop of serene blue sky with a few wisps of cloud, we meet the artist as he walks through a striking post-and-beam framework-set into a farmhouse kitchen to find Nick seated at the table."
- The Theatre Mirror
Praise for Fahrenheit 451, Andy's Summer Playhouse
"Robert Lawson's script and music, inspired by Ray Bradbury's well-known book of the same name, tackles the novel's issues of censorship and the freedom of the human spirit with creativity and intelligence, and makes exquisite use of a simple set to capture much of the futuristic feel of Francois Truffaut's classic 1966 film adaptation.
In many respects, the true star of the show is Andrew Stuart's inspired set design, which makes use of a two-story, six box construction of screened-off "stages," allowing for as many as 12 scenes to be played out simultaneously. Through this simple construction, the troupe's performance space in a converted Wilton Center meeting house built in 1860 is transformed into a vision of the future gone wrong, with the creative use of sliding screens and projection literally supporting the layered performances."
- The Monadnock Ledger
Praise for The Miracle Worker, The Lyric Stage
"...[Director, Courtney] O'Connor has prepared a fresh and intimate 'Miracle Worker,' enhanced by Andrew Stuart's elegant spare set, hauntingly illuminated by Russ Swift."
- The Boston Globe
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