New Stage and Belhaven Theatre Celebrate Creative Collaboration
April 24, 2025 (Jackson, Miss.) - A thriving relationship between 黑料社’s Theatre Department and New Stage Theatre continues to provide meaningful opportunities for theatre students, alumni, and faculty, while enriching the arts community in Jackson.
Though the two institutions do not have an official partnership, their ongoing collaboration has created a strong and mutually beneficial connection rooted in a shared mission to present high-quality theatre and develop the next generation of theatre artists.
“Belhaven Theatre and New Stage Theatre share the goal of presenting quality theatre in the Jackson metro,” said Dr. Elissa Sartwell, chair of Belhaven’s Theatre Department. “While we don’t have a formal partnership, it’s clear we make each other stronger.”
From scenic and costume design to acting and directing, Belhaven faculty members frequently work on New Stage productions. Scenic design professor Braden Graves and costume design professor Ruth Dentel are just two of the faculty members whose creative work regularly appears on the stage at New Stage. Students and alumni also benefit from the relationship through internships, production roles, and full time positions.
New Stage Artistic Director Francine Reynolds calls the relationship “reciprocal,” citing how Belhaven provides a pool of talented emerging artists while New Stage offers real-world professional experiences.
“We’ve been able to coordinate internships that provide course credit and stipends for students, while they provide valuable support for us in various departments,” Reynolds said. “We’ve had only wonderful experiences collaborating with Belhaven faculty like Braden Graves and Ruth Dentel. Their design contributions have helped New Stage reach artistic excellence.”
Belhaven alumni have gone on to perform in or work behind the scenes on numerous New Stage productions, including The Sound of Music, Elf, A Christmas Story, and Little Women, which was directed by Belhaven graduate Malaika Quarterman. Currently, six staff members at New Stage are Belhaven alumni.
The relationship also enhances classroom learning. “When our faculty design for New Stage, they bring back new materials, methods, and techniques that enrich what we offer students,” Sartwell said. “One of our students will soon assist Braden on the scenic design for Come From Away. That’s the kind of hands-on experience you can’t teach in a lecture.”
For Belhaven students, seeing their professors actively working in the industry sets a powerful example. “Working theatre artists often juggle multiple projects,” Sartwell said. “Our faculty model how to maintain excellence and professionalism while managing complex creative responsibilities.”
The collaboration supports Belhaven’s mission to prepare students academically, technically, artistically, and spiritually for lives of service in the arts. It also aligns with New Stage Theatre’s commitment to providing professional theatre of the highest quality for the people of Mississippi and the Southeast.
“There is mutual respect between our organizations,” Reynolds said. “That’s why this partnership works so well.”
As the theatre landscape in Jackson continues to grow, the collaboration between Belhaven and New Stage stands as a model of what is possible when educational and professional communities work together to elevate the arts.
“When the theatre community works together, everyone benefits,” Sartwell said. “And Jackson audiences are all the richer for it.”