Kate Austin-Gröen Helps Sail OpenStage Through 50 Wonderful Seasons
Meet Kate!
Hello, I am Kate Austin-Gröen and I will be directing “Treasure Island” for OpenStage in the summer of 2023. In addition to acting and directing at OpenStage for many years, I was the Company Manager for five years, have been an Assistant Director, have taken many archival and promotional photos, and have even served as a Russian language consultant. My next endeavor will be playing Nora in OST’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2” and my new role as Production Manager and resident Intimacy Director for OpenStage Theatre’s Etcetera shows!
At OpenStage, what does community and family mean to you?
It’s been my main artistic home since 2011. I’ve been very fortunate to find a theatre that provides so many opportunities to grow as a performer, director, and producer.
To you, what has made “Treasure Island” such a staple in American drama?
The fantasy of finding hidden or buried treasure is universally appealing. It’s an accessible book with lots of action, which makes it fun to adapt to the theatre.
What was your first experience with “Treasure Island?”
I am sure I read it years ago, but I couldn’t remember when, so I recently re-read it. It fit right in with contemporaries of its time, which was a big one for children’s literature. The 1880s also gave us “Robin Hood,” “Huck Finn,” and “Pinocchio.” All high-adventure stories!
What makes you excited about ramping up for “Treasure Island?”
I can’t say too much yet, but I have some ideas for the staging and set that should be really fun for the actors as well as the audience.
Who is someone you’ve leaned on during this process?
My husband, David.
Why now? Why do we need this story?
It’s fun and entertaining. I like that it will be a revisitation of a classic for some of our audience and a brand-new experience for others.
In one word how would you describe your production?
Swash-bucking.
By Robert Louis Stevenson
Adapted by Bryony Lavery
Directed by Kate Austin-Gröen
June 3–July 1, 2023
Playing at the Park at Columbine Health Systems
“Jim Hawkins becomes a girl rebelling against gender roles in this imaginative adaptation, which keeps alive the wit and excitement of the book… a tribute to the wit, honour and resourcefulness of children…” —The Guardian (US)
Come see “Treasure Island,” performing through July 1!
Set sail on a thrilling journey with cutthroat pirates, a treasure map, and a courageous young girl named Jim, who becomes entangled in a dangerous swashbuckling expedition. Jim gets more than she bargains for when she embarks on a daring sea voyage to an exotic island where a hoard of gold and gems is buried. Awash with treachery, mutiny, and unforgettable characters, including the infamous Long John Silver, Treasure Island comes alive in an epic theatrical adaptation of one of the world’s greatest adventure stories.
FAMILY FRIENDLY
