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Recent Updates

Insomniak planning for Summer Shows

If your are interested READ MORE....

LBB

Little Black Box Summer Educational Programs READ MORE....

Summer Gala

We have plans for a summer gala for Assasins READ MORE....

Productions Stills

From Oedipus, Marmalade, and Nunsense II go HERE to watch

External Links

• American Theatre
• Round About theatre Co.
• Homage to Edward Albee
• Assassins Fun Facts

Mission Statement

Insomniak Theatre Company will give people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to increase their love of theatre, not only through performance but also through the opportunity to audition and perform themselves, thus creating a new and exciting creative outlet. Theatre will be more than people in dark rooms with chairs, blankly staring at a stage. It will make theatre come alive. We will continue our love of theatre while instilling the love of theatre in others. We will encourage young actors through innovative theatre while positively affecting the surrounding community.

ABOUT INSOMNIAK

History

Insomniak Theatre Company started as a pilot theatre program in the summer of 2005. Matthew Meckes and Josh Bernaski, upon graduating, decided to put together a musical review called Putting It Together at the Nazareth Area High School in agreement with Bruce Applegate. The two former students raised all the money for the show through corporate, small business, and patron sponsors. The show was a success and raised almost $2000 for the high school theatre troupe.

The two teens went their separate ways; Bernaski attending school at Temple University majoring in theatre and Meckes attending Berklee College of Music as a composition major. While at school the two began to bat ideas back and forth about starting their own independent theatre company with only one mission, to bring unique and innovative theatre to the Lehigh Valley. Over the next several months Meckes and Bernaski began planning for what would be their first season as a fully incorporated non-profit theatre company. With the backing of Essroc and several small-business and patron sponsors the two raised enough money to put on their premiere show Five by Tenn a series of Tennessee Williams one-act plays. The show took place at Nazareth Area Middle School and gave the company the financial backing it needed to continue doing what they love to do.

In early march of 2007 the musical comedy Nunsense was performed at the local St. Johns Lutheran Church directed by Erik Honsel a founding member of Insomniak. The show was a success being performed in front of sold out audiences. Following the success of Nunsense the companys staff grew with the addition of a costume designer, Kristen Bennett, and a Technical Director, Matt Bezik both of whom had graduated with Meckes and Bernaski. The staff of Insomniak began planning their most challenging event to date; a daylong Greek theatre festival that took place at the Nazareth Boro Park. The festival pertained of food, arts and crafts, auctions and raffles, childrens shows, childrens Olympics, and many other forms of entertainment for the whole family. The day culminated with a production of Sophocles great tragedy Oedipus Rex, with musical accompaniment by the Disconnect, at the Boro Park Amphitheatre. After the festival, which managed to bring out 500+ people throughout the day, including an audience of 300+ for their showing of Oedipus, Insomniak attained two of its newest staff members. Eric Hersh, production designer (Insomniak) and theatre director at the Lehigh Valley School for the Performing Arts, and James Buskirk, board member and treasurer (Insomniak) and home caretaker for Saint Lukes Hospital. In November of 2007 the company kicked off its new season with Noah Haidles Mr. Marmalade a Lehigh Valley premiere that delighted all those with an open mind. This past February Insomniak went on to perform the sequel to Nunsense, Nunsense II: The Second Coming. This Summer Insomniak will be very busy showing a limited performance of The Glass Menagerie, offering theatre and music courses through our Little Black Box Theatre Program, and presenting a two weekend showing of Stephen Sondheims hit musical Assassins.