Luna Stage has been awarded a $303,179 grant to support a public storytelling initiative designed to amplify the voices, histories, and lived experiences of residents of the City of Orange.
Luna will partner with residents, artists, and community organizations to create immersive, site-responsive experiences that encourage people to gather, walk through, and engage more deeply with Orange’s public spaces, according to a press release from Luna.
By centering stories that have been untold or underrepresented, the project aims to build community connectedness, invite greater use of public and commercial spaces, and support ongoing revitalization by sparking conversation, curiosity, and pride in the city and one another, the release said.
Beginning later this month, the theatre will host a series of story circles at community locations including Orange House Café, Inner City Café, Kelli Copeland Arts Center, and the HUUB, inviting local residents to share their experiences and history to shape the work that is to come, the release said.
In June, Luna will present the world premiere “& Sons,” winner of the 2025 Kirk New Play Prize, in the Kelli Copeland Courtyard. In July, Luna’s 90-minute, 5-actor “Hamlet (Abridged!)” will be performed in Metcalf Park, Colgate Park, and Monte Irvin Park.
In collaboration with social practice artists Pink Fang, the story circles will inspire a community oral history theatre piece featuring Orange residents. Pink Fang is known for performance work rooted in community building and social practice, and this work will serve as a living archive of contemporary life in Orange.
Luna will also commission a series of original narrative performances inspired by significant moments, places, and figures from Orange’s history. Performed in public spaces, these works will connect past and present, inviting audiences to encounter the city with fresh eyes.
Excerpts from both the oral history and historical performances will become part of a permanent audio installation accessible through QR codes throughout Orange, allowing residents and visitors to continue engaging with the city’s stories over time, the release said.
“This project is about making space—literally and artistically—to celebrate Orange’s rich history, and to invite collaboration and dialogue between the diverse residents who call this city home,” said Ari Laura Kreith, artistic director of Luna Stage.
The award was part of $15 million in grants distributed to 39 organizations statewide through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Activation, Revitalization, and Transformation (A.R.T.) Phase II program. The grants are awarded to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations for public space activation and arts-based placemaking efforts that strengthen communities and commercial corridors.
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