In The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Edward's journey, his heart is broken and he feels as if he’ll “never be whole again.” When unexpected loss or trauma happens to individuals and communities, it sometimes feels as though we will never be able to heal and put ourselves back together. How do we find the resiliency to hope and love again? After 18-months of pandemic lockdown, how does a community begin to come together again? 

Picking Up the Pieces guest speakers include Courtney Perkins and Angel Simone. Courtney became the new Executive Director of Prescott Park Arts Festival just before COVID-19 began. She has had to rebuild the organization’s connection to the Portsmouth community while contending with pandemic restrictions and enormous financial losses. Angel Simone is a life coach, pastor and trainer, who has worked extensively with victims of human trafficking, helping them rebuild their lives after deep traumatic experiences.

The Community Connector program was created in 2019 to encourage community dialogue around issues and themes explored in NHTP’s MainStage productions.