Title:How Four Hoyas Founded a Theatre Company

By Lizzie Hyman (C’21)

What do you get when you bring together four Georgetown alumni with a shared passion for making a difference in the arts? 

The answer: New Relic Theatre, a nonprofit organization producing shows in New York City while providing fellowship opportunities for emerging artists. But before New Relic became a reality, the vision started in a much humbler setting—a backyard production of Much Ado About Nothing on O Street.

“I was a junior in college and I self-produced this little rinky-dink show, gathering some theater folks and comedy folks who were interested in doing something kind of silly and different before they graduated,” recalls Eliza Palter (C’20), founder of New Relic Theatre. “It was bananas how many people showed up—partly because we had a large cast, so everyone brought their friends, but also because people heard about it and wanted to be part of it. It was so poorly rehearsed but in a fun way. I still remember it as one of my favorite experiences at Georgetown.”

Soon after, the pandemic hit, sending students home and putting Palter’s creative projects on pause. But rather than extinguish her passion, the break fueled her desire to pursue theater when the opportunity arose again.

“When I could, I gathered some friends and we did a quick production of Twelfth Night—one week of rehearsal, a pat on the back, and that was it,” Palter says. “Then I moved to New York, did it again, and by that time, my friends Nicole Albanese (C’20), Jenni Loo (SFS’21) and Chris Phillips (MSB’20) were all in the city. We never planned to go into business together, but it kind of beautifully snowballed, and we thought, ‘What if we take this a little more seriously?’”

Left to right: Eliza Palter, Chris Phillips, Jenni Loo and Nicole Albanese.

From that simple question came the decision to file as a nonprofit, find venues, create sets, and plan productions—a process Palter describes as a “joyful challenge.” “It feels like there are new hurdles at every turn, and we’ve learned by failing repeatedly and trying again,” she says. “It can be frustrating, but the hardest part is just being open to trying something new and learning through mistakes—especially when those mistakes are made publicly.”

Despite the challenges, Palter says working with her team makes the journey easier—and more enjoyable. “Jenni is an incredible videographer and creative director, and Nicole has been a huge asset as a community engagement coordinator. Chris has really become my right-hand man as a producer, helping us keep track of the more official aspects and holding us accountable to our goals,” Palter says. “I’m working with my friends who—if we don’t know how to do something—we figure it out together.”

Whether finding performance space on rooftops or in the corners of tapas bars, or balancing their full-time jobs with the demands of running a theater company, the New Relic team is committed to making it work. “Right now, we’re doing three programs a year. This past year, we had two large-scale, fully-costumed, fully-produced plays. One of them was an adaptation of Antigone, which we commissioned from our friend Paul Rockford (C’20),” Palter explains.

            A scene from New Relic Theatre’s production of Antigone.

Looking ahead, Palter envisions a bright future for the company. “We want to find artists in the city at similar stages of their careers who bring different perspectives. That’s why we founded the Early Career Fellowship, which we’re currently fundraising for. It’s an opportunity to help early-career artists learn what it takes to independently produce theater and compensate them for their valuable time,” she says. “We’d also love to have a permanent space—that would be such a luxury and a gift. And we’re imagining a future where the theater grows big enough to sustain all of us. We think that future is on the horizon.”

Regardless of how the process unfolds, Palter says she’s grateful to Georgetown for introducing her to the rest of the New Relic team, now some of her closest friends. “It’s hilarious and awesome that we work together so well and can navigate these challenges as a team. What’s crazy is that Nicole and Jenni were two of my best friends at Georgetown, but my path with Chris didn’t really cross until New York,” Palter says. “It always makes me wonder—if I can find so much value in my relationship with Chris, someone I didn’t really know well at Georgetown, what else could the Georgetown network have in store for me?”

To donate to or learn more about New Relic Theatre’s Early Career Creative Fellowship, click here.