Community-based theater projects
The Divide
coming in
September, 2007: info here
We are committed to building community and engaging community
through theater. In addition to our youth programs, classes, and Project
104 performances, we create a community-based theater piece each season.
This yearly piece is an opportunity for members of our community to be
directly involved in the process of creating theater on a relevant theme
or issue.
Community-based theater invites community members to take part in the
process of creating and performing original theater. This process is
then shared with the larger community in performance, allowing people to
be involved in a collective experience.
When people of different ages, backgrounds, cultures, and levels of
experience come together to make theater, the result is relevant and
revelatory. Community projects strengthen our bonds, encourage creative
voices, challenge stereotypes, and open our minds and hearts to those in
our own communities.
Community-based theater is a movement with roots in the history of
American theater. From the Federal Theater Project and early regional
theater movement to the experimental, social theater of the 60’s, the
idea of a “people’s theater” has always influenced American artists.
There are many theaters that practice community based theater today. For
a good overview on the history and philosophy of community-based art and
theater visit
www.communityarts.net
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It takes rigorous
experimentation for cultural practices to become part of
community life, and it takes constant practice over time —
time measured in generations.
--from
Robert H. Leonard, "Grassroots, Community-based Theater:
View of the Field and Its Context"
read full article |
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