Our Letters to the Future
Dezi Tibbs
September 2, 2020
A time capsule revealed a “letter to the future” written by Barbara Ann Teer, founder of the National Black Theatre. How can her words inspire us today?
A time capsule revealed a “letter to the future” written by Barbara Ann Teer, founder of the National Black Theatre. How can her words inspire us today?
In their first live performance since the shutdown, two theater veterans read Frederick Douglass’s historic speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” on its 168th anniversary, baptizing Brooklyn’s Black Lives Matter mural.
Arts journalist and filmmaker Verity Healey speaks with members of the Belarus Free Theatre to discuss how making art in exile has prepared them for making theater during a pandemic.
Alex Ates speaks with Whit MacLaughlin—the experimental theatermaker who ventured into the online realm before it became our norm—about the intersection between digital technology and live performance and pedagogy.
On this Juneteenth, organizations to support and actions you can take to fight for racial justice in New York City.
At Wesleyan University, a Theater Department production of The Rude Mechs’ “The Method Gun” takes devised theater digital.
The Civilians presents the ninth annual R&D Group FINDINGS Series, running 5/29-6/29, and opens applications for the 2020-21 R&D Group.
Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen discuss their documentary play “Coal Country” before and after its coronavirus cancellation.
Jan Cohen-Cruz invites theater makers working in community-based and socially engaged art in the United States to take part in research about commonalities across the field, the practices and principles adhered to, where people work and with whom, and more.
In our R&D In Process Series, members of our 2019-20 R&D Group take us behind-the-scenes of their projects in development. Today, Jason Tseng describes connecting with the New Sanctuary Coalition community as part of research for Tseng’s new immersive piece, “Sanctuary.”
Lee Sunday Evans, the artistic director of New York City’s Waterwell, discusses the power of transcripts in performance, the topics of immigration and deportation, and the urgent attention that needs to be paid to the United States’ border right now.
Over the next several weeks, members of our 2019-20 R&D Group will take us behind-the-scenes of their projects in development. Today, Matt Barbot shares about “Drown My Book.” It will receive a work-in-progress showing on May 29 at 7pm.
Theatre folks mourn closed shows and unseen work due to the coronavirus pandemic, and worry over the impact on emerging artists. This piece first ran in American Theatre on March 22.
Ilana Becker interviewed R&D Group member Darrel Alejandro Holnes about his research process and his impetus for writing AFRIKAN•ISCH, a new play cycle drawing on ethnographic interviews Holnes conducted within Black communities in Berlin. Black Feminist Video Game, the first work in the cycle, will receive a work-in-progress showing on 6/24.
In this week’s update from The Civilians’ Associate Artist community, Emily Ackerman talks about discovering a treasure trove of cleaning supplies at a closed school, and donating them to essential workers.
Copyright © Extended Play 2014
