Wearing Many Hats: The A.C.T. Fellowship Project 2018

-
By Taylor Steinbeck

For over six months, 13 young theater artists from various departments of A.C.T.’s Fellowship Program have come together to produce not one, but two plays in a project that will culminate in performances this week. Running April 19–22 at A.C.T.’s Costume Shop, the production features the work of Obie Award–winning playwrights Caryl Churchill and José Rivera with Far Away and Brainpeople, respectively. Both these plays tackle war, fear, and oppression through a dystopian lens, speaking volumes about the world we live in today. In celebration of this project marking the fifth consecutive year of the Fellowship Project, we spoke to some of this year's fellows about their experiences.

The 2017–18 A.C.T. Fellows involved in The A.C.T. Fellowship Project 2018. Photo by Allie Moss.
Nora Zahn (Director of Far Away): Being a part of this project from beginning to end has taught me a ton, especially when it comes to all the tiny details that go into making a production happen at an institutional theater! From changing the smallest phrases in fundraising letters to figuring out the exact coffee-to-water ratio to dye muslin, the sheer attention that has gone into each individual part of this process has been pretty mind-boggling. What an opportunity it has been to work with a badass group of largely women artists on a play as wild as Caryl Churchill's Far Away!

Nailah Harper-Malveaux (Director of Brainpeople): I feel incredibly humbled to work on this show with my three dope queens [Brainpeople actors Laura Espino, Andrea Guidry, and Jeunée Simon]! We are tackling a beast of a play. It's a joy and a challenge to work on Rivera's language and bring his words to life because there is such an incredible poeticism to them. The script is so meaty—we all just wish we had more time to chew on it! 

Costume Designer Bree Dills, directors Nora Zahn and Nailah Harper-Malveaux,
Production Manager Spencer Jorgensen, and Assistant Production Manager Olga Korolev
at the first rehearsal of the A.C.T. Fellowship Project 2018. Photo by Taylor Steinbeck.
Miranda Ashland (Marketing Manager, Far Away Ensemble Member): I’ve taken a huge step in my understanding of how to market a show–or, in this case, two shows. Not only have I built on the knowledge I've learned from my time as a fellow, but I gained new skills through this project.

Far Away ensemble members Laura Espino, Andrea Guidry, Jeunée Simon, Rachel Stuart,
Taylor Steinbeck, Miranda Ashland, and director Nora Zahn in rehearsal. Photo by Mia Carey.
Rachel Stuart (Fundraising Manager, Far Away Ensemble Member): It felt so amazing to exceed our fundraising goal by thousands of dollars. Everyone was so helpful and I definitely learned a lot about raising money for a not-for-profit theater in managing my first campaign. While I'm happy we have extra funds to funnel into our show, my favorite part of this project has been collaborating with all the different departments. It's been fun getting to interact with fellows I normally don't get to work with. 

Bree Willard (Set, Prop, Projection, Graphic Designer): Wearing many hats in this project has given me insight into what it takes to problem solve for the different parts of a production. I've been able to use the visual design skills I’ve developed as the Graphics Fellow and apply them practically. 

Set and prop designer Bree Willard making papier-mâché mannequin heads. Photo by Miranda Ashland.
Mia Carey (Stage Manager, General Manager): It has been extremely rewarding to be deeply involved with these shows from the beginning—when they were just an idea—to now, when I am able to help run them every night.

The fellows involved with this year's project are: Miranda Ashland, Mia Carey, Tessanella DeFrisco, Bree Dills, Ilyssa Ernsteen, Nailah Harper-Malveaux, Spencer Jorgensen, Olga Korolev, Lealani Drew Manuta, Taylor Steinbeck, Rachel Stuart, Bree Willard, and Nora Zahn.

Far Away and Brainpeople run April 19–22 at The Costume Shop, 1117 Market Street. Tickets are free to the public, but require a reservation. Click here to reserve your tickets. For more about A.C.T.’s Fellowship Program, click here.

Popular posts from this blog

“To Be or Not to Be”: The Iconic Speech’s Origins, Interpretations, and Impact

-
Image
By A.C.T. Publications Staff The opening line of Hamlet ’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy is theater’s most iconic, most referenced quote. What’s less known is the famous speech’s history, with Hamlet ’s earliest publications offering varying versions of its language. Also questioned is its meaning—is Hamlet contemplating suicide or is he weighing the consequences of murder? Though definitive answers are unlikely to arise, the questions “To be or not to be” asks have kept audiences, scholars, and actors engaged for centuries. Hamlet ’ s "To be or not to be" speech as it appears in the three original editions of the play. Photo by Georgelazenby. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons. The first edition, or First Quarto (Q1), of Hamlet was published in 1603. Because the text is much shorter than later editions and its language is less poetic, it is nicknamed the “Bad Quarto” by scholars. “To be or not to be” in Q1 reads as: To be, or not to be—ay, there’s the point. To die,
Read more

The American Sound: The Evolution of Jazz

-
Image
By Cecilia Padilla There is nothing so uniquely American as jazz music. In its simplest form, jazz embodies the essence of the American people: bold and inventive. The improvisation of the jazz ensemble can even be seen as a metaphor for the American democratic ideal: musicians playing solos have the liberty to express themselves as long as they adhere to the overall structure of the tune—individual freedom but with responsibility to the group. The evolution of jazz music also carries with it the social development of our nation from slavery to the swinging songs of World War II. Musically, jazz contributed immensely to the way contemporary musicians approach instrumentation, composition, and vocal arrangements. It is difficult to find a popular tune today that does not derive from such jazz icons as Joe Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Thelonious Monk. Jazz is the great equalizer; for more than a hundred years, it has been the common ground between blacks and whites, me
Read more

Purely Pinteresque: The Elements of Pinter's Language

-
Image
By Taylor Steinbeck Most artists take years to establish their voice and style. This wasn’t the case for playwright Harold Pinter. His first West End play, The Birthday Party, showcases the elements of Pinter’s aesthetic that would later be evident throughout his 29 plays and 23 screenplays: the rhythm of colloquial language punctuated by pauses and silences, mysterious characters who rarely say what they mean, and the unsettling, yet witty juxtaposition of comedy and terror. Suspenseful and comical, familiar and foreign, disturbing and alluring, The Birthday Party is quintessential Pinter. Graphite drawing of Harold Pinter. By A.C.T. Senior Graphic Designer Brad Amorosino. Pinter is a playwright who uses the back-and-forth of everyday conversation to create conflict and shape power dynamics between characters. “My characters tend to use words not to express what they think or feel,” said Pinter in a 1995 speech, “but to disguise what they think or feel, to mask their actual
Read more