Teen Voices 2020 Collaborative Theatre Project - Phase II

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If you’re here, that means you want to know more about how you—yes YOU—can create a piece of theatre from scratch. Here are all the important bits:

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What – The goal is to stage a full-length (over an hour) production that you devise from scratch: you select the format, you select the genre, and you select the topic. You also direct and produce the piece, perform in it, design the individual components, market it to the public, and take care of all of the “little things” that come up during the course of mounting a production. Virtually all of the decisions are made by you, as a group.

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When - Phase I of the project ended up being done virtually, and while the end results were some interesting and thought-provoking Zoom performances, this part of the project will be done live. That means that any development of the piece, as well as the rehearsals and performances, will not take place until everyone (and that includes federal, state, and local authorities) feels that it is safe. We’re hoping that’s in a few months, but if it is not, we will hold off on the live part of the work until we can do it the right way. However, we can and will start the project off on Zoom, where each participant will make a pitch for the type of production he or she would like to do (topic, format, etc.), and we will collectively brainstorm ideas and do some general development work on genre and style.

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Where -  Since we are doing it live, the performance space will be whatever is needed for the piece of theatre you ultimately create, and that does not necessarily mean a proper theatre! Maybe it would be better outside, or in a warehouse, or a high school classroom. Figure out what you are going to do first, and then we’ll collectively decide where it can be done.

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Who - While we initially required participation in Phase I as a prerequisite to being involved in this part of the project, we have decided to open it up to anyone who meets our age criteria (13 to 19 years of age). If you want to get creative, are willing to put in the work on developing the piece, and can generally be a team player, we want you!

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How Much -  For now, nothing! We understand the economic hardship that COVID-19 has placed on some families, and we have a fair amount of grant money left over from Phase I. So for now, we are not going to charge any tuition to participate in Phase II. That might change if the piece you wish to create is overly expensive (i.e., period costumes, elaborate set changes, high rent on a space, etc.), but if we do end up charging tuition, we promise three things:

     (1) we will not charge more than what we initially said we would charge for Phase II at the start of the project ($200.00),

     (2) we will not collect any tuition until we are out of this COVID mess and able to meet live for devising, rehearsals, etc., and

     (3) a portion of any money we make through ticket sales will be evenly divided amongst all company members after any outstanding production expenses have been paid. Who knows, you might end up making money on this project!

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If we’re doing all of the work, what do we need you two for? 

We’ll be doing a few things. First, we’ll take care of any aspect of the process that is financial (e.g., processing ticket sales, paying expenses, etc.) or legal (e.g., securing rights, signing any agreements, etc.). Second, we’ll serve as a check on the devising process to make sure you do not stray into areas that are unsuitable (e.g., inappropriate content, overly expensive production items, unsafe stage acrobatics, etc.). Third, we will handle any workshops or educational experiences that might be necessary based on the type of production you decide upon. Finally, we will be present at all of the sessions to serve as a sounding board and a source of guidance when you get stuck. You may be doing most of the work, but you are not alone in this!

So see, we’re important too. Nyeh!

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What’s next? If you would like to be involved, or just want more information, click on this link, which will take you to a quick survey where you can input some contact information, tell us generally the kind of production you would like to do, when you are available, etc. When we have this information, we’ll send out an email to all participants and set up an initial Zoom meeting to discuss the details, a timeline, answer questions, etc.

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We sincerely hope that you will join us on this adventure and look forward to working with you!

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