On Friday and Saturday, March 25/26, 2011, 51 Theatre Professionals from two regions came together for the first ever Berkshires/Capital Region Theatre Project. It took place at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in Troy, NY and below are some selections from the emails that were exchanged by the participants following the event:
“What an amazingly gratifying experience! I feel truly honored and blessed to have had the opportunity to participate in such a creatively palpable event with all of you.”
“I still cannot believe that we had live music AND firelight!”
“This event renewed my faith that the spirit of generosity and artistic collaboration is alive and well.”
“I was so thrilled to be a part of an event with such talented artists and each play was inspirational and creative. I also want to thank the amazing tech crew for putting everything together seamlessly.”
“I was honored to be able to work in the presence of one of the most creative, giving and talented groups of artists.”
“Thank you all for your creativity, calm, wisdom, talent, good humor and generosity.”
“The event was so full and complete that I’ve felt deliciously spent all day.”
“When creative, collaborative cooperative minds converge, magic happens!
SO happy to be a small part of this amazing community.
Can’t wait to do it again. . .”
“Good to know so many awesome people are local!”
“I was stunned at the beauty of each written piece and the speed in which all the fabulous actors inhabited those characters.”
“My cup runneth over with gratitude. I had no idea there are so many talented and wonderful people in our midst!”
“What an amazing way to spend a weekend!”
“So much has already been said about our 24 hours together, so I will add my two cents: you all ROCK!”
“the 24HR Theatre Project ended up being one of the most enjoyable and mostly stress-free activities of 2011”
“What a fun event and look forward to crossing paths with many of you writers, directors, designers, technicians, stage managers and actors on and off the boards.”
“… … I was mightily impressed at how smoothly it went, how organically everyone ~ playwrights, directors, actors, techies ~ “got it” and how amazingly high quality the work was from all concerned. I’m also thrilled that everyone not only had a fabulous time but are eager to do it again, to continue and expand the collaborations and friendships fostered here ~ which was the whole point of the exercise.…. You not only Rock, you Boulder!”
“Fabulous, generous, horizon-expanding day with all of you! I loved the feeling of my theatrical community getting bigger, loved being part of this.
Here’s to next year in the Berkshires, comrades!”
And lots and lots of “I can’t wait to do it again!”
Adam Sugarman, one of the actors, wrote the following blog about his experience:
“What is your greatest fear?”, she asked me. A complete stranger in the mad mingling ritual that launched WAM’s first 24hr Theater Project needed an answer to jot on her yellow card. I knew immediately what I had to say, were I to embrace the spirit of open-hearted willingness that would be the foundation of our short time together, “people”. “People… people in general?” she clarified, surprised. “Yeah, people in general.” She left me with some words of sympathy and moved on to interview others. That first official interaction set the stage for the rest of my experience – I had spoken my greatest fear out loud “people” to a person, and it was all lightness and play from there. The whole point of the project was to bring people together, promote people, promote interaction, and create theater – theater which is about people and their interaction with each other and life. Someone’s advise to the group was “don’t contradict each other” – truly, there just wasn’t time, and that lack of contradicting each other was ambrosia in a snarky world. This amazing little slice of life was packed with too broad a buffet of people for a portion of every one, but somehow all we got a little taste of the essence of each other — the talents, the spirit, come through the striving toward that goal of… what is it that happens when the audience is present? That common breath, that mirroring of consciousness, that validating, unifying experience of being individual people… together.”
So next year-Berkshires! WAM Theatre is THRILLED to have been part of organizing this inaugural event. Hopefully this community that has started to be built by ‘crossing the line’ will continue to grow and prosper!
Written by Kristen van Ginhoven, co-Artistic Director of WAM Theatre and proud co-producer of the inaugural 24hr Berkshires/Capital Region Theatre Project