For our 2023 Residency we are doing something a little different. Field Notes from a Feminist Theater Potluck is a devised theater creation: rather than an individual playwright working on their script and then adding actors into their development process, our ensemble of seven multi-disciplinary theater artists is working collaboratively to create a new theatrical form. The theme of our exploration is building a feminist utopian community. We began rehearsal in January with the following questions: what do you crave from your community, and what does your utopia look like? Very quickly the notion of the potluck emerged as a perfect utopian anchor- a come-as-you-are DIY ethos that honors each person’s unique contribution to the whole.

 

We have been experimenting with structures and forms rooted in viewpoints, moment work, clowning, singing, and more as we journey through this process. Though we began with the goal of making a theater piece about utopia, we have become more drawn towards the process of creating utopian rehearsal models of working together, and sharing those with our audience.one that feels intentional, matriarchal, and revolutionary. As we explore the moment-to-moment aliveness and joy in creative acts of daily life, we invite our audience into a deeply felt sense of community connection and a nourishing vision for a better world. The first phase of this project’s development included   a works-in-progress informal sharing in June where we received feedback from a small invited audience. Development continues this fall and will culminate in two public potluck-showings at Bombyx on November 11 and 12.

Me

Members of the Ensmble: Sarah Marcus, Rachel F. Hirsch, Tracy Einstein,

Allie Wittner, Katrina Goldsaito, Mary Beth Brooker, Brianna Sloane,