What We Hope to Learn from Our Institute Experience
How should we define "inclusivity" in the context of artistic creation? Is it possible to create inclusive community based theater or does defining a community inherently imply a process of exclusion?
How doe we know when we get there?
How can we keep theatre interesting and relevant for the community after the initial production?
How can we most accurately and effectively represent the communities we work with while doing community-based theater? What ethical considerations come into play when thinking about questions of representation?
In starting a project, how do/can you initially engage a community? Who do you talk to to get the ball rolling?
How do you communicate about community-engaged theater so people get excited about it and engage in it? (*People = community members, residents, community business, supporters, financial and in-kind).
What long-term impact did past community-based theater productions have on communities? What initiatives were started as a direct-result of these productions?
What do you do when social conflict arises outside of rehearsals that disturb the onstage work?
How do you bridge a group where half are old timers who know each other well and the others are new (your forming a theater group)?
Would you ever work with a community whose politics you don't agree with but somehow feel are important / under represented or is that impossible?
How do you identify an interesting play topic and how (as a potential newcomer/outsider_ do you approach people for research interviews without appearing intrusive or condescending?
How do and when do community based theater scripts get conceptualized? What is the process around building the script?
How does one negotiate between process and product? How to find the balance between what may be the groups stage of development and the desired outcome?
How do you reach a compromise between process and product? Is there a way to achieve success in bith? Can it be both an enriching process for the community members and a successful product in artistic/theatrical terms?
In professional community based theater, what is the balance between process and product? Is there an equal balance between process and product, or is one more heavily weighted than the other? How do we assess the project as professional community-based artists and what are measures of success?
How do you reach your targeted audience? How do you keep the audience engaged after the performance?
How do we deal with "appropriation" as "outsiders"/people unfamiliar with the community? All the power dynamics that arise from that?
What are the ethical implications of creating community-based theater in a community that is not originally your own? What constitutes imperialism or condescension?
How do I make myself dispensable for the continuum of the work, once the initial project is over?
How do you write a play (original) based on a community that encompasses all the stories of that community without making the play too confusing, too long, or lacking action? Furthermore, does a community based play follow different rules than a regular play? What are those rules?
Hen you are entering a community that looks different from you, how do you establish trust?
How do you negotiate issues in communities that are rapidly changing? In conflict between old and new residents, how do you deal with issues of ownership or belonging?
