the week of february 15-19, 2021
the week the lights (and everything else) went out in texas
Welcome to Nothing for the Group, the newsletter where one dramaturg rounds up one week in theatre news, reviews, and takes.
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Identity design by Elizabeth Haley Morton.
virtual theatre
Pearl Cleage’s Digging in the Dark starts streaming February 26th. Directed by Taylor Reynolds, the newly commissioned radio play is part of Keen Company’s Hear/Now Audio Theater season.
Susan Soon He Stanton’s The Things Are Against Us will stream as part of MCC’s Live Lab on February 25th. The production will be directed by Ellie Heyman.
Frederick Kennedy’s Rest starts streaming at Ma-Yi on February 25th. Rest is “an audio meditation inspired by this shared moment, exploring the meaning of silence and space in our lives.”
You’ve got two days left to stream Lolita Chakrabarti’s Hymn at the Almeida Theatre, a “searching, soulful new play asks what it takes to be a good father, brother or son.”
assorted news
Seven months after its formation, We See You W.A.T. released an accountability report, tracking the responses of over 100 predominantly white institutions. The report finds that “there have been considerable actions in the industry toward equity, anti-racism, and the dismantling of white-supremacy in the American theatre” and includes links to theatres’ action plans, urging readers that “if these institutions are in your region, keep yourself updated and keep them accountable. These are their words—hold them to it.”
A group of Black femme theatremakers formed a new collective called Afrofemononomy. The founders include Lileana Blain-Cruz, Eisa Davis, Charlotte Brathwaite, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Ayesha Jordan, Joie Lee, April Matthis, Jennifer Harrison Newman, Okwui Okpokwasili, Stacey Karen Robinson, and Kaneza Schaal. Afrofemononomy will present a series of digital and in-person events exploring explore Black women, art, health, and balance.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival AD Nataki Garrett and Woolly Mammoth AD Maria Manuela Goyanes are the 2021 recipients of the BOLD Theater Women's Leadership Circle grant. Both recipients will receive $250,000 a year for two years to assist with the advancement of women's leadership roles in theatre through programming and staffing for women+ artists.
2021 season updates
Oregon Shakespeare Festival announced its combination digital and live season. The four onstage productions are August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned (directed by Tim Bond); Mona Mansour’s Unseen (directed by Evren Odcikin); the world premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s Confederates (directed by Nataki Garrett); and Mark Bedard, Brent Hinkley, and John Tufts’ It’s Christmas, Carol!. Digital projects include the multi-episode The Cymbeline Project, conceived by Garrett and created and directed by Scarlett Kim; You Go Girl!, a new short film written by Zoey Martinson and directed by resident artist Shariffa Ali; and the Indigenous artist digital series The Visual Sovereignty Project, curated by Chava Florendo.
Arena Stage announced its spring digital programming. Projects include the short film Indigenous Earth Voices; Arena Riffs, a series of three original filmed short musicals; Psalmayene 24’s pandemic-era hip-hop musical The Freewheelin’ Insurgents; and two untitled projects by the indie-folk duo Shaun and Abigail Bengson and composer Rona Siddiqui. (I will also flag that The Freewheelin’ Insurgents features several of my favorite local actors: Louis Davis, Shannon Dorsey, Gary L. Perkins III, and Justin Weaks.)
New Normal Rep, a new streaming theater company, announced its inaugural season. The line-up includes Jack Canfora’s Jericho (directed by Marsha Mason), Nilo Cruz’s Two Sisters and a Piano (directed by Jimmy Smits), Nikkole Salter’s Lines in the Dust, and Julia Blauvelt’s F.I.R.E.
things I read this week
Joey Sims on the restructuring of Ensemble Studio Theatre (Transitions)
Ben Kulvichit on Present Futures, a digital festival exploring the complex relationships between humans and technology (Exeunt)
I’ve spent most of this week worried about the humanitarian crisis in Texas. I lived in Houston for three years and one of the most harrowing commutes of my life was trying to drive home on unplowed, unsalted roads the one time it lightly snowed. The state’s infrastructure doesn’t support extreme cold weather events and to see politicians refuse to accept responsibility for deregulating the power grid is infuriating.
(Several of my Houston friends are currently using their dwindling cell battery power to tell Rep. Dan Crenshaw to go fuck himself, which I respect. If you want to see gerrymandering at its comical worst, look at his district map.)
Here are some organizations providing on-the-ground support:
CrowdSource Rescue: Houston-based volunteer organization that connects professional first responders and vetted civilian rescue teams with people in the community who need help.
Houseless Organizing Coalition: BIPOC-led coalition currently distributing supplies and addressing needs for those in Houston’s houseless community.
Angry Tias and Abuelas of the Rio Grande Valley: Providing immediate supplies for asylum seekers at the Texas border experiencing harsh temperatures. Donate on the website.
Austin Mutual Aid: GoFundMe or Venmo @austinmutualaidhotels
Feed the People Dallas: Donate on the website or Venmo @feedthepeopledallas
Para Mi Gente Mutual Aid (San Antonio) | Cash App $pmgmutualaid, IG @para.mi_gente (as of this writing, they’re currently not accepting Venmo donations, but check IG for updates)