Our model is alive. It grows, adapts, and responds. There aren’t enough examples of how American theaters in the 21st century can operate sustainably outside of the existing systems, which are steeped in practices that uphold white supremacy, patriarchy, and tradition for tradition’s sake; so we made one. We are committed to taking risks, making mistakes, and learning from them. Here’s how it works:

 

We lead with listening. We gather meaningful data directly from affected communities. We first listen for the needs, wants, challenges, and assets of a given people before deciding how we will work with them.

 

We utilize consent-based practices. Whether community participant, staff, board member, or artist, we seek permission from one another prior to acting. 

 

Our work is co-created and co-located in activated community spaces. We do not use traditional theater/art spaces for our programs. We go to places where people are already comfortable and connected. Then we bring our offerings directly to them on their terms. 

 

We serve multiple stakeholders. We don’t mean one thing when we say community. We are referring to geographic localites we serve, groups defined by an intersection of identity, theater artists- especially creators, and people who love live performance. 

 

Our work isn’t one thing. We commission. We educate. We develop. We facilitate. We produce. We listen. We consult. We tour. We are proud of our expansive vision. We embrace a cross-sectional approach to connecting to a diverse range of peoples with whom we may share common interests. 

 

We engage in praxis. We put new ideas into practice and then we evaluate to understand how we may improve upon the idea. It’s a continuous cycle of listen - act - adjust - repeat.