The heartfelt longing for meaning and the encouragement of some powerful friends, the pent-up energy of isolation brought on by a pandemic, and conversations with frustrated theater makers, brought Theater Makers Lab into focus and into being. Last December, a few talented theater maker collaborators, met for our first Social Hour at the FREE CENTER and began a year-long, open forum about the state of theater and what we can do, collectively, to help make substantive changes in the current framework. There we hold space to talk and inspire one another, to connect with each other as regularly as possible for the purpose of building a more sustainable future for the art form.
It is abundantly clear to all of the theater makers who we’ve talked to, there is a reset happening. The signs were there but relatively easy to ignore before the pandemic, but the post-covid cracks are now evident. Many theater operations across the country have shuttered. The skyrocketing cost of real estate makes creating new public spaces, already a difficult dream to realize, fade into impossible. Theaters like Long Wharf in New Haven have made a huge calculation that the only realistic way forward for them is to partner with other organizations and take theater INTO the community. Site-specific work is much discussed.
We Share Common Challenges
Diversity is not happening fast enough. Many organizations have gone no further than assigning DEI to a volunteer and not reflecting on what it really means – and subsequently, have little capacity to make those changes.
A few years back, the grant applications for any government grant, added the requirement for a ‘DEI’. Most of us have been INCLUSIVE in our thinking but that is a self-centered focus and misses the broader point that we NEED diversity in our theater, on our stage, and in our audiences. Real diversity makes our community stronger through lived and shared human experience, helping us find our blind spots, hearing different perspectives, and finding out how, at the end of the day, we share this world with a wildly diverse species but know very little about each other. Diversity requires courage and conviction to look around and try to see through the eyes and experience of another. Theater has an enormous role in the evolution. In other words, it isn’t a checklist.
ADA
This coming year, the ADA (American Disabilities Act) becomes a focus, and organizations that write for grants will need to have a person in their organization who is designated as a coordinator for ADA. The policies around the inclusion of the Disabled community in our theaters and as theater making partners are going to need a lot of education and expertise. That is why we are happy to welcome Jon Slifka to our board – this is our ADA statement thanks to his input. We have a lot of work to do as a community, but are excited for the future.
Our organization is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where individuals of all abilities are not only welcomed but celebrated. We believe in the transformative power of the arts to break down barriers and create a space where everyone, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities, can contribute and thrive. Through accessible performances, inclusive casting practices, and ongoing partnerships with disability advocacy organizations, we encourage all theaters to ensure that their stage reflects the rich diversity of the human experience. Together, let us build a community where the spotlight shines on the talents and stories of every individual, creating a truly inclusive and inspiring theatrical experience for all.
John Slifka ~TML Board Member
Socio-Economic Barriers
The preface here is that financial resources are finite. The staggering income inequality, especially in this area, and the current economic structure are a huge challenge that is separate from, yet inexplicably linked. As theater makers, we are quite used to making magic from thin air, but we also need to eat. Theater Makers Lab performed a study to understand the economic value of volunteers in community theater that offers surprising insight into the true cost of the work for individuals. We bring incredible value to our communities but are not recognized or rewarded equitably. Many of the real audiences who would love our work, can barely afford the cheap night at the local movie triplex. It isn’t sustainable to keep doing expensive things and not making any money.
Join the Sustainable Theatre Movement
Landfill waste – responsible for about 11% of global methane emissions – is expected to increase by about 70% by 2050 as the global population continues to climb, according to the World Bank.
Storage is scarce for the massive amount of materials used to make theater. Set Construction uses a lot of lumber and other building material and at the end of many productions is used for a few months at a time, then removed to a landfill. Costumes, Props. Always in demand but most of us scrounge or make. The real issue is the lack of technology to support the straightforward exchange of materials. In 2023, Theater Makers Lab joined Broadway Green Alliance and became an associate member and Regional Captain.
identify the Things we can do now
There are a lot of things we have identified as key focus areas to support our mission and to provide value to the community. These are achievable short term goals/plans we are working on now and into 2024.
- Share Resources: This year, we created the beginnings of a searchable venue database, so that more theater-makers can figure out how to make theater with existing performance facilities. We are working on a database of Theater educators across the state. This site is a repository of resources for policy development.
- Sponsor Education Events: Hold free workshops and forums for theater craft. Develop Policy forums around focus areas.
- Sponsor Fellowships: Develop fellowship funds for distribution to theater makers and provide incubation-level support to help them manifest their projects.
2023 Lookback
2023 was a busy year of learning on our feet and Manifesting. We applied for and acquired our IRS designation as a 501c3 organization. We formed a Board of Directors and have steadily added people to the board who have both a love of theater as a form and expertise in theater making as well as business processes who can help us achieve our mission and build our capabilities. We applied for and acquired a copyright. We worked with a playwright, Kristen Palmer to workshop her play, ‘Mentors’ – produced by Backyard Theater Ensemble and presented at The Arts at Angeloria’s in Southington, CT. We received a Google Ads Grant and worked with Marketing students from Temple University to develop that resource and to achieve our goals to reach all of the theater makers and build out a valuable resource for the community we love.
If you can, please join us on Thursday, January 18, 2024, for our next Theater Makers Lab Social Hour. If you can’t make it but want to join us, join our mailing list and create a member account. Follow us on FB/IG/Threads @theatermakerslab.
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