Playwright David Wright Crawford, Judson Jones, Christa Kimlicko Jones discussing Harvest following a performance
Theatre East walking for a cure at the 2010 MS Walk
Theatre East actively seeks to serve our community by partnering with appropriate organizations for talkbacks for productions and readings, by fostering relationships with other producing entities so as to build a true theatre community, and by fostering relationships with various non-producing entities to better serve our local community.
Long before playhouses were built or marquees were lit, theatre existed. Wherever there was a campfire people would congregate to hear stories of the great hunt or of a journey fraught with peril. People would be impassioned or frightened by the tales of loss or victory…and it was a communal experience. It was a part of them; it was their community. We want our audiences to not only attend shows, but also to become a part of our community, and for us to become a part of theirs.
We’ve always felt that theatre should be a communal experience beyond the footlights by also actively serving the local community outside of the theatre. It is not enough for us to raise social awareness on stage; we actively seek to bring art to people’s lives off stage as well and thereby effect change in our community and surroundings. As artists we cannot merely be observers or portrayers of the human condition—we must be a part of it.
"Fortunately art is a community effort endeavoring to interpret the wars and the solitudes of the flesh."
Allen Ginsberg
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Theatre East participated in Walk MS 2010, a walk to create a world free of MS.
The Theatre East team consisted of Morgan Baker, Martin Blumberg, Jessica Burgess, Jody Formica, Elizabeth Holt, Judson Jones, Christa Kimlicko Jones, Eric Kasprisin, Amanda Maciel, Andrew Meier, Doug Sheppard and was led by team captain Bill Franke.
Theatre East was able to raise almost $2,500 for the National MS Society.
Talkbacks:
For each production Theatre East will provide at least one talkback where leaders and experts from local organizations—along with producers, directors, and cast—will engage in a dialogue with our community about the issues raised by the production and how they connect with the community.
Volunteerism:
Theatre East seeks out organizations within our community that we can serve. This might be in the form of participating in walks and other events for various causes, volunteering time and talent at other events, or volunteering at local shelters.
Our Community Outreach will take form in the following ways:
