This past spring, I suddenly found myself finished with my dissertation and without a theatre project to work on. In the midst of my push to finish writing the dissertation and prepare for my defense, I had missed all the deadlines to propose directing projects to the local theatre companies…for basically the whole next year-plus. There weren’t any auditions coming up for shows I might want to play in. I was full of ideas and energy and momentum from working on my dissertation project…but what to do with them?
One thing I learned in the Ph.D. process is to just do things. Don’t wait for someone else’s timeline or approval to do them. Yes, I did have to propose and get departmental approval for my dissertation project– but by the time that was due, I’d already been working on it for two years. When it came time to propose, I already had a ton of work to show for my ideas, and a ton of momentum to carry me forward. And the way I kept moving forward was by the same practice: when the inspiration strikes, seize that energy and do the thing.
Another thing I clarified and affirmed for myself through my dissertation project is why I do theatre. People do theatre for all kinds of great reasons. The biggest reason why I personally do theatre is to build connections in my community. I love the way that live performance brings people together. I love how participating in theatre– as artists and audiences– creates unique, visceral shared experiences that can lead to lasting relationships. I wanted to do more of this, and I didn’t want to wait for someone else to create an opportunity to do it.
The key question for me was, and always is– what are people in my community interested in doing? Theatre is collaborative. I am just one person. It can’t be just about me and what I want– it’s about what other artists and audiences are into. I can create opportunities, but I can’t make theatre happen without an audience– and it helps if I have lots of other artists who also want to come play. After talking with many of my friends and colleagues in the theatre community, I got the vibe that lots of folks would be interested in small, low-key, low-commitment opportunities to perform. Also– people want to see new work, they want to share new work, and they want to help create new work.
So. In June, I started the Baltimore Playwrights’ Brew— a monthly open-mic night where playwrights bring works in progress (scenes, monologues, bits of dialogue—nothing is too small or too rough) and actors show up to read them. The aim with the Brew is to create low-pressure, low-barrier-to-entry opportunities for folks to get involved in theatre—and also support development of new plays among local writers. We hold the event in a non-theatre venue (currently Peabody Heights Brewery) to encourage participation of those who may not consider themselves “theatre people” but have some interest in writing or performing.
I don’t know of anything quite like this going on in Baltimore right now, and I’m so excited to say that it seems to be a hit so far. I’ve already met so many new artists and audience members through the Brew, and the connections keep sparking with every open mic night. I can’t wait to see what bubbles up at the next session! Want to check it out for yourself? Come join us— I’ll see you at the Brew!
P.S. follow The Brew on instagram for all the latest updates and info!
