Theater of Others

Greetings and salutations to the alumni and the audience of Theater of Others. We are on hiatus, as is the entire theater community and much of the nation. After producing a show each Spring and putting up 13 productions over the past 5 years, we are taking a break that we neither needed nor desired. What we find at the end of this crisis will be different, but we do not yet know what changes must be made to accommodate both our own new sensibilities and the expectations of our participants and our friends. We can and should rethink everything.

This presents an opportunity to broaden our artistic direction. One segment of The Others will remain committed to the plays of the Elizabethan and Jacobean theater. “21st Century Shakespeare for Our Times” will continue to be the guiding principle of that group. But we can also form parallel companies that will produce other kinds of plays. What kinds of plays we do will be determined by the collective that is formed by those individuals who make the commitments to the rigors of theatrical production.

We are able to wait out the hiatus because we have not commoditized theater. We have not made ourselves dependent on it for our livelihoods. Our insistence on giving away free theater has unburdened us of the addiction to fundraising and ticket sales. Our unique relationship with the proprietors and management of our venue does not require an ongoing financial obligation. Our beautiful stage is still waiting for us. This will likely not be the best way to make money but if we dedicate the necessary resources it will offer freedom that will be limited only by our imaginations.

Please contact us to initiate new projects of all kinds. We want to collaborate with individuals and other companies to resume our established direction and to explore other directions. We do believe that cooperation and sharing will be the keys to restarting the scene and rebuilding the community. Let’s be ready.