Each year, Theater in Asylum releases a list of books we read that were impactful, stuck out, and memorable. Below find a list, crowd-sourced from our community, of the books we loved in 2021. And check this post out to see the books we loved last year, in 2020.

What a year! Theater returned and, while difficult and ever-changing, our theater-going habit revived and we couldn't be more grateful. In 2020, when we asked our community about plays we've seen, it was "What was the last play you saw before everything shut down?" This year, we got to ask, "What stood out? What will you remember?" Below, find this year's list, lovingly compiled from the Theater in Asylum community.

• Continue Cold Readings, weekly until the pandemic ends, TBD after that. In 2021 we will focus on reading more plays by writers of color, bringing in more guest facilitators, and partnering with other companies that hold readings.
• Create and produce The Debates 2021*, centering on NYC’s upcoming primary elections
• Produce Andy’s Boyd’s Occupy Prescott*
• Present a cabaret* for artists in our community to experiment with new work
• Complete a revision of our mission statement and company values 
• Continue working to understand our role in oppressive systems, while striving to counteract them with anti-racist and anti-oppression practices. 

* We are planning our two productions and one cabaret to have multiple presentation options. Outdoors? Online? We are keeping safety top-of-mind, with multiple contingency plans and flexibility as the health situation in NYC changes.

Hello friends,

Katie here, with an attempt to gather up some favorite moments from 2020, following up on our lists of favorite books and music from the year.

I can think so clearly back to 365 days ago, when I was looking forward to all the things I thought 2020 was going to be, blissfully ignorant of all the things it would become. I had great plans: a few terrific trips, a 100+ person family reunion, school spring musicals I was ushering into existence.

It took many months, but I have let go of that alternative universe, and now live fully in the present. It has been a year of much smaller moments for me: a deep appreciation for the way the sunlight changes in my apartment; an extended visit with my sister in the summer; humbly expanding my participation in the march towards racial justice; a phone conversation on Election Day helping a woman in Michigan get to the polls; the sadness, memory, and catharsis that comes at a funeral; weekly gatherings to read and discuss plays and their themes.

This world is a mess. I take a bit of comfort in the knowledge that this world has always been a mess, and this year continued to expose more and more of that mess. But I truly believe 2020 can help us put the world back together again. Through the heartbreak and the chaos, we all have a few moments worth remembering: some big and profound, some small and delicate. Some fiery, some upsetting, some passionate, some subtle. Memories that become core to our sense of self, and memories that emerge without warning.

Take a look at some favorite 2020 memories crowd-sourced from the TIA community. I am so grateful to have gone through this year with all of you. I would have been lost without Theater in Asylum to keep me focused, committed, and processing. Thank you all for giving me—and each other—moments from 2020 that we’ll want to hold on to. 

All my love,
Katie