Occupy Prescott was a success!11/5/2021  We are so grateful to this community that made our first in-person play since the pandemic possible. Thanks to you, we sold out every show!
We have so many wonderful artists who worked on this production to thank, and we couldn't recommend them highly enough! If you’re looking for a talented artist to work with, please reach out to us. We’d be happy to connect you. Thank you to our incredible playwright, Andy Boyd! Andy has so many wonderful plays and you can learn more about them here. Thank you to the superhero performers Julie Cai, Christopher DeSantis, Alec A. Head (and his band Ghostbound!), Regina Romero, Fernando Vieira, and our musician Emily Johnson-Erday! Thank you to our incredible designers Dan Stearns and Andrea Lynn for creating the world of Occupy Prescott. Thank you to our remarkable stage manager Cody Hom, without whom we would have been totally lost! Thank you to our amazing dramaturg Al Parker, whose insight and rigor brought great depth to the show. Al is also very involved with The Parsnip Ship, a theater company we love and encourage you to check out. Thank you so much to our photographer Shubhra Mishra, who’s incredible photos are now on our website for your viewing pleasure. Thank you to our press and marketing queen Charlotte Dow, whose hard work resulted in not only a sold-out run, but also a review, a playwright interview, and a podcast interview for the show. Thank you to our ticketing queen Fatemata Krubally for welcoming our audiences with grace and great organization! Thank you to the Jalopy Tavern (and Theater)! Thank you Talia, Lynette, Geoff, Christine, Anthony, Cole, Sam, Josh, Lauren, and Jackson. Jalopy is truly an incredible community and venue. We hope you’ll check out their other activities including the Brooklyn Folk Festival which starts soon. Thank you to the artists who helped develop Occupy Prescott over the years. Thank you Matt Barbot, Toney Brown, Nora Casey, Danny Erickson, Stephen Foglia, Willie Johnson, Susan Kim, Katherina Peña, Haleh Roshan, and Philip Santos Schaffer! Thank you Thank you Kiki Senkita El, Jimmy Fay, Rick Fudge, Diana Levy, and Jacob Marx Rice for being dear friends and allies to Theater in Asylum. Thank you to the City Artist Corps, to ART/NY, Materials for the Arts, Pete’s Candy Store, Shanghai Theater Academy, and Trunk Space for the institutional support that made this show possible. and finally Thank YOU. Thank you audience members, thank you Cold Readers, thank you friends, thank you Theater in Asylum community. None of this would have been possible, or worth it, without you. Thank you for bringing meaning and possibility to Theater in Asylum’s work. Love and gratitude, Paul, Katie, Kathryn, and Hilarie Theater in Asylum
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 After two incredible weekends of performances, Occupy Prescott is drumming up lots of buzz online! Check out these profiles, articles and interviews to learn a little more about the story behind the show and the process of creating independent theatre in the current landscape. And head’s up: this weekend’s last two performances are now SOLD OUT! Thank you all for your incredible support throughout this run - we couldn’t pull this off without the amazing TIA community. Keep in touch and read more about the show at the links below!  Transitions: “Ten Years After Zuccotti Park, 'Occupy Prescott' Considers the Legacy of a Movement” In Boyd’s play, momentum proves more elusive. Divides form within the group once they are instructed to leave Courthouse Square or be arrested, raising the question of how much each of them is willing—or able—to sacrifice for the movement. That statement of principles never does gets completed. Still - connections have been formed, and some seeds may have been planted.” - Joey Sims  Go See a Show Podcast: Interview with Andy Boyd, Katie Palmer, and Paul Bedard Listen in as Occupy Prescott's co-directors and playwright discuss the creative process and historical context around the play with fellow artist Robert A.K. Gonyo.  Adam Szymkowicz: Interview with Andy Boyd
As part of his “I Interview Playwrights” series, writer Adam Szymkowicz chats with Andy Boyd about Occupy Prescott, the state of the theatre world, Andy’s favorite playwrights and more! Theater in Asylum Celebrates the 10 Year Anniversary of Occupy Wall Street with Occupy Prescott10/5/2021  The independent theater company’s first in-person production since early 2020 examines the historic movement’s impact on a small town in Arizona.
BROOKLYN, NY -- September 28, 2021 -- Theater in Asylum, a New York-based ensemble-driven independent theater company, today announced the company’s first in-person production since 2020, Occupy Prescott by Andy Boyd. The production will run from October 16, 2021 through October 31, 2021 at the Jalopy Tavern in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Ten years ago this fall, activists gathered in Lower Manhattan to peacefully occupy Zuccotti Park and to declare opposition to an economic system clearly inadequate for the majority of Americans, the 99%. Occupy Wall Street galvanized people around the world and inspired hundreds of activist occupations, big and small, united in a call to radically rethink the economic order. Occupy Prescott follows five Occupiers in the small, southwestern city of Prescott, Arizona in their efforts to change their town and the world. The protestors broadly agree that the one percent is too powerful, but that agreement breaks down as they search for specifics. Reaching consensus on what a better world looks like—and how to get there—is frequently frustrating and rarely glamorous. Never easy, but urgently necessary. “After many months of virtual productions, readings and community events, Theater in Asylum is so excited to be making live, in-person theatre again,” said Katie Palmer, Co-Artistic Director of Theater in Asylum and Co-Director of Occupy Prescott. “The issues raised by the Occupy movement are just as relevant today as they were ten years ago and we look forward to exploring them with audiences at the Jalopy this October.” "We are living in a world created by Occupy Prescott - with the Fight for 15, the fight for Medicare for all and the recent push to expand the social safety net," said Paul Bedard, Co-Artistic Director of Theater in Asylum and Co-Director of Occupy Prescott. "In many ways these struggles were propelled by the Occupy movement. We want to pay homage to the people who planted the seeds and encourage our audiences to keep dreaming and fighting." Occupy Prescott stars Julie Cai as Connie, Christopher DeSantis as Devin, Alec A. Head as Rex, Emily Johnson-Erday as the Musician, Regina Romero as Dolores and Fernando Vieira as Father Carlos. The production features stage management by Cody Hom, dramaturgy by Al Parker, scenic and lighting design by Dan Stearns and costume design by Andrea Lynn. The play is directed by Paul Bedard and Katie Palmer and produced by Kathryn Appleton and Theater in Asylum. Rounding out the production team are Hilarie Spangler (Community Engagement), Charlotte Dow (Marketing and Publicity) and Fatemata Krubally (Ticketing and Front of House Management). A very limited number of tickets for Occupy Prescott are on sale now at theaterinasylum.com. All performances will take place in Jalopy Tavern’s outdoor patio with contingencies in place for inclement weather. Audience members must show proof of vaccination to enter Jalopy Tavern and must wear a face-covering throughout the duration of the performance. Occupy Prescott is presented as part of the City Artist Corps Grants program, presented by The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), with support from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) as well as Queens Theatre. The program is funded by the $25 million New York City Artist Corps recovery initiative announced by Mayor de Blasio and DCLA earlier this year. The grants are intended to support NYC-based working artists who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Listings Information What: Occupy Prescott by Andy Boyd When: October 16,17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 at 3 PM Where: Jalopy Tavern, 317 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 Tickets: $20 General Admission, $30 Hero Admission, $10 Student/Artist/Low Income Admission. All performances will have a $0 ticket option and all tickets to the first performance on October 16th are FREE. About Theater in Asylum Theater in Asylum (TIA) is a New York-based theater company founded in 2010 to challenge and empower its community. TIA joyfully pursues rigorous research and an ensemble-driven approach to theater-making to create performances that investigate our past, interpret our present, and imagine our future. TIA prizes space to process, space to question—asylum—for its members and community. Past TIA productions include Hephaestus by Willie Johnson at LPAC’s Rough Draft Festival; Totally Wholesome Foods by Alice Pencavel at the Episcopal Actors’ Guild; The Brontës by Katie Palmer, Lucas Tahiruzzaman Syed and Sarah Ziegler at Brooklyn’s Old Stone House; and ¡Olé!, conceived and directed by Paul Bedard, presented at the Prague, Rochester, and Chicago Fringe Festivals. Other ongoing TIA projects include The Debates, a series of plays inspired by local and national elections, the Cold Readings series and TIA’s Cabarets. Media Contact Charlotte Dow Marketing & Publicity, Occupy Prescott chardow913@gmail.com theaterinasylum.com Overview
About Occupy Prescott 10 years ago this fall, activists gathered in lower Manhattan to peacefully occupy Zuccotti Park and to declare opposition to an economic system clearly inadequate for the majority of Americans, the 99%. Occupy Wall Street galvanized people around the world and inspired hundreds of activist occupations, big and small, united in a call to radically rethink the economic order. Playwright Andy Boyd hones in on Prescott, Arizona to follow five Occupiers in their efforts to change their town and the world. They broadly agree that the one percent is too powerful, but agreement breaks down as they search for specifics. Reaching consensus on what a better world looks like—and how to get there—is frequently frustrating and rarely glamorous. Never easy, but urgently necessary. On the 10th anniversary of the rallying cry heard round the world, we are thrilled to produce the prescient and hopeful play: Occupy Prescott. The Role we’re looking to fill We are looking for a woman-identifying-or-presenting actor, aged 30+, of east-Asian descent, to play Connie, whom the play describes as a Japanese American woman in her sixties. When Connie introduces herself to the group, she explains that... "I heard about acid and Mao and the Grateful Dead all in one day, ran away from home, and joined a commune." After recounting the disillusionment of the era she continues, "So I did what a lot of us did, us ex-hippies. Lit out for the territories, to the Berkshires or Taos or Austin or Prescott and hunkered down, tried to keep the fire burning until the next time America was ready to try out some new ideas. There's this line by Lawrence Ferlinghetti: 'I am perpetually awaiting a rebirth of wonder.' I have been waiting for forty years." Of everyone in the group, she has the most experience working to change the world. She has seen toxic interpersonal dynamics destroy promising coalitions, but she has also experienced the joy of true community. She relentlessly presses her compatriots to think more radically (meaning from the root) about what is wrong with this country. She presses the group to mean it, to be actually revolutionary with the world they're envisioning and fighting for. About the Audition Dates: Thursday, August 26th from 3:30-5:30pm. Location: ART/NY South Oxford Space: 138 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Please prepare a 1-2 minute monologue. You may be asked to stay and read a side, if time allows. Theater in Asylum seeks to make this audition as easy and friendly as possible. When you arrive, you can expect someone to greet you and show you to a waiting area. Once it is your turn, you’ll be met by Andy (the playwright), and Katie (one of the directors). We will all be on our feet and eager to work with you. Please prepare a short contemporary monologue (1-2 minutes). If you’re cool with it, we would love to play with it a little bit after you present it. We anticipate each audition taking between five and ten minutes. To Submit Please send a headshot and resume to info@theaterinasylum.com. About the Production Occupy Prescott will perform outdoors at Jalopy in Red Hook, Brooklyn. All performances will be matinees, with 3pm shows (additional 12pm shows possible), Saturdays and Sundays, October 16-31, 2021. In the event of a rained out performance, a 12pm show may be added on another show day. Occupy Prescott is written by Andy Boyd, and co-directed by Paul Bedard and Katie Palmer of Theater in Asylum. Producing work is shared by Andy, Paul, and Katie, as well as Theater in Asylum’s managing director Kathryn Appleton and community engagement manager Hilarie Spangler. About the Process Occupy Prescott will rehearse September 15 - October 15, 2021 with a combination of online and in-person rehearsals. Online rehearsals (table work, etc) will utilize Zoom. In-person rehearsals will typically take place in Brooklyn either at Jalopy or at ART/NY’s South Oxford Space. We will do our absolute best to work around everyone’s schedule (day jobs, other commitments, etc) and anticipate rehearsals to be nights and weekends. To protect ourselves from the ongoing pandemic, we are requiring that all collaborators and audience members be vaccinated against Covid-19. The cast will also test weekly and mask when rehearsing indoors. About You Theater in Asylum prizes community and seeks to create a safe and invigorating environment for all. We are looking for friendly, respectful, and caring folks to join our community. Occupy Prescott will have a fast process and our hope is to foster a strong team to present the most compelling possible work to our audience. All applicants must be vaccinated against Covid-19. Unfortunately due to the size of our budget, we are not able to work with union artists, including those in Actors Equity. Theater in Asylum believes in Equal Opportunity Collaboration. We are committed to diversity in all areas of our work, on and offstage. We encourage applicants with a unique cultural perspective inclusive of race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, class, physical ability, and sexual orientation to apply. Compensation All performers will receive a $300 honorarium. This position will be considered an independent contractor of Theater in Asylum. Please note that all collaborators on Occupy Prescott, regardless of role, will be paid equally. We know that this honorarium is less than you (and we!) are worth. We understand that this is not a living wage and certainly limits things. We commit to do everything we can to respect and support folks to make the process as sustainable and rewarding as possible for all of us. Theater in Asylum values transparency and always shares the complete show budget with signed-on collaborators. See our full Transparency commitments here. About Theater in Asylum Theater in Asylum (TIA) is a New York-based theater company founded in 2010 to challenge and empower our community. TIA joyfully pursues rigorous research and an ensemble-driven approach to theater-making. We create performances to investigate our past, interpret our present, and imagine our future. We prize space to process, space to question—asylum—for ourselves and our community. Core programs include original productions; themed cabarets, presenting new work from our community; and Cold Readings, a program to read and discuss published plays. Community is of utmost importance to Theater in Asylum and some of our strategies for community safety and empowerment may be found here. Theater in Asylum’s Community Agreements Theater in Asylum strives to prevent harm in all of our spaces. We acknowledge that multiple systems of oppression intersect and permeate our lives (including racism, sexism, classism, ableism, and others). While we know that no space is ever 100% safe for all people, we hope to make our spaces safer with these Community Agreements. We ask everyone entering our space to, in good faith:
If any of these Community Agreements are not being lived up to, or if there is something Theater in Asylum can do to support your full engagement, please know that dialogue is welcome. See leadership contact information and an anonymous contact form at theaterinasylum.com/community. Categories
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