The Debates 2021
Created by Theater in Asylum
Coming Soon!
The Debates 2021 will be our fourth iteration of The Debates. This year we turn to New York City’s Democratic primaries and the conversation over what we want our city to be. New Yorkers will soon elect a new mayor, comptroller, and many city council members.
We believe everyone should understand their electoral power, and we know theater is a potent tool to elucidate that power. As in past years, we’ll host a slew of events including watch parties, political analysis meetings, and finally, an original play about the election. We want not only to get out the vote, but also to empower the voter to engage in the electoral process with understanding and confidence. With our unique blend of mimicry, abstraction, and earnest curiosity, we seek to illuminate the candidates, the issues, and ourselves.
Learn more about our process on The Talkback, and on BRIC TV
The Debates 2021 will be our fourth iteration of The Debates. This year we turn to New York City’s Democratic primaries and the conversation over what we want our city to be. New Yorkers will soon elect a new mayor, comptroller, and many city council members.
We believe everyone should understand their electoral power, and we know theater is a potent tool to elucidate that power. As in past years, we’ll host a slew of events including watch parties, political analysis meetings, and finally, an original play about the election. We want not only to get out the vote, but also to empower the voter to engage in the electoral process with understanding and confidence. With our unique blend of mimicry, abstraction, and earnest curiosity, we seek to illuminate the candidates, the issues, and ourselves.
Learn more about our process on The Talkback, and on BRIC TV
What is "The Debates"?
Created by Theater in Asylum (TIA), The Debates is a process of adapting political debates into theatrical performances. After watching a debate, we gather to analyze it, and create an original performance based on it. Throughout the process, participants speak lines from the debate, imitate candidates' gestures, invent scenes that provide context or history, and analyze the candidates the way an actor would a character in a play. We believe that this is a way to “try on” the candidates, demystifying them and emboldening the voter. Behind the scenes, every word and assertion (whether from the debate transcript or generated by the participants) is rigorously fact checked by a team of dramaturgs. All sources are noted in our publicly available script. Ultimately, we hope the material on stage, and the voting materials offstage, will empower audiences to engage with the democratic process with knowledge and confidence.
Our Goals
- To inspire and empower people to participate in theater (both as audience and theater makers).
- To inspire and empower people to participate in democracy (both by voting on election day and by participating in the discussion every day).
- To create community and cross-pollinate artist and politically active networks.
Our Process
- Watch Party. We watch the debates live on television. These parties can be at a bar, a home, or a community space.
- Political Analysis Meetings. We go through the transcript and separate fact from fiction, highlighting moments that deserve more attention. Facilitators lead participants in research and discussion to better understand what occurred during the debate. By the end of these meetings, the transcript is parsed into what is most potent for our show (either politically or theatrically) and what is discardable (repetitive or unsubstantive).
- Scripting Meetings. We devise scenes or lift dialogue from the transcripts and accompanying research. Here we make the original script.
- Rehearsals. We stage and rehearse the original script. Directors and choreographers lead actors and designers to bring the script to life on stage.
- Performance. We present the team’s work to the community.
- Follow Through. At all our events, voter registration and materials are available. After the performance, we work to remind all participants and audience to vote.
The Team
The process was led by TIA’s Artistic Directors Paul Bedard and Katie Palmer
Community Engagement facilitated by Hilarie Spangler
Produced by Kathryn Appleton and Theater in Asylum
Community Engagement facilitated by Hilarie Spangler
Produced by Kathryn Appleton and Theater in Asylum
A Disclaimer
All expenditures for The Debates are paid for by Theater in Asylum. No actions, script lines, voting guide, or events are authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. Theater in Asylum never endorses candidates in a race. We simply want more people, people like you, to engage and participate. No copyright infringement, defamation, libel, or slander is intended. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email us at info@theaterinasylum.com. Please don’t sue us!
