Reflections On A Night That Was...

I've had some time to decompress after a very busy couple of weeks and an extremely hectic weekend, but needless to say, I'm extremely proud of what was accomplished in the last month by not only the company, but everyone who took part in the Brainstorm experiment for Glass Mind Theatre Company.

With no budget, about two weeks of rehearsal/tech time (combined) and six new plays to put up, it was the combined talents of six playwrights, six directors, some dedicated tech help, fourteen actors, and two musicians that helped us create one night of magic to help usher in our debut as a company.

Yep, you read correctly. One night.

Due to inclement weather, we had to cancel our Saturday night performance. It was a very difficult decision, as we did not have a readily-available backup plan. Due to tight booking, it would be near impossible to book the Mobtown space (they're gearing up for Patrick Marber's "Closer", which I recommend you all to check out!) and due to availabilities post-January, it just doesn't seem like we can do this particular show.

"Brainstorm" actress Sarah-Ford Gorman answers the phone in Bob Harris's "Life and Death and Life",
as Shaun Vain enters in the background. Photo by Britt Olsen-Ecker

For those of you who came to our packed-house performance Friday evening, we thank you greatly for coming out and supporting us. The evening felt electric and I am sincerely glad we got to open to such a great audience.

For those of you who were planning on coming Saturday, I do extend my apologies for the turn of events. There was a huge amount of disappointment in knowing that we had friends, family, and people who were genuinely excited about the project not being able to see the show due to this cancellation.

But don't fret! Our first "Brainstorm" event was just that - a first. It was a chance for us to lay down the foundation for what we hope will become a tradition for our company. We plan on building upon this festival and making it even better next time! And I hope you will be part of it, whether it be at the submission phase or even simply as an audience member. Your involvement will be key.

(And, of course, we'll be shooting for more performances next time we have this festival...not that one night wasn't worth it! )

"Brainstorm" actorJaron Lopez in Bob Harris's "Life and Death and Life",
along with J Hargrove (center) and Shaun Vain (back). Photo by Britt Olsen-Ecker

So, what's next? Well, for those of you who had the chance to see the show Friday, you may have read about our next show, "Antarctica". This one act by Carolyn Raship is a fun, spirited, and adventurous play that is receiving its Baltimore premiere. In this respect, this is the kickoff for a 'pre-season' of sorts. This will go up in April at Mobtown, and we'll have more info on that to come within the week. In the coming weeks, Glass Mind Theatre Company will be working towards fleshing out the rest of the year, and we have some great things we want to plan for the Baltimore theatre and arts scene. We're in talks to set up a regular reading/workshop series that we hope acts as an inventive and unique way for us to both preview new work and break down the walls between the artists and you, the audience.

Also, later this week, expect some updates to the websites and some awesome photos from "Brainstorm" via Britt Olsen Ecker.

Thanks for keeping up with us, and we ask you to - as always! - stay tuned for more.

-Andrew Peters
Artistic Director