Glass Mind Theatre Company

2010-08-20T19:26:00.001-04:00

This week, we're taking a look at an exciting dance company that's been making an impact in Charm City (and a group that certainly has our hearts!) - Effervescent Collective.

Our own Liz Galuardi got the chance to work with Effervescent during their March production of "Dirty Dancing" - yep, the one where the guy played Baby and a gal played Johnny - and she enjoyed the entire experience immensely. Checking out the show, we couldn't help but notice the sheer amount of fun and excitement that was generated in the room.

And that kind of accessibility is exactly what Effervescent is striving for. Their website lays it out - check it out and get a feel for what this group is:

effervescentcollective.org

They've done dance for smelling (seriously). They've done the aforementioned gender flipping of famous movie roles. They rocked it out at Whartscape. Odds are, they have some amazing future plans lined up for Baltimore, and we couldn't be more excited.

So if you've seen them, maybe they might like a donation through Fractured Atlas (Hey! Just like us!) And who knows, one day maybe GMT will get a chance to collab with them. Who likes the sound of that?

Looking Glass Thursday: Tenement St. Workshop

2010-08-12T12:32:00.005-04:00

GMT's Alex Scally checks in with this week's feature, which looks at the Brooklyn, NY-based artists collective, Tenement Street Workshop.

Looking Glass 8.12: Tenement St. Workshop from GlassMind Theatre on Vimeo.

During our production of Antartica, GMT was approached by fellow Baltimore artist (and Looking Glass alum) Philip Edward Laubner to participate in his July multimedia event, Instant Gratification. Phil expressed great interest in adding more performance art to the bill, namely spoken-word and slam poety. Without hesitation, one group came to mind: Tenement Street Workshop.

In early June, I contacted Patrick Letterii, a former classmate and founding member of TSW. I knew that they were currently touring their newest original, God On The Roof, a coming-of-age story told through slam poetry and visual media. I explained Instant Gratification and proposed creating or expanding a slam poetry work as a collaborative project for the event. The entire group embraced the opportunity by not only staging the Baltimore premiere God On The Roof, but also writing a piece for Glass Mind's members and associate artists. It was a real pleasure that, despite the long-distance relationship, we were able to build something together and showcase the strength of our companies for one audience.

Whether it be a concert on the roof of a Bushwick warehouse, a festival at Carnegie Mellon University, or a hybrid performance in a Pigtown art gallery (see video), Tenement Street Workshop continue to build a strong following as innovative and resourceful liaisons of the East Coast arts scene. For more information and upcoming performances, please see www.tenementsteet.org.

Looking Glass Thursday: Philip Laubner Photography

2010-08-05T19:21:00.010-04:00

This week, Britt checks in with our next entry for Looking Glass Thursday, where we'll be taking a look at photographer Philip Laubner:

--------------

My wonderful friend, the photographer Philip Laubner

I met Phil Laubner long before I actually “met” him.

Yeah, I know it’s cheesy.

I did “The Lacy Project” at the Strand Theater back in February, and during the run of the show, we had a gallery of portraits of women. Jayme Kilburn, the artistic director of the theater, knew Phil and asked him to hang some of his portraits in the exhibit. I was immediately drawn to one of his pictures, entitled “Lauren Lakis Head” (Lauren was actually in the production with me, and the title role of the show). I was looking forward to meeting him, hoping he would come to the show.

He indeed came and stayed to meet me after one of my performances. I told him what a big fan of his I was, and he told me what a big fan of mine he was (I also had some portraits of women up in our makeshift gallery). I told Phil about Glass Mind Theatre, and he became one of our biggest supporters.

Phil is a very talented photographer, among other things. Him and I are in the early stages of creating a folk band, him on guitar, me on vocals! He has a lovely voice himself, though he will never admit it. He was also kind enough to photograph Glass Mind’s “Prom Night” as part of our Antarctica run. The photos were amazing.

Check out Phil's Facebook fan page HERE

What I love about Phil’s photography is that it is honest and beautiful work. He takes seemingly ordinary people and creates something beautiful with his portraiture – without a ton of Photoshop or editing. His techniques with lighting are also something out of this world. Whether he uses his flash, or just the light that surrounds the subject, he manages to find something divine. There is a particular picture of me from Antarctica’s Prom Night where I am looking up toward this light on stage, and I am in my sequined dress, and there is a blue balloon at my feet. It is just one of the coolest pictures of me that I have. You best believe it was my Facebook profile picture for a little while.

It’s strange to think that I have known Phil Laubner only since the beginning of 2010, because we have become so close. I don’t see as much of him as I’d like to, because our schedules are so busy. However, I know we’ll get together soon, and you’ll see us on the streets of Baltimore. We’ll be busking around town with our folk band. Be sure to drop us a few bucks, or take our picture.

Looking Glass Thursday: CHUCKLESTORM

2010-07-29T13:58:00.003-04:00

One of our main goals with Glass Mind is – in the simplest terms – reach out to all kinds of Baltimore artists and help strengthen the bonds in the arts scene here. How can we do our part to help that? Why not blog about people we think are awesome and tell you more about them? Oh, hell yeah.

So this officially marks a new weekly feature here on the blog which we’d like to call “Looking Glass” (Alec Lawson earns a GMT merit badge for helping come up with that one). Each Thursday, we’ll give you the scoop on an artist we happen to think is doing some great stuff here in Charm City. Whether they’ve worked with us directly or not, these are the folks that Glass Mind feels is making movement.

And yes, it’s possible to make movement in blazers and running shorts.

Today we’re showcasing two guys who worked with us in the first Brainstorm festival. Dan Friedman and Alex Braslavsky have been heading up a monthly event they dub “Chucklestorm” for the last few months - whether “Chucklestorm” and “Brainstorm” are related by blood is all speculation at this point.

They recently had a successful showing of CHUCKLESTORM at the Ottobar this past month, and their videos leading up to the event were pretty stellar. And wouldn't you know it, another one of our associate artists worked on ‘em (Hey, Jaron Lopez!). The one above, entitled “Frisbee”, is a personal favorite.

Ladies, please calm yourselves. I know all of those knees and ankles are getting you worked up.

Dan and Alex also show appreciation to their idols when they can. Their last Chucklestorm took place on Forest Whitaker’s birthday, which they advertised in order to maintain proper Forest Whitaker birthday awareness (Word on our street is, he showed up backstage, made Alex cry, and left in a fury, but no one can actually confirm or deny this).

SO! How can you follow these guys and check out Chucklestorm? Well, it’s looking to become a monthly event at the Ottobar (huzzah!) and for now, you can check them out on their Facebook group. Here’s the link:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=133904556636226&ref=ts

They have some videos from their last event, and of course, plenty of pictures of their knees and ankles. Whew.

UPCOMING LOOKING GLASS FEATURES:

8.5 – Phil Laubner, Photographer/Host of ‘Instant Gratification’/All Around Swell Guy

8.12 – Tenement St. Workshop / Theatre Collective – featuring video from our collab at Instant Gratification in July!

SEASON ONE: It has arrived!

2010-07-13T21:28:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! Great news - Glass Mind's SEASON ONE has finally be announced, and its looking to be a pretty packed first season. Featuring three world premiere projects (one of which is the return and 'remix' of our BRAINSTORM festival) and a Baltimore premiere of a play that debuted at Humana, we're really excited to connect with Baltimore this coming year.

And speaking of "connection", that's a huge buzzword you'll be hearing a lot of this year. One of the most important aspects of our season planning was using all of our main productions to create a yearly dialogue based on a related theme or idea. This season's theme revolves around how we choose to build these connections, and how we may not be able to. Whether its through machines or (gasp!) actual human contact, this struggle to identify with one another (or even ourselves) is something that we feel each of these productions will showcase.

We look forward to seeing you and starting this discussion up in person! Hope to see you around for SEASON ONE!

For more details and to check out the season, check out www.glassmindtheatre.com!

Tuesday Viewsday!: April 13

2010-04-13T13:25:00.000-04:00

We are about three days from the opening of Glass Mind Theatre's Baltimore Debut of "ANTARCTICA" by Carolyn Raship, and this thankfully coincides with another addition of TUESDAY VIEWS-DAY! Magda and Winnie have another Video Log up, but it looks like things are getting a bit more difficult than expected -- wait, what's that sound?

Check it out below:

Antarctica Video Log Pt. 3 from GlassMind Theatre on Vimeo.

"Antarctica" opens THIS FRIDAY, April 16th, at 8pm at Mobtown Theater. You can buy your tickets on our website at www.glassmindtheatre.com - just follow the Brown Paper Tickets icon and it'll take you right to the events page!

We hope to see you there!

Tuesday Viewsday!: March 30

2010-03-30T14:15:00.000-04:00

It's another Tuesday and we've got another Antarctica Video Log for ya! Check it out...

Antarctica Video Log Pt. 2 from GlassMind Theatre on Vimeo.

Tuesday Views-day!

2010-03-23T13:22:00.000-04:00

So, lately, we've been getting our viral on.

Well, in video form, of course.

We dropped two videos last week, so here they are in case you haven't checked them out.

First up, here's the first part of a series leading up to our premiere of Carolyn Raship's "Antarctica" - Magda and Winnie's Antarctica Video Log. Featuring GMT company members Liz Galuardi and Britt Olsen-Ecker in their roles from the show. Hope you'll enjoy what is to come, and we hope it inspires you to check out the very fun show starting April 16th.

Magda and Winnie's Antarctica Video Log Pt. 1 from GlassMind Theatre on Vimeo.

And our second video was actually something we threw together from some footage we took around the time of Brainstorm. For some reason, this footage FINALLY decided it wanted to be edited (yes, the footage had a say in this!) so we grooved up Baltimore and dropped this little bad boy in your lap.

One thing we've always heard about Mobtown Theater - currently the home that puts up with our antics (good people!) - is that it is pretty difficult to find, especially that very first time. WELL NEVER FEAR! We brewed up a little visual stimuLatte for you before you make your trip to the theater. Hopefully, you'll reference this when you come see "Antarctica" in April! ... Wink wink?

Glass Mind's Travel Guide: Getting To Mobtown Theater! from GlassMind Theatre on Vimeo.

That's this week's edition of Tuesday Views-day! We'll have some more videos up for you soon - thanks for following us!

Glass Mind Theatre: Now fiscally sponsored by FRACTURED ATLAS!

2010-03-03T18:09:00.000-05:00

So, HUGE news today.

Glass Mind Theatre Company will eventually be applying for its own 501(c)3 status, but in the meantime, we have been granted a great opportunity. Our company will be now fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization dedicated to helping support smaller groups, artists, and other artistic projects. This organization is extremely helpful, and the best way to understand what they provide is to show you their mission statement:

Fractured Atlas is a non-profit organization that serves a national community of artists and arts organizations. Our programs and services facilitate the creation of art by offering vital support to the artists who produce it. We help artists and arts organizations function more effectively as businesses by providing access to funding, healthcare, education, and more, all in a context that honors their individuality and independent spirit. By nurturing today's talented but underrepresented voices, we hope to foster a dynamic and diverse cultural landscape of tomorrow.

From www.fracturedatlas.org

It's a great step for our company as we're in our early stages, and soon we'll fill you in on how you can help donate to our company through Fractured Atlas.

Exploring "Antarctica": Starting with the Playwright... (Also: This Week in Unnecessary Show Hype!)

2010-03-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

So, in the next month, we're planning on heavily updating you all about our upcoming production "Antarctica" by Carolyn Raship. As we get things into place, we figure that the best place to start is by starting with information on the playwright.

Haven't heard of "Antarctica" or Carolyn Raship? Well if you've got a sec, check out this interview:

"An Interview with Carolyn Raship - Antarctica"

Here she gives a little insight into her writing process with the play, and gives a few little tidbits about the play. She's a pretty fun, inventive writer, and her work - especially in this play! - is very vivid. Our goal in this production is to really support her voice and allow you, as an audience, to hear it.

Hope you'll stay tuned to this blog, our tweets, and our (newly redesigned!) website in the coming month. We'll be giving some sneak peaks into the rehearsals and also diving into some of the fascinating material thats going into this production.

Some other things to check out this week:

-"Working It Out" is previewing this week and opening this weekend at CENTERSTAGE. I was able to work on "Cyrano" last month before Brainstorm, and then was asked to assistant direct on this production as well, and the experience has been a blast. For those not familiar with "Working It Out"'s premise, it is three short plays all based around the idea of 'work' - in its various forms. Featuring "Washed Up On The Potomac" by Lynn Rosen (Who I got the chance to meet - a really interesting and funny playwright!), "Jerry and Tom" by Rick Cleveland, and "Hidden In This Picture" by Aaron Sorkin. It takes place in the newly redesigned Head Theater, which has a bar smack dab in the theater (hey, that's always a treat). So if you get a chance this month, come check this production out.
www.centerstage.org

-Our good friends at Mobtown Theater are running strong with "Closer" by Patrick Marber.I believe this weekend is the second to last weekend. Check it out - a solid play that isn't afraid to confront you, and its got some solid performances.
http://www.mobtownplayers.net/

-"Playing Dead" at Single Carrot is still running strong, and if you hadn't heard enough from them, let us repeat the message - get your tix ASAP.
www.singlecarrot.com

Glass Mind takes a trip to the Antarctic....

2010-02-26T19:58:00.000-05:00

Click here for the Antarctica Promo Photos!

So, wait, where did February go?

Yeah, we know - things have been crazy and we haven't been able to update in the last couple weeks. Coming off of Brainstorm, Glass Mind had a lot to do - especially getting things sorted for "Antarctica" in April.

We're going to be getting our performance dates 100% in the next week, but in the meantime we definitely want you to check out the photo shoot we did for "Antarctica" - Glass Mind's next production, a one-act play by Carolyn Raship. It's a brilliant, vibrant play, and we hope you enjoy the fun that we had in the snow. Thank you, Baltimore blizzard!

AND, best yet, as we're heading into rehearsals and doing other negotiations on the side, we're going to be updating much more frequently. Whether its giving updates on rehearsals, dropping links to interesting websites or images that may (or may not!) have to do with our productions, or even just dropping a thank you!/hello!/etc., we want to you to be checking in regularly.

Stay tuned, and check out the photo album!

Reflections On A Night That Was...

2010-02-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

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

Six plays, six days of rehearsal, and six more days til "Brainstorm"!

2010-01-23T18:11:00.000-05:00

"Brainstorm" actors Alex Braslavsky and Siarra T. Mong rehearse
for Rain Pryor's "The First Seder," directed by Britt Olsen Ecker.

We're wrapping up our solitary week of rehearsals before we jump into the Mobtown space for a breezy tech and two anticipated performance nights, and having been able to see each of these pieces go from page to stage in such a short amount of time, there is definitely a great challenge and an even greater reward in the work that is being done.

Some of us in Glass Mind have used the word "experiment" in describing this festival, and it definitely has that quality to it. "Brainstorm" is a mix of a few different concepts - it has aspects of the 24-Hour festival models for example, but extends it to the span of one month. "Brainstorm" also has ties to other local festivals and productions that act as a jumpoff point for new work, such as Run of the Mill's "Variations" project and the Baltimore Playwrights Festival.

"Brainstorm" actor J Hargrove rehearses as 'Kiv' in "Bedding America"
by Julie Lewis, directed by Andrew Peters.

As I'm watching these plays develop, however, I'm starting to think that this festival will have great potential to grow into its own as a unique event. A lot of that will largely depend on you, our audience, and what connects you all to the project. I'm sure some pieces will resonate deeply to you, while others may not. Don't worry! That's perfectly okay!

There's a lot of work to be done before we open, and I couldn't be more proud of the people we have involved on this. We have a lot of young, hungry local artists who have all jumped at the opportunity and the excitement of the project, and that is what is going to make this festival work. With a great and very diverse mix of plays, playwrights, directors, and actors, I'm anticipating the two nights we will have to bring all of these converging elements together.

"Brainstorm" actor Omar Said as 'Sol' in "Bedding America".

GMT auditions for Brainstorm, part 2!

2010-01-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

We personally want to thank everyone who came out for our first ever auditions, and the level of excitement and array of talents displayed two evenings ago blew us all away.

With less than 10 days to go until our first performance, we're hitting the ground running with the festival. With six directors, six plays, 15 actors, and a limited rehearsal calendar, Glass Mind and our associate artists are going to have a busy two weeks ahead of them. Needless to say, with all the hard work and talent we saw the other night, we have a great amount of faith in this journey we're embarking on.

To find out more about the plays, we encourage you to visit our Brainstorm website at www.glassmindtheatre.com/brainstorm.

Also, to those following us in our various outlets - through this blog, the website, Twitter, and Facebook: THANK YOU! Keep spreading word! These mediums have given people the opportunity to connect to us in new and exciting ways, and it motivates us to do the best work that we can. As we start creating work and building a foundation as a company, we will be finding more and more innovative ways to keep these lines of communication open.

-Glass Mind Theatre Company

(*Images/Video provided by GMT company members Britt Olsen-Ecker and Kate Doccolo. )

GMT auditions for Brainstorm, part 1!

2010-01-17T23:12:00.000-05:00

We just got back from auditioning for our very first short play festival, "BRAINSTORM" - going up at Mobtown Theater in Baltimore on January 29th and 30th - and it was an energetic, fun evening. Thanks to all who came out - we'll be letting you know in the next day

We're also going to be releasing the info tomorrow about the six plays and which of the ten ideas were chosen.

Check out our video of the event here:

GMT prepares for "BRAINSTORM" Auditions! from GlassMind Theatre on Vimeo.

We'll have more to come, including some pics, maybe another video or two, and of course, all the important info for what is to come for BRAINSTORM!

Announcing the ten selected submissions for "BRAINSTORM"!

2010-01-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

We hope you've been noticing a lot of hype about Glass Mind Theatre's first official production, a two night play festival we call "BRAINSTORM". There's a lot of excitement in the air about it, and we like to think that is mostly due to the whole concept of the festival.

On January 1st, we metaphorically "opened the floodgates" and allowed anyone to enter an jump-off point for a brand new play. If they could come up with one or two in 125 characters or less, their idea might become the foundation of a brand new piece of art. We wanted this idea to be featured as our first event because, as a new theatre company in the city, we really want to create a direct connection with you - our potential audience.

The submissions ended right at 12:00 A.M. Friday. Six of our eight founding members began a vote right at midnight as we collected the ideas. How did we choose? We took the submissions (we had about 26 - which is a great number for the first time we've done this!) and blindly voted for the six we wanted to use, which means we had no names of the 'creators' attached to the ideas.

The votes were tallied ("SURVIVOR" style, with eerie background music and torches lit in the darkness...) and we took the ten ideas with the most votes.

Why ten, you ask?

We've posed the ten ideas to the playwrights, who have chosen in a first-come, first-serve basis. That will leave four ideas that we have big plans for to use in an interesting way. While they may not be the inspiration for a new play that evening, we definitely are going to feature them that evening in a way we think you will find very interesting...

So, without further ado! Here are the ten ideas that have made the cut, along with the creators (no particular order):

A modern adaptation of the myth of Atlas, in which an office worker winds up condemned to hold up the heavens.
Jon Levin, via email

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a modern day woman?
David J. Loehr, via Twitter (dloehr).

How can two people live in the same apartment at the same time and have no idea that the other one exists?
Josh Luxenberg, via email.

4 WorldofWarcraftesque gamers become superheroes using avatars' identities. Problem? They've never left their moms' basements
Cole Matson, via Twitter (colematson).

A young man has a conversation with himself as an old man as he is dying.
Gordon Steen, via email.

She's in love with him because he's a paraplegic. A radical, miracle procedure can bring his legs back. Will she stop it?
Single Carrot Theatre (SingleCarrot) (I want to say this was Brendan Regan, but it could've been a group effort, who knows!)

DC,Time-Present Near Future, Monologues of diverse victims killed in a political protest for their different American Dreams
Efrem Foster, via Twitter (VeryPlainKevin)

Giant squid sing about their problems.
Tracey Flanders, via Twitter (traceflan)

The complexity of couple's relationship unfolds during night of cooking for Passover Seder
Hilary Winn, via Twitter (hwinn4).

A man attempts to seduce a waitress by offering increasingly provocative items off the menu. Things do not go as planned.
Jon Levin, via Email.

We'd like to thank everyone who submitted ideas, and we will be featuring ALL of the ideas we received in the festival in a prominent way. Even if your idea wasn't chosen this time around, that isn't to say that it isn't a great one - as we discussed after the vote, some of these ideas would make interesting full-length productions or even other kinds of artforms. This is the beauty of this concept - there are so many more possibilities than what we are simply throwing on the table, and we hope the influence of this goes beyond what we anticipate for two nights of performance.

We welcome you to come January 29th and 30th to Mobtown Theatre at 8 to see how this experiment will all go down. Finally, I want to give my sincere thanks to everyone for the great words of inspiration and appreciation that you all have had for what we are trying to do. We have some great hopes for Glass Mind Theatre and the future of Baltimore theatre, and we hope that you will stick along with us for the ride.

Check back soon for more "BRAINSTORM" details!,
Andrew Peters
Artistic Director, Glass Mind Theatre.

Bridging the Communication(s) Gap

2009-12-08T01:50:00.000-05:00

In the past decade, enhancements in technology have significantly altered the ways in which we communicate. With access to one or two electronic devices, the ability to send and receive information is available at any given time. Artists and activists that are miles apart now have the opportunity to collaborate and create meaningful, original work with worldwide recognition. Live performances, awareness groups, and beautiful galleries that were once limited to a single country, region, or home can now be shared with one click. Pretty great, right?

On the flip side, consider a scenario commonly encountered during the holiday season. Surrounded by a room, bus, or plane full of strangers, you immediately begin texting on your phone, turn on your mp3 player, open a book (A what?!), etc. While immersing ourselves in media at a rapid pace, there could be an entire lifetime of stories sitting or standing a few inches away.

Realistically, this little scenario can have stipulations: What if circumstance doesn't allow conversation? What if you encounter someone, or an entire group, who have no interest in pontificating while waiting for their large, skim, 6% non-dairy creamer, 120-degree, strawberry mocha with no whip? Hm, it's a tough call, but it may be worth a try. As a matter of fact, could visual media and human narration combine to create a whole new perspective?

This introduces an important piece to the Glass Mind Theatre puzzle. Come on, you totally saw it coming!

In every culture, storytelling acts as a way to entertain, educate, inspire, and encourage the masses. Stories help us to develop, adapt, and cope within the most challenging of circumstances. Many communities thrive on storytelling to create unity and balance. When available, storytellers often use visual and performing arts to enrich and share stories with a wider audience. By joining the work of many artists through different mediums, Glass Mind Theatre sees an opportunity to establish an ebb and flow with the electronic world and the human race.

As we continue to plan and map the future, visual and electronic media will play a key role in carrying Glass Mind's mission. Art has a great advantage in that it allows both artists and audiences to speak through the mind and body. So, next time you find yourself in an art gallery, performance, or even public transit, go ahead and say 'Hello' to someone. You may end up creating a story of your own.

Random Thoughts: On "Experimental Theatre"

2009-11-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

This is based on some thoughts floating through my head on the drive back to B-More (by the way, hope Thanksgiving was great, everyone!). So, attempt to follow my logic here.

Isn't ALL theatre experimental?

Before you grab the pitchforks, here's my line of thought-

In essence, any choice of production - even those that would be considered 'safe' - is an experiment. You are testing the idea that the script will communicate through the actors/design and will strike a note with the audience. You are testing that there even WILL be an audience. Every casting choice, every decision made on the production side... all of it is one part of a rather large equation.

So, in this light, we are all part of a test. And I say "we" in such a way that includes both audience and artists alike.

Sure, there are statements to be made, but no statement is ever 100% proven. We are, after all, putting everything on the line in the hope that our work will connect with someone in the audience. Every audience member has his/her own perception of the world, and his/her own opinions.

And we hope that there is a spark.

We can't replicate the original productions of any piece of theatre. We can only hope to try something new.

--And I don't think I even need to go off on the tangent of creating new work. The challenges in creating theatre are pretty much experimental from start to finish.--

So, that's where my mind is right now. Maybe it is because the word bugs me - "Experimental". There is such a strange connotation to it, almost similar to how the word "independent" can make or break the reputation of a film (at least for the average person on the street). I feel as though people can hear the word "experimental theatre" and immediately dismiss it for something that they don't feel they would understand.

So, why don't we change our vocabulary for how we categorize the way we create art?

((NOTE: I'm not trying to say I am for or against categorizing art. I simply pose this because, hey, we're humans. We like to be able to describe something in three words or less. ))

I like to use metaphors, so let me pose this one.

Look at theatre as if you were behind the wheel of a car. You have a destination, but you can get there one of two ways.

1) You can make a right turn.

Ah, the right turn. It is the welcome, easy choice - you don't have to fight traffic, you can just veer off and continue on your way. "Right Turn" Theatre is that which is simple, effective, and gets you, the artist, where you need to go. Everyone is on the same page, and the audience comes in with a much simpler understanding of what they have come to witness.

Does it make it any less interesting if you take this route? Of course not. Certain stories work for a reason, and people respond to simplicity.

2) You can make a left turn.

The trickier option. It'll take a little more work to get to your arrival - you may have to fight traffic or be patient, but the opportunity will come. It may seem like a challenge, but it is an obstacle you have to overcome.

"Left Turn" Theatre will take the extra effort in order to achieve its goal. Maybe this will mean trying to tinker with the languages we think we know, or flipping our perceptions upside-down. But no matter what method is used, the result is still meant to be the same - the artist is trying to tap into some kind of real feeling or reaction from the audience member.

Either route you take - the "right" or "left" turn - can lead you astray. Artists can get too carried away or get lost in an idea, and it can affect how the audience perceives the work. That is a risk that will be there no matter what.

So, what am I posing to you, exactly?

Well, first, don't oversimplify an artform like I have just now.

But I'd like to leave you with this. When you see a review or a snippet that talks about a piece of art - I'll take this sentiment beyond theatre - don't let the buzzwords fool you. Don't take "experimental" or "avant garde" or even "popular" work for granted. Use your own vocabulary, metaphors, or whatever you need.

Start viewing art in your own terms.

-Andrew Peters
Artistic Director

At A Point.

2009-11-07T17:52:00.000-05:00

Originally, one of the first words that I think ever came up when the idea of a theatre company was discussed was the word "convergence". Personally (and without trying to draw upon any sort of pretentious ego!), I find that this word has a certain allure to it. Maybe it resonates very strongly to me in ways I don't yet understand. Maybe it makes me hopeful about the future of art in Baltimore. Maybe it even makes me think about robots and cyborgs. Who knows.

Either way, this word is something I keep in mind as the pieces start falling into place with Glass Mind Theatre Company.

Spending the last four years in college, I saw an interesting phenomenon happening. While I was experiencing some of the most important years of my life, the city seemed to be having its own growth period as well. The arts district blossomed, and people started to see the potential that this city truly has. In this way, I started to feel a distinct connection to this city, and I felt the need to stay and help this development as best I could.

This summer, through a number of different networks, I was able to meet six other driven, captivating individuals who also shared their own distinct bonds with this city. In fact, five out of the seven founding members of our company are alumni of Baltimore-based universities (though no two members come from the same university!). The other two members are Baltimore born and bred in their own right.

I think that's a really amazing thing.

This is where that idea of 'convergence' really comes into play. The seven of us have a different experiences, and we bring different traits to the table. Yet, we all view the potential that our company has to build a community in the Baltimore arts scene. This isn't simply reaching out and working with the artists that are making headway in the Station North district; this is reaching out and building relationships with the audiences both new and old.

In fact, one of the things I've always enjoyed about the theatrical 'experience' is how one great moment on stage can bring two audience members sitting next to one another - no matter how different they may be in their lives outside of this moment - to a moment that strips away their pretenses and allows them to understand each other through the lens of the human experience.

Let me illustrate this.

Just imagine a time where you were sitting next to a complete stranger at a play/concert/event/etc.
In the beginning, you are hesitant. You may have a quick conversation to ease tension, but you'd still rather focus on the show you're about to witness than the people surrounding you.

The show starts. You become emerged in it.

And at one point, something strikes. It may be a moment of comedic timing where the entire audience shares a laugh. It may be a moment of silence where the audience is taken aback and is too shocked to even notice they've forgotten to breathe. It may even be a moment where the audience is lost in thought, trying to piece together what they have witnessed.

Either way, this is where the moment of truth happens between two or more people. Suddenly, the room is vibrating with thoughts, emotions, and expressions.

You drop your pretenses, and suddenly you notice that you're looking at the person sitting next to you, and you share a nod. Perhaps you even make a statement - verbal or nonverbal - at how excited you are to see what happens next.

This is that converging point.

This is what Glass Mind hopes to discover in every single performance.

-Andrew Peters
Artistic Director