In The Round: May 2020

We sat down with Arena Stage staff members Ashley Forman, Director of Education and Artistic Director of Voices of Now, and Mauricio Pita, Community Programs Manager and co-Director of many Voices of Now ensembles, to discuss Arena’s unique approach to educational programming and the impact they have witnessed.

Voices of Now (VON) is Arena’s yearlong, after-school “ensemble-based devised theater program that works with groups of artists from the community and around the world to create autobiographical performances,” says Ashley. It combines a multitude of artistic mediums to devise authentic theater pieces within ensembles. “VON is autobiographical, physical, fast-paced. It generates questions, conversations and dialogue with the community,” notes Mauricio. These ensembles are comprised of artists from 6th grade all the way through emerging professionals. Ashley points out that they do not use the word “students” to refer to the participants in ensembles; they instead use the word “artists” to reinforce their role as artistic collaborators in the devising process.

Devised theater is the most “urgent form of theater that we can use” to pose questions to the audience. Through the devised theater method, the artists explore topics that are relevant or even vital to their own lived experiences. These theatrical explorations are then crafted into an entirely original performance piece.

This type of theater programming is key to not only building the next generation of theatermakers and audience members, but also in providing the artists with a platform to engage in civil dialogue. “We don’t just go out into the community and talk about Arena Stage,” says Ashley, “we put the community’s stories on our stage in a way that creates conversation that could lead to positive change.” Voices of Now is integrated into the art on stage because the program has “become a part of the artistic season.”

The Voices of Now Festival is the culminating sharing of the ensembles’ work, and the plays performed each pose “a question or conversation that the artists feel needs to be had in their community,” says Ashley. The talkbacks following the performances are illuminating. “Every single night of the festival, in all of the years…we have witnessed true, profound change as a result of that talkback,” says Ashley. Whether it is parents learning more about their child’s inner thoughts and interests or teachers seeing the impact of a policy change in the classroom, they are able to cut to the heart of issues to “create and inspire conversation immediately in the moment.”

In addition to the 10 domestic ensembles, the Community Engagement team has created VON ensembles all around the world. There have been nine ensembles in India, four in Croatia, one in Bosnia-Herzegovina and one in Peru. “Being able to take an idea, grow it, expand it, extend it to colleagues and artists around the county, and around the world,” is a privilege that Ashley credits to Arena. As she reflects on her nearly 20 years here, she says that Arena has served as an incubator for the programming and techniques developed in VON, “none of [which] would have been possible if we didn’t start at Arena Stage.”

Recently, a new chapter of VON was born by necessity due to COVID-19. The Community Engagement team knew that it was essential for artists not to be disconnected from their artistic community. The moment schools closed, staff moved to transition rehearsals online, and despite the current health emergency, VON continued virtually.

Using online resources, more than 100 young artists are currently working together to create a filmed time capsule of their quarantine experiences. Through theater, poetry, dance and composition, the young artists are creating performances that reflect their experience of this unprecedented moment in time. Although there are challenges to navigate, Ashley believes “VON artists are uniquely positioned to respond to their environment and create” despite the current hindrances to normal theater practices.

While the doors are closed, Arena recognizes the importance of continuing to engage the community creatively. Generous contributions to the Roaring Back Fund, a campaign launched specifically to help Arena weather the current storm, have made VON’s crucial continuation possible during this time. “The majority of our programs are done free of charge to the community,” notes Mauricio. Each show of support, whether from an institution or an individual donor, helps these students continue to find their voice and creates a lasting positive impact.

Despite the physical distance, collaboration and creativity are very much alive through Voices of Now. As Mauricio says, “If you have something to say and if you have a story tell, you will have a home here.”

To support VON via a contribution to the Roaring Back Fund, please visit arenastage.org/roaringback.