Welcome to Season 4 of the Alliance Theatre Podcast: An exploration of theater and the people who make it happen.
As our lead Patron Services and Memberships manager and a Director of the IDEA-LGBTQIA Sub-Committee, Corey Smith is one of our most “audience facing” reps. Not only does that give him insight on what our audiences want, but a clear view on the steps we are taking as an organization to develop inclusivity from the inside out. With a new season upon us, we chat about what our loyal and new audiences can expect our commitment to creating a comfortable and enjoyable experience for our patrons and so much more.
Aniska Tonge is the social media manager and content producer at the Alliance Theatre, where she offers audiences an inside look at the who, how and why of the stories we tell. An artist at heart, her writing and photography highlights her endless love of the arts. And as she continues to fall in love with the culture created by the city of Atlanta she hopes that theatre is a way to highlight the inspiring people behind it.
Learn more about the Alliance Theatre Podcast.
Carlton Mackey, Director of the Ethics & The Arts Program at Emory University, reflects on how the script of Everybody distills years of theology school in less than two hours, connects him to his recently deceased father, and encourages us all to find common ground.
As a young seminary student, I can recall many days in the (no longer standing) Bishop Hall of the Candler School of Theology waxing poetic about the meaning of biblical texts. I can remember debating not only varying interpretations of some of the most commonly recited scripture but also the validity, scarcity, and origins of the texts themselves.
Though we had varying beliefs of the words on those pages, essentially what drove our discussions and ultimately our very presence at this place of higher learning was our quest to understand not only the meaning of these words but the implications of these words on our lived experience and the implications of these words in the afterlife.
In this funny, witty, surprising, sobering, and thought-provoking play, it feels that the playwright has distilled the entire three years I spent pursuing a Master of Divinity degree into less than two hours and, considering the price of a theatre ticket, did so for tens of thousands of dollars less!
In such a divisive world, where we struggle to find common ground on much of anything, it is refreshing to come together for an amazing ride exploring one of the very few things we all share in common… the inevitably of death.
Those big questions that I explored as a student and that are creatively presented in this play spilled into the work that I do to this day. In fact, it was in part my preoccupation with these very questions that attracted me to the position at the Emory University Center for Ethics where today, 15 years later in a building shared with (believe it or not) the Candler School of Theology, I direct the Ethics & the Arts Program. The Ethics & the Arts Program is centered on the belief that the production of art, its role in public conversation, its preservation, and its presentation all provoke us to confront ethical challenges, sometimes in startling new ways. We are committed to inspiring innovative thought by using creative expression to elevate moral discourse. Since the inception of the Ethics & the Art Program our longstanding partnership with the Alliance Theatre to create space for deeper engagement with the audience has always been central to our work within the program.
On a more personal note, this play is coming right on the heels of the one year anniversary of the passing of my father. It is without doubt that reflections about life and death have been very present on my mind. What this play helped me explore was not only what might happen after we die but more importantly what ways do we want to live. It challenges us to question not just what we want to do for a living, but who do we want to be while we are yet living.
My dad provided a great model for me to personally grapple with and strive to live into these big questions. My work in the community, at the Center for Ethics, and in partnership with the Alliance allow me to feel like I may in fact be carrying that out. And this play invites us ALL an opportunity to step outside of ourselves into the shared world of Everybody and begin the process of exploring those questions for ourselves… together.
Learn more about the upcoming production of Everybody.
Carlton Mackey is the Director of the Ethics & the Arts Program at the Emory University Center for Ethics and the Co-creator/Co-Director of the Emory University Arts and Social Justice Fellows Program and the creator of Black Men Smile, a resistance, and empowerment movement for Black men.
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON GRADUATE NAMED THE NEXT ALLIANCE THEATRE NATIONAL VISION, INC. BIPOC STAGE MANAGEMENT FELLOW
KACIE PIMENTEL IS A RECENT GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HAS WORKED WITH STUDIO THEATRE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., CHAUTAUQUA THEATRE COMPANY, AND SEA WORLD
ATLANTA, August 9, 2022 — The Alliance Theatre is pleased to announce that Kacie Pimentel has been chosen as the National Vision, Inc. BIPOC Stage Management Fellow for the 2022/23 Season. A graduate of the University of Houston, Pimentel will relocate to Atlanta and begin her fellowship in August.
Pimentel received her BFA in Theatre Stage Management. She has recently finished the SM apprenticeship at Studio Theatre where she worked on The Hot Wing King, John Proctor is the Villain, and White Noise. She has also previously worked in stage management at Casa Mañana Theatre, Chautauqua Theatre Company, and Sea World San Antonio.
“I am unbelievably excited to expand my horizons at the renowned Alliance Theatre,” Pimentel says. “Joining the stage management team at Alliance is an honor and will be a great leap forward at this early point of my career.”
As the National Vision, Inc. BIPOC Stage Management Fellow, Pimentel will work as a contributing member of the stage management department at the Alliance Theatre. She will work as the stage manager or assistant stage manager, primarily on the Coca-Cola Stage, for productions including the holiday favorite A Christmas Carol, as well as a co-production with another regional theatre and a commercially enhanced, world premiere musical with a Broadway-experienced creative team. Additionally, she will be afforded the opportunity to develop a network of mentors inside and outside the Alliance while building a resume of top-of-field work experience.
“I am so excited to be a part of what this institution produces,” Pimentel continued. “And most of all, I can’t wait to learn from the wonderful artists and people at Alliance Theatre.”
ABOUT THE NATIONAL VISION, INC. BIPOC STAGE MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The stage manager is the actor’s advocate, show’s guardian, and production’s liaison for all aspects of the production. They ensure the director’s vision is realized while creating a safe working environment for all. Too often, the stage manager is a white person even on a production where most of the cast and creative team are Black, Indigenous, or persons of color (BIPOC). After a year of intentionally listening to the needs of our BIPOC artist community, a through line surfaced: “I wish there were more stage managers sitting at the table who looked like me.” We must correct this imbalance not only at the Alliance Theatre but as an industry if we want our productions and staff to reflect the communities we serve. The Alliance is linking arms with stage management graduate programs, creating a pipeline of full-time work for emerging BIPOC stage managers to diversify the field through the BIPOC Stage Management Fellowship Program.
To apply, candidates must 1) identify as a BIPOC theatre maker, 2) be an MFA in Stage Management student in their final year or have graduated from an MFA in Stage Management program in the past 3 years, and 3) be willing to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia for the fellowship. A diverse panel of professional stage managers and theatre leaders select the final candidate, and the panelists also serve as a resource to the Fellow during their time in residence.
To learn more, visit our website at www.alliancetheatre.org/content/national-vision-bipoc-stage-management-….
DIGITAL ASSETS are available for download here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kk6c9kris7in4329pl22c/h?dl=0&rlkey=0zjst…;
Support for this program is provided by National Vision, Inc., the second largest optical retail company by sales in the United States. National Vision is based in Duluth, Georgia, and has more than 1,300 stores in 44 states and Puerto Rico. By sponsoring the 2022/23 BIPOC Stage Management Fellowship Program, National Vision is advancing its philanthropic impact to support inclusion while celebrating visibility and representation in the arts in its corporate hometown.
To learn more about National Vision, Inc., visit their website at www.nationalvision.com.
Rehearsals started this week for the Alliance Theatre’s season opener, EVERYBODY, by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. EVERYBODY, which is co-directed by Susan V. Booth and Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, marks the final production of Booth’s 21-year tenure as the Alliance Theatre’s Jennings Hertz Artistic Director. Performances begin on the Coca-Cola Stage September 2, 2022. Opening night is Saturday, September 10.
Inspired by the 15th century play Everyman, EVERYBODY tells the story of Everybody – a happy person, a free person, a person who believes nothing but the best lies ahead. Then Death comes calling, and Everybody must go on a journey to find what has had lasting significance in his lifetime. Remixing the archetypal medieval morality play into an explosive experiment of wit and emotion, EVERYBODY is a “sunny, stunning journey from life to death” that “fills the heart in a new and unexpected way” (DC Theatre Scene & The New Yorker).
“Sounds odd to talk about joy when you’re talking about mortality, but the tone and impact of this piece is so, so joyful,” said Co-Director and Alliance Artistic Director, Susan V. Booth. “And in a time of ever multiplying senses of division, a piece that reminds us of the most basic of human connections seems so very necessary.”
Since its premiere at Signature Theatre in 2017, EVERYBODY has captivated audiences with its cutting wit, hard-hitting questions, and, most notably, its unique storytelling device. The play begins with five of the actors being assigned their roles by lottery, live before the audience, meaning these cast members have learned each of the five possible lottery roles. This also means that there are 120 possible role combinations, making it unlikely that any performance will include the same actors in the same role combinations twice.
“The thrill of the unknown is super delicious,” said Co-Director and Alliance Associate Artistic Director Kajese-Bolden. “No show will ever be the same because every night the roles are cast by lottery. This play [feels] like a fresh start and proposes a reset while also giving us some landscape to reflect on how we got to where we are today.”
The cast members of the Alliance’s production are Andrew Benator as Death, Shakirah DeMesier as Love, Skylar Ebron as Girl/Time, Deidrie Henry as Usher/God/Understanding; and Brandon Burditt, Chris Kayser, Courtney Patterson, Bethany Anne Lind, and Joseph J. Pendergrast as the Somebodies. Production understudies include Soleia Howington, Parris Sarter, and Dellan Short.
In addition to the co-directors, the creative team includes Scenic and Costume Designer Lex Liang, Projection Designer Milton Cordero, Lighting Designer Thom Weaver, Sound Designer Melanie Chen Cole, and Fight Coach Connor Hammond; as well as Associate Set Designer Seamus Bourne and Associate Costume Designer Laury Conley.
The production support team includes Stage Manager Anna Baranski, Assistant Stage Manager Barbara O’Haley, Assistant Stage Manager Kacie Pimentel, Stage Management Production Assistant Samantha Honeycutt, Young Performer Supervisor Amanda Perez, Line Producer Jody Feldman, and COVID Coordinator Haylee Scott.
EVERYBODY will run on The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre, September 2 – October 2, 2022. Opening Night is Saturday, September 10. Tickets and information are available at www.alliancetheatre.org/everybody. Ticket prices range from $25 – $78.