Community-Engaged Theatre

In this section, you’ll find content about making theatre that is deeply engaged—often throughout the creation and production process—with a specific community. Questions are explored around navigating the relationship between the artist(s) and the community, as well as creating meaningful and authentic experiences. The essay “Not Another Memory Play,” about the creation of “a durational, grassroots engagement with the Black community of the Arkansas Delta called Remember2019,” is a great place to start, as is this conversation from CultureHub about collectives devising new grassroots engagement strategies.

The Latest

Book Launch: Different Models, One Goal: Doing Theatre, Democracy, and Social Justice

Video

Book Launch: Different Models, One Goal: Doing Theatre, Democracy, and Social Justice

Socially-Engaged Theatre Through the Lens of Tor Iorapuu's Community-Driven Theatre

Friday 18 November 2022

Nigeria and Canada

2022 National Theater Project Regional Convening

Video

2022 National Theater Project Regional Convening

Seeking to Build a Better Understanding of the Challenges and Triumphs of Theatremaking in New England

Wednesday 9 November and Wednesday 16 November

New England

We Are All Kin to the Cove Brings Climate-Engaged Community Performance to Queens, New York

Essay

We Are All Kin to the Cove Brings Climate-Engaged Community Performance to Queens, New York

by Talia Rodriguez

22 September 2022

Book Launch: Different Models, One Goal: Doing Theatre, Democracy, and Social Justice

Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre (C-SET)

Video

Book Launch: Different Models, One Goal: Doing Theatre, Democracy, and Social Justice

Socially-Engaged Theatre Through the Lens of Tor Iorapuu's Community-Driven Theatre

Friday 18 November 2022

Nigeria and Canada

The Centre for Socially Engaged Theatre (C-SET), in collaboration with Theatre Emissary International and the University of Jos, Nigeria, presented the online book launch of Different Models, One Goal: Doing Theatre, Democracy, and Social Justice edited by Adediran Ademiju-Bepo, Hussaini U. Tsaku, Awuawuer Tijime Justine, Shadrach Teryila Ukuma, and Bem Alfred Abugh livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Friday 18 November 2022 at 9 a.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 10 a.m. EST (New York, UTC -5) / 3 p.m. GMT (London, UTC +0) / 16:00 CET (Berlin, UTC +1) / 4 p.m. WAT (Lagos, UTC +1).

two actors with their hands on their hips performing on stage.

2022 National Theater Project Regional Convening

NEFA

Video

2022 National Theater Project Regional Convening

Seeking to Build a Better Understanding of the Challenges and Triumphs of Theatremaking in New England

Wednesday 9 November and Wednesday 16 November

New England

The National Theater Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts presented the 2022 National Theater Project Regional Convening in New England livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Wednesday 9 November and Wednesday 16 November 2022.

Five people on the beach gesturing towards the setting sun.

We Are All Kin to the Cove Brings Climate-Engaged Community Performance to Queens, New York

Talia

Rodriguez

Essay

We Are All Kin to the Cove Brings Climate-Engaged Community Performance to Queens, New York

22 September 2022

Talia Rodriguez details the generative process for We Are Kin to the Cove, a site-specific, community-engaged performance exploring the historical and contemporary relationships water and humanity at a cove on New York’s East River.

Out of the Frame

Shoshin Theatre

Video

Out of the Frame

International Theatre Forum Hosted by Shoshin Theatre Association in Cluj, Romania

Saturday 17 September 2022

Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Shoshin Theatre Association in Cluj, Romania presented Out of the Frame International Theatre Forum livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 17 September at 7 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 11 a.m. UTC / 2 p.m. EEST (Cluj, UTC +3).

Four actors sit and stare at the ceiling.

The Future Is in Culture

Essay

The Future Is in Culture

A Conversation with Iman Aoun

15 September 2022

Multidisciplinary artist Ash Marinaccio sits down with the co-founder and artistic director of ASHTAR Theatre Iman Aoun to discuss this year’s ASHTAR International Youth Festival in Palestine.

BREAK/through Convening

Network of Ensemble Theaters

Video

BREAK/through Convening

A Participatory Experiment in Hybrid Community Convening Offered Online and in Philadelphia

Monday 25 July 2022

Philadelphia, PA

Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET) presented BREAK/through, a participatory experiment in hybrid community convening offered in Philadelphia and livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Monday 25 July 2022 from 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. EDT (Philadelphia, UTC -4).

Book Launch: HowlRound Theatre Commons' Essays and Conversations from the First Ten Years

HowlRound Theatre Commons

Video

Book Launch: HowlRound Theatre Commons' Essays and Conversations from the First Ten Years

Fifty essays from 2011 to 2020

Tuesday 21 June 2022

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Join HowlRound staff and theatremakers from around the world for a virtual celebration of our new book: Essays and Conversations from the First Ten Years, featuring work published on HowlRound between 2011 and 2020! Livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network Tuesday 21 June 2022 at 12 p.m. PDT (Los Angeles, UTC -7) / 2 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 3 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 8 p.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 21:00 CEST (Berlin, UTC +2).

2022 TCG Conference in Pittsburgh event poster.

2022 TCG National Conference: Pittsburgh

TCG

Video

2022 TCG National Conference: Pittsburgh

Redefining Our Art. Transforming Our Practices. Tending to Our People.

Thursday 16 June to Saturday 18 June 2022

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Theatre Communications Group (TCG) presented the 2022 TCG National Conference: Pittsburgh livestreaming on the commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network from Thursday 16 June to Saturday 18 June 2022.

Season Debrief

Podcast

Season Debrief

8 June 2022

To end the season, this episode will have Marina and Nabra sitting down to tea to talk about highlights from this season and what is to come in the future.

A person standing amongst city approved homeless deterrent pegs on a bench.

Humanizing Homelessness: An Interview with Lisa Hoelscher of Gathering Ground Theatre

Essay

Humanizing Homelessness: An Interview with Lisa Hoelscher of Gathering Ground Theatre

19 May 2022

Gathering Ground Theatre—an Austin, Texas collective comprised of people with lived experiences of homelessness and allies—creates performances that aim to influence public opinion and local legislation. Anna Rogelio Joaquin sits down with Lisa Hoelscher to discuss Lisa’s experience as a co-creator and performer of works that expose issues like hostile architecture and camping bans, as well as the company’s current work on a memorial performance.

Creating the Change: Featuring Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi

Podcast

Creating the Change: Featuring Masrah Cleveland Al-Arabi

With Raymond Bobgan and Omar Kurdi

18 May 2022

MENA artists continue to work hard to create representation in large theatrical arenas by pushing for their work to be produced on contemporary stages. However, since some major theatres only allot 1 or 2 slots a year for plays by BIPOC artists, and MENA artists have frequently been ignored. They have found other ways to create thriving artistic spaces for actors, directors, and playwrights alike. Masrah Cleveland Al Arabi has created a space for MENA artists to thrive. This artist-led organizational infrastructure serves as an example of how change can be made within existing theatrical structures. Today we are joined by Raymond Bobgan and Omar Kurdi.

Community Engagement through Art and Programs

Podcast

Community Engagement through Art and Programs

With Pirronne Yousefzadeh & Lia Fakhouri

27 April 2022

Community engagement is more than a post-show talk or touring production. These two directors and administrative leaders are community engagement practitioners in everything that they do, including their artmaking and program curation. They work both as independent artists and through organizations. We will discuss the nature of community engagement as an artistic practice, how their MENA backgrounds influence their practice, and how the theatre atmosphere is or should shift to be community engaged in an authentic and equitable way.

event poster for talleres for dreaming episode 4.

Every Step is a Prayer

Cara Mía Theatre

Video

Every Step is a Prayer

An Interview with Sharon Day and Chas Jewett facilitated by Priscilla Solis Ybarra

Tuesday 29 March 2022

United States

Cara Mía Theatre’s Mellon Playwright in Residence Virginia Grise presented Talleres for Dreaming: Episode 4 livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network on Tuesday 29 March 2022 at 4 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 6 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 7 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5).

event poster for talleres for dreaming episode 3.

Artists are the Vanguard of Revolution

Cara Mía Theatre

Video

Artists are the Vanguard of Revolution

An Artist Talk by Kristiana Rae Colón

Tuesday 22 March 2022

United States

Cara Mía Theatre’s Mellon Playwright in Residence Virginia Grise presented Talleres for Dreaming: Episode 3 livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network on Tuesday 22 March 2022 at 4 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 6 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 7 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5).

A parade of men women and children carrying a flag.

Side-yard: On the Commons, the Neighborhood, Grief, and Not Making Theatre While Still Making Theatre

Richard

Newman

Essay

Side-yard: On the Commons, the Neighborhood, Grief, and Not Making Theatre While Still Making Theatre

15 March 2022

Play House is a collectively stewarded performance space near the border of Detroit and Hamtramck that has become a place of convening and creation for the neighborhood. Richard Newman, a co-manager of the space and co-director of The Hinterlands ensemble, traces connections between creative practice, community, grief, and an outdoor ramp at Play House.

The 2021 Segal Center Awards for Civic Engagement in the Arts

Segal

Center

Video

The 2021 Segal Center Awards for Civic Engagement in the Arts

Honoring 10 pioneering projects that have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the field of the arts during Corona 2020/21

Saturday 22 January 2022

United States

The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center presented The 2021 Segal Center Awards for Civic Engagement in the Arts livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network on Saturday 22 January 2022 at 9 a.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 11 a.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 12 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5).

A Conversation About the Making of Addressless

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

CITD

Video

A Conversation About the Making of Addressless

An interactive theatrical game about housing insecurity

Tuesday 11 January 2022

United States

Rattlestick and Center for International Theatre Development presented a conversation about the making of Addressless livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network Tuesday 11 January 2022 at 12 p.m. PST (Los Angeles, UTC -8) / 2 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 3 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5) / 20:00 GMT (London, UTC +0) / 21:00 CET (Budapest, UTC +1).

A smiling woman and a woman speaking with a microphone.

Committing to a Community

Essay

Committing to a Community

Ronee Penoi and Shanta Thake in Conversation

4 January 2022

Ronee Penoi and Shanta Thake discuss their transitions into new leadership roles as Director of Artistic Programming at ArtsEmerson and Chief Artistic Officer of Lincoln Center, respectively—including their work to shift narratives on stage, see institutions as community resources, and keep deep listening at the core of their leadership practices.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Resident Ensemble Theatre: UNIVERSES

Podcast

Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Resident Ensemble Theatre: UNIVERSES

22 December 2021

Alison Carey, formerly of Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp and Steven Sapp, co-founders and artistic directors of UNIVERSES, discuss putting ensemble producers inside a major producing entity and the capacity necessary for things to fall into place.

Imagining a New Federal Theatre Project with Corinna Schulenberg and Dr. Elizabeth A. Osborne

Michael

Lueger

Podcast

Imagining a New Federal Theatre Project with Corinna Schulenberg and Dr. Elizabeth A. Osborne

24 November 2021

As a part of the New Deal, the Federal Theatre Project of the 1930s funded theatre in the United States at an unprecedented level, providing paid work for trained theatremakers and low-cost performances to audiences all around the country. Corinna Schulenberg and Dr. Elizabeth A. Osborne discuss the history of the Federal Theatre Project and its potential to act as a model for a New Federal Theatre Project formed in conjunction with racial justice, climate justice, and Land Back movements.

The Future Is Now: Conversations with Selma Banich and Fatin Farhat

Simon

Dove

Podcast

The Future Is Now: Conversations with Selma Banich and Fatin Farhat

10 November 2021

In these episodes of The Future Is Now, CEC Artslink invites two of their Future Fellows, artist and activist Selma Banich and freelance cultural manager Fatin Farhat, to discuss how they envision the future of arts practice.

Storytelling in Crisis

Video

Storytelling in Crisis

A Community Dialogue Exploring Strategies for Crafting Storytelling Responses that Center Care and Connection, Amplify Resistance, and Support Resiliency.

Tuesday 9 November 2021

United States

How can we tell stories of crisis that can energize and bring hope to our communities, and support structural change? Livestreamed on the common-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network on Tuesday 9 November 2021 at 2 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 4 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 5 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5).

The Future Is Now: Conversations with Amirah Sackett, Malika Umarova, and Marat Raiymkulov

Simon

Dove

Podcast

The Future Is Now: Conversations with Amirah Sackett, Malika Umarova, and Marat Raiymkulov

9 November 2021

In these episodes of The Future Is Now, CEC Artslink invites three of their Future Fellows—Amirah Sackett, an independent artist and activist, and Malika Umarova and Marat Raiymkulov of Art Group 705—to share their vision for how they see the future of arts practice.

Black and white photo from 1922 of Howard Players actors.

Proclaiming Presence from the Washington Stage

CITD

Video

Proclaiming Presence from the Washington Stage

Exploring How Theatre Offered a Path to Recognition for African Americans, Roman Catholic Clerics, Regional Theatre Enthusiasts, and Community Activists throughout the Twentieth Century

Monday 8 November 2021

Washington, DC

The Center for International Theater Development (CIDT) presented a conversation: Proclaiming Presence from the Washington Stage livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Monday 8 November 2021.

event posters with speaker headshots for MENASA Women Save the Kingdom NO SUMMARY.

NO SUMMARY: MENASA Women Save the Kingdom

Golden Thread

Video

NO SUMMARY: MENASA Women Save the Kingdom

A Conversation About Shahrazad Squad, a Project which Gathers MENASA Women/Non-binary Creatives, Cultural Producers, and Changemakers In Person and Online

Friday 29 October 2021

United States

Golden Thread presented NO SUMMARY: MENASA Women Save the Kingdom livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 29 October 2021 at 11 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).