Artwork by @RedHandedRobyn
ABOUT
Since April 2020, Voices from a Pandemic has been inviting artists and cultural workers to remotely collect testimony from people on the frontlines, to hear their experiences during this worldwide pandemic. This includes anyone continuing to do the in-person work that keeps a country and its people alive and functioning, not only essential employees but also the frontline protesters who have risked their safety and health to fight for a revolution that uplifts us all.
The program has expanded and shifted in unforeseen ways since its inception, growing to reflect the breadth of experiences from people all over during these many months as the damage from the pandemic continues to compound ongoing and new national (and international) crises. Notch believes it is crucial to archive these experiences in real time, documenting the vast scope of stories that defines this urgent chapter in our cultures and histories. Moreover, Voices strives to subvert and expand our historic archives, and it aims to question what constitutes legitimate documentation by centering community-based stories and by collecting, affirming and amplifying peer-to-peer testimonies that currently may not be being given a platform.
We launched the below digital story bank and presented a two-night, online sharing of a Voices play, featuring actors and community stories from all over the world in an effort to maintain momentum for the current Civil Rights Movement by providing a first-person history of this unprecedented time and strives to remind us of the promises we made to ourselves to disrupt and dismantle racist systems and to rebuild a more just and equitable future for us all in 2021 and beyond.
Finally, Voices is a communal creation, owned by all participants and story sharers. It has no one playwright, no singular author or creator and has collaborated with over 100 cultural workers, community members and artists from all disciplines and from all over the world.
The program has expanded and shifted in unforeseen ways since its inception, growing to reflect the breadth of experiences from people all over during these many months as the damage from the pandemic continues to compound ongoing and new national (and international) crises. Notch believes it is crucial to archive these experiences in real time, documenting the vast scope of stories that defines this urgent chapter in our cultures and histories. Moreover, Voices strives to subvert and expand our historic archives, and it aims to question what constitutes legitimate documentation by centering community-based stories and by collecting, affirming and amplifying peer-to-peer testimonies that currently may not be being given a platform.
We launched the below digital story bank and presented a two-night, online sharing of a Voices play, featuring actors and community stories from all over the world in an effort to maintain momentum for the current Civil Rights Movement by providing a first-person history of this unprecedented time and strives to remind us of the promises we made to ourselves to disrupt and dismantle racist systems and to rebuild a more just and equitable future for us all in 2021 and beyond.
Finally, Voices is a communal creation, owned by all participants and story sharers. It has no one playwright, no singular author or creator and has collaborated with over 100 cultural workers, community members and artists from all disciplines and from all over the world.
STORY BANK
This living story bank, where actors recreate verbatim interviews of first-person testimony from individuals on the frontlines of the pandemic and current Civil Rights Movement, creates an artistic time capsule of the real lives lived and lost.
Moreover, the Voices story bank segments also function as a library of personal narratives that other theaters can access (for free) to create their own unique Voices productions. The only caveat being that all Voices productions must be free and open to the public. Each time a theatre presents the work, the program's circle of community and creators grows. With no set end date, the story bank will continue to expand in response to our quickly and ever-evolving world.
Moreover, the Voices story bank segments also function as a library of personal narratives that other theaters can access (for free) to create their own unique Voices productions. The only caveat being that all Voices productions must be free and open to the public. Each time a theatre presents the work, the program's circle of community and creators grows. With no set end date, the story bank will continue to expand in response to our quickly and ever-evolving world.
"it's never stopped thriving"Story Sharer: Mayde
Date: 7/1/20 Interviewer: Portland Thomas Transcriber: Portland Thomas Actor: Gabriela Saker "what really happened" Story Sharer: Anonymous Activist
Date: 8/2/20 Interviewer: Isabel Pask Transcriber: Ashley J. Hicks Actor: Ash J. Hicks, Director: Dina Vovsi "they have lil anty-bodies" Story Sharers: Jed & Joclyn
Date: 4/23/20 Interviewer: Addie Gorlin-Han Transcriber: Rhiannon Ling Actors: J. Richey Nash & Moira Squier "no options"Story Sharer: Anonymous Prison Counselor
Date: 6/28/20 Interviewer: Isabel Pask Transcriber: Anonymous Actor: Lennox T. Duong "I've reignited the fire"Story Sharer: Kelsey
Date: Unknown Interviewer: Anna Kinnebrew Transcriber: Rachel Schmeling Actor: Shimali De Silva "light at the end" Story Sharer: Maryam
Date: 6/14/20 Interviewer: Ahmed Ashour Transcriber: Anonymous Actor: Ahmed Ashour |
"a mass sickness" Story Sharer: Anonymous CPS Worker
Date: 7/11/20 Interviewer: Sean Dunnington Transcriber: Eric Wiegand Actor: Kathryn Metzger "no second chances"Story Sharer: Joan / I.C.E. Prison Volunteer
Date: 6/19/20 Interviewer: Anna Kinnebrew Transcriber: Samantha Fonseca Actor: Moira Squier "also a reality in India"Story Sharers: Mahima & Saumya
Date: 6/13/20 Interviewer: Karishma Swarup Transcriber: Rhiannon Ling Actors: Karishma Swarup & Shimali De Silva "never lift that pinky"Story Sharer: Carlos
Date: 7/27/20 Interviewer: Gabriela Saker Transcriber: Anonymous Actor: Victor Anthony "noble enough to work"Story Sharer: Karishma
Date: 5/14/20 Interviewer: Ashley Teague Transcriber: Rhiannon Ling Actor: Karishma Swarup "do your fuckin' civic duty."Story Sharer: Andé Kelli
Date: 4/26/20 Interviewer: Ashley Teague Transcriber: Rhiannon Ling Actor: Sarah Keyes |
"write you out of my will” Story Sharer: Anonymous Medical Student
Date: 6/19/20 Interviewer: Ahmed Ashour Transcriber: Elisabeth Yancey Actor: Lisa Jai "grinds my gears"Story Sharer: Desta
Date: 5/23/20 Interviewer: David Samuel Transcriber: Samantha Fonseca Actor: Portland Thomas "never learn from history"Story Sharer: Anonymous Medical Workers
Date: 5/13/20 Interviewer: David Samuel Transcriber: Rhiannon Ling Actors: Bahni Turpin & Jacques Smith "I am one of you guys"Story Sharer: Nick
Date: 6/14/20 Interviewer: Ahmed Ashour Transcriber: Anonymous Actor: Dylan Crow "attacking in clusters"Story Sharer: Anonymous Nurse, Brooklyn
Date: 4/25/20 Interviewer: Ashley Teague Transcriber: Rhiannon Ling Actor: Iliana Guibert "there you were"Date: January 2021
Interviewer/Transcriber/Actor: Abigail C Onwunali Onwunali interviewed individuals who lost someone to COVID-19 and has woven their words into this spoken word poem. |
THE PLAYS
Play One took place the evening of January 29th 2021 and was directed by Christopher Windom** and Nigel Semaj. Play Two, directed by Sanaz Ghajar, took place January 30th 2021.
Producing Partners: Portland Thomas and Jenny Kennedy* Stage Managers: Emilee Buchheit* and Nikki Hyde,* Assistant Stage Managers: Lorraine Fiore* and Ducky Anderson Costume and Dramaturgy: Elinor T Vanderburg Video: Bruno-Pierre Houle Sound: Emma Hasselbach Cast: Julian Abelskamp, Anthony Adu, Victor Anthony*, Shimali De Silva, Moire Dia, Iliana Guibert, Ashley J. Hicks, Lisa Jai, Sarah Keyes*, Abigail C. Onwunali, Aleca Piper, Gabriela Saker, Anne Scurria*, Karishma Swarup, Portland Thomas*, Deema Turkomani, Elisabeth Yancey* *AEA Members **SDC Member ![]()
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