Makers

I was thrilled when asked to join the Pinkerton delegation at APAP 2016 and am still reeling from the whirlwind weekend. We saw our first performance showcases soon after our arrival in New York Friday night and didn’t stop until we left Sunday afternoon.

Mr. Adams, Mr. Cahoon, Brittany Cardoza, and Julia Sylvain
at the Astro Restaurant (a little PA reminder in NYC)

I spent a great deal of time with a former theatre student, Brittany Cardoza, attending performances at various Manhattan venues. We attended a series of jazz showcases, a sampling of children’s theatre and two musical comedies, Mad Libs Live! and Broadway’s Next Hit Musical, a totally improvised production! Naturally, both performances relied on audience interaction which was great fun. However, the theatrical highlight for all was a matinee of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Afterward, we had a wonderful discussion about the show over burgers and fries then back to the hotel and venues for more showcases.

Sunday afternoon, Matt and I met with Gwen Brownson, an agent for Literature to Life, to discuss the possibility of bringing one of their American lit inspired dramas to Pinkerton. We discussed English curriculum connections, workshops with theatre students and, of course, fees. At the end of the meeting, Gwen invited us to Portland next month to see a performance of The Kite Runner. If we are successful in bringing the production to the Stockbridge stage, I will be able to share the entire booking process with my theatre students. What an invaluable teaching tool.

The theme of APAP 2016 was Makers, “in recognition of the craft and contributions of artists and people critical to the process of making art and bringing live performances to communities worldwide.” Spending a weekend among so many talented Makers of the arts was energizing, exciting and inspirational. I can’t wait to share the experience with my Semester II theatre classes next week.

Alexis Cole with her band.  Beautiful jazz music on Sunday.

Susanne Tartarilla, Associate Dean of Students and Theatre Program Director