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Cornerstone Theater Company

January 01, 1970

Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website,

"Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ensemble-based theater company. We commission and produce new plays, both original works and contemporary adaptations of classics, which combine the artistry of professional and community collaborators. By making theater with and for people of many ages, cultures and levels of theatrical experience, Cornerstone builds bridges between and within diverse communities in our home city of Los Angeles and nationwide."

Typically, Cornerstone artists take up residence in the community they will be working with to develop a script for production. Using members of the community, Cornerstone creates a performance company, mixing the professional Cornerstone ensemble with local talent. The resulting plays are often adaptations of classics, but they are informed by and attempt to address local concerns. These plays are often organized into "Cycles" which include several related communities. For example, Cornerstone's Faith Based cycles included plays created with members of the Jewish community, Catholics, Muslims, and so on.[1]

This artistic strategy is specifically aimed at developing and serving new audiences, and yields a collaborative theater form that blends professional actors, playwrights and stage designers with artists and actors who are in some way telling their own stories, or the stories of their community.

Origins edit

Cornerstone was founded by director Bill Rauch and playwright Alison Carey in 1986.[2] The impulse behind the group, according to Carey, was to create theater for audiences that they otherwise would never come in contact with.

Gathering a group of theater artists they had worked with while students at Harvard University, Rauch, Carey and their fellow artists picked a destination for their theatrical experiment that none of them had ever visited before: Marmarth, North Dakota. There they performed the Old West Shakespearean adaptation Marmarth Hamlet. For the next five years they traveled to small towns in America, including Port Gibson, Mississippi; Norcatur, Kansas; Dinwiddie, Virginia; and many others, creating theater with the local inhabitants.[3]

Los Angeles edit

In 1992 the company decided to settle in a city that would allow them access to a wider variety of communities to collaborate with. Since then, the company has expanded its definition of "community". Initially only defined geographically, the company's collaborations have incorporated religious communities, workplace communities, and age-based communities.[4] For the company's 10th anniversary in 1996, the "community" was defined as "people whose birth date is the same as that of the company".

While the company normally spends weeks to months preparing for performances, the idea of "rapid response theater" had been suggested since the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which occurred shortly after the troupe's relocation to the city. In April 2006, Michael John Garcés replaced Bill Rauch as artistic director.[5] Rauch moved to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. On June 14 of the same year, Garcés put the "rapid response theater" concept into action with staged readings from John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath in protest of the eviction of the South Central Farmers from a privately held plot of land that had been used as a community garden.[6]

Starting in the Spring of 2007, Cornerstone began a new cycle of plays concerning the topic of Justice. 2007's Los Illegals concerned the presence of undocumented workers in America, and 2008's Someday focused on reproductive rights in an era when technology makes new interventions and treatments possible.[7] The Justice Cycle will continue through 2009 with three more productions.

In 2018, Cornerstone Theater let go of its space in the downtown Los Angeles Arts District.[4] “We will be carefully considering what and where we want our next physical home to be—what makes sense for a unique organization like ours?” Garcés and Wanlass said in a statement.[4]

Bridge shows edit

Another unique facet of Cornerstone is the production of the "Bridge show", a production which links two or more communities together by combining their members into a new show that then performs in each of those communities.

At the end of the company's initial rural residencies, Cornerstone and its community partners produced The Winter's Tale: An Interstate Adventure. This musical adaptation of Shakespeare with a cast and crew of 50 from all 12 previous residency communities toured 10,000 miles, culminating Cornerstone's national touring phase.

Cornerstone Institute edit

Cornerstone Theater Company also operates the educational Cornerstone Institute, which offers theater artists hands-on training in community-based theater.[8] Programs offered include a summer residency, a two-day intensive course, and a semester-long traveling program mentored by Cornerstone staffers.

References edit

  1. ^ Favre, Jeff (May 27, 2005). . Daily Breeze. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  2. ^ Gibson, Lydialyle (September 1, 2017). "Bards of America". Harvard Magazine. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  3. ^ Kuftinec, Sonja (2005). Staging America p. 67. Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 978-0-8093-8853-0.
  4. ^ a b c "Cornerstone Theater Company to Leave Los Angeles Home". American Theatre. Theatre Communications Group. June 12, 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  5. ^ Shirley, Don (December 25, 2005). "Theater". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  6. ^ Ganas, Monica (2010). Under the Influence: California's Intoxicating Spiritual and Cultural Impact on America p. 147. Brazos Press. ISBN 978-1-4412-1235-1.
  7. ^ Wada, Karen (May 25, 2008). "Julie Marie Myatt's 'Someday' examines the different avenues to parenthood". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  8. ^ Coe, Molly (August 2, 2016). "Cornerstone Theater Company Presents "Ghost Town, a Love Letter to Venice"". The Los Angeles Beat. Retrieved July 24, 2018.

External links edit

  • Official site
  • Cornerstone Institute
  • Cornerstone Theater Wiki

January 01, 1970
cornerstone, theater, company, this, article, contains, content, that, written, like, advertisement, please, help, improve, removing, promotional, content, inappropriate, external, links, adding, encyclopedic, content, written, from, neutral, point, view, apri. This article contains content that is written like an advertisement Please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view April 2020 Learn how and when to remove this message Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community based collaboration According to the mission statement published on the company s website Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi ethnic ensemble based theater company We commission and produce new plays both original works and contemporary adaptations of classics which combine the artistry of professional and community collaborators By making theater with and for people of many ages cultures and levels of theatrical experience Cornerstone builds bridges between and within diverse communities in our home city of Los Angeles and nationwide Typically Cornerstone artists take up residence in the community they will be working with to develop a script for production Using members of the community Cornerstone creates a performance company mixing the professional Cornerstone ensemble with local talent The resulting plays are often adaptations of classics but they are informed by and attempt to address local concerns These plays are often organized into Cycles which include several related communities For example Cornerstone s Faith Based cycles included plays created with members of the Jewish community Catholics Muslims and so on 1 This artistic strategy is specifically aimed at developing and serving new audiences and yields a collaborative theater form that blends professional actors playwrights and stage designers with artists and actors who are in some way telling their own stories or the stories of their community Contents 1 Origins 2 Los Angeles 3 Bridge shows 4 Cornerstone Institute 5 References 6 External linksOrigins editCornerstone was founded by director Bill Rauch and playwright Alison Carey in 1986 2 The impulse behind the group according to Carey was to create theater for audiences that they otherwise would never come in contact with Gathering a group of theater artists they had worked with while students at Harvard University Rauch Carey and their fellow artists picked a destination for their theatrical experiment that none of them had ever visited before Marmarth North Dakota There they performed the Old West Shakespearean adaptation Marmarth Hamlet For the next five years they traveled to small towns in America including Port Gibson Mississippi Norcatur Kansas Dinwiddie Virginia and many others creating theater with the local inhabitants 3 Los Angeles editIn 1992 the company decided to settle in a city that would allow them access to a wider variety of communities to collaborate with Since then the company has expanded its definition of community Initially only defined geographically the company s collaborations have incorporated religious communities workplace communities and age based communities 4 For the company s 10th anniversary in 1996 the community was defined as people whose birth date is the same as that of the company While the company normally spends weeks to months preparing for performances the idea of rapid response theater had been suggested since the 1992 Los Angeles riots which occurred shortly after the troupe s relocation to the city In April 2006 Michael John Garces replaced Bill Rauch as artistic director 5 Rauch moved to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival On June 14 of the same year Garces put the rapid response theater concept into action with staged readings from John Steinbeck s Grapes of Wrath in protest of the eviction of the South Central Farmers from a privately held plot of land that had been used as a community garden 6 Starting in the Spring of 2007 Cornerstone began a new cycle of plays concerning the topic of Justice 2007 s Los Illegals concerned the presence of undocumented workers in America and 2008 s Someday focused on reproductive rights in an era when technology makes new interventions and treatments possible 7 The Justice Cycle will continue through 2009 with three more productions In 2018 Cornerstone Theater let go of its space in the downtown Los Angeles Arts District 4 We will be carefully considering what and where we want our next physical home to be what makes sense for a unique organization like ours Garces and Wanlass said in a statement 4 Bridge shows editAnother unique facet of Cornerstone is the production of the Bridge show a production which links two or more communities together by combining their members into a new show that then performs in each of those communities At the end of the company s initial rural residencies Cornerstone and its community partners produced The Winter s Tale An Interstate Adventure This musical adaptation of Shakespeare with a cast and crew of 50 from all 12 previous residency communities toured 10 000 miles culminating Cornerstone s national touring phase Cornerstone Institute editCornerstone Theater Company also operates the educational Cornerstone Institute which offers theater artists hands on training in community based theater 8 Programs offered include a summer residency a two day intensive course and a semester long traveling program mentored by Cornerstone staffers References edit Favre Jeff May 27 2005 New work at Ford explores encounters between faiths Daily Breeze Archived from the original on March 3 2009 Retrieved July 24 2018 Gibson Lydialyle September 1 2017 Bards of America Harvard Magazine Retrieved July 24 2018 Kuftinec Sonja 2005 Staging America p 67 Southern Illinois University Press ISBN 978 0 8093 8853 0 a b c Cornerstone Theater Company to Leave Los Angeles Home American Theatre Theatre Communications Group June 12 2018 Retrieved 17 November 2018 Shirley Don December 25 2005 Theater Los Angeles Times Retrieved July 24 2018 Ganas Monica 2010 Under the Influence California s Intoxicating Spiritual and Cultural Impact on America p 147 Brazos Press ISBN 978 1 4412 1235 1 Wada Karen May 25 2008 Julie Marie Myatt s Someday examines the different avenues to parenthood Los Angeles Times Retrieved July 24 2018 Coe Molly August 2 2016 Cornerstone Theater Company Presents Ghost Town a Love Letter to Venice The Los Angeles Beat Retrieved July 24 2018 External links editOfficial site Cornerstone Institute Cornerstone Theater Wiki Talk It Out program Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cornerstone Theater Company amp oldid 1165228935, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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