Going Grassroots
It’s a difficult time for Americans. The economic news is dour (the political situation might actually be worse). Naturally, the fate of the American theatre doesn’t weigh heavily on the mind of the average citizen. Nevertheless, the current frustrations, and privations do open up avenues for small companies like Imperfect People. For those of us in the arts aspiring to do something new, or, at the very least, to do something that hasn’t been done in a long time, the moment could be right for expansion. It’s the behemoths of past eras that stand to lose something in this climate. I sincerely wish them the best of luck. But smaller companies can theoretically benefit from the a leveling of the playing field. Fans of the type of character-driven work we produce are running low on alternatives. Therefore, we should, and will, reach them with greater frequency in the coming years.
We have reached them before. I recently received a warm email from four students who were assigned THE BOOKS as part of a script analysis course at Cornell College. The questions were fairly straightforward. They wanted to know about my personal intentions, about any themes that might not be readily apparent to someone who hadn’t spent years with the project, etc., and I answered as best as I could. I’ve received other emails recently from friends, as well as strangers, interested in learning more about that play. Such conversations can be humbling, but also inspiring. There was a time when it looked as if THE BOOKS was dead. It had done the submission rounds professionally, and then independently, and it failed to penetrate for reasons I won’t speculate here. So, when we did our small production at Cherry Pit last summer, my expectations were low. But the play was subsequently published, and contracted for a screen adaptation. The play had a life, and still does, in my opinion, because of its ability to connect with readers, and viewers on an emotional level. It succeeded through word of mouth. And that gives us faith to carry on.
We recently had the first in what we hope to be a series of organizational meetings to discuss how, over the next ten years, we can slowly expand this small company into something larger. When Americans return to the arts, we want to be there. So, we’re currently drafting a new mission statement. And we’re about to begin the very difficult work of raising money, and planning seasons. One way we intend to achieve our goal of expansion is to begin incorporating some of the people who have reached out to us over the last decade with respect, and mutual interest. We are looking for playwrights, directors, designers, grant writers, stage managers, and even people to serve on a board of directors. If you have an interest in being part of the future of Imperfect People, please email us: info@imperfectpeople.com.
Thanks so much for visiting us on the web, and see you at the theatre!