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Center Theatre Group is expanding their Art Goes On project with L.A. Theatre Speaks, a biweekly series of live-streamed public discussions bringing together members of the local theatre community to discuss the issues and opportunities they are facing in this time of crisis.
The series launches Thursday, April 23 at 3 pm PT with “L.A. Theatre in the Time of a Pandemic and Beyond” featuring a cross-section of LA’s large and intimate theatre artistic directors including Snehal Desai (East West Players), Debbie Devine (24th STreet Theatre), Danny Feldman (Pasadena Playhouse), Jessica Kubzansky (Boston Court Pasadena), Michael Ritchie (Center Theatre Group), Matt Shakman (Geffen Playhouse), Michael A. Shepperd (Celebration Theatre) and Jose Luis Valenzuela (Latino Theater Company). Center Theatre Group Managing Director/CEO Meghan Pressman will moderate the discussion.
The series will continue with “L.A. Theatre Goes Digital: Creating Online” (May 7), “L.A. Playwrights: Writing for a Changing World” (May 21) and “A Theatre Fundraising: Inspiring and Cultivating Support in a Time of Uncertainty” (June 4). Other discussions to be scheduled include “Artist and Company Resources: Navigating the Field of Artist Relief,” “L.A. Actors: Who is the Audience? Where is the Stage? What is the Part?” and “L.A. Designers: Finding Inspiration.” Panelists will be announced closer to each discussion.
“Center Theatre Group will facilitate these conversations but it’s a conversation about Los Angeles theatre as a whole — about all local organizations and what we’re all going through,” said Michael Ritchie. “We want to reach out to our collective L.A. theatre audience and stakeholders and let them know what we are all planning and grappling with while allowing space for everyone to ask questions and engage. It’s vital that, as theatres begin to consider how and when we re-open our stages, the entire community is part of the conversation. The world may be changing, but our passion and love for the theatre has not. We are all in this together.”
For more information and to register for an upcoming discussion, please visit CTGLA.org/LATheatreSpeaks. L.A. Theatre Speaks is part of Center Theatre Group’s Art Goes On project, which includes the previously announced Artists Create series of videos produced in this time of social distancing by Center Theatre Group’s family of artists and Scenes from the Vault, a series of videos highlighting favorite moments from Center Theatre Group’s Center history across its three stages. Both series are available to view online at CTGLA.org/ArtGoesOn or at youtube.com/CTGLA with the hashtag #ScenesFromTheVault and #ArtGoesOn. Born out of the search for new ways to inspire conversation and build community around art — and what that can look like while stages are dark, the Art Goes On project gives audiences an opportunity to get to know members of the artistic community on a personal level. Sharing what theatre means to them along with showcasing their art in the time of social distancing.
