The Collective NY

@collectivenyorg-blog

We are actors. The Collective unites professional artists who share a responsibility to create work in the contemporary American Theatre that is emotionally truthful, socially relevant, and defiantly accessible. The company was established in the...

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“This is precisely the time when artists go to work.” - Toni Morrison

#mondaymantra #collectivemondays #tonimorrison #makeart

Blog of writer Adam Szymkowicz includes hundreds of playwright interviews.

#gregdepaul #collectivenyorg #adamszymkowicz #theatre #playwrights #writing

TURTLEFACE the film the film written by David Thigpen and starring Daniel O'Shea, Naomi Warner, Patrick Bonck and Swann Gruen.

#collectivenyfilms #shortfilm #filmfestival #turtlefacethefilm #turtleface #indiefilm

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WE DID IT! Thank you to everyone who supported our end-of-year fundraising campaign to reach our goal of 3000 seats under our NO EMPTY SEATS mission. We did it. Because of you 3000 seats will be made available for free and expanded access to the arts in 2017. We have a lot celebrate. We also launched the 4th Volume of the #C10 anthology at the Drama Book Shop last month and THREE new plays PLUS two encores as part of our December C10 premieres. We have a lot more to come in 2017 and we can’t wait to share them with you. Happy New Year.

#noemptyseats #makeart #theatre #accesstoarts

Today is the 100th anniversary of the Drama Book Shop. Go buy a bunch of new plays from them to celebrate the occasion.

Start with this one from the @collectivenyorg which features my short piece, A Weekend Conference. You’ll like it. I promise.

"My parents bought tickets to my last show and they never came. And I couldn't be happier. They weren't buying tickets to a show, they were making a statement: theatre must be shared with as many people as possible or it ceases to matter. Because of my parents, those seats were available to someone who couldn't otherwise afford to see the show. Everybody wins." - Co-Artistic Director, Robert Z. Grant

Learn more about NO EMPTY SEATS and see how you can be a part of the mission: http://www.thecollective-ny.org/donate.

#noemptyseats #theatre #collectivenyorg #makeart #brianhotalingphotography

“If you want people to open their minds, see a world different from their own that they can relate to on an emotional level, then expose them to truthful storytelling. If you want that group to be diverse, then make it accessible. Make it free! And don't torture them when they arrive, prancing around like you’re a prima ballerina, be humble and search for truth on stage. This is The Collective to me. We want all walks of life to come into the theatre and realize that a live experience is something extraordinary.” - Permanent Ensemble Member, Sayra Player

Learn more about NO EMPTY SEATS and see how you can be a part of the mission: http://www.thecollective-ny.org/donate.

#noemptyseats #collectivenyorg #theatre #makeart #brianhotalingphotography

“No Empty Seats means no one left lonely. I grew up in a loving family, had plenty of friends, and involved in many school activities--but I never felt I belonged anywhere, mostly because I've always felt my brain and heart viewed things so differently and because of this I've always felt like a loner--quietly observing from the outside. The moments when I feel most connected to people are the times when I feel the vibration of life--and those moments are in the theatre. When I am acting and feel the souls of the other actors and audience and when I'm in the audience and feel the vibe of the space, other audience members, and actors--I feel whole , a huge empowerment, and I feel completely alive--awake. Theatre is a way to connect, empathize, and share our inner truths with each other--together. Making theatre accessible for all is making soul connection for all.” - Permanent ensemble Member, Lacy Marie Meyer

Learn more about NO EMPTY SEATS and see how you can be a part of the mission: http://www.thecollective-ny.org/donate.

#noemptyseats #collectivenyorg #theatre #makeart #brianhotalingphotography

“I think I knew I always wanted to be someone who told stories, be it as a writer and/or an actor, because books, movies, and TV really comforted me as a child and opened my eyes and imagination to things outside of where I grew up. Theatre needs to be dangerous and should as the saying goes, comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. As a child of immigrants I think I always felt there were so many more stories that could be told, even if I couldn't articulate that exactly at the time.

When we came up with NO EMPTY SEATS [in 2010], I still remember how I felt when I first talked about it to our audience. It was emotional because I knew it was important but it also went personal and shared with everyone in the room. No one should be denied access to the arts. Art connects people in ways that we can’t always imagine. It is as integral to a functioning society as science, law, social services, and economy. It heals, it gives voice, and it forces us to question. No Empty Seats is part of that.” - Permanent ensemble member, Nina Mehta

Learn more about NO EMPTY SEATS and see how you can be a part of the mission: http://www.thecollective-ny.org/donate.

#noemptyseats #theatre #collectivenyorg #makeart #brianhotalingphotography

"My dad was many things, among them, a mime. He taught me about finding the magic in everything. Every moment. As a person, I've dedicated my life to that. I love the No Empty Seats Campaign because it allows you to participate in a magical act. Facilitating an experience for someone to be inspired, for someone to watch life be created on stage in front of them, to share relevant stories of humanity so we can all understand each other better. Giving someone access to that whether they can afford it or not. That is MAGIC." - Permanent ensemble member, Booker Garrett.

Learn more about NO EMPTY SEATS and see how you can be a part of the mission: http://www.thecollective-ny.org/donate.

#noemptyseats #collectivenyorg #theatre #makeart #brianhotalingphotography

“When we were doing Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, I met an older gentleman named Andrew. He was taken with our work, he came back, brought friends. He came a third time brought more friends. At the end of the run he told me he was a student of Sanford Meisner over 40 years ago. He saw, as a group, we were all working for the same thing. He said it inspired him and made him nostalgic at the same time. Our process, our quality of work was something he missed personally. He had gotten his ticket from a service that provides activities to seniors. To know that someone I loved, be it my aunt or my friends paid for Andrew’s access made me proud. To see the smile on his face and the look on his eyes made me nothing but grateful for all the support that put Andrew in an empty seat.” - Co-Artistic Director, Kevin Kane.

Learn more about NO EMPTY SEATS and see how you can be a part of the mission: http://www.thecollective-ny.org/donate.

#noemptyseats #collectivenyorg #theatre #makeart #brianhotalingphotography

See this Instagram photo by @collectivenyorg • 13 likes

"To me, No Empty Seats means that the audience can determine the value of the work, which we know will deliver. It means that corporate presidents, artists as well as artistic patrons, students, first timers, and your mom are all guaranteed a seat next to each other. It means that people who would never think to get some of their information from the arts can afford to try researching life that way, to form a more complete picture of the human landscape before making decisions - good for the artists, good for the community, and good for the economy."- Permanent ensemble member, Lisa Kicielinski.

Learn more about NO EMPTY SEATS and see how you can be a part of the mission: http://www.thecollective-ny.org/donate.

#noemptyseats #collectivenyorg #theatre

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What is No Empty Seats? It's about creating access to the arts and has a personal meaning for each of our ensemble members.

"We did a production of Someone Who'll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuinness [in 2010]. This was the production from which the idea of No Empty Seats was introduced. I'll never forget how wonderful it felt to have full houses during our performances, because it added so much more life to the piece. An even better feeling was knowing that so many people were able to enjoy this amazing show for free! People would say afterwards that they would have paid twice the ticket price to see that play. I was so thankful that with the help of my family and friends back home, they didn't have to." - Founding member, Mike Houston.

Learn more about NO EMPTY SEATS and see how you can be a part of the mission: http://www.thecollective-ny.org/donate.

#noemptyseats #collectivenyorg #theatre

See this Instagram photo by @collectivenyorg • 20 likes

"Growing up in a small town there were few opportunities for outside cultural experiences. One of the most important outlets I found was our town's community theater. It was a place for expression, learning, diversity and imagination. Without this free access to the arts I would not have benefited from this exposure to a larger world, or for that matter ever been cast as a female Santa Claus in the WB Wicker Production of 'Santa and The Snowmobile'." - Permanent Ensemble Member, Margaret Champagne.

Learn more about NO EMPTY SEATS and see how you can be a part of the mission: http://www.thecollective-ny.org/donate

#noemptyseats #collectivenyorg #theatre #makeart

On January 19, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in each time zone across the country, members of the theater community - from Broadway to regional theaters to high schools and colleges and community theaters - will come together to launch The Sanctuary Project.

Program A? Program B? You don’t have to choose. Tickets are on-sale for the 2016 Collective:10! http://www.thecollective-ny.org/4th-annual-collective10-4/

#collective10 #c10 #theatre #plays #shortplayfestival #ensembletheatre #nyc #collectivenyorg

Oh, hey it’s almost the weekend! Happy Humpday!

#dance #dancing #amy schumer #inside amy schumer #electric slide #party #weekend #comedy central #humpday #wednesday #happyhumpday

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