The Principles of Post-Geography: The New Theatre Era We Now Live In
Post-Geography Is Here To Stay. Here’s What It Means for #digitaltheatre
By Dana and Ricky Young-Howze
Mays Landing, NJ
Venmo: @rndyounghowze
People have been hearing us say the word “Post-Geography” a lot. Many times we have had people ask us. “What’s Post-Geography mean”? We can’t find it on Google anywhere. Well the short answer is that we made it up. We needed a word to explain this massive shift in the theatre landscape that we saw while reviewing digital theatre in the pandemic age. We knew that something was going on but we had no word that was able to describe it. So we came upon post-geography. Shut up and tell us already! Okay okay. Here we go.
In the simplest terms post geography is our fancy way of saying that geography isn’t integral to creating theatre. A NYC show can be created in Texas or a Texas show played in NYC. Broadway can be streamed to someone’s backyard. The limitations on the reach of theatre are reduced to whether or not you have internet connectivity.
Digital theatre should not be confused with pandemic theatre. In reality digital theatre has been around in some form or another for a long time. It’s just offering theatre via a digital platform (YouTube, video on demand, zoom, etc.) to an audience who isn’t seeing it in the theater building.
Pre-Pandemic theatre all went in one direction from these geographic hubs out to a worldwide audience. Think of Broadway on Demand that streams Broadway to anyone with a subscription. During the pandemic theatre artists were able to find collaborators across the globe and use digital platforms to create theatre together to reach audiences anywhere. The need for a physical venue to create live theatre vanished. Everyone had the opportunity for any theatre to be made online and watched anywhere in the world. Here are some of the basic principles we are working off of to describe this new era.
Post-Geography recognizes that there is more theatre created than there are physical theaters to hold it all. Every theatre artist has the right to get their work seen and heard by an audience. Every theatre artist deserves to make a living in the arts wherever they are.
Tilted Frame was creating performances over Skype well before the pandemic and now they have created a Techno Improv show with a cast on two coasts that broadcasts on YouTube and tests the limits of the platform.
https://rickyyoung-howze.tumblr.com/post/637161038766391296/tilted-frame-by-combined-artforms-is-a-next
Improv+tech what could possibly go wrong #improv By Ricky and Dana Young-Howze California Venmo: @rndyounghowze Review 163 Back in the nin
Kristina Wong resumed the tour of “Kristina Wong For Public Office” performing at colleges everywhere from her house. It was eventually moved to the Kirk Douglas Theatre for one filmed performance and still runs in Rep with her show “Sweatshop Overlord”. This creates the practice of being able to workshop a show and make money before it moves to a successful run on an in-person stage.
https://rickyyoung-howze.tumblr.com/post/632073012432240640/kristina-wong-has-our-vote
A remarkable show that was both touching and innovative #vote By Ricky and Dana Young-Howze San Diego, California Review 122 We’ve been watc
Peter Michael Marino has staged and performed three shows in Rep from his home. They have been featured in Fringes everywhere. His recent success, “Planet of the Grapes” is a toy theatre production that is highly experimental and also highlights the best features of digital theatre.
https://rickyyoung-howze.tumblr.com/post/648749388286541824/peter-michael-marino-bears-fruit-with-planet-of
He finally really did it! The Maniac! He Parodied it! Juice them! Juice them all to Hell!!! @blackoutpete By Ricky and Dana Young-Howze New
In Post-Geographic theatre there are no limitations on your actor pool or your audience. A cast can be created from artists from anywhere in the world and they don’t have to travel to be a part of the show. A small theater anywhere could get the same audience as a stadium. Collaborations between artists and theatre are no longer limited by travel. Even theatre done in buildings can be enjoyed by anyone anywhere. Your stage is not limited to a building.
Os Satyros in Brazil has toured its show The Art of Facing Fear with a cast from all over the world.
https://rickyyoung-howze.tumblr.com/post/art-of-facing-fear-moved-us-on-multiple
One Dana, One Dork, Two Iphones. Look Out Theatre World!
Post-Geography gets rid of gatekeepers. This opens opportunities for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other communities that have been marginalized who no longer need an institution to approve their art for it to reach an audience. Theatre makers could become their own theatre company without the overhead or oversights that come with owning or renting a space.
Black Lives Black Words led by Reginald Edmund was able to stage their entire season on Zoom creating a safe artistic space for Black Theatre Artists from around the world.
https://rickyyoung-howze.tumblr.com/post/630366437099388928/amplify-immortal-goats-by-idris-goodwin-knows
This Iconoclastic play makes us evaluate who we put on pedestals. #blm By Ricky and Dana Young-Howze Black Lives, Black Words Review 111 Dan
Monique Robinson and Kalif Troy were able to work with Nigerian Playwright Itoro Flower to stage “Unapologetically Black”, a play that paid Black Artists and asked White Talent to donate their time. This was a move that may not have gotten traction otherwise.
https://rickyyoung-howze.tumblr.com/post/623374427231485952/amplify-unapologetically-black-explores-allyship
A play written by Itoro Bassey and produced by Nique’Works Entertainment tells it like it is and drops some real knowledge on how white ally
Post-Geography is a movement that is here to stay. It is a genie that can’t be put back in the bottle. Once artists have found these platforms and had their work in front of the audience the need to be close to a geographic hub or need the approval of a gatekeeper is dead. Regardless of mainstream theatre’s acceptance of it or union/legal regulations that restrict it the world will never fully go back to the way theatre was done before 2020. This is Theatre now and it cannot be changed.
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