Our inspiration for this season is taken from the image of the Phoenix, the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes, renewed. The protagonists in the plays we’ve selected all experience a transformation that turns them, not into something else, but into what they always were or were meant to be. In a sense, they die to their old selves before being reborn as their true selves–and that truth is not always pretty.

The plays themselves are a mixed bag that do not yield easily to direct classifications such as “comedy” or “tragedy”; over the course of the season we will analyze each with the goal of explaining the relationship between the plays’ histories and our approach to the production.

The idea of “renewal” is expressed this season in another way. This season we have decided to revisit the roots of the Theatre of the Poor, which are grounded in the parks and other “found spaces” of Casper. Known as “site-specific” or “environmental” theatre, the object of such productions is to integrate a location’s specific qualities with the content of plays in order to create a unique experience of the play for both actors and audience.

As the Theatre was born out of doors and has been produced in natural environments for over two thousand years, we look forward to breathing some fresh air with our audience as we strive to bring to you the best of what has been thought and written. Click here for the schedule.