ALUMNI IN ACTION Acts of charity A theatre group sets the stage for improvements in the community • BY TANNER WALTERS (BA ’16) I
t’s hard to have a conversation about theatre without speak- ing about social justice–espe- cially at a Jesuit university. At Loyola, theatre students are of course taught to perform,
direct, design, and stage manage. But Loyola’s rising stars learn about theatre as both entertainment and a powerful tool for social change. Ryan Stanfield (BA ’15), Amy
Heller (BA ’15), and Warren Swart- wout (BA ’15) took this message to heart when they founded CityWorks Theatre Company. During late night conversations in coffee shops, they discussed their interest in using the- atre to help struggling communities. “We wanted to create theatre that gave back to communities in a more tangible way,” says Swartwout, the group's managing director. So the group decided to not only make art that spoke to social concerns but also to partner with local groups working for change. Part of the proceeds from each production will go to these or- ganizations, impacting them in both an artistic way and a financial one. The three knew that building a
theatre company from the ground up would be a challenge, but that didn’t deter them. “We broke the whole process down into smaller steps,” says Heller, the group’s director of community outreach. “We kept riding on the idea that the only thing that could get in our way was ourselves. We had to keep the momentum going.” Fortunately, they weren’t alone.
Their mission struck a chord inside the Loyola community and out; they raised money through a crowdfund- ing page and Loyola offered them Mundelein’s Underground Laborato- ry Theatre to stage their first shows. The only remaining question was
“We wanted to create theatre that gave back to communities in a more tangible way.”
—WARREN SWARTWOUT (BA ’15), MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CITYWORKS THEATRE COMPANY
which play to produce. Knowing that the first production would set the tone for later ones, the three spent weeks considering options before settling on Fragments, an experi- mental piece by playwright Edward Albee. The play’s unconventional plot features eight strangers opening up to each other, examining the ways in which people connect to one another. “Fragments felt very foundational
for the type of theatre we want to cre- ate,” says Stanfield. “Although it was written over 20 years ago, its themes of community, identity, and sharing stories resonated deeply with us, and hopefully with our audiences as well.” He adds that the play felt especially
relevant in a time when people often struggle to find common ground. “The narrative of eight people finding commonalities with one another is an increasingly rare occurrence, especial- ly in the current climate of polarized and political divides,” Stanfield says. The group partnered with Howard
Area Community Center (HACC), a Rogers Park nonprofit that assists low-income families in the neighbor- hood through services such as adult education, employment assistance, after-school activities, and health services. The HACC received half of the proceeds from ticket sales, but that wasn't the extent of the partner- ship. One HACC member designed
music used in the production, and CityWorks artists coached a spoken word poetry event at the HACC. “We wanted to not only donate to the organization," says Heller, "but involve members as much as we can in the artistic process." Performances of Fragments ran
from late August to early September, with Swartwout and Heller joining a diverse cast and Stanfield directing. Now, the group is developing a plan for the coming season. “We learned a lot from producing Fragments,” says Stanfield. “Now, we’re focusing on growing our team to accomplish what we want to do as an organization and as theatre makers.” L
WINTER 2017 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44