AMERICAN THEATRE: In many if not all the moves made by Double Edge Theatre, the land is a central character. The artist-run theatre in Ashfield, Mass.—co-founded in 1982 as a feminist ensemble collective by Stacy Klein, among others—is committed to “art, living culture, and art justice” through theatremaking, land stewardship, sustainability efforts, community partnerships, and convenings. Those aren’t just words: They are grounded, literally, in the place where Double Edge lives and works.
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This theatre organization is so cool! The way they incorporate the land into their performances sounds incredible. I love how they use it not just in looking at their location but also involving it in the stories they tell. It’s fascinating how the players live on the farm as well as perform there. Shows there sound like they are so unique and I would love to see one. I wonder what the name of the company, Double Edge Theatre, comes from. It could be a reference to the saying of a “double-edged sword,” which usually refers to something having both positive and negative consequences. If that is the case, I would be curious to know what they’re referring to as having both good and bad consequences, and what those consequences are. On the other hand, it could have a meaning completely unrelated to that metaphor. Regardless, I would love to know the meaning behind the company’s name.
Double Edge’s performances are often immersive and site-specific, carefully considering the land’s resources, seasonal changes, and even climate change. I enjot a lot of the muli-media uses in his work, and the use of the human body to show beauty . The company’s work intersects with current global concerns about sustainability and environmental responsibility. Their collaborations with the Indigenous Nipmuc community further emphasize the importance of land acknowledgment and reparations.The creation of the eco-womanism institute and other events speaks to the theatre’s commitment to supporting marginalized voices, particularly those of Black and Indigenous peoples, and looking for justice and equal in his work. Also, his other form of work that engage with envirnment, such as land art and eco-performance, emphasizes how deeply interconnected art, nature, and justice can be. The collective’s work extends beyond the stage, offering a profound reflection on the role of land in shaping cultural.
There has been a recent increase in exploring what theater means and what can be considered theater and this company is pushing that even further. Beyond just reimaging what could be considered a performance space, a stage, or even a theatrical concept, they are redefining what it means to create art. This connection to their environment that they have created and fostered has become not just the space that they create in but has become the creation itself. I also love how they have focused not just on the environmental aspect of it but also the history. They are exploring the history of the land and the people and animals that have lived there before them and are striving to accurately represent this in the theater they create. I think this concept is so important for artists everywhere to recognize and tie into what they create because this history is the ground upon which everything we create is built.
I think this example of work from Double Edge Theatre show the mission of theatre maker. We are creating are, we are expressing ourselves, we are even speaking for someone else. When we get some support from other parties, it also means we have some extra duty when we are producing our work. And the last sentence in the passage also inspires me a lot, “It is infused with reparations work, our justice work, land work, it’s all intertwined. We don’t have one without the other.” As we all know, theatre making is a collaborative work. We should also keep in mind that beyond the team, we are also creating things in a larger community. On the other side, I’m also obsessed with the immersive vide the production created for the audience. It does expand the space and the limitation of the theatre venue and make audience have better experience in an unique world.
I chose this article because this theater is about 40 min from where I live (fun fact: Annie Baker went to my high school!).
I really like the implications of the outdoor productions. Like when the article says “the grounds and what’s happening to and on them (including the effects of climate change) dictate what they can stage, and also inform strategic efforts”. I think that makes the message of the theater and their shows that much more powerful. I’ve never been to this specific farm, but knowing the area, I can picture exactly what type of hurdles they have to overcome. For example, I was a counselor at an Arts summer camp in the next town over. We had our own art happening outside, and knew it was going to downpour all day. We had to quickly bring everything inside, and parts of our campus even ended up flooding. Crazy weather like that is hard to plan for, and the Western Massachusetts location makes it particularly difficult to combat. But theater is about adaptation and problem solving, and I think the mission statement of this outdoor theater and their ability to adapt, and how they embrace it, shows how deeply everyone involved cares.
This company and their shows remind of a show I stage managed called "Move" by Julia Taudevin. I was the SM for an adaptation of it, but we learned the original production was written and performed in 2020/2021. The play follows many different families all mourning the loses of family members and shows different mourning rituals in different cultures. The original production was performed over several days (and I believe several weeks) where each scene was performed on a different Irish beach as the water was a necessary set and also prop for the show, and the through line that connected all of the stories together. At this same time I was working with an educational theatre company who decided to do a production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" outside, both out of necessity and because it would add something to the story. I think with a company like this and people knowing that something like this is possible and incredibly moving we will see it more and more.
This is a really interesting approach to theater. It’s not often enough that we get to see these unique forms of theater and how people approach it differently than others. Working in conjunction with the environment in the way that they do presents a number of unique logistical challenges; for example, I didn’t realize that they would have to change their showing times to adjust for the shorter days as winter approaches. They’re also subject to weather and temperature, and they’re restricted to places that are accessible for an audience and suitable for performance. It seems, though, that they are able to take it all in stride and create some really amazing art. Their approach to performance is just so different from the one we see in the walls of the theater. Instead of having flats and platforms built for their set, they can interact with their natural environment. I’d love to see more about the shows that they put on.
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