Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1241553
11 A Gathering Place Awaits– Mountain Play 2020 Sunday, May 3, 2020 Above: Students at Davidson Middle School creating collaboratively A relationship between a theatre and its community can be breathtakingly symbiotic. eatres provide a safe space for art to be freshly created every show, and for the public to gather, feel, and be engaged. e audience, the crowning piece to any performance, completes the story being told. However, there's a spectrum of levels to how deep this relationship goes. How do theatres engage with their community? What engagement does the community need or want? Building on a rich relationship with the community, the Mountain Play has proudly fostered and expanded many engagement programs: • eatre aerschool education at Davidson Middle School contin- ues with plans to ex- pand into elementary schools. • Last year we piloted immersive theatre games in PLAYland before the performanc- es of Grease, providing active arts participation for our audience. • Day on the Moun- tain invites commu- nity partners and their members to see the Mountain Play for free and experience the na- ture of Mount Tamal- pais on a guided hike. • Redwoods Retirement Community perfor- mances brings musical theatre to senior com- munity members who can no longer make the mountain trek. • American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation provides an inclusive experience for guests who are hearing impaired. • Play for Arts Sake provides fundraising opportunity for school arts programs • Junior Board, Parents Place, and Future Protectors provide engaging activities, education and creativity to enrich the Mountain Play experience for our youth and families. e buzz word "Engagement" has been on its own adventure around many arts organizations' mission statements. Many conferences, discussions, and articles have been presented to figure out exact definitions, where engagement fits in organizations, and how it's necessary. With funding for so many arts and education programs being cut, it has become a calling for many theatres, including the Mountain Play, to dive into the void. For the Mountain Play, the question becomes what's next? Diving deeper, the Mountain Play looks to ask our partners how theatre can address their needs and encourage them to be a part of art creation for a more cathartic experience. We plan to create new opportunities, starting with the incredible relationships we have already fostered for many years. e Mountain Play is currently strengthening our relationship with Integrated Community Services (ICS) with the development of an exciting new program. In late 2018, ICS reached out to the Mountain Play and asked if there was a way to collaborate with their drama club and create a social justice musical from the perspective of people with disabilities. is opportunity to create a 2-way relationship and empower members of the community to tell their own stories is a gi. Community is another broad term. While we are all one community in one sense, that community is made up of many different experiences and perspectives. It critical and connecting to hear stories from all perspectives. rough that experience we find the universal moments that make us one and provide us with empathy for for all parts of community. When the myriad of connections bringing us together are viewed at this depth, theatre companies providing transformative experiences can only make our community stronger and more resilient. We welcome how the Mountain Play community engagement can grow and how our resources can fuel, spark, and inspire the community to thrive. e Mountain Play is ready to jump into the water and take a deep breath. Diving into the Community Right: Actor Zachary Isen visits with a Redwoods Retirement Community resident Below: Half-n-Half providing ASL Interpretation for 2019's GREASE