Weekend Showcase: Stages Theatre Continues to Think ‘Out of the Box’
Stages Theatre Company is continuing its performance creativity, even without live audiences.
What do you do to survive if you’re a theater company that’s not producing live shows in front of audiences anymore? You learn to think out of the box.
“We are taking our Out of the Box into the winter, spring. We have so many great offerings for families. And what we’re hearing is that they want to engage more with their young people,” said Sandy Boren Barrett, artistic director and CEO of Stages Theatre.
Stages Theatre‘s Out of the Box programs began last summer. It was an effort to connect with audiences while the theater itself remained closed for performances. Barrett says that one of the hallmarks of Stages Theatre Company is getting children and parents participating in shared experiences together.
“So what we have done with our Out of the Box offerings is we have created and curated work that they can do together,” said Barrett.
There are new shows coming out all the way through April and everything you need literally comes in a box. This can be mailed or delivered right to your car via drive-through drop-off service.
The interactive performance available right now is called “The Dot.”
“Our Out of the Box Dot experience includes watercolor paints and watercolor paper for the young people. They can create their own art. They can send it to Stages Theatre Company. And we will create a visual gallery on our set from ‘The Dot’ that features their work,” said Barrett.
Barrett says that these Out of the Box experiences can be enjoyed by parents with their children anywhere they have an internet connection.
“What we found with our holiday production. We shipped to over 27 states. And we had people who wanted to gift that. We had a number of them ask, ‘can I do your upcoming productions Out of the Box. Can you ship that to my home as well?,'” said Barrett.
