Lana Rosalind Russell

the [re]group

reimagine process, product and possibility

the [re]group is a creative producing and community driven organization dedicated to reinventing theatrical processes, and products in order to better serve our community of artists and future audience members. We [re]imagine what stories we tell, how our stories are told, who tells them and who they are for. We do this by creating and providing a range of artist and audience driven programming including: creator writing groups, individually crafted workshops processes, bold community engaged theatrical events, and encouraging courageous conversations.

reconsider: a community engaged adaptation of Henry VI III and Richard III

• [re]consider focused on using adaptations of two Shakespeare plays in order to “reconsider” cycles of violences and inherited trauma. The piece asked the audience to side with characters based on their actions and morals as well as engaged them in pre and post show conversations. It was imperative to the piece to bring it to audiences with direct experience on our themes including veterans, and teens who have been impacted by gun violence.

• adapted, directed and produced by Lana Russell

• featuring: Kayla Berghoff, Briawna Jackson, Michael Axtell, Callan Suozzi-Rearic, N’Tasha Anders

• community tour locations: Samaritan Village Veteran Home, PS 218, The Artists Coop, 52nd Black Box

WORKSHOP SERIES

The workshop series was created in order to better serve the needs of playwrights during the new play development processes. We responded to the request to leave music stands behind, but still place no pressure on performance, embracing the beautifully messy grey area between process and product. Writers came with requests to play, write recklessly, and to work with actors and director over a longer process to more deeply explore the world of the play and how it moves in space. A new flexible, playful, artist and story driven process was formed for each project. Past workshops have used such tools as:

• pre-conversation with producer on specific goals and intentions

• 7-10 rehearsals with actors and director

• a combination of scripts in hand to encourage rewrites with polished memorization for more physical or exploratory scenes

• use of selected pieces like chairs, table, stools to try out staging sections of the piece and transitions

• selected design elements- flash lights or lanterns or 1-2 sound cues

• wide variations of audience seating and involvement

• two sessions of sharing with audience per workshop

• post sharing food/drink gathering for constructive conversation

• the ability to ask for more or less from the process at any time

workshops

• THE OCEAN THOUGHT NOTHING by Kari Bentley Quinn

• THE DIVER by Kari Bentley Quinn

• GEORGE BELL by Melisa Annis

• Henry VI 3 adapted by Lana Russell

[RE]verse — A WRITER/CREATOR GROUP

This group was started amidst the shut down caused by COVID-19 to respond to artist’s need for a creative community space that would support their changing artistic, practical and emotional needs. The group stays flexible to artist schedules as personal, financial and health responsibilities continue to change. The group is primarily a space of community and open to respond to the artist ideas and needs. A group was formed where:

• Playwrights, devisers, directors, dramaturgs and actors from across the country are invited to participate in weekly zoom meetings

• There is a diverse collection of creators and a wide range of age and experience to encourage mentorship

• Meetings are 90 min and there is a flexible schedule to attend, we schedule around work and family commitments

• Artists have no timeline to create, they may write nothing and come to be present for the community, come with a verbal idea or share between 1-10 pages

• Artists are encouraged to define their experience and express their needs to the group: they choose from a sharing of pages with no response, with question based responses, question and observation based responses, and/or question, observation and constructive feedback based responses.

• There is an allotted time for conversation and support that has nothing to do with theater

CREATIVE CONFRONTATION

An arts education program in collaboration with Bedlam.

COMMUNITY

the [re]group values our growing community and hopes to continue to create and reinvent gathering spaces not only for entertainment but for conversation, creation, calls to action and connection. From finding more effective and accessible ways to engage audiences in post show discussions after shows or workshops, to forming events for traditional and non traditional audiences to gather, to advocating for the on and off stage needs of artists, we hope to continue to become a uniting force in our community.

To get involved, share a story, or ask a question please contact Lana here.