-The Drama Review, Spring 1990
My first experience with No Shame came in the Fall of 2004 when I was a first-year MFA Directing Student at the University of Iowa. Sitting in the lobby of the theatre building, I overhead three undergrads at an adjacent table discussing a solo theatre piece they had seen (or rather, experienced) the previous Friday.
Apparently, an MFA Playwrighting candidate had delivered a scathing monologue about his classmates, professors, parents- the list of targets went on and on- which culminated in a seemingly spontaneous, spastic dance break. To no music.
What, in the name of God, was happening in Theatre B from 11:30-1:00 AM every Friday night? I found out a few days later when I attended my first No Shame event.
The No Shame structure (and the energy it creates) was unlike anything I had experienced. I had no idea what to expect, and that’s the point. No Shame gives theatre artists an opportunity to put it out there, whatever it may be. Seeing playwrights, actors, and directors suddenly set free from the restraints of non-original work, classroom requirements, and preconceived audience expectations was exhilarating. Not that all of it was good. Some of it was terrible. Like really, really terrible. But it was out there, and the performers, writers, and audience members became better theatre artists because of it.
Wendy Marie-Foerster, Katie Mack-Montenegro, and I are extremely proud to bring this tradition of risk-taking and boundary-breaking to the Little Theatre and artistic community of the Central Coast. Now’s your chance to step up. There’s the stage, there’s the audience…what do you want to say? Dare to fail on December 10th! See you there.
www.slolittletheatre.org
My first experience with No Shame came in the Fall of 2004 when I was a first-year MFA Directing Student at the University of Iowa. Sitting in the lobby of the theatre building, I overhead three undergrads at an adjacent table discussing a solo theatre piece they had seen (or rather, experienced) the previous Friday.
Apparently, an MFA Playwrighting candidate had delivered a scathing monologue about his classmates, professors, parents- the list of targets went on and on- which culminated in a seemingly spontaneous, spastic dance break. To no music.
What, in the name of God, was happening in Theatre B from 11:30-1:00 AM every Friday night? I found out a few days later when I attended my first No Shame event.
The No Shame structure (and the energy it creates) was unlike anything I had experienced. I had no idea what to expect, and that’s the point. No Shame gives theatre artists an opportunity to put it out there, whatever it may be. Seeing playwrights, actors, and directors suddenly set free from the restraints of non-original work, classroom requirements, and preconceived audience expectations was exhilarating. Not that all of it was good. Some of it was terrible. Like really, really terrible. But it was out there, and the performers, writers, and audience members became better theatre artists because of it.
Wendy Marie-Foerster, Katie Mack-Montenegro, and I are extremely proud to bring this tradition of risk-taking and boundary-breaking to the Little Theatre and artistic community of the Central Coast. Now’s your chance to step up. There’s the stage, there’s the audience…what do you want to say? Dare to fail on December 10th! See you there.
www.slolittletheatre.org
-Kevin Harris
Managing Artistic Director