This May the Performance Kitchen will rise, Like some great fuzzy ursine beast from it’s winter slumber to once again roam the forest gathering nuts and berries.  By gather nuts and berries, we mean make great theatre.

With the relocation of founding member and company manager Smyra Yawn to Chicago, the shape of TPK is changing.  This site will now be the hub of activity, documenting the collective and creative processes of artists in Tallahassee, Atlanta, Chicago and more.  TPK is to be a resource for theatre, musical and visual artists who wish to work in a communal way.

Here’s how YOU can be involved:

–Join the TPK Team.  Are you interested in Collective Creation?  Performance as Research?  Just looking for something awesome to do over the summer?  If you’re hardworking and open-minded we want to work with you!  In particular, we’re looking for individuals with academic, research and grant-writing experience.  Email info.performancekitchen@gmail.com for more info.

–Propose a project!  If you have an idea you’d like to explore practically through theatre, we want to help you make it happen.  TPK projects come in all shapes and sizes, but the general requirements are:

• A research component of some kind.  Set a goal of exploration for yourself.  Give yourself a project with the potential for great discovery.
• An open-ended schedule.  If at all possible, do not have an opening night.  Production schedules are great (read: necessary) for a regular theatre company, but the goal of TPK work is to take risks, try new things, and make mistakes.  Instead of performances, consider having certain rehearsals open to the public.
• Write, record, write, record.  As I said before, the purpose of this site is to document the work and to be a resource to other artists.  Take video in rehearsal, interview people who inspire your work, and write about your experience.  This is a big part of the work.

More details about the projects and the application process are forthcoming, so keep in touch here at the blog or visit us on Facebook.

–Write for our blog.  Write an article, an essay, a poem.  Write about the joy and the frustration and the free food.  Write about theatre going on in your area.  Whatever you write, we want to read.

That’s it for now!  Get to work, people!