Publisher's Synopsis
A selection of Stacy Klein's writings for and about Double Edge Theatre - a place-based ensemble and artist-run cooperative founded in the US in 1982, which uses training as a source of original performance creation.
Featuring interviews, artists' statements, essays, and speeches in which Klein articulates the mission of Double Edge Theatre as it evolves, the volume captures the democratic spirit and boundary-pushing theatrical work the company has championed. It also features a scholarly introduction that situates Klein's writing in the broader landscape of theatre history.
These writings capture the theatrical and cultural practice to have come out of the theatre company Klein founded in 1982. The book showcases the company's dedication to collective artistic creativity, cultural survival and sustained, equitable organization-building, with Klein's artistic and social vision at its centre.
It also celebrates the company's connections across the globe, including its collaborations with Eastern European, Scandinavian, and South American theatres (such as Grenland Friteater, Norway, and Diablomundo, Argentina) and its links with rich theatrical traditions (such as the Laboratory Theatre, Poor Theatre, Street Theatre, and Circus); it also documents Double Edge's exploration of the intersections between cultural, traditional, and spiritual practice, which extends to their work with Jupiter Performance Studio, the SITI Company, Mondo Bizarro, Ohketeau Cultural Center, and the Drogobych Synagogue in the Carpathian mountains, as well as the inspirations of artists Marc Chagall and Leonora Carrington.
An Alchemy of Living Culture offers first-hand insights into the pragmatic as well as visionary aspects of experimental creation and speaks to a broad and multi-national community of theatre-makers.
