A New Theatre Company
In the summer of 2022, while the three of us were chatting one morning over coffee in a Vermont kitchen during our day off from rehearsing Caryl Churchill’s play Here We Go, we recognized we all shared the same prodding realization: that since much of organized theatre in America was about to implode, the traditional model of making theatre had to shift. And the notion that galvanized us most was that of introducing high caliber artists to unexpected places where folks could gather and experience great drama with as few strictures as possible separating them from the action of the play. We wanted to create something scrappy yet formally elegant, something tuned in and alive, something that could excite and challenge small, diverse audiences with a kind of storytelling that harkens back to the original necessity of Theatre — that of fulfilling our communal yearning for catharsis and connection, not only to each other, but also to our own selves.
And Most importantly we realized that, along with other new nonprofit grassroots companies that are rising out of the ashes of these pandemic years, we all have to be of service. Our work must have a civic outreach on top of being exemplary of the high quality we aspire to. In essence, our model must be about a theatre that is more relational than transactional.
And now, confident in why this new enterprise matters, we are thrilled to invite you to participate in the adventure that is Sketchbook Theatre.
We call upon ourselves to create site-specific theatre outside the trappings of conventional settings — theatre that has a courageous pulse and strongly resonates with the place in which it appears. Above all, we are committed to serving communities who otherwise are rarely exposed to extraordinary plays performed by established NYC artists, or who are unable to afford to travel to the major art epicenters to take in a show. We aim to excite these audiences with theatrical events that are full experiences and unforgettably immediate. If the task at hand is to hold the mirror up to nature and stimulate people to examine more deeply our shared experience of being alive, then we will answer that call to the best of our ability, and with much relish.
We recognize it is a great privilege to reach any community with our productions, be that in New York City, the Hudson Valley, or more distant destinations. Wherever our audiences are, our commitment to them is to realize a true sense of intimacy – one we intend to share with gutsy rigor, humility, a sense of humor (about ourselves most of all!), and finally… gratitude.
Thanks for visiting this site, and for playing with us now and over the years to come.
Love,
David, Bill, and Chris
