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| Rising Sun Performance Company Ensemble |
Venerable Off-Off-Broadway company Rising Sun Performance Company (RSP) is celebrating its 10-year anniversary!
On
Wednesday, June 22nd, RSP will mark the occasion with a fundraiser and a
retrospective anthology and reunion show highlighting productions from
their past 10 years featuring scenes from audience favorites, returning
artists, music, dancing and "celebratory toasts." We at the IT Awards
salute our friends at Rising Sun - and we are always up for celebratory
toasts!
Following that, opening on July 7th and running through the 23rd, will be Cravings,
RSP's fifth annual one-act play series. The series presents original
works that "explore human desire and its consequences." Sounds juicy.
"It's
unbelievable to think that my baby, my little tiny company that was
just a seed of an idea is celebrating such a big milestone" says founder
Akia. "I'm so proud of the work our company has done and I'm excited to
look back on our 10 years!"
Founded
in September of 2001, and a six-year veteran resident at Horse TRADE
Theatre Group on East 4th, RSP is a company run by an eclectic company
of theatre artists committed to ensemble performance through
collaboration. Their mission is to "advance the vitality and diversity
of American theater by nurturing artists, encouraging repeatable
creative relationships, and contributing new works and revitalized
pre-existing work to the national canon." They emphasize risk-taking,
thinking outside the box and active participation in the
Off-Off-Broadway community.
They have presented over 38 productions and events and have debuted twelve original works including Good Enough, Without, Music to Travel By, Southern Werewolf,
as well as numerous one-act plays, musical cabarets, series, free
outdoor performances, and children's theatre events. In addition are the
company's trademark revivals, including the acclaimed production of Hellcab, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, the recent The Last Supper and the IT Award-nominated production of Neil Labute's The Shape of Things.
On
top of their permanent ensemble of actors, writers, directors,
designers and dancers, they include a rotating roster of local, national
and international guest artists, including performers, designers,
playwrights, musicians, directors and technicians who work with the
company on a show-to-show basis.
One
of the hallmarks of this ensemble is their commitment to giving equal
value to each member of the artistic team, from the board operators to
the leading actors to the playwrights, designers and directors, they
encourage a sense of artistic ownership from all involved on every level
of production.
Members
of the Ensemble are given a minimum of two roles a year, have access to
free and low cost workshops/training, creative work and writing
sessions, lab sessions, theatre outings, forums, website profile,
networking and inclusion in a supportive community of peers. All are
required to work technical positions throughout the season in addition
to performing and are available for some of their several other
programs: in the "Blank Check Program," one artist is selected each year
to direct, write or adapt any theatrical piece of their choosing and
RSP provides the budget, venue, production, cast, technical, and
administrative support. There is also the "Aspire to Inspire" nights, in
which RSP selects promising new scripts, directors, and performers and
provides them with the tools, resources and production support for a NYC
performance; the final result can end up as a full-length production,
showcase, staged reading, or workshop. Usually the participants are
making their NYC debut or are testing their skills in a new genre.
Rising
Sun has been proudly affiliated and created strong working
relationships with The Actors Studio Drama School, Dance Theatre
Workshop, The New School for Drama, NYC Department of Parks &
Recreation, The Theatre Development Fund's Costume Collection & Play
by Play Program, Audience Extras, Theatremania Gold Club and Material
for The Arts. Rising Sun is a member of ART-NY, League of Independent
Theatres, The Community Dish, The Field & Fractured Atlas
Check out details and purchase tickets for the
10th anniversary MASH UP!
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