Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Hertel, August Edwards, Samantha Alarcon.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
This basically all got started because we couldn’t get cast. We just started doing the shows that we wanted to do, telling stories that weren’t being produced elsewhere. In the beginning, the venue was all about accessibility as well. We were self-funded and self-produced from the jump so that meant we had to be very resourceful in the spaces we used out of necessity. As we started auditioning people, we realized that other people were having experiences similar to us- not getting cast & not getting their stories told. Women of Color, Transpeople, People without formal training, working-class people that couldn’t afford taking the time off work, people that don’t meet conventional beauty standards, people who don’t fit the traditional casting canon. From there, things began to feel bigger than us. We had a responsibility to be representative and to resist the standards set up by traditional, commercialized theatre practices by redefining the methods with which we tell stories. Now we operate under that ethos: Resist, Represent, and Redefine.
Has it been a smooth road?
Money. Actors. Rain, Heat. Money. Venue. Tears. Blood. Actors. Spreading the word. Not given the chance because we’re not doing traditional theatre. There are constant challenges in doing it yourself but we’ve been very lucky that we work well as a team. We have always been able to face these challenges as a united front, even when we didn’t know if we were going to have a venue for the show. It’s nice doing this with people you trust explicitly.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pizza Chapel Theatre Company – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a DIY theatre company. We specialize in found-space theatre experiences that amplify marginalized voices.
Something that we’re very proud of is our commitment to giving marginalized people a chance to excel by casting them in roles that matter. We want to always strive to improve in this facet and we think other theaters should hold this same standard. To date, our most successful show was To Whom It May Concern. In this devised production, we allowed a group of actors to literally tell their own stories for an hour every night- accessing intersectional feminist topics with humor and without boundaries. Frida Kahlo would’ve been proud. We were too.
Aesthetically, we are very different from the theatre most people are used to seeing. Thus far, we’ve performed in a warehouse, in our garage, and in our backyard. We’re currently building a treehouse for our next show. We are entirely self- and audience-funded. Every production features pay-what-you-can tickets. Both accessibility and creative control are incredibly important to us. Not everyone gets to experience that level of financial independence. It’s hard but it’s worth it. We keep costs low out of necessity but this lo-fi aesthetic has become our calling card.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Dallas is very supportive of culture, in general. As an artist, there is plenty here to keep you informed, along with bountiful resources for artistic enrichment.
What I like least is nothing is open past midnight. Actors get hungry after rehearsal.
Contact Info:
- Address: 7735 Claremont Drive
- Website: https://pizzachapel.wixsite.com/home/blog
- Phone: 9728388635
- Email: pizzachapel@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pizzachapeltheatreco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pizzachapelpresents
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