Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Burgardt.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The Guinea Pig was born out of my appreciation for cool things I’ve seen other artists try. It’s a kind of collage of a bunch of different elements inspired by unusual theatre companies both here in Dallas and around the country. To namedrop a couple – I wanted an unpolished show that engaged an audience like Shakespeare in the Bar does here in Dallas. A show that felt dynamic and unpredictable like The Infinite Wrench in Chicago. And I wanted a show that showcased a LOT of local talent in a little bit of time, like Kitchen Dog Theater’s One-Minute Play Festival.
At some point last April I decided to stop thinking about it and just start asking people to help me make a show. I convinced five friends to perform with me, and a few more friends to write a handful of short plays which we managed to memorize in two weeks. As our venue, we rented out the community clubhouse in my mother’s neighborhood – and there, on the day of the show, we blocked, rehearsed, and performed within 8 hours. The whole experience was pretty frantic, but my fellow actors and I had such a great time – and it was received so well by the audience – that I figured I could manage to put it together on a regular basis.
Has it been a smooth road?
To be honest, it’s been so much easier than I thought it would be. The hardest part by far has been learning to take myself and my ideas seriously. By nature The Guinea Pig is extremely collaborative, and requires asking a LOT of people I admire to invest their time, energy, and talent in something I believe in – and every time I do it I have to overcome the fear that they’ll think the whole concept is ridiculous. In general, though, I’ve found that people are more than happy to get involved, and often the person with the least amount of faith in my ideas is myself.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Guinea Pig is a barely-rehearsed, one-night-only play festival where eight actors perform about two dozen original plays in 90 minutes – and the order of the plays is decided by the audience in real time. Unlike your average theatre experience, the show is completely unpolished, totally impermanent, and wholly reliant on direct audience interaction.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think Dallas is a great place for projects like The Guinea Pig. Frankly the city is bursting at the seams with creative talent. The Dallas theatre community in particular is big enough that I’m constantly meeting new artists, and small enough that there’s still a strong sense of community. It creates a fantastic environment for sharing ideas and starting new projects.
Pricing:
- Tickets to the next Guinea Pig (August 18th) are $5 each and will go on sale on Eventbrite starting August 3rd.
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