In addition to teaching courses in theatre and directing theatre productions, an important part of my practice has been to create artistic opportunities that connect people with their communities, expand their creative abilities, and broaden their definitions of what theatre can be. I believe that the arts can go beyond entertainment and serve as a means for reaching the whole person.
Pop Up: Hillsborough
In Spring of 2022, the theatre students of Orange High School embarked on a 3 month collaboration with the school’s band program, as well as guest artists from the Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble, to create a site-specific series of pop-up performances inspired by interviews, stories, and rumors shared by community members of Hillsborough, NC and the surrounding area. The pop up performances were crafted using a combination of prepared material and improvsiation, which was then “remixed” using a technique known as soundpainting.
See & hear local media coverage of Pop Up: Hillsborough
‘Orange Theatre, Band put twist on venues‘- News of Orange
On Air Today: “Pop Up Hillsborough” WCHL 97.9
Timeslips Storytelling Project
In Spring of 2016, my students worked with the residents of Riverside Inn, an assisted living community for adults with Alzheimer’s/dementia. Working in small groups facilitated by the students, the residents created improvised stories that later formed the basis of a devised theatre performance that we shared with the residents and their families.
Soundpainting Residencies
On two separate occasions in 2015 and 2017, my students had the chance to collaborate with guest artist Leese Walker of the Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble. During the residencies, theatre, band and choir students collaborated to learn the experimental performance form known as ‘Soundpainting,’ a form of live composing. Soundpainting is a sign language system of conducted improvisation that utilizes nearly 1500 universal signs and gestures that allows a conductor/composer to sculpt a performance in real-time with improvising actors, musicians, dancers and visual artists.
U Bug ME School Tour- Tarrant County COllege
In Spring 2014, I directed a Tarrant County College production of U Bug Me, a musical for young audiences, which toured to elementary schools in the Fort Worth, Texas area.
Other past Community Collaborations:
- A People’s History of Fort Greene: (Community Engagement Coordinator, Performer) An original performance created by the Irondale Ensemble Project inspired by interviews and historical research about the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY.
- ‘Tell Me a Story about a Time When…’ (Director) An intergenerational, interactive community workshop and performance based on oral histories of the LGBTQ community in Phoenix, AZ
- Many Worlds, One Planet: (Co-director) A devised theatre piece created with teens living in group homes and foster care as part of Free Arts Arizona’s summer programming.
- Txt Me a Story– (Co-creator & Performer) A touring theatre-in-education performance that toured to elementary and middle schools in the Phoenix, AZ metro area.
Blake Wilson 