“To attend one of their performances is often to feel yourself immersed in exuberance, with waves of energy pouring from the stage, usually reciprocated by an avidly enthusiastic audience that is far younger and more diverse than the Boston theater norm.” -The Boston Globe
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Company One: From upstart to mainstay
“Make no mistake — you’ll never see a production of Les Miserables from Shawn LaCount. There will be no mainstream musical, no Shakespeare classic, no blue men with marshmallow-stuffed mouths. That’s not his thing. What you can count on are actors you’ve never heard of before and plays you’ve never enjoyed before…but sure as hell will.” – Boldfacers
ASTRO BOY AND THE GOD OF COMICS’s Studio Session began with audience members and Company One staff at Merrill & Co, and proceeded to the Plaza Theatre Black Box, where creator/director Natsu Onoda Power was rehearsing with the cast. After the scene, Natsu and dramaturg Ramona Ostrowski held a Q&A with the audience.
Events during the run of the show included a conversation with Natsu and Ramona, led by C1’s Director of New Work Ilana Brownstein that was banked on New Play TV, two post-show conversations with the cast and crew, and a post-show discussion between Ramona and Matt Gray, a Northeastern University professor who focuses on the intersection of theatre and robotics.
After each reading or scene presentation during the XX Playlab festival weekend (June 6-7, 2014), festival dramaturg Ilana Brownstein led a conversation with the playwright and the show’s dramaturg. These conversations focused on the development of the project, and then were opened up to questions and comments from the audience. Not only were these conversations enlightening for those hearing the pieces, they were useful for the playwrights as they continued their journeys with their plays.
View all photos from the XX PlayLab Festival.
The festival weekend also included two panels. The first was on Geek Theatre, and featured ASTRO BOY AND THE GOD OF COMICS creator/director Natsu Onoda Power, dramaturg Ramona Ostrowski, playwright Crystal Skillman, and blogger Crystal Paul. The second included all the XX artists–playwrights, directors, and dramaturgs–and was a wide-ranging discussion of some of the biggest issues of new play field: representation, parity, opportunity, and mentorship.
We hosted two film-themed events with students for THE FLICK – a film screening at Boston University on February 8th, 2014, and a movie trivia night hosted by our Production Apprentices on March 8th, 2014. We chose Pulp Fiction for the film screening because it was such a crucial influence on THE FLICK, and our UMass interns and C1 staff created an event geared toward college students that involved snacks, some trivia and games, and a conversation about how the film influenced Annie Baker. Our production apprentices also hosted an event that brought teens to C1 for an evening of trivia.
During the run of the play we held three post-show conversations – one was a conversation with the cast and production staff moderated by dramaturg Jessie Baxter, another that brought together Suffolk alumni and highlighted the collaboration between the University and Company One, and a conversation with Tim Miller, a local film professor and critic.
In addition, we invited C1’s social media followers to participate in a 6 Degree’s of Separation game, inspired by the play, for the chance to win tickets to the show. 
Our events for SPLENDOR kicked off with a Studio Session on October 2, 2013. After meeting and mingling at Coda, audience members made their way to the rehearsal at the Boston Center for the Arts, where they observed director Shawn LaCount work on a scene with the cast. Afterward, they joined dramaturg Ilana Brownstein and playwright Kirsten Greenidge for a Q&A about the play and process.
View more photos of the SPLENDOR Opening Weekend Celebration.
During the run of the show, Ilana hosted a post-show conversation with Kirsten that was banked on New Play TV, and associate dramaturg Ramona Ostrowski led two post-show conversations with the cast and designers.
View more photos of the SPLENDOR Closing Night Party.
The Studio Session for WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT… began on December 18, 2013 at Stoddard’s, where audience members chatted with Company One Theatre and ArtsEmerson staff. They then proceeded to the Jackie Liebergott Black Box, where director Summer L. Williams was working with the cast. After observing the rehearsal, dramaturg Ramona Ostrowski and Summer answered questions in the lobby.
Once the show opened, C1 Director of New Work Ilana Brownstein led a Skype conversation with playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury that was livestreamed on New Play TV. Throughout the show’s run, Ramona hosted an informal post-show conversation after every performance in order to give the audience a chance to process their reactions to this controversial show. Sometimes Summer and the cast joined as well. These conversations ranged in topic and tone, but they were always well-attended and emotional.
This HowlRound article by Greg Redlawsk brings up the issue of lack of compensation for actors who work at theatre companies where everyone else is paid a living wage, and he questions whether the concept of “paying your dues” is a lie. Read the article here.
This Bitter Gertrude article talks about two mythologies: 1) The importance of New York and 2) Importance equals money. Read the article here.
