Virtual Exploration of Undocumented Life in Boston

DOWNTOWN CROSSING
by David Valdes
directed by Summer L. Williams
in partnership with Northeastern University and Boston Public Library
with support from the Center for the Humanities at Tufts University

A Digital World Premiere
Streaming October 22-25, 2020

On Marathon Monday, seven undocumented Bostonians cross paths on the Orange Line. When their train is delayed due to police action at Downtown Crossing, they share their stories — both hopeful and heart wrenching — in intimate, intersecting monologues that spotlight what it’s like to build a life while holding your breath. 

Downtown Crossing is the culmination of C1’s two-year Boston (un)Documented Project, during which C1 PlayLab alum David Valdes — supported by a partnership between Company One and the Boston Public Library — interviewed current and former undocumented immigrants, DACA recipients, immigrant rights advocates, community organizers, and family members of the undocumented from the Greater Boston area. With this fully realized virtual production — rehearsed and performed entirely via Zoom — C1 brings its long commitment to the pioneering of new theatrical forms to the digital space. 

All tickets to Downtown Crossing are Pay-What-You-Want, with no minimum! 

 “Makes you sit up and pay attention.” — Broadway World on David Valdes’ Last Catastrophist

Filmed Up Close And Personal  
HYPE MAN: a break beat play
by Idris Goodwin
directed by Shawn LaCount
film direction by John ADEkoje
in collaboration with American Repertory Theater

Premiering Spring 2021

This Boston favorite returns in a bold new format: filmed up close and personal, C1’s world premiere production is transformed into an intimate, cinematic experience in collaboration with American Repertory Theater and The Loop Lab, bringing this vital story of friendship, hip-hop, and protest to a broader audience than ever before. 

A hip-hop trio is on the verge of making it big — until the police shooting of an unarmed Black teenager shakes the group to its core. Hype Man asks: who has the responsibility to speak up in the face of injustice?

“★★★★★… Hype Man is theater at its urgent, vital best. See it and see it again.” — DigBoston

BETTER FUTURE PROGRAMMING

BETTER FUTURE SERIES 2.0
curated by Jasmine Brooks

Building on the conversations begun in summer 2020, the Better Future Series returns to delve deeper into the needs of often ignored communities in Boston and across the country. This season we continue to celebrate the vibrancy and multiplicity of Black lives, experiences, and narratives, as we highlight ways to build and invest in our communities, despite the systems that are actively trying to tear us apart.

BETTER FUTURE:  JOY & WELLNESS PROGRAM
in partnership with The Theater Offensive

We’ve all been through a lot this year. That’s why this winter, C1 and The Theater Offensive will dedicate our energy toward making space for health, relaxation, and artistically-fueled joy, with participatory workshops as varied as our community: from Drag Story Hour to skin care consultations, from zinemaking to game nights. You’ve kept us going through a pandemic, and we want to be there for you too.

EXPANDED PLAYLAB CIRCUIT PROGRAM

C1 PlayLab is now C1 PlayLab Circuit, a two-pronged approach to new play development that supports writers at all career stages, and provides community-centered professional development opportunities: Writing Labs and Open Circuit.

Our PlayLab Circuit Writing Labs each serve a different population: The Flux Lab Writers work on plays that are being developed towards production, including C1’s residencies and commissions; The Surge Lab brings together artivist-playwrights who receive micro-commissions to write responsively on themes we’re tackling in our Better Future programming; finally, the Volt Lab Writers (formerly PlayLab Unit) are a cohort of early career playwrights who meet monthly in a supportive lab-style setting.

Our Open Circuit programs are free artistic and professional development opportunities, including our Virtual Open Write events, and our Field Work convenings (formerly known as PlayLab Bootcamp).

This year’s Flux Lab Writers include:
Kirsten Greenidge, C1 Resident Playwright supported by the Mellon Foundation
Inda Craig-Galván* with Black Super Hero Magic Mama
Francisca DaSilveira* supported by the National New Play Network
Idris Goodwin* supported by the National New Play Network
David Valdes with Downtown Crossing
Kit Yan & Melissa Li with the C1 PlayLab Pao Fellowship
*also Surge Lab Writers

EXPANDED STAGE ONE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

After 20+ years of education at C1, our Stage One programs are focused on Reimagination and Expansion.

We are building community with the students and schools we partner with and responding to their needs, even through our Zoom screens. 

We are providing meaningful and ongoing professional development for our teaching artist staff in order to create dynamic engagement opportunities for students online. 

We are deepening the infrastructure of our department with new staff positions, expanding our In-School Program into eight Boston Public Schools, enhancing our Professional Development for Actors program, and creating a new slate of professional development opportunities for educators and organizations. 

As always, in service to C1’s mission, we remain committed to providing teens with the opportunity to train as civically engaged artists and artistically engaged citizens.