The Voices of Now Mead Ensemble is a prestigious program for dedicated student artists in grades 7-11 that gives students a fun and engaging environment in which to write, perform and share stories that shape their lives. The Mead Ensemble trains in the Voices of Now devising process and is also introduced to the work and techniques of other notable companies that devise original theater. The ensemble meets at Arena Stage with master teaching artists to create and perform an original, autobiographical theater piece.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Voices of Now (VON) is a program that utilizes creative writing, collaboration, movement and performance to devise autobiographical plays with ensembles made up of middle-school, high-school and adult artists. VON plays are fast-paced, collaboratively written, physical theater pieces that pose challenging social questions relevant to the artists and their communities. The plays investigate those questions through poetry, movement and the recounting of the artists’ personal stories. Originally created to work with one local middle school, the program has expanded to serve hundreds of students in the D.C. Metro Area and beyond. One of the primary goals of the program is to create positive change within the artists’ communities by engaging in dialogue centered on the artists’ daily experiences of their world.
