The COOP

Grab your copy of CASTE by Isabel Wilkerson and join us on Sunday, Nov 1st at 2pm! Buy it from a black owned bookstore: https://lithub.com/you-can-order-today-from-these-black-ow/ Email [email protected] for more info.

JULIA PASTRANA NOW EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST 6! Get your tickets using code JULIACOOP at: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/juliapastrana

Do not miss JULIA PASTRANA!!! Use code: JULIACOOP for tickets at: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/juliapastrana https://www.nytimes.com//true-history-julia-pastrana-revie

Just SIX days left to listen to JULIA PASTRANA! Get your tickets with code: JULIACOOP at: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/juliapastrana

The Coop is partnering with Amphibian Stage to bring you this immersive audio encounter. July 16-July 30 ONLY Use code JULIACOOP for tickets.

NOW THROUGH JULY 30... THE COOP is partnering with Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth to bring you this extraordinary listening experience. *USE CODE JULIACOOP* Directed by COOP Community Member Jonathan Fielding, THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE TRAGIC LIFE & TRIUMPHANT DEATH OF JULIA PASTRANA, THE UGLIEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD by Shaun Prendergast is a sensory-driven, at-home theatre experience available JULY 16-30. ... Amphibian's 2012 production of Julia Pastrana was called must feel theatre. Now, using only a 3D soundscape engineered with the cinematic Dolby Atmos surround sound, we have created an entirely new auditory event you can experience at home. This play, originally performed entirely in the dark, transported audiences into Julia Pastrana’s world of traveling circuses and sideshows. Dragged across oceans by her husband and manager, Julia searches wherever she goes for the love and beauty she believes life has in store for her. Based on a true story, the play shows us the face of real beauty without ever letting us see a thing. Now, as we bring this dynamic play out of the theatre and into your home, we encourage you to dim the lights, turn up your headphones and prepare for an immersive listening encounter with Julia Pastrana, made famous as the Ugliest Woman in the World. Use code JULIACOOP when you purchase your ticket HERE: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/juliapastrana Featuring: Hannah Martinez, JR Bradford, Jovane Caamaño, Felicia Bertch, and Mitchell Stephens. Sound Design: David Lanza

This is something zoom theatre hasn’t figured outhow to get this kind of qualitythis is the first time I’ve felt like "this is a production!" with production quality. Which is what I’ve been missing these past couple of months. We're thrilled that Token Theatre Friends discussed JULIA PASTRANA on their podcast today! Get your tickets using code JULIA COOP at: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/juliapastrana... https://tokentheatrefriends.com//ep-9-audio-dramas-and-da/

THE COOP is partnering with Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth to bring you this extraordinary listening experience. *USE CODE JULIACOOP* Directed by COOP Community ...Member Jonathan Fielding, THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE TRAGIC LIFE & TRIUMPHANT DEATH OF JULIA PASTRANA, THE UGLIEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD by Shaun Prendergast is a sensory-driven, at-home theatre experience available JULY 16-30. Amphibian's 2012 production of Julia Pastrana was called must feel theatre. Now, using only a 3D soundscape engineered with the cinematic Dolby Atmos surround sound, we have created an entirely new auditory event you can experience at home. This play, originally performed entirely in the dark, transported audiences into Julia Pastrana’s world of traveling circuses and sideshows. Dragged across oceans by her husband and manager, Julia searches wherever she goes for the love and beauty she believes life has in store for her. Based on a true story, the play shows us the face of real beauty without ever letting us see a thing. Now, as we bring this dynamic play out of the theatre and into your home, we encourage you to dim the lights, turn up your headphones and prepare for an immersive listening encounter with Julia Pastrana, made famous as the Ugliest Woman in the World. Use code JULIACOOP when you purchase your ticket HERE: https://www.amphibianstage.com/the-true-history-of-the-trag pastrana/. Featuring: Hannah Martinez, JR Bradford, Jovane Caamaño, Felicia Bertch, and Mitchell Stephens. Sound Design: David Lanza Photos by Evan Michael Woods

We had the opportunity to chat with director and Coop Community Member, Jonathan Fielding, about the story of JULIA PASTRANA and his experience directing in this medium... 1. What was your biggest challenge in directing it this way? I'm a newbie when it comes to Zoom. There's a slight delay, internet connections can be spotty, the audio can be unclear-- a host of new obstacles that aren't present in the rehearsal room. But even more difficult is reading the actors personal ...behavior to know if they're getting the material in a similar way. It can be a challenge to know if they're feeling sleepy or even super-focused. It requires an additional level of communication on both of our parts to make sure everyone feels confident and it's a pleasant process! 2. What intrigued you about this story? Julia Pastrana was a real woman who led an extraordinary life as a carnival attraction. Her story is a sad reminder that man knows no bounds when it comes to exploiting others. She also tells us that beauty can be found in the most surprising of places. 3. What was it like to direct it rather than act in it? Having responsibility for shaping the entire product is certainly daunting but it can also be fun and imaginative. I was able to perform in a brilliant version of it directed by JV Mercanti which helped me to explore it from the inside out. Because this play was written to be performed in the dark, whether you're directing, acting, or an audience member, it functions like an amusement park for your imagination. 4. What about this play is relevant for today's audiences? There are certainly a lot of reasons. One that resonates with me is that it acts as a nice experiment in empathy. Julia may have been very different looking on the outside but the play portrays her as a kind, young, innocent. She also had this incredible singing voice. When you're sitting in a dark room listening to how people treat her without the distraction of sight, you question what the term "ugly" really means. 5. What is your favorite moment in the play? Hard to pick one! The play has some really cool non-dialogue driven moments where soundscape tells the story. There are also some genuinely beautiful and frightening parts. Our sound designer might have crafted a few moments where you'll hear someone who's snuck up right behind you. Fair warning! THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE TRAGIC LIFE & TRIUMPHANT DEATH OF JULIA PASTRANA, THE UGLIEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD by Shaun Prendergast (July 16-30). TICKETS use code JULIACOOP: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/juliapastrana

We at The COOP have created an antiracist reading circle, focusing on work by BIPOC in order to build greater capacity in our company and our community to dismantle racism. To sign up for the reading circle, use this link: https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSc_WW6ePWTLpMEp3t/viewform We will have our first meeting on Saturday July 25 from 2:00-3:30 pm (EST), and will discuss Audre Lorde’s seminal essay collection Sister Outsider (if you are searching for a copy, we strongl...y encourage you to order from a black-owned bookstore!). If you are unable to find a copy, or cannot afford one, please email [email protected] and we will find a way to get one to you. This space is primarily for non-Black POC and White folks to educate themselves and each other. That said, it is open to everyone. It is not a space for non-Black people to ask, implicitly or explicitly, for education, forgiveness, or other emotional labor from Black folks. This is an intentional effort to center the stories of the people directly affected by structural racism without again placing the burden of labor on those folks. Again, this is just the beginning. We must work together toward justice and equity relentlessly, with gratitude and openness. See more

This weekend Alexandra Beller is teaching Embodied Character: Creating Vivid Body Language Through Laban Movement Analysis at Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies Come develop an actionable toolkit for specificity in creation through this online two-day intensive with Alexandra Beller. Perfect for actors, dancers, directors, dramaturgs, and choreographers this intensive will focus on bringing Rudolf Laban’s ideas of EFFORT into practice.... This workshop will provide you with a chance to analyze, speak, and move inside the various possible choices for expression, and offer you a lifetime of new information that can be used to create a character, challenge your habits, and help you devise in a deeply specific, clear, and objective way. Saturday, April 25th & Sunday, April 26th : 1-4pm Sign up HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/embodied-character-creating-vi And here is a video of Alex talking about the work! https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=271342503866841&ref=watch_permalink