On October 22nd-23rd, Seattle University and University of Washington theatre students and faculty had the opportunity to learn about Cornerstone Theater Company at a two-day Intensive, and students had an awesome time!
Cornerstone Theater Company collaborates with communities to create meaningful pieces of theatrical art. Their website highlights how their work "reflects complexity, disrupts assumptions, welcomes difference, and amplifies joy... aim[ing] to advance a more compassionate, equitable, and just world."
At the intensive, students learned Cornerstone's process of how they engage with communities from start to finish. Through hands-on activities, students learned how Cornerstone utilizes community voices and experiences to develop stories, and then casts community members in the final performances. Students also learned that in Cornerstone performances, theatre has no bounds! Beyond physical theaters, Cornerstone uses site-specific spaces such as parking lots, factories, and even subway stations to host their performances. After learning Cornerstone's methods, on the second day of the intensive, students had the opportunity to create their own short performances to share with the group.
We are so grateful to Cornerstone for traveling to spend their weekend with us and teaching us what they are all about, and we look forward to collaborating with them more in the future!
Learn more about Cornerstone and their mission here.