SPEEC Playreading Series 2021 Survey

Please take a few minutes to fill out our survey for SPEEC plays you want to read with us in 2021. SPEEC means social, political, economic, and environmental change themes for the plays we read! Suggested plays that fit with the theme(s) listed for each month will have a greater chance of getting read by the group. Readings are open to everyone and everyone who wants to read gets a chance to read!

To see the plays we’ve already read, have a look at SPEEC Playreading Series.

Please suggest which plays we should read in 2021 for the SPEEC Play Reading Series of the Theatre Makers project of the nonprofit Ritual Art Troupe.

[survey no longer active]

To receive regular notifications of play readings, performances, social events, by and for the community, join the hundreds of theatre folks already in the Theatre Makers Meetup.

Iryna Lymar (Writer, Director)

photo of Iryna Lymar

Iryna (she/her/her) was born in Ukraine, lived in China for 8 years, and eventually moved to California. She studied linguistics and speaks 4 languages: English, Chinese (Mandarin), Ukrainian, and Russian. While doing management and translation jobs in China, Iryna started exploring writing and the theater world. She wrote a compilation of stories about strangers called “Just some strangers on the way” (the book is registered in Ukraine) and a short script called “Robot Buddha”. She co-directed the “Robot Buddha” play in Shenzhen, China, in 2016. Besides that, she was an active member of an improv group called “Planet Factory” and acted at monthly shows for a year. Now Iryna lives in San Francisco, teaches yoga, and participates in local theater life. Iryna is a co-writer of the Theatre Maker plays “Animal Factory Farm” (2018), “Ecopocalypse” (2018), and “You Too” (2019), the last of which Iryna is also directing.



Ritual Art Troupe Board Meeting on September 18, 2020

The Ritual Art Troupe held a board meeting at 3:00pm on September 18, 2020.

Proposed Agenda for Ritual Art Troupe Board Meeting

3:00pm – 5:00pm on Friday, September 18
video/phone conference and at 304 Winfield Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

  • Call to Order and Introductions
  • Quorum Check
  • Review and Approve Agenda
  • Review and Approve Prior Board Meeting Minutes
  • Board Recruitment and Officers
  • Project Review (brief)
  • Finances (Banking, Past and Planned Donations/Grants and Expenses)
  • Accounting Period Change Proposal (to calendar year, instead of April 1 to March 30)
  • Fundraising
  • Marketing
  • Participant Waiver, Nondiscrimination, and Anti-Harassment Policies
  • Other Official Business
  • Next Board Meeting(s)
  • Adjourn

Stream “20/20” Online: A Presidential Re-Election Play Where You Decide the Future

Audience Testimonial: “Thanks to you and the troupe for presenting your thought-provoking 20/20. I continue with afternoon reveries, mostly of ways that decentralized revolution can happen. There’s rich fodder for me in several other scenarios. Blessing and thanks, Watersnake”

Media Coverage: Associated Press / Mercury News listed the 20/20 video as one of their Streaming Picks on May 14, 2020: 
https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-mercury-news/20200514/283991834467994

For immediate release:

Media Contact: Stardust Doherty, theatre-makers@ritualart.org

Released on May 6, 2020

20/20: A Presidential Re-Election Play Where You Decide the Future
Now Available for Streaming Online!

What happens if the President is re-elected? In 20/20, a play by Theatre Makers, the answer is up to the audience. 20/20 is now available as a series of ten videos you can stream online from the comfort of your home at http://ritualart.org/2020/video

Developed by grassroots company Theatre Makers20/20 combines speculative fiction and political satire in a work from co-writers Stardust Doherty and Kari Barclay. What would happen if the President were impeached? (that scenario came true!) If a corporation or the military staged a coup? If San Francisco became an independent country? A diverse cast of new talent performs roles ranging from dissident Muni drivers to frantic tech CEOs to new-age cult leaders to the President himself. With comedy and depth, the show asks how our current political situation will shake out.

20/20 engages audience participation around the events of our day, highlighting social, political, economic, and environmental change (SPEEC) themes to fuel co­ creation of our collective future,” said co writer Stardust Doherty.

“The world is full of possibility,” said co-writer Kari Barclay. “We’ve taken 20/20 to extremes of utopia and dystopia, and I’m excited to see which scenarios the audience chooses for the actors to perform.”

The “20/20 Video” is a series of videos documenting the play’s award-winning original presentation at the 2019 San Francisco Fringe Festival.

Show Synopsis: The year is 2020. The President has been re-elected, the climate is heating up, the economy is in meltdown. In this satirical participatory performance, audience members choose the scenarios to stage: impeachment? a coup? a revolution? 20/20 asks what people power looks like in a time of vast uncertainty when even choosing to do nothing has consequences.

Theatre Makers provides common ground for diverse communities to collaborate on, incubate, and stage both newly created and historically relevant audience-participatory plays based on social, political, economic, and environmental change (SPEEC) themes. The project welcomes those interested in dramatic and musical theatre, professional and amateur theater, commercial and non-profit theatre, including non-traditional theatrical events (performance art, street theater, pop-up theatre, home theatre, puppet shows, etc.) with activities including, for example:

  • Discussions of all aspects of theatre creation and production
  • Exchanging information on opportunities available
  • Collaboration on incubating audience participatory plays and musicals based on social, political, economic, and environmental change (SPEEC) themes​
  • Workshops of plays and musicals under development
  • Readings and staged readings of plays and musicals for educational and motivational purposes

Theatre Makers particularly fosters events that are inclusive and affirming of people based on class, race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, age, and other identities. 

Theatre Makers is a project of the Ritual Art Troupe, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering and developing multi-disciplinary arts, including conception, investigation, development, production, and sharing of musical, dance, visual, theatrical, cinematic, and literary works with special attention to conserving our cultural heritage, serving a wide range of audiences, and encouraging creators and creations from diverse communities.

20/20 Video: http://ritualart.org/2020/video

20/20 Fringe Show Info and Graphics: http://ritualart.org/wordpress/2019/09/16/20-20-at-the-fringe/

Review of Original Production: https://theatrius.com/2019/09/14/20-20-envisions-post-trump-future-at-s-f-fringe-festival/

20/20 SF Free Library Tour: http://ritualart.org/2020

Theatre Makers: http://ritualart.org/theatremakers/

Ritual Art Troupe: http://ritualart.org/mission/

Donate: http://ritualart.org/donate 

This Release: http://ritualart.org/wordpress/?p=2398

For interviews, inquiries, and more info, please contact:
Stardust Doherty at theatre makers@ritualart.org

For Calendar Editors

What20/20: A Presidential Re-Election Play Where You Decide the Future

When/Where: Anytime from the comfort of your home at http://ritualart.org/2020/video

Ticketing: All performances free of charge and open to the public

20/20 Video

Theatre Makers is pleased to present a video collection of the 20/20 play as performed at the 2019 San Francisco Fringe Festival. The collection starts with the Prologue / Act I / Decision Point video. At the Decision Point, viewers may choose to view one of the eight scenario videos or the Coda / End Credits video. See the Assassination Disclaimer below.

You can choose the 20/20 Video playlist:

20/20 Video Playlist

Or you can choose the videos of the eight scenarios and Coda / End Credits one by one below:

Prologue / Act I / Decision Point
Decentralized Revolution Scenario
Assassination Scenario
General Strike Scenario
Impeachment Scenario
Military Coup Scenario
Corporate Coup Scenario
Electoral Progress Scenario
Do Nothing Scenario
Coda / End Credits

.

Assassination Disclaimer:

The writers expressly denounce the assassination of political figures and intend the fictional Assassination scenario in the “20/20” play to discourage any such actions. During these politically polarized times, we have noticed a trend on left and right to direct animus toward individual figures and to imagine that violence against individuals would solve shared political woes, when the truth is that such strategies or tactics would only cause a strong reaction of repressive laws and human rights abuses, rather than constructive political change. Out of concern for human life and for our collective power, we oppose true-life assassinations and present them here merely in the context of fiction to channel those impulses harmlessly in a sort of catharsis for those daydreaming about such possibilities.

20/20 Play Livestream Party

20/20 Play Video available here:
http://ritualart.org/2020/video

20/20 Play Program available for download here:

The pandemic has some silver linings… instead of producing and directing new theater projects (sad), we’ve been focusing on writing new plays (happy) and editing videos of plays we’ve performed (happy).

In fact, we’re (happy) to announce the perfect way to celebrate May Day in quarantine (sad)–

Join us online for the 20/20 Play Livestream!

7:00pm to 10:00pm Pacific Time (San Francisco) on Friday, May 1, 2020

Please RSVP to theatre-makers@ritualart.org with the email Subject “20/20 Livestream Reservation” and in the body: 1) Your name, 2) Your email, and 3) How many Zoom spots you’re reserving. We’ll reply by email to give you the Zoom link and confirm your reservation, so if you don’t hear back within 24 hours, please let us know.

Already seen the play? OK, but have you seen all eight scenarios? And exclusive interviews with cast and crew?

Synopsis: It’s the year 2020. The President has been re-elected, the climate is heating up, and the economy is in meltdown. Now, it’s up to all of us to figure out what happens next. In this satirical participatory performance, audience members choose from a list of possible scenarios they want staged: impeachment? a coup? a revolution? “20/20” asks what people power looks like in a time of vast uncertainty when even choosing to do nothing at all has its consequences.

This show will have lots of audience participation, such as voting on the order of watching the scenarios and a chance to chat with the actors, crew, co-writers, and director during the breaks!

20/20 play
        cast and crew photo

This is a video of the production of “20/20” that won a Sold Out Award at the San Francisco Fringe Festival in 2019. You can read an excellent review of the past production from Theatrius. And you can check out our preview video at http://ritualart.org/2020/preview/

RSVP for Zoom Link: Once again, please RSVP to theatre-makers@ritualart.org with the email Subject “20/20 Livestream Reservation” and in the body: 1) Your name, 2) Your email, and 3) How many Zoom spots you’re reserving. We’ll reply by email to give you the Zoom link and confirm your reservation, so if you don’t hear back within 24 hours, please let us know.

For each Zoom spot, you are welcome to have any many people as you like huddle around the screen, hopefully practicing appropriate physical (but not social) distancing of course.

More info about the party: http://ritualart.org/wordpress/2020/04/26/20-20-play-livestream-party/

For info about the show: http://ritualart.org/2020/

Donate: We depend on your donations to create theatre. If you are able, please donate here: http://ritualart.org/donate/

“20/20” is a production of Theatre Makers, a project of the Ritual Art Troupe.

Original flyer for the production:

20/20 play flyer

Please share to those who would want or need to know. 🙂

Hugs and solidarity,

Stardust
20/20 Play Co-Writer and Director
Theatre Makers
Ritual Art Troupe

Ritual Art Troupe Statement on Coronavirus Concerns

The Ritual Art Troupe has taken the following steps to address coronavirus concerns:

Please take care of personal and community health and stay tuned for updates as we all learn more.

Ritual Art Troupe Board Meeting on March 13, 2020

The Ritual Art Troupe held a board meeting at 3:00pm on March 13, 2020, with these Board Meeting Minutes.

Proposed Agenda for Ritual Art Troupe Board Meeting

3:00pm – 5:00pm on Friday, March 13
at 304 Winfield Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

  • Call to Order and Introductions
  • Quorum Check
  • Review and Approve Agenda
  • Review and Approve Prior Board Meeting Minutes
  • Board Recruitment and Officers
  • Project Review (brief)
  • Finances (Banking, Past and Planned Donations/Grants and Expenses)
  • Accounting Period Change Proposal (to calendar year, instead of April 1 to March 30)
  • Fundraising
  • Marketing
  • Participant Waiver, Nondiscrimination, and Anti-Harassment Policies
  • Other Official Business
  • Next Board Meeting(s)
  • Adjourn

20/20 Free Library Tour Photos and Videos

20/20 Free Library Cast and Crew
20/20 Free Library Cast and Crew
20/20 Free Library Tour rehearsal with actors Olga Molina, Chris Schachern, and Jude Gallegos
Actors Olga Molina, Chris Schachern, and Jude Gallegos at 20/20 Free Library Tour rehearsal
20/20 Free Library Tour Actors Saourubh Verma, Tajianna Okechukwu, and Olga Molina
20/20 Free Library Tour Actors Saourubh Verma, Tajianna Okechukwu, and Olga Molina
20/20 Free Library Tour Audience at San Francisco Main Library on March 1, 2020
20/20 Free Library Tour Audience at San Francisco Main Library on March 1, 2020
20/20 Free Library Tour Scenarios Selected by Audience at San Francisco Main Library
20/20 Free Library Tour Scenarios Selected by Audience at San Francisco Main Library
20/20 Free Library Tour Fans Mob Actor Saourubh Verma at San Francisco Main Library

We also have photos and videos from the prior production at the 2019 San Francisco Fringe Festival.