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The Institute offers hands-on participation and course curriculum in Cornerstone's unique methodology to gain an understanding of the community collaboration process from beginning to end.
Topics of study include: Cornerstone's own history of creating community-based theater in rural and urban America, working as an ensemble, dialogue and communication techniques, identifying a community and community partners, story circles and play adaptation techniques, practical production and rehearsal needs specific to community-based theater, ongoing relationships with community participants, and concepts in collaboration.
Curriculum Overview
Ongoing classes and workshops will cover a wide range of topics and exercises including:
COMMUNITY-BASED ART - Discussions around community-engaged art, community-based theater and Cornerstone Theater Company's experiences in a variety of communities.
COMMUNITY - Lessons and practical applications in defining, discovering and reflecting communities, including exploration of and outreach within the resident collaborating community, an conversation with advisors from the community.
THEATER - How working with community impacts and informs all disciplines of theater: playwrighting, directing, design, acting, stage management, administration, etc.
ONGOING EXERCISES - Daily practices in vocal and movement explorations, mutual mentorships wherein students, faculty and community participants share expertise and experience, and regular involvement in creative problem solving.
Course Work
Using the textbook, The Cornerstone Community Collaboration Handbook, as well as the knowledge and experience of Cornerstone's ensemble and staff, the Institute curriculum is designed to teach how Cornerstone Theater Company creates a theatrical community-collaboration from start to finish. Classes are usually in the mornings. Each class is preceded by a student-led morning warm-up.
Production Positions
Primary production assignments for students are based on the needs of the production in combination with each student's goals, background and experience. Possible jobs include (but are not limited to): actor, musician, assistant stage manager, assistant director, design associate (costumes, sets, props, lights), dramaturg, technician, language interpreter, community engagement associate, producing associate, etc.
All student participants can expect to audition for the production's director in the same manner as a community member would; build project awareness and invite community into the process to audition or be involved in other ways, strategize and implement community engagement efforts; work in production in one or many capacities such as building or painting the set, sewing, foraging or shopping for props, working with lights; assisting with box office reservations and front of house for performances; working backstage; assisting with cast communication of calls and responsibilities, running lines etc; observing rehearsals and stepping into roles for absent actors. Additionally each student might take on more responsibility in any of the above-mentioned tasks depending on their production assignment. Students with assignments to perform in the play should expect to have small and/or ensemble roles. A student assigned as Assistant Director should expect to observe and any tasks beyond that are wholly at the discretion of the director. Determination of production assignments is based on the goals and intentions of the student participant in combination with the needs of the production.
Mentorship
By design the Institute includes a small class size. While formal one-on-one mentorships are not specified, students work side-by-side with Cornerstone Ensemble and Staff throughout the production process and in the classroom. This, combined with the unique living situation, allows for informal opportunities for students and staff to discuss and explore their specific shared interests.
Schedule
The schedule and focus can be generally broken down into the four weeks:
Week One:
- Welcoming events
- Introductions to Cornerstone, the resident community, and each other
- Classes schedule is most heavy this week with topics including Cornerstone History, Community Engagement processes, Rehearsal Room, Questions of Representation, Design in Community-based context, and others.
- Auditions, callbacks and casting
- Production and Company Meetings
- End of Day Meetings
- Rehearsals begin
- Scenic load-in begins
Week Two:
- Classes focus on ensemble building and generating stories, often in workshop with guest artist faculty, sometimes culminating in a student ensemble in-house performance
- Production and Company Meetings
- End of Day Meetings
- Production Calls
- Rehearsals continue, including a run-through at the end of the week
Week Three:
- Classes focus on Future Projects discussion groups
- Audience building
- End of Day Meetings
- Production work continues
- Rehearsals continue and tech begins
Week Four:
- Few last classes including Management & Budget
- Tech and Dress Rehearsals
- Company, Evaluation and End of Day meetings
- Opening and Closing Events
- Performances (3 or 4)
- Company Strike and move out
- "Graduation" ritual
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