CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTIONLiving Room Theatre Performance and Discussion Series
"White Mourning" a play about two children, their parents, friendship and the impact of racism.
Where are the spaces for multi-racial dialogues that hold both our shared experiences and those that we don't share? How can we work cross-racially to engage white people in purposeful, accountable, anti-racism work that addresses both individual transformation and institutional change? And how do all of us, regardless of our background, tell stories to our children about our divided times while encouraging them to see beyond our shadows so they can grow into the fullness of their dreams? Each reading will be organized by volunteer local host(s) who will partner with local, people of color-led arts, organizing, or youth development group. 100% of the proceeds will support that organization. Developed and performed by an ensemble of actors Written by Will MacAdams Winter, Spring and Summer 2019 |
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"When the System Swallows You" Workshop & Performance Series (A city near you)
Combining the use of her play "When the System Swallows You" with Theatre of the Oppressed and creative writing techniques, Trenda is relaunching this performance and workshop series! Each series includes examination of the theme and effects of incarceration, theatrical exercises, the cultivation of material by participants and a facilitated discussion following a public sharing. *Length of workshop is flexible. 3 hour, 1 day, 2-3 day, week-long, and multi-week workshops recommended. Hear reflections from participants from the most recent workshop series which took place at the Franklin County House of Corrections with the Elm Street Think Tank in Greenfield MA. CLICK HERE for Greenfield's Community Televisions video. Additional Participant Reflections: "This workshop definitely reaffirmed the importance of stepping out of comfort zones and working toward expressing myself in a more open and vulnerable way. I also loved the breadth of interpretations of the word "freedom" that we came up with and I still am thinking about how much creativity lies inside each person (not just people who came to the workshop, but around the world) and how society would probably be more just if everyone was given the opportunity to go to this workshop and express themselves artistically." "I definitely felt more in tune with both my personal and other people's connections to captivity and freedom." - February 2017 Participants in "Imaging Incarceration, Imaging Freedom" Interested in hosting a performance and/or a workshop where you are? Contact Trenda at Trenda.Loftin@gmail.com |
RECENT WORK
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"When Last We Flew" by Harrison David Rivers
From start to finish, When Last We Flew is a reflection, a holding, a celebration of black, brown, queer, and activist youth coming into their various identities while navigating family, relationships, and seeking connection. These characters are nuanced and real, their stories are relatable and simultaneously inspiring. This coming of age story follows teenagers Paul, Ian, and Natalie (and their families) as they discover who they really are.The depth of these young characters is a rare find! After stealing his local library’s only copy of Angels in America, misfit teenager Paul locks himself in the bathroom and begins reading Tony Kushner’s landmark play. He soon finds that his life and the lives of those around him in his small Kansas suburb are about to take flight, and over the course of a seemingly ordinary day, extraordinary things start to happen. |
PVPA Unite Fest 2018 Keynote Address
(South Hadley, MA)
2018 Unite Fest, themed "We Are One," gathered students, families, community members, and educators together for a day of workshops and performances. Trenda's keynote address, titled "Choosing to Build Community," recognizes the various ways we learn about ourselves and "the others," it names some of the barriers that work to keep us grounded in an "us" and 'them" mentality, it calls for us all to acknowledge the value of finding community in sameness but that intentional community building across difference is absolutely essential.
(South Hadley, MA)
2018 Unite Fest, themed "We Are One," gathered students, families, community members, and educators together for a day of workshops and performances. Trenda's keynote address, titled "Choosing to Build Community," recognizes the various ways we learn about ourselves and "the others," it names some of the barriers that work to keep us grounded in an "us" and 'them" mentality, it calls for us all to acknowledge the value of finding community in sameness but that intentional community building across difference is absolutely essential.
KO Festival of Performance (Amherst, MA)
A week long residency exploring the play "White Mourning" written and directed by Will MacAdams. This interactive play explores the themes of race and racism, the innocence of childhood, and the (un)intentional passing on of messages about those two things. This residency, a part of the KO Festival of Performance's 2017 theme, "Tactics for Trying Times," culminated in an invited sharing on Saturday, July 29th, 2017.
For more information about the KO Festival of performance CLICK HERE
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24 Hour Theatre Project (Northampton, MA)
Inspired simply by 3 actor profiles and the mandatory line "How long can it last," Trenda wrote the 10 minute play "Flicker" that explores connection and disconnection between 3 sets of neighbors in an apartment, their connections to work and family, routine and disruption. In just under 12 hours! Find out her pre-writing thoughts by clicking the links below. DAILY HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE VALLEY ADVOCATE |