All Theatre Projects • Local Projects • International Projects • Theatre Festivals

Theatre Action Group (TAG)
You're it!

Theatre Action Group (TAG) is a collective of citizen artists empowered with the language of theatre to promote dialogue, encourage social action and build community via performance, workshop series, and community partnerships.

Some of TAG's founding members -- Brian, Porter, Luisa, Victoria, Therese, and Sheila -- enjoy a moment of solidarity at Slipperslope -- Retreat 2006.

HISTORY

Co-founded by OSI Fellow Jodi Zisow and Teaching Artist Brian Francoise, TAG developed out of 5-week course at Creative Alliance which explored Theatre of the Oppressed techniques and other arts and social change practices. A diverse and dynamic group of twenty folks, which included organizers, lawyers, doctors, students, educators, therapists and artists, enrolled in this seminal class in Baltimore.

Afterwards, fourteen participants agreed to collaborate in the development of Theatre Action Group (TAG). A year of activities, partnerships, and workshops have led a core group of eight and twenty affiliated citizen artists to grow TAG into its second season. Two recent projects are highlighted below.

Contact TAG at theatreactiongroup@gmail.com. For information about upcoming events click here.

CURRENT AND PAST PROJECTS

Belongings
Most recently, TAG co-created Belongings with neighbors of Highlandtown Baltimore based on stories of their own lives, to sold out audiences at Creative Alliance at The Patterson back in November of 2007. Belongings is currently being remounted for residents of Highlandtown while also being invited perform for the National Community Arts Convening at MICA. Go to Creative Alliance for more information.

UPCOMING SHOW: Power Play -- an Interactive Performance and Dialogue

MONDAY, MAY 5, 2008 8 PM

Baltimore Theater Project, 45 West Preston Street

Tickets $5 Call 410-337-6275 for more information

Combining IMPROV with SPOKEN WORD, Power Play is a performance intersecting POWER, RACE, and DIALOGUE. TAG invites you to imagine and interACT in a night where anything is possible!

This performance is also connected to a workshop series with area colleges: Morgan State University, Goucher College and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). These students are being brought together to dialogue about issues of "power" while learning community-based theatre techniques.

Power Play is a satellite performance of the Run of the Mill (RotM) Theater Company’s “Variations on Power Project”, running May 1-17 and focused on issues of power. RotM is dedicated to programming new and under-produced plays. www.runofthemill.org or 410 796-1555.

Creative Convergence -- a Gathering of Artists, Activists and Community

TAG was instrumental in planning and contributing to this first of its kind five-day festival October 3-7, 2007 in Baltimore, Maryland. Held at Baltimore Theater Project and other sites, this festival of workshops and performances was for artists, activists, cultural workers, educators, students and anyone interested in the intersection of Art, Social Justice and Community Action!

Besides TAG members serving on the planning task force, TAG led a workshop called "Embracing Discomfort" that explored the tensions between "artist" and "organizer" where one often has to reconcile the goals, values and skill sets of these two roles. TAG help produce two other workshops: Kip Lee's "Building Inclusive Community through Dance" and "Resource for Social Change" -- an extension of the work of the main sponsor of the festival, Altenate Roots.

Alternate ROOTS mission is to support the creation and presentation of original art, which is rooted in a particular community of place, tradition or spirit. As cultural workers we strive to be allies in the elimination of all forms of oppression. ROOTS is committed to social and economic justice and the protection of the natural world and addresses theses concerns through its programs and services. For more information about Alternate ROOTS visit them online at www.alternateroots.org

Click here to see the full festival schedule

TAG and Run of the Mill Theatre Co. -- Variations on Justice

As part of Run of the Mill Theatre Company's (ROTM) Variations project -- an annual 10 minute play festival, TAG partnered with ROTM on the 2007 theme of justice. TAG worked with 10 actors and citizens including ROTMs Managing Director David Mitchell for a two day preparatory workshop by exploring themes of justice.

Facilitators Sheila Gaskins and Luisa Bieri employed Theatre of the Oppressed techniques during the workshop that culminated in the first public Forum Theatre event that Baltimore theatre goers had ever seen. This interactive performance and dialogue followed the Sunday matinee presentation of Variations on Justice on Sunday, May 27th, 2007.

TAG, Anu Yadav and SMEAC

Anu Yadav performed 'Capers www.caperstheplay.com , her solo piece about the human right to housing and forced relocation that affected DC public housing residents.

TAG partnered with Campbaltimore and Save Middle East Action Committee (SMEAC) as an opportunity to ally with the organizing efforts of SMEAC. SMEAC was organized in 2001 to represent the citizens of East Baltimore who will be directly and indirectly impacted by the redevelopment of the East Baltimore Development, Inc. (EBDI) area and to empower them to negotiate fairly with EBDI, Johns Hopkins, and the City government.

The performance attempted to encourage participation in SMEAC and related groups; but, it was also an opportunity for neighborhood organizations, social justice groups, artists and concerned citizens to raise awareness of re-development issues and how they affect people’s lives. The performance and dialogue took place at 2100 E. Madison St. on October 21, 2006.

Events Calendar • Books • Privacy Policy