The Drew theatre and dance department hosted the Bushwick Starr, a non-profit theatre company based in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Friday, Feb. 6. Students participated in Q&A sessions with Co-Founder/Artistic Director Noel Allain and Associate Artistic Director Machel Ross, as well as a session later in the afternoon where they shared their own works for feedback. This article will mainly focus on the Q&A session with Allain.
The Q&A session with Allain was geared towards students interested in the technical aspects of theatre, design, stage management and directing. Allain described the Starr as a ‘neighborhood’ arts center which focuses on expanding their audience through after-school programs and workshops. He explained the origins of the Starr, and how it was especially difficult to be civically involved in the beginning due to gentrification in the area. “In a gentrified environment where there are lines between [communities], simply having your door open is not enough. You don’t know if [community members] will trust you,” said Allain. The Starr founders felt it important to integrate themselves into the community rather than be separate from its established culture.
Through involvement in their local community council, the Starr was able to gear their programs towards what the community needed. When figuring out what kind of educational programs to provide, Allain said, “I find that when you’re working with a community, and getting to know [them], the best thing you can do [for them] is to listen to [their] needs before making a decision.” By getting community input, the Starr was able to create a successful playwriting program for students in fourth and fifth grade. Eventually, they also began working directly with school administrators and were able to use local school auditoriums to make their after-school programs more accessible to kids.
A few students who are double majoring, with one of their majors being in theatre, or who don’t major in theatre at all, asked about the best ways to get involved when not pursuing a theatre career. Allain discussed how it can often be hard to manage more than one passion, saying that sometimes the best decision can be to decide on one focus. He also emphasized the importance of community and networking, saying, “It’s about finding your people…The smaller the organization, the easier it is to make a relationship with somebody.” He continued, “If you are not finding the community you want, there is always the opportunity to make your own–that’s what we did.”
When asked about the Starr’s process and team, Allain elaborated on how the Starr divides their responsibilities in order to give the most to every artist’s project. The Starr has to consider, as Allain said, “how do we push forward these ambitions…in a way we couldn’t before?” The Starr focuses on the needs of their artists in order to bring their visions to life. Since being in a new space for the past two years, the Starr has had to readjust their team to include more people to manage the administrative work that comes with owning an entire building.
The production-focused Q&A session concluded with a look at actual budgets the Starr had used. Allain compared two productions–one union and one non-union–to show the differences between what the Starr can provide for different kinds of productions, and what goes into managing an entire theatre company budget. He remarked, “a budget also tells the story of what is going to happen over the next, sometimes, two years.”
“The Bushwick Starr is at the cutting edge of artist development in New York City. In any given season, their offerings oscillate from Afro-Futurism to experimental musical theater to storytelling solo performance,” said John DiResta, assistant professor of theatre and dance. He continued, “they invest in artists and prioritize ensuring that every artist in their building has the resources they need to flourish.” Opportunities to connect with professionals, especially those so close in New York, is an incredibly valuable experience for theatre students. DiResta concluded, “We hope this will be the beginning of a long-term relationship with The Bushwick Starr! We’re already in conversation about helping students find summer internships there.”
Jaden Finn is a sophomore majoring in environmental science and minoring in theatre arts.
