And All That Chaz
Artistic Mission Statement
It's important to set (and share) your goals and vision as an artist. Like a non-profit organization, if we ourselves don't establish goals and a mission that guide us, how do we measure our success and growth? I'd love to steer away from a world that defines success by credits and income, and not by personal and artistic growth.
I strive to:
1. Create supported spaces for artists to collaborate where everyone has a voice, the ability to opt in and consent to the work, and empathy for one another. Theatre can be scary, risky, quick, and have very high stakes, but I always aim to be trauma-informed, not trauma-inducing. I believe that in order to tell the best stories, we have to feel supported and heard. This is accomplished by: communication, creating multiple pathways to reporting issues, establishing consent-based practice from the initial audition/interview stage, and committing to a culture of respect, which includes a willingness to be wrong.
2. Tell stories that audiences can connect to, learn from, or be inspired by. Leading an audience toward thinking about a deeper meaning, a theme, a message is my ultimate goal. Sometimes this means we tackle tough material, and sometimes it means we provide an escape from their tough lives - but ultimately, if the piece is good, the audience should leave with something to think about.
3. Uplift and honor the artistic expressions of the community around me. As artists, I believe it is our duty to celebrate other artists when we are inspired by them. We can only tell our stories if we have an audience to tell them to, and spreading the word of good art is part of developing a broader global audience.
Vision
For too long, the business side of theatre has outweighed the human side of theatre. We see so many theatremakers sidelined by the trauma they’ve endured from greedy producers, abusive directors, and toxic workplaces. It does not have to be this way. Collaboration is really hard - but it’s worth it. Mutual respect amongst the artists making the art should be the goal over any commercial success, because is it really successful if the collaboration isn’t mutually respectful?
We’ve all probably had one transcendent experience where everything came together in a beautiful, harmonious, collaborative way. We all know the formula that made that experience a success. What if we committed to that formula all the time?
Sounds magical, I’m in.
Join me?
