Fear can stop us in our tracks but it can also spur us forward. Savannah Stage Company is now in its 10th season. Artistic director and co-founder, Jayme Tinti, knows performing in front of a crowd can be a scary experience, but it’s through that experience that actors grow.
That’s why the newest showcase is called “Brave the Stage: an Evening of Running Towards the Fear”. “You'll hear people talk about talent all the time. ‘Oh, this person got the role because they're talented.’”
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
Tinti said that this talent, or rather these skills, is great, but it’s always a good idea to push yourself as an artist to gain new skills.
“We, as a company, are constantly looking to grow. We’re very growth-based. So the idea of what happens if, instead of relying on the things that we do well, instead, focus on the things that we don't do well on stage or the on-stage skills that scare us the most.”
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
In one evening, nine different projects will be performed on stage by actors who are trying something completely different.
“We have each chosen in an individual thing. For some people, it's dancing or choreography or playing an instrument. Mine is like a classical Greek tragedy monologue. We spent the summer investing in those things that we don't do well. ‘Brave the Stage’ is an evening of putting those together, wherever they may be on our artistic journey, but it is a showcase of our efforts.”
Tinti said the object of this night is to encourage actors to not only confront their fears but also turn them into their strengths.
“Savannah Stage Company is just an entire experimentation in bravery.”
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
The night’s performance will be held in the courtyard of First Baptist Church at 102 W. McDonough Street. Savannah Stage Company will be hanging up string lights of bare bulbs to turn the church courtyard into a “Savannah night under the stars” with some emerging stage stars. If it’s raining, the performance will move inside the ballroom.
Instead of charging a set ticket price, Savannah Stage Company is only requiring a one-dollar reservation fee. After the performance, attendees are encouraged to pay what they felt it was worth.
“This is a pricing model that we have experimented with in the past, in an effort to continue to pursue our mission of making theater accessible. So you'll watch the show, and you're like, ‘hey they're working on stuff. That was worth five bucks.’ Awesome. We are happy to take the five bucks.”
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
Tinti said she is proud of all the performers who have worked hard to turn their self-defined weaknesses into strengths for “Brave the Stage,” but a huge part of that success also lies in the mentors who have been working with them.
“For me, my mentor is the artistic director of Collective Face Theatre Ensemble. So, a whole ‘nother theater company in town whose work I would say is very different from the work that we do. And I thought it would be even more challenging to have [the artistic director] be my mentor. Part of it is also making sure that we are learning from other places in the community and not just what we're doing internally because we might not have the best experts.”
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
Credit: Courtesy of Savannah Stage Company
If you'd like to catch "Brave the Stage: an Evening of Running Towards the Fear," it will be Saturday, starting at 8 p.m. in the courtyard for First Baptist Church at 102 W. McDonough St. You will need to reserve your seat in advance through savannahstagecompany.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah Stage Company showcases the bravery of performance art with 'Brave the Stage' show
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