Theatre in a VAN! is a new theatrical initiative to produce work in vehicles parked on the streets of New York City. We actively seek to engage a more diverse audience and cultivate a greater interest in theatre by, keeping our tickets low, appealing to a modern cultural sensibility and literally taking theatre to the people on the street.
The project was started and created by theatre artist Leon Pease. The project was born out of Leon's frustration with the high prices of rehearsal and performance space in the city. He felt that the expense was incredibly discouraging to young and upcoming theatre artists. While struggling with this problem he happened to be sitting in his boss's car when he thought to himself,
"You know, it's kind of spacious in here. I wonder if you could do theatre in a van?"
About a month later, Theatre in a VAN! opened their premier performance of Bertolt Brecht's The Elephant Calf in his girlfriend's, parents SUV. Only a few weeks after the opening of their first show, the Greenpoint Gazette contacted Leon asking for an interview. It was then Leon knew that he was really on to something. The company later went on to purchase and paint their own short bus, which for the moment, acts as their primary performance space.
To date Theatre in a VAN! has produced four 10-20 minute plays including a new adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's The Elephant Calf and three original musicals. In September, Theatre in a VAN! began working with Impetuous Theatre Group and more collaborations between the two companies are on the way.
Theatre in a VAN! is more that just a new theatre company, it's a new way of performing, producing and watching theatre. Theatre in a VAN! creates an incredibly intimate performance venue requiring little to no projection on the part of its actors. This allows the actors to adopt an almost film-like approach to acting, which has proven popular with both performers and audience members. As Theatre in a VAN! is the current owner of its Theatre (A short bus), there are currently no costs associated with rehearsal or performance space. This allows the company to produce quality shows at a fraction of the cost of most other theatre companies, and in turn helps them keep ticket prices low. Also, shows produced by the company enjoy the benefits of a wider diversity amongst their audience members by engaging people on the street.
Theatre in a VAN! is many things but there is certainly not much out like it. It is a new and exciting take on theatre that seeks to stimulate new perspectives on the art form. Theatre in a VAN! maybe on a roll, but they're not going anywhere.
