Generation Now: A Partnership We're Proud Of
Posted on November 7, 2024
Children’s Theatre Company is a proud part of Generation Now, a theatre partnership with the mission to not only expand the canon of theatre for multigenerational audiences, but to do so with intention for authentic representation of the communities both on and off the stage that our stories explore.
Generation Now stories are stories of community, bravery, identity, and encompass the journeys of young people and their families from a vast array of perspectives and backgrounds.
In October 2024, we were proud to kick-off the inaugural Generation Now Reading Series at CTC! Attendees got to peek into the work of our Generation Now writers and play a part in the development of Level Up, One Small Alice, and Comanche Girl on the Moon through live readings.
There was also a public performance of Michi Barall’s Drawing Lessons, which ran on the CTC Cargill Stage from October 8 to November 10, 2024. Drawing Lessons is co-commission with Ma-Yi Theater Company and marks our first production of the 16 plays we have commissioned through the Generation Now partnership.
What is Generation Now?
With funding from the Mellon Foundation in 2021, Generation Now was launched as a part of a five-theatre partnership that includes CTC, Latino Theater Company and Native Voices in Los Angeles, Ma-Yi Theater Company in New York City, and Penumbra in St. Paul. The goal of Generation Now is to expand the canon of work produced for multigenerational audiences and to create a model of transformative partnership for the theatre field. The consortium will co-commission and co-develop 16 new plays by both established and emerging BIPOC artists for multigenerational audiences over five years. The partners strongly believe that if we are to have an extraordinary theatre culture in this country, we must start young, and it must be intergenerational, inclusive, inspiring, transformative, and lifelong. Together we envision creating a lasting canon of new works for multigenerational audiences.
A Look Back at the October Generation Now Readings
A special note from Generation Now Fellow, Antonio De La Vega, “It was thrilling to see our writers, the Generation Now cohort, and invited leaders from across the country share space and dialogue with each other during the Reading Series. Hearing writers respond to one another’s work, learning how the cohort of leaders are growing as a result of this partnership, and having it all occur within CTC’s walls made the week beyond fulfilling. I’m honored to have helped bring this event to fruition, and cannot wait to see what comes next for the readings shared during the Reading Series; as well as the future of the Generation Now partnership now having held our first-ever public event.”
Artists at Play wished “Congratulations to all involved for this important work,” and shared that it’s “Truly inspiring and hopeful to see how future generations can revolutionize our world by seeing themselves and their stories reflected onstage.”
Reading Series photos by Kaitlin Randolph
Level Up by Gabriel Rivas Gomez, Directed by Fidel Gomez
Protagonist Desi embarks on a journey of self-discovery through real and virtual worlds in a quest to save her dog and be reunited with her Mom. In the world of her videogame, Desi and her family transform into larger-than-life videogame heroes and find what it means to live as your authentic self IRL.
Stage Manager – Miles Latham
Desi – Mathias Brinda
Memo – Luca La Hoz Calassara
Mama/Gorgon – Kiko Laureano
Azlan – Marisa Tejeda
Papa – Adán Varela
8eatles the 8ard – Michael Terrell Brown
Abuelo Fernando/Sm*llf*sh – Raul Ramo
One Small Alice Written & Directed by Ifa Bayeza
A reimagining of Lewis Carrol’s classic, Alice in Wonderland, One Small Alice centers Alice as a 9-year-old girl escaping to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Small Alice’s big journey speaks to themes of independence, identity, community, and what mystery and curiosity awaits in freedom.
Stage Manager – Audrey Smyczek
Alice – Essence Renae
Fish – James Craven
Papah – Luverne Seifert
Cainfill – Mikell Sapp
Dutchess – Comfort Dolo
Hodder – Keegan Robinson
Queenie – Sara Marsh
Big Alice – Aimee Bryant
Reading Series photos by Kaitlin Randolph
Reading Series photos by Kaitlin Randolph
Comanche Girl on the Moon by Dustin Tahmahkera, Directed by Michael Winn
Comanche Girl on the Moon is an interplanetary adventure that follows Petu, a young Comanche Girl, in her flight to the moon to reconnect with her late grandmother. She encounters mystical characters and friends along the way and tells a story that honors and celebrates Comanche artists and storytellers before her.
Stage Manager-Lori Lundquist
Petu – Aeris Briggs
Kaku/Golden Orb/Baby Kwas – Adrienne Zimiga-January
Uncle/Coyote – Ernest Briggs
Kina/Classmate 3/Tasi – Elizabeth Cates
Tabu/Classmate 1/Auntie – LaReina LaPlante
Kuewoo/Classmate 2/Little Brother – Trey Porter
Kwasi/Pasi – Thomas Draskovic
Drawing Lessons by Michi Barall, Directed by Jack Tamburri
Dynamic, jump-off-the-page drawings show Kate’s manhwa graphic novel coming together, even as she deals with school, friends, and how her Korean heritage fits into her American lifestyle. Will her contentious friendship with Paul help or hinder her progress? Will either of them ever find their true artistic voice? Get drawn into this innovative story that magically takes place both on stage and on screen.
Stage Manager – Kenji Shoemaker
Kate – Olivia Lampert & Mars Niemi
Lia – Malia Berg (Addica Sharbono understudy)
Gomo – Katie Bradley (Jeannie Lander understudy)
Omar – De’Anthony Jackson (Amir Byrd understudy)
Paul – Jim Lichtscheidl (Ryan Nelson understudy)
Jon – Darrick Mosley (Dominique Jones understudy)
Matt – Matt Park (Nikko Soukup-Raymo understudy)
Miss Evans – Sophina Saggau (Colleen Somerville understudy)
Jason – Anders Thielen (Charlie Gold understudy)
Justin/Anderson – Cullen Van Ranst (Charlie Gold understudy)
Drawing Lessons photos by Kaitlin Randolph