Hi everyone – Jess in Chicago here!  Chicagoist recently interviewed me about our town’s plans for World Theatre Day 2009.  You can see the article on their site – and I’ve cross-posted the text below:

This is so much fun! We are three days into the new blog, and the Twitterverse is all, well, a-Twitter! As you can see, we’ve had some submissions from some theatre companies already, but we still have more than a month before World Theatre Day, so lots of folks are still trying to decide what thier contribution will be.

For those of you who are completely new to World Theatre Day, one thing that is sacrosanct is the reading of the World Theatre Day address prior to curtain in your theatre on March 27. Each year, the ITI chooses one person to write an essay on what theatre means to them, and last year’s, I’m proud to say, was Canadian Robert LePage (I’ve seen his work–he is incredible).  This speech will be published on the ITI website, and last year,  it came out on February 17, so hopefully we will see it this week.

Here in Vancouver, we are into our fifth year of celebrating World Theatre Day on March 27. Every year, there are different events, but there are three that always happen.

1. Panel discussion with well-known theatre artists during the week of WTD at the Vancouver Public Library. This talk is called Backstage with Bernard (as it is hosted by a well-loved Vancouver actor named Bernard Cuffling), and this year takes place on March 22.

2. My First Time… Each year, the GVPTA rounds up volunteers from its member companies to put on a one-night-only production of stories, songs and scenes. Last year it was the shared experience of your first onstage love scene, this year, it’s My First Time… The Tour. This show takes place March 29 at he Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island.

3. Discounted Theatre Tickets. Many of the companies in the GVPTA that have shows running on March 27 will offer discounts on tickets for that night.

For an entire list of what went down on WTD08, please click here.

And now, a branistorm from Chicago. From the Blog Theatre for the Future, by Nick Keenan:

1)  Create a Flickr photo feed to share images globally.

2) Create central, local and international hubs to direct traffic to all the world”s content.

3) Connect, involve and support your existing international collaborators.

4) Connect your local audience with the global event.
Maybe you arrange a backstage tour. You bring a photographer or videographer to capture images of your audience walking through, experiencing where the magic happens. Those images get uploaded during the show, and the global community responds to the images. After your show, as your audience leaves the theater, you invite them to see what the global community has said about your pictures, your show, your moments. Maybe some audience members from your sister company are ready to talk on Skype. Maybe your audience can spend some time browsing images of other global events, and making comments of their own. Maybe you present them with a website or the address of an after party where they can continue the experience.

This is just the beginning of what is possible… What is the fastest, simplest way for your theater to connect your audience’s experience and the experience of your work to other audiences across the globe?

Read Nick’s entire post here. (I really love the idea of teaming up with a ‘theatre buddy’ somewhere else in the world.)

I hope that gives you some inspiration. And please continue to write in with your plans and dreams.