Happy Summer from Alternative Theater Ensemble!

As the summer season kicks into gear, we hope you’re all staying cool, hydrated, and in community. We had a great time at this year’s TCG conference in Chicago, meeting up with new and old friends and collaborating with other theater artists to envision a more equitable and sustainable future for our field. 

ATE has been in a big period of transition (peep the new logo and the new newsletter platform), and we cannot wait to share all of the exciting ideas and projects we’ve been working on. Read below for our newest updates, and make sure to stay tuned for upcoming announcements!

Upcoming Programming: Announcing Twenty4Twenty!

What is Twenty4Twenty? In celebration of Alternative Theater Ensemble’s 20th anniversary, we are announcing our commitment to host 20 public-facing events during the 2024-25 season. 

These events will include readings, fundraising events, residencies, commissions, community meals, workshops, and more! 

Stay tuned for our newsletters to learn about future programming. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any announcements!

Where’s the Artistic Director?

Over the past year, we have begun our transition into a worker self-directed nonprofit. What does that mean for ATE?

Being a worker self-directed nonprofit means that our ensemble administration team is now in an individual governance role and all ensemble members serve as equal stakeholders of the organization.

In this process, we are able to truly fulfill the “ensemble” aspect of our name, operating in a non-hierarchical model that allows all ensemble members equal say in the creative and administrative functioning of the company. Former Artistic Director Eric Avery is not departing the organization, but will be continuing to work in service of ATE as a member of the ensemble. 

If you are interested in more information about worker self-directed nonprofits, check out the Sustainable Economies Law Center’s thoughtful webpage. If you are curious about how our transition is happening, or are looking for a consultant to help apply similar horizontal leadership models in your organization, please reach out!

Ensemble Happenings

Diana Burbano’s new play Linda, commissioned by Center Theater Group, received a public reading on June 7! Directed by Alejandra Cisneros, Linda tells the story of a young Chicana battling racist boys on the playground and mean girls at the talent show, armed with her Wonder Woman costume and a guitar, whose superpowers are tested as she is confronted with her own self doubt.

Eric Avery was granted one of the Dresher Ensemble Residency 2024 Awards! Eric’s project, The Pla[y/n] for Reparation$, is a multidisciplinary immersive performance that allows participants to learn about, discuss, envision, and practice individual and collective healing. The experience is intended for an audience of diverse identities and opinions whose choices will guide them through various chapters of the piece, much like a choose-your-own-adventure book, punctuated and/or interwoven by discrete moments of performance.

Zoë Sonnenberg’s audio romcom Baggage is available to listen on all podcast platforms! Produced by Meet Cute, Baggage follows Claire and Bennett, who are matched by the National Soulmate Database after an encounter on an airplane leads to a switch-up of their luggage. Discovering that Bennett abstains from reading the database files, Claire sees a chance to reinvent herself—until the truth catches up with the both of them. 

R. Réal Vargas Alanis is piloting an international residency program in Sahuayo, Michoacán, commissioning six artists for a transformative twenty-day experience. Sponsored by an anonymous donor, the ITM Playwright Residency: Estados Unidos Mexicanos coincides with the lively tlahualiles festivals. Artists will immerse themselves in Purépecha traditions, collaborating with local artisans to craft regalia and develop creative projects and enriching the New American Theatre by fostering cultural exchange and artistic growth.

Partner Spotlight

We are entering our second year of collaboration with Cedars of Marin on multiple projects that use the power of theater to heal, connect, and inspire. We are excited to build upon last year’s Self Advocacy Projects utilizing techniques from Theater of the Oppressed with the support of the Raab Foundation, and will expand upon live animation & puppetry projects with the support of the Henson Foundation.