OP History

ORCHARD PROJECT: HISTORY TO DATE

June 2006-The Pilot
• The Orchard Project hosts two of Off Broadway's most daring troupes – Obie Award Winners The Play Company and The Civilians, developing three new plays over the course of two weeks. Public readings allowed for the CMF community to shape these new works.

August 2006-The 24 Hour Plays
• 24 artists representing 24 different theatre companies came together for a forum and perform The 24 Hour Plays: 24x24x24 at Sugar Maples. In all 4 new short plays were written, rehearsed and performed within 24 hours providing an exciting evening of theatre to our standing room only audience.
• Companies represented include Classical Theatre of Harlem, Theatre de Complicite, Radiohole, INTAR, The Royal National Theatre Studio, LAByrinth, P73, MCC, Prospect Theatre Company and New Georges.

June 2007 – The Second Season
• An enviable roster of guests develop more than 10 new projects at the Orchard Project, including Tony® award winners Moises Kaufman, Ted Sperling and Jonathan Butterell, in addition to international participants from the Royal Court (UK) and Teatr Slava (Sweden), cutting edge companies such as Tectonic Theater Project (NY), Radiohole (NY), Edge Theatre (NY) Pig Iron (Philadelphia) and Rude Mechs (Austin, TX).
June 2008 - The Orchard Project Expands
• The Orchard Project expanded to a full month and to include a nationally sourced apprentice program. Returning companies included NY's Tectonic Theatre Project (The Laramie Project, 33 Variations), London's The Royal Court (Rock and Roll) and Philadelphia's Pig Iron (Hell Meets Henry Halfway, Love Unpunished). They will be joined by other innovative companies like Elevator Repair Service (The Sound and the Fury), The Team (Particularly in the Heartland), Waterwell (The Persians) and Epic Theatre Ensemble (No Child) in overlapping artistic residencies that allow each company to take control of its own development. Writers in residence include Mike Daisey (How Theatre Failed America), Cynthia Hopkins (Accidental Nostalgia), Heather MacDonald (Pink, Expats), Lydia Diamond (Stick Fly, Bluest Eye) and Laura Schellhardt (The K of D). Directors involved in working with these writers include Meredith McDonough (The Scariest), Annie Kaufman (The Thugs) and Ari Edelson (The Attic, Vengeance). Lastly, The Orchard Project will also be furthering its relationship with the National Arts Club with residencies for three of this year's four Kesselring Fellows - Jordan Harrison, Marcus Gardley and Rinne Groff.