⭐️What is this project?

Two women -- one of whom may or may not be Amelia Earhart -- meet in a space beyond living...and fill it with life. (And sock creatures.)

SPACE-TIME LAUNDROMAT is a brand new play by Tia Shearer Bassett. It’s actually her first play script in…a decade? Certainly the first one since her cancer battle. And definitely the first one since she let herself fully realize that she is bisexual.

Those two things, among many others, absolutely inform this play. But so do lots of other things! In a nutshell:

This project is about bringing a truly unique new script to life…adding something beautiful to the world…and doing things OUR way as theatre artists. 

⭐️What's the play like?

Our favorite description so far is that SPACE-TIME LAUNDROMAT is what might happen if Sofia Coppola and Buster Keaton had collaborated.

But here are some other works that folk have said the script reminds them of:

(The movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind;" the book "Harold and the Purple Crayon"; the movie "The Last Testament;" the music video "Her Morning Elegance;" the book "The Little Prince;" the movie "The Fall.")

Here's an excerpt:

⭐️Bringing the script to life (or, what is “our” way?)

SPACE-TIME LAUNDROMAT is a very unconventional script. We only have two actors, but there are characters called “The Realists” who burst in every now and then for them to fight. Sometimes, the whole space suddenly tilts. And there is an entire scene that is just a shore with no people there.

…how on earth do you DO that stuff on a stage?

WELL, we are a group of artists who believe that that is one of the things theatre IS – humans working together to figure out how to make magic right before people's eyes. Crafting moments that feel magical for other humans to experience in real-time. We also believe that there are MANY ways to do this, including ways that involve the audience’s imagination to greater degrees (not just, “pretend there’s no stage/pretend these actors are really the characters,” but, “conjure a whole landscape in your mind off of one sound”).

Our approach to this absurd and achy new play involves performing it without a stage, on the same level as the audience. Little-to-no tech. Cozy and connective. And we’ll leave enough room in this experience for YOU, the audience -- your thoughts and associations, your love stories, your grief, your hope, your transformations, and maybe even your oceanic vocals. We’ll do this through gentle interaction, where the audience will help create moments and scene-changes right from their seats, building a world for Mel and Cara to fight through and for. 

The audience will be helping our characters the whole time, without the characters realizing it.

So, our way? Is about humans being in a space together, being allowed to be playful and caring as a group of strangers. It’s also about artists being on equal footing with each other during rehearsal, and rehearsal schedules working around the artists’ lives. It’s about the joy of creation for us artists AND for our audiences. We’re all creators. We can make a story together…which means we can make this (gestures to EVERYTHING) together.

So I guess our way is about hope, too.

⭐️When and where?

After a slow-burn exploration period (we've already been meeting sporadically to read and discuss the script, play with some objects, run around together and, of course, snack), we'll move into a formal rehearsal period in a rented studio this fall, then perform the piece over 1-2 weekends in an unconventional space in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Admission will be free with donations accepted.

It is important to us that we create a way for folk NOT in our geographic area to experience the live play, too! To that end, one of our runs of the piece will be filmed in as dynamic and cozy a way as possible, to create the sense of being right there with us.

⭐️Who is this brave and daring team?

In alphabetical order: Matt Bassett! Audra Jacobs! Natasha Mirny! Carolyn Kashner! Tia Shearer Bassett!

Matt (director/collaborator) is a beautiful human and a Helen Hayes Award-nominated writer/director of Theatre for the Very Young (more on that later)! -- among other things. Audra (asst. director/collaborator) is a beautiful human and the beloved Engagement Coordinator for 1st Stage Theatre! -- among other things. Natasha (designer/collaborator) is a beautiful human and the award-winning creator/performer behind Happy Theater! -- among other things. Carolyn (actor/collaborator) is a beautiful human and a celebrated local performer and audiobook narrator! -- among other things. And Tia (writer/actor/producer/collaborator) is a beautiful human whose ADHD means she has a fantastic collection of metaphoric hats that she wears. 

⭐️Can I get a list of some of the things that make this project so special, aside from those wonderful people?

-FEMINISM! It offers challenging, playful, whimsical leading roles to two middle-aged actresses. Women who get to be silly AND strong AND romantic. Unsure and wise. Scared and heroic.

-ART! It’s an opportunity for the playwright to see what this piece IS and COULD BE, in order to help it find life beyond her.

-EMPOWERMENT! We’re artists taking work into our own hands – collaborating on equal footing. Working on a humane and flexible schedule based around each of us. Crafting something in a room of our making, where each voice matters and the “vision” is born from us all.

-INVENTION & INTERACTION! It utilizes principles from the world of Theatre for the Very Young ("TVY" -- gentle interaction; unconventional seating; performers on the same plane as audience; simple magic)…but for adults. Tapping into everyone’s sense of play, everyone’s imagination, everyone's capacity for the mysterious, everyone’s need for group delight and shared sadness and a sense of hope.

⭐️This sounds so great! How will you use the funds?

Thanks for asking! Each of the 4 non-Tia artists will receive a $1,000 stipend.

That means...director, assistant director, actor, designer. All paid the same. (And all part of the process together from the very start, creating this production as a collective.)

Tia, as the producer, will be paid up to this same amount, but over time, by way of stretch goals and ticket donations. If we don't reach that number or anything close to it, it's a risk she is willing to take for the pay-off of getting her new script off the ground (a big deal!). And in such a joyful, homegrown manner, to boot.

The remaining funds are to rent the rehearsal studio and performance space, pay a professional videographer, and purchase props.

⭐️What are the risks? Aside from you all making me cry from beauty.

There's always the risk with a small theatre project that any of the freelancers involved might get another offer for something that conflicts with this. Everyone is excited about and committed to this piece, but we also want to honor and acknowledge that artists constantly have sustainability and health coverage to consider. If someone gets an offer that could give them these things that our scrappy and short-lived gig -- meaningful as it will be -- cannot give them, we will either work the whole schedule around this, or have to push the timeline back. These would be options to consider in the event of actor sickness as well. In any case, caring for our artists is an absolute priority.

Thankfully for our backers, every single reward except for the live performance recording is something we can deliver no matter what may happen to the performance timeline! We crafted a campaign based on the world of the piece, not so much the performance itself. The 5 of us have been part of this theatre community for a long time; our networks are glorious, and we have many options if rehearsal or performance spaces fall through. Especially given that this show just needs a room! No stage, no tech even. Scrappy;).