ARTISTIC DIRECTOR NOTES from WORKING

“If you have built castles in the sky, your work need not be lost, that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”

- Henry David Thoreau

I love theatre because of the electrical current that pulsates through the creation and spirit of art. It creates a love affair between artist and audience—a mesmerizing dance of brilliance in which human emotions are shared and transcended. Theatre is a precious gift that illuminates humanity. One tiny moment of human interaction onstage can change a life… can lift a soul… can inspire a movement… can open up a world of unlimited possibilities to the eyes and hearts of the beholders. It is through the sacred art of theatre that I learned in the most magical ways that anything and everything is possible in life.

The Transcendence Theatre Company is dedicated to empowering the world through our lives and our art. We traveled to Punta Banda to build a foundation for a dream and mission that will undoubtedly inspire and empower the lives of millions worldwide. Just as The Gertrude Pearlman Theatre was built brick by brick through an immense love, we too are building a company and a new, holistic approach to the performing arts that will become a powerful and extraordinary force of goodness in our world. It is awe-inspiring to dedicate our lives towards building that castle in the sky.

I speak on behalf of our entire company when I say that the days we have spent here in your incredible town are the fullest, most passionate, most grounded, and most powerful days that we have ever lived on this earth. This is just the beginning of a lifetime of adventures and service to humanity. I am so honored to join together with my dear and brilliant friends for this great purpose. We are the vessels through which the future of the world shines. It’s time for all of us to take life and art to new levels of unbelievable brilliance. It is time for Transcendence!

- Amy Miller

"WORKING" ...Green!

The Transcendence Theatre Company’s first musical production “Working” has come to a close and we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the simple choices that were made in our production to help out the environment.

Before rehearsals even began, we were off to a “green” start because the Gertrude Pearlman Theatre actually has a recycled light system that was given to them from a university that was upgrading their own. We also were lucky enough to have our very own theatre sustainability consultant Michael Crowley teach us a few easy steps to green the Theatre even more. For example, we installed compact fluorescent lightbulbs (which use ¼ the energy of traditional bulbs) in backstage areas which will reduce the theatre’s energy bill and allow the theatre to put that money into programming and educational initiatives. Additionally, swapping the theatre’s traditional (toxic) cleaning products with organic materials will create a safer environment for future inhabitants in the space.

As for the production itself, we decided against buying new lumber and building new sets and decided to turn old pieces from previous shows into our recycled earth-conscious set. We pulled old flats and reinvented them and we simplified our original design ideas and went with a more "black box" feel for the show.

We also chose to go a similar route with the costumes. “Working” is an ensemble based show with the actors playing numerous roles so we decided that we would wear uniformed jeans and tee-shirts and then we added signature costume pieces that we found laying around the theatre storage room to represent specific characters. The uniformity of the grey shirts represented how all of these workers are indeed one...from fireman to businessman...we are all in this together! Also, when a signature costume piece was added, it helped to put the focus on the character whose story was being told.

These were not only earth sustaining choices but they also sparked the company to be creative with the materials they already possessed which sparked many simple and effective artistic choices. It also truly allowed the story to speak for itself through our talented actors without any distraction…not to mention the fact that it was indeed easier on our new company’s pocket book! Although our show leant itself to this style of production beautifully, we would highly recommend other theatre’s try this approach with some of their shows. Luckily, helping out the pocket book is also helping out the environment. We would not have created the show in the same way if we had not thought first about the environment and let its beauty be an inspiration for our first musical production.

The Transcendence Artist Project: WEEk 9-10-11

Over the past few weeks, The Transcendence Theatre Company has immersed itself in the artistic endeavors of our inaugural production. Our discoveries and growth as individuals and as a collective truly fueled our collaborative work on one of the greatest musicals of our time... WORKING. The ensemble creation of this musical was a truly transcendent experience for all of us. May 16, 2009 was a momentous day in our lives as WORKING debuted at The Gertrude Pearlman Theatre. The opening night gala performance and celebration was a joyous event for our company and the community of Punta Banda. Throughout the next few blogs, we will be sharing some of our adventures and discoveries from our artistic development of this collaborative work of art that touched the hearts of this community and beyond. In the meantime, enjoy these notes from our incredible directors: Brad Surosky & Stephan Stubbins.

Notes from the Directors:

We are honored to have the opportunity to be directing such a brilliant group of people in what is, in our opinion, one of the most powerful shows in the history of theatre.

The musical "Working" originated as a 1972 book by Studs Terkel, a compilation of the many interviews he conducted as he traveled around, tape recorder in hand, talking with men and women employed in a multitude of professions and bringing "the extraordinary dreams of ordinary people to life." During this journey, he uncovered how the work we do shapes our identities, our families, our hearts, and our lives. The intro belonged to Terkel—the words that followed were the raw and heartfelt stories of America’s working people.

What sets "Working" apart from other musicals is its sense of rawness, its firm grounding in reality. Nothing is more real than the everyday worker’s quest to create some kind of lasting legacy.

We dedicate this show to all hard-working people, without each and every one of whom our society would falter. We dedicate this show to the people who carry with them buried grievances and unexpressed dreams—to every parent who goes to work to put dinner on the table for his or her children. These are our heroes, and they cannot go unrecognized.

Lastly, we dedicate this performance to you. Every voice deserves to be heard. All of us should have a community that embraces us, the chance to engage in work that satisfies us, and a sense of accomplishment, something to point to and say “This is what I have achieved” at the end of even the longest and most challenging day.

The Transcendence Artist project-WEEK 8

On April 24, 2009, the children of Casa De Paz orphanage were treated to their own special theatrical performance by The Transcendence Theatre Company at The Gertrude Pearlman Theatre. It was an incredibly moving and legendary day for all. The children had never been to a theatre before and it was mesmerizing for all of us to experience the immense joy that was shared onstage and off. It was a truly magical experience. This very special show was themed around sharing our love for theatre with the kids. Before each number, every actor shared why they loved theatre with the audience. The theatre was truly alive with dancing, singing, juggling, puppet shows, and even the crowd favorite... A Project Runway extravaganza. Our show ended with a very special movie we made for the children filled with memories from our trip to the orphanage. The laughter, applause, tears, and happiness that was experienced in the theatre on this special day was undoubtedly one of the greatest moments of our entire lives. After the show, we all had an amazing dinner and ended this perfect day by watching the sunset on the beautiful oceans of Punta Banda. A special thanks to all of the community members who helped us serve an amazing meal to these adorable kids. This day was the best day ever by far times 14 million! We love these children more than words can say and are so blessed that they are our forever friends.

The Transcendence Artist project-WEEK 7

Back by popular demand, we were asked to do our review show, "Living a New Dream", in Rosarito. We had an unbelievable time due to the warmth and generosity of the Rosarito theatre guild who graciously took care of us and hosted us during our stay. A local reporter documented our show along with an original jingle we had written about our love for Rosarito. Both the reporter and many of the audience members expressed their belief that our visit to their theatre would help revive tourism in the area. We certainly hope so!

Transcendence Artist Project-Week 6

This week we learned the philosophy of Anusara yoga with our yoga specialists Matt and Jen. Through this practice we explored the idea that the body/mind is a gift to help us discover our glory, our greatness, and our worthiness to experience the highest sense of freedom. Anusara yoga was a perfect discipline for our minds, bodies, and spirits!



In addition to practicing yoga, we engaged in another service project with a family who is dedicated to feeding the impoverished children of Maneadero, Mexico. We helped serve the children breakfast and had a wonderful time playing games and singing songs together. As we dedicate ourselves more and more to serving the local community, our love and unity as a group grows. We are so grateful we have been able to make service to others the major focus and underlying purpose of all that we do!