"rECHOllection" - Prop / Scenic Element Design and Fabrication, Co-Producer
"rECHOllection" was an outdoor, open-ended immersive experience held in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore, MD on October 30 and November 6 and 7, 2021.
How do you make an immersive experience during a pandemic?
First, you need many clever collaborators. To be clear, this work morphed and evolved throughout 2020 and 2021, ever-changing to meet the need for safety, but with a desire to get creative people working. There were Zoom workshops, Zoom meetings, Zoom rehearsals, dropping off props on stoops for perfomers to experiment with at home, backyard rehearsals, outdoor meetings, choosing an outdoor venue, more outdoor rehearsals, and, finally, performances in Druid Hill Park, with safety protocols in place. The actual pandemic we were experiencing greatly informed the fictional pandemic in this near-future artwork, which consisted of a temporal rift opening in the park where we, Baltimore citizens of 2021, could walk among Baltimore citizens of 2032. This future time consisted of a bleaker reality, with degraded environmental quality and more sinister pandemics. And yet, despite these conditions, the future community members of Baltimore still found ways to connect, express themselves, and attempt to heal from their collective loss of memory and companionship.
This highly collaborative work was developed with a large ensemble cast and a Core Creative Team of four members. "rECHOllection" was produced by Submersive Productions, where I serve as Co-Artistic Director.
Core Creative Team: Mika Nakano, Trustina Sabah, Susan Stroupe, Glenn Ricci
Contributing Artists: Deana Fisher Brill, Alex Ciardullo, Sierra Ho, Megan Livingston, Ursula Marcum, Stephanie Parks, Jess Rassp, Elizabeth Ung
Cast: Samantha Ankrom- Chickering, Francisco Benavides, Caitlin Bouxsein, Tara Cariaso, Marissa Dahl, Nadya Elson, Jessie Delaplaine, Hannah Fenster, Jess Rassp, Martha Robichaud, Alexander Scally, Lisi Stoessel, Jacob ZabawaAttendants: Josh Aterovis, David Brasington, Deana Brill, Andrea Clayville, Connor Kertiss, Natanya Washer, Rachel Wilson
Production Manager: Betse Lyons
Show Runner: Cyd Cohn