Calling all playwrights, writers, and storytellers! Be part of STARCROPOLIS!
The
is ready to climb a mountain with Starcropolis. It's bigger than anything we've ever tackled in our ongoing mission to use theatre to galvanize a community, using new work to entertain and inspire an audience.
Starcropolis is a unique theatrical event designed to throw live theatre into the consciousness of an entire community in a totally unique way (well maybe not totally unique to the ancient Greeks). Annually, the Greeks would ascend the highest hill in the city, the acropolis, and gather together under the sky in glorious amphitheaters. There they would bear witness to great dramas and comedies, helping them understand each other and their complicated world, while sharing a profound moment of connection.
So now Roanoke will gather and ascend our acropolis...Mill Mountain, and sit below our great neon Parthenon, the Star, to witness stories that will bring laughter and maybe a few tears, while reminding us that we are all together in our attempt to navigate this amazing and complex world we share.
Starcropolis will be presented by the Hollins Theatre Institute, with the City of Roanoke,
and others.
The Inspiration
In a world where electronic connection overshadows human connection, it's our goal to show how the live theatre event is more important than ever. Stories and characters are a source of inspiration much needed in today's world, and sharing them through the live theatre event where people sit together breathing the same air and experiencing the same magical moment is one of the most potent ways to connect, energize and inspire a community. And we believe it's our stories, those that come directly from the community that are the most important. So we are launching a new phenomenon for our region: Star Stories.
The Writers and Playwrights
Starcropolis will celebrate the writers and storytellers who invent ways to share these stories. You are the great communicators who can connect an audience and an entire community. Playwrights, novelists, short story writers, journalists, storytellers, folk-writers and writers of all genres are invited to submit material. Anyone with a story and a vision is encouraged to participate. Playwright's from the Kennedy Center award winning Playwrights Lab at Hollins University will lead the way.
The Source: the Roanoke Star
At its best, theatre can be personal and universal at the same time. The Roanoke Star is weirdly universal, and connects everyone who lives in the area, or even passes through. Everyone has some relationship to, or at least an attitude about this wonderfully crazy phenomenon that shines over our valley. And some of us have great stories directly related to the Star. An entire audience that surrounds Roanoke, Virginia is connected by this much-loved icon. We all see it, sometimes several times a day...it brings comfort, it brings smiles, it brings perspective when you stand at the lookout and see your world in front of your eyes. The view makes you want to fly. It's a place where confessions slip out, jokes are played, epiphanies are reached, joyful proclamations are made, and souls are revealed. People go up there for first dates, to make important phone calls, to get engaged, decide to divorce, break the news about a coming baby...people have even gotten married up there.
A city official recently shared that when his son was headed off to college, he and his best friends went out for one last night of celebration before they scattered in different directions. When his dad asked him where they went, he said, "the Star." It isn't hard to imagine the dialogue as these guys tried to say goodbye to each other and the only life they'd known, while anticipating the unfolding of a new life beyond Roanoke and the neon glow of the Star.
A professor at Hollins who just became an empty nester said every year on the first day of school since kindergarten, he would wake up his two daughters at 5:30, and in their pajamas they'd go to the star. They would stand at the lookout and while gazing at the awe-inspiring view, they'd talk about all their hopes and dreams for the coming school year. This annual ritual lasted until both girls left for college, leaving an indelible imprint on them all. He said it was sometimes a little awkward when they'd stop at a restaurant for breakfast, where people would stare at this motley crew eating pancakes while still in their pajamas.
The Event
Starcropolis is a theatre festival designed to energize, inspire and unite an audience...a community... in a way that only live theatre can. On September 4, 2016 Mill Mountain will come alive with theatre.
We will assemble material for three separate stages that will be erected on top of Mill Mountain. Each stage will showcase several short plays, monologues, story-telling pieces, and even songs (in the vicinity of 5 to 10 minutes each) all set at the star. The main-stage event will be created by a team of artists from the Hollins Theatre Institute under the direction of Ernie Zulia, in collaboration with a team of theatre professionals from Mill Mountain Theatre. The main stage will be erected on the site where the original Mill Mountain Playhouse stood. Regional audiences were entertained there for years before it burned to the ground in 1976. This tragic event lead to its triumphant move to Center In The Square in downtown Roanoke, where the much loved theatre is currently celebrating it's 50th anniversary.
Two satellite stages, called "Fifty Folding Chairs" will feature more work from our pool of submissions mounted by Roanoke's fine community theatres, colleges, high schools and churches. Other whimsical and fun elements of the festival will include a theatrical walk up to the mountaintop along the ascension trail , with performances called "Star Bursts" along the way. This will be bookended with a torchlight descent following the performances. And among other fun events will be a "Starry-okee" stage featuring karaoke versions of songs with "stars" in them from Stardust to Starry Night to Twinkle Twinkle.
Additional performances during Labor Day weekend are being considered at Mill Mountain Theatre, Center In The Square.
The Primary Resource for Inspiration:
Star Stories gathered and archived by Roanoke Public Libraries
As a very important first step towards Starcropolis, the Roanoke Public Library has launched "Star Stories," which we have lovingly knick-named "Starry-Corp," after the brilliant NPR phenomenon, Story Corp. The fantastic library team, headed by Nathan Flinchum in The Virginia Room will be gathering hundreds, hopefully thousands of Star Stories, both oral histories and written stories, from individuals throughout the community. They will be archived digitally, in print and recorded voice. These stories will be made available to the playwrights and writers as inspirational material for the original pieces that will be featured at Starcropolis.
Playwrights can adapt stories directly, build off ideas these stories spark, or create original material that is totally fictional but captures the spirit of Star Stories. Pieces will all be set at the star, and should be 5 to 10 minutes in length.
Dates, Deadlines, Details
The first ever Starcropolis is scheduled for a one day event on Labor Day weekend, September 4, 2016. We will workshop some of the material as works-in-progress during the 2016 Hollins-Mill Mountain Winter Festival of New Works in January 2016, where we will put Star Stories in front of workshop audiences. Although we will continue to accept stories through early spring, work submitted by December 1, 2015 will receive priority consideration.
All stories collected by the library will be made available to Starcropolis writers for adaptation and/or inspiration. Waivers will be signed by owners of the stories for their work to be adapted in any way for the Starcropolis event only. For Further information on how to access these stories, contact:
Kevin Ferguson, Starcropolis Dramaturg, Hollins Theatre Institute:
Starcropolis@gmail.com or FergusonKD@hollins.edu
People from throughout the region will be submitting oral histories or written Star Stories to the library by calling (540) 632-2203 to leave a recording or call (540) 853-2073 or email virginiaroom@gmail.com to make an appointment. In addition, they can record a Star story at http://roanokeva.gov/virginiaroom.
For more on Starcropolis, check out the Roanoke Times article:
http://www.roanoke.com/arts_and_entertainment/columns_and_blogs/columns/arts_and_extras/arts-extras-hollins-theatre-roanoke-public-libraries-seeking-to-stage/article_45ad71a8-b3db-59b2-bc2e-945e01111ca1.html
https://vimeo.com/183409529
