{"id":5724,"date":"2016-09-23T14:21:46","date_gmt":"2016-09-23T21:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cohoproductions.org\/old\/?p=5724"},"modified":"2016-09-23T14:25:27","modified_gmt":"2016-09-23T21:25:27","slug":"meet-jessica-dart-cohos-artistic-fellow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cohoproductions.org\/old\/blog\/meet-jessica-dart-cohos-artistic-fellow\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Jessica Dart, CoHo’s Artistic Fellow"},"content":{"rendered":"

Join\u00a0CoHo in welcoming Jessica Dart as the organization’s first Artistic Fellow. Thanks in part to generous support\u00a0by Age & Gender Equity in the Arts, she will collaborate with CoHo staff, co-producers, artists and community partners for one year. Here, Jessica answers\u00a0a few questions about her past and present work in the theatre, and how that connects to CoHo.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

What production from CoHo’s past seasons do you remember most and why?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The first show I saw at CoHo was 2009’s Fool For Love. That one stays with
\nme because 1) Sam Shepard is amazing\/the production was great, and 2)
\nbecause it was one of the first plays I experienced as a fresh new
\nresident of Portland. More recently, I thought the production of Sam
\nHunter’s The Few<\/a> was all-around wonderful. I met Sam in grad school \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0[at University of Iowa] over a\u00a0decade ago, and it’s such a thrill to see a writer I \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0love and respect\u00a0getting the attention he deserves. This answer seems to indicate I only
\nlike plays by writers named Sam, but that isn’t entirely accurate.
\n
\nHow are people most likely to be familiar with your previous work? Or what<\/strong>
\ndo you wish they knew?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve been doing more freelance dramaturgy work lately, but prior to that I
\nwas the Artistic Director at PHAME <\/a>for six years. It was joyous hard work,
\nand I’m so proud of the way the students there rose to every artistic
\nchallenge put before them. My final project at PHAME in 2015 was the
\noriginal commissioned play UP THE FALL by Debbie Lamedman with songs by
\nLaura Gibson. It was PHAME’s most ambitious project up to that point, and
\nit marked the first time the organization presented a play featuring a
\ncast of actors both with and without disabilities. It was utterly dreamy
\nto see that project come to fruition after 2 years of intense planning and
\ncollaboration.
\n
\nWhat three playwrights or or plays would you recommend?<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/span>Gah! There are so many exciting writers! The pressure to choose is almost
\ntoo much! I’m intrigued with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins<\/a>, Luis Alfaro<\/a>, Sheila<\/a>
\nCallaghan, and Aditi Kapil<\/a>. Portland has a rich and talented community of
\nplaywrights, too. That’s way more than 3.
\n
\nWhat are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of working as a<\/strong>
\ndramaturg? How will you share your dramaturgical skills with CoHo<\/strong>
\nProductions?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The most rewarding aspect for me is fulfilling the role of creative
\nsupporter and problem-solver. I enjoy being a calm, open-minded, trusted
\npresence in the room, and I find so much happiness in the creative
\ncollaboration that results from that. Being a dramaturg is never about the
\ndramaturg – it’s always about supporting the work and making it the best
\nit can be. The role of dramaturg often seems nebulous from the outside,
\nthough, and that is certainly one of the challenges. I’m usually not able
\nto point at something tangible and say, “I did that! That’s dramaturgy!”
\nso explaining and\/or justifying the vital importance of dramaturgical work
\ncan be difficult sometimes.<\/p>\n

This season at CoHo, I’ll be the embedded dramaturg, available to work
\nwith each co-producer as needed. For example, I’ve created a resource
\npacket for THE HOW AND THE WHY<\/a> that will be useful for the actors, the
\ndirector, and the audience. That involved around 12 hours of research
\nrelated to evolutionary biology and the hypotheses about menstruation and
\nmenopause mentioned in the play. I learned a great deal though that
\nprocess, and it’s helping me think about the play differently. In addition
\nto working on productions, I hope to establish a Portland branch of the
\nDramaturgy Open Office Hours Project<\/a>, and help develop stronger ties
\nbetween CoHo and the diverse pool of possible co-producers in the Portland
\narea. It’s only been two weeks, though, so I’m sure my list of things I
\nwant to do will grow exponentially!
\n
\nWhat are your big-picture professional theatre goals, and how does this<\/strong>
\nfellowship help you advance those?<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I want to help make excellent and meaningful theatre with artists that I
\nadmire and respect. I want to help create greater access to the theatre
\nfor anyone who wants it. I feel invested in and hopeful for the Portland
\narts community, so I’m really hoping to find or create a niche for myself
\nwithin it. This fellowship is an incredible opportunity for me to meet and
\ncollaborate with a wide variety of artists, act as a gentle dramaturgy
\nevangelist, and, most importantly, learn from every single person I
\nencounter. I am beyond grateful to CoHo and AGE for allowing me the chance
\nto do all of that.
\n
\nWhat other projects are you invested in currently?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Since June, I’ve been working with Theatre Vertigo<\/a> and Matt Zrebski in the
\ndevelopment process of Matt’s new play CARNIVORA. It’s been such a treat
\nto have four workshops with the playwright and the actors, and I cannot
\nwait to see this visceral little beast onstage in January. I’m also the
\n“official” dramaturg for Playwrights West<\/a>, a ridiculously talented
\ncollective of Portland-area writers.<\/p>\n

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