2025 Directors Lab Applications Open!

joshuaEducation, Featured

WHAT IS PT’S DIRECTOR’S LAB? 

An educational program to develop the talent pool of early-career directors. Participants will be guided by an established Director in the theatrical field who will challenge them creatively to grow, as well as equip these artists with the necessary tools to succeed in today’s field as directors at Perseverance Theatre and beyond. Participants will cover the principles and techniques of play direction – including script selection, directorial analysis, casting, composition, blocking, tempo, and rehearsal planning – all through the lens of Justice, Equity, Decolonization, Inclusion, and Access (JEDIA). Participants will be guided by an established Director in the theatrical field. 

PROGRAM DETAILS

Perseverance Theatre is looking for 1-2 Directors to each work on a self-selected 20-30 minute project. The Director’s proposed project can be a selection/excerpt from already published materials or a proposed newly devised piece. We encourage you to think about plays/novels you like, or local playwrights you may know. We will ask each director to propose two ideas with your application. 

Each Proposal will Include: 

  • A Brief Description of the Project (Include title, author, and pertinent details) 
  • Casting Needs (The number of actors, age, race, ability, gender identity, etc…)
  • Technical Needs (Are there any specific set, costume, lighting, sound, etc…)
  • Artistic Statement (Why do you want to work on this piece?) 

If selected, Directors will meet together with their Directing Mentor throughout two weeks before the first rehearsal to discuss and practice communication styles/tactics, and JEDIA values and implementation. This will also be an opportunity for the selected Director to ask questions of the Directing Mentor, and vice versa – ex. What will we ask of the world through this piece? There will be weekly check-ins scheduled throughout the rehearsal process for Directors to ask questions, and discuss their process. 

Directors will work with their Directing Mentor to schedule approximately 30 hours of rehearsal with actors to work on their proposed piece spread over 5 weeks in March and April with the use of Perseverance Theatre’s facilities and resources. For example, meeting twice a week for 2 hours. Auditions, Callbacks, Tech, Dress Rehearsal, Performances, and Weekly check-ins will not count toward rehearsal hours. The culminating performance will be a free presentation to the community to take place in the Phoenix Space at the conclusion of the 5 weeks.

APPLICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED BY FEBRUARY 7, 2025

APPLICATION LINK: https://forms.gle/CRZoPG8wJAJYH3yNA

If chosen, here are some of the expectations of “Your role as a Director” that PT will guide you through:

  • Pre-Rehearsal Preparation Work
  • Dramaturgical Analysis 
  • Creating a Rehearsal Schedule 
  • Creation/Collaboration with Technical Aspects 
  • Time Management 
  • Working with Actors
  • Blocking, and Composition
  • Casting Process

Please reach out to  kferguson@ptalaska.org with any questions.

Printable PDF Flyer.

Time to Apply for Your PFD and Pick.Click.Give!

joshuaFeatured, Fundraisers

DONATE NOW

Dear Friend of Perseverance,

Thanks to all the wonderful donors who generously supported Perseverance Theatre in 2024!  We had a tremendous outpouring of support as last year came to a close and are in a much stronger position because of the investments made by people who believe in the power of professional theatre by and for Alaskans.  Now that 2025 is here, it is time for Alaskans to apply for the 2025 Permanent Fund Dividend.  And as Alaskans know, when you apply for the 2025 Dividend, you can support a panoply of worthwhile organizations, including Perseverance Theatre through the Pick.Click.Give Program!

In addition to directly investing in Perseverance, the Pick.Click.Give Program is an easy and streamlined way to support groups who will strive in 2025 to make Alaska a better place for all.  Please consider allocating some of your 2025 Dividend to Perseverance and the continued creation of professional theatre by and for Alaskans.

Our next production this season will be Larissa FastHorse’s Broadway hit The Thanksgiving Play which will run in Juneau in February and March, and move to Anchorage in April.  Stay tuned for more information about this show and other exciting happenings at Perseverance Theatre.

Best wishes to you for peace, prosperity, safety, health, and happiness in 2024!

Yours gratefully,

Benjamin Brown
Development Director
Perseverance Theatre

Giving Tuesday 2024

joshuaFeatured, Fundraisers

Today is Giving Tuesday ~ the Perfect Time to invest

in professional theatre by and for Alaskans ~

Perseverance thanks all our supporters who have helped us survive and thrive through the past few years of unique and unprecedented challenges.

DONATE TO PERSEVERANCE THEATRE

Casting Call for The Thanksgiving Play

Melody MetcalfCasting Calls, Featured, Uncategorized

The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse

Perseverance Theatre is officially accepting auditions for an upcoming production of The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse, directed by Frank Henry Kaash Katasse. Those auditioning will receive sides from the show and will be asked to submit a self-taped video for consideration. 

Juneau locals: If you require technical assistance or a space to capture your audition, please email casting@ptalaska.org to make a reservation for our Phoenix Black Box space on Sunday, November 17 or Monday, November 18.

The deadline for submissions is November 18, 2024. Only non-union contracts available.

This show will be produced and performed in Juneau, then transferred to Anchorage. 

Perseverance Theatre provides round-trip travel, housing, and local transportation when away from your home city.

Juneau Rehearsal Dates: January 21-February 27, 2025

Juneau Performance Dates: February 28-March 16, 2025

Anchorage Rehearsal Dates: April 1-2, 2025

Anchorage Performance Dates: April 4-13, 2025

Want to request audition sides? Have any questions? Please email casting@ptalaska.org.

SHOW DESCRIPTION: 

The Thanksgiving Play is a wacky tale of wokeness and centers a high school theatre director, her overly earnest actor boyfriend, a Los Angeles-based actress (the real deal), and a shy academic turned aspiring theatre maker on their well-intentioned quest to create a politically correct play about the first Thanksgiving for their local elementary school. Cultural sensitivity is the utmost priority in their process of creating this work with only one major problem: All of them are white. Follow these artists as they’re forced to confront their own biases and astonishing lack of Native representation for their Thanksgiving Play.  This Broadway comedy, by previous Perseverance Theatre collaborator and 2020 MacArthur Fellow playwright Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota Nation), expertly balances societal critique, true-to-life comedy, and a lesson on performative activism in this hilarious satirical play. 

AUDITIONS:

Looking for non-union actors to play the roles listed on the following page. Those auditioning will be asked to submit a self-taped video of themselves with the sides from the show for consideration. 

Note on Casting: Casting is open to all ages for any character. Non-binary, trans, and gender non-conforming actors regardless of the documented gender identity of the characters are always welcome to apply for the character they feel most comfortable identifying with. Please note that we cannot alter the pronouns of the characters in the script, so actors should be comfortable being referred to as the pronouns assigned to the character they are auditioning for. We encourage white-passing actors of any ethnic, racial, or cultural background to audition.

CHARACTERS:

Logan: Female, white/white-passing, the high school drama teacher that’s always pushing the envelope in potentially inappropriate ways. Earnest about theatre and proving herself. Is producing this play as a desperate attempt to save her job.

Jaxton: Male, white/white-passing. Actor/yoga practitioner, Logan’s boyfriend. Politically correct to a fault, a big one. He’s the confident guy that everyone loves, but his overly logical PC thinking takes weird turns.

Alicia: Female, brunette white/white-passing with looks that would’ve been cast as “ethnic” in 1950s movies. Without guile. Sexy and hot, but not all that bright.

Caden: Male, white/white-passing. The academic. Awkward elementary school history teacher with dramatic aspirations but no experience.

Cold Case Anchorage Talkbacks

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Advocating for Equitable Care for Victims of Violence
Professor Angelia TrujilloUAA School of Nursing
Thursday,  Oct. 10th
Learn about the Alaska Comprehensive Forensic Training Academy, which aims to provide training to healthcare professionals in order to improve their abilities to recognize, document, and provide aftercare for all victims of violence

Language Revitalization
Dr. Maria Williams and the Cold Case Team
UAA Alaska Native Studies Program
Sunday, Oct. 13th
Learn about language revitalization work being done in the community, and the importance of reclaiming, revitalizing, and maintaining language. 

Advocating for Equitable Care for Victims of Violence
Professor Angelia Trujillo
UAA School of Nursing
Thursday,  Oct. 17th
Learn about the Alaska Comprehensive Forensic Training Academy which aims to provide training to health care professionals in order to improve their abilities to recognize, document, and provide aftercare for all victims of violence

Mask Workshop with Roblin Davis

joshuaUncategorized

This class has been postponed.

Mask Workshop with Roblin Davis
Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:30 – 9:00pm 

Location: Perseverance Theatre 914 3rd Street, Douglas, AK 99824

Price: $125 

Scholarships are available, email kferguson@ptalaska.org for more information 

Registration is for ages 16 & up 

CLASS DESCRIPTION: Masks and Movement for the Actor
Explore the theatrical mask through creative play and improvisation! Using a variety of mask styles, we will study the basics of expressive movement, gesture, and the poetic body where our imagination, acting technique, and character development intertwine. When wearing a mask, we attempt to enter a state of openness: a forward-moving, physically engaged curiosity with the world around us. The mask is a tool where breath, levels of play, timing, and imaginative state lead us to gain a state of playful, collaborative creativity. This workshop will help you develop strong character, challenge you to gain greater physical expressiveness, and find new links between your mind’s imagination and your body’s intelligence. 

Whether you are an actor, a storyteller, a dancer, a writer, or a performance artist interested in pushing your creative frontier, this workshop will challenge you to find richer dynamics, increased sensitivity, and greater expression in your work.

ABOUT ROBLIN: 
Roblin Gray Davis is a performer, director, and teacher of innovational, collaborative performance. Mask-making and mask movement in performance, puppetry, and devised theatre is the heart of his endeavors. Roblin has traveled and studied internationally in pursuit of dynamic physical performance and currently lives in Juneau, Alaska.

Cold Case Talk backs with AWARE

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Perseverance Theatre be hosting two talkbacks during the Juneau run of Cold Case with team members from AWARE.

AWARE’s mission is to provide safe shelter and supportive services for survivors of domestic or sexual violence; and to effect the social, political, and legal changes needed to eliminate oppression, gender violence, and violence against children.

TALKBACK 1:
Sunday, Sept. 15th
30-45 minutes post-show.
Sunday’s talkback will feature members of the Cold Case Cast and Mandy Cole, AWARE’s Executive Director.

TALKBACK 2:
Thursday, Sept. 19
30-45 minutes post-show.
Thursday’s talkback will feature members of the Cold Case Cast and Swarupa Toth, AWARE’s Legal and Sexual Assault Director.

NOW HIRING: LITERARY COORDINATOR / PRODUCING ASSISTANT

joshuaFeatured, Job Openings, Work With Us

Perseverance Theatre is seeking candidates for the role of LITERARY COORDINATOR / PRODUCING ASSISTANT

This is a full-time, non-exempt, hourly position, paid at $24/hr. This position is eligible for health/vision/dental insurance and vacation benefits. This position is based in Juneau or Anchorage, Alaska, with a mixture of in-person and work-from-home responsibilities. This is a temporary position, fully funded for 16 months, from August 1, 2024 to November 30, 2025, with possibility but not guarantee to continue after that time. 

Perseverance Theatre’s mission is to create professional theatre by and for Alaskans. We value community engagement, cross-cultural collaboration, professional rigor, and regional voice.

Perseverance is an equal opportunity employer. Perseverance is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team/community of staff, fellows, and apprentices, and individuals from groups which are under-represented in the theatre field are strongly encouraged to apply.

Duties of the Position:

As the Literary Coordinator, this position shall report directly to the Artistic Director, and may also coordinate and/or work with the Literary Associate and other departments. This position is responsible for the management of new play commissions and development, as well as assisting the producing of events and programming in the mainstage season. This shall include communication with artists under commission or under consideration for commission, project management of new work development and workshops, exploring partnership opportunities related to new play development with community groups and other organizations, and involvement in the premiering of these works. This will include collaborating with Alaska Native and BIPOC organizations and their community leaders, elders, culture bearers, and artists.

As the Producing Assistant, this position shall report to the Associate Producer. This may also include assisting other staff project managers in the curation, budgeting, hiring, contracting, communication, coordination, and/or reporting related to their events or programming. 

All positions at Perseverance Theatre complete duties separate from their area of focus. This might include general office tasks, full-staff cleaning days, strike, shoveling snow, etc.

Required Qualifications:

  • 2+ years of professional theatre experience
  • Ability to perform dramaturgical analysis of new and existing plays in a workshop or production setting
  • Experience with best practices of Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access in theatre processes and community-based work
  • Proficiency with Microsoft and Google office programs (docs/word, sheets/excel, etc.)
  • Effective communication both in conversation and written word
  • Self-motivated, collaborative, and an enjoyable team player

Desired Qualifications:

  • 4+ years of professional theatre experience
  • Experience leading new play development projects
  • Established community relationships in Alaska and/or community building/organizing experience
  • Experience and/or enthusiasm to learn and practice decolonizing and re-Indigenizing processes and models
  • Established relationships across national regional theatre literary initiatives, including theatres of color and BIPOC theatre networks.
  • Familiarity and/or experience with logistics of theatre production
  • Grant writing and reporting experience

To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to frankd@ptalaska.org with the subject line “Lit Coordinator / Producing Asst. Posting”