Mamet Encourages Atlantic Students to Create New Work

David Mamet, founder of the Atlantic Theater Acting School in Chelsea, has challenged and encouraged graduates of his school to "Get out there and produce your own show."

Four emerging theater companies spawned from his acting school have taken his challenge and have come together as a consortium known as the Collective P.A.S.T. The consortium has just been awarded a joint 5-month residency with Chashama (217 East 42 St.) that begins on May 1, 2007. Details on the full program of events will be released at a later date.

"Each founding theater company was conceived and built by graduates of the Atlantic Acting School – the intensive theatrical training ground spawnedfrom David Mamet's and William H. Macy's award-winning Atlantic Theater Company. Students here are encouraged and challenged by Atlantic to 'create your own work.' This includes writing new plays, nurturing unknown playwrights, telling untold stories, and producing your own show," state press materials.

The four theater companies have joined together to support one other, combine resources when needed, and share information with each other andsimilar emerging companies. Each company produces solely on its own, but Collective P.A.S.T. serves as a community of producing artists with a variety of experiences, backgrounds and strengths that each of the members can contribute to and draw from. Their common thread is their collective past.

For more info on Chashama, http://www.chashama.org.

Consortium Co's current and future productions are:

Sum Of Us Theater Group
Hotel Oracle by Bixby Elliot at Walkerspace – Running through March 31

The Production Company
Finally by Stephen Belber at the 45th Street Theater - Opens May 2007

Ateh Theater Group
The Girl Detective adapted by Bridgette Dunlap from short story by Kelly Link at The Connelly Theater – Just closed

Thirsty Turtle Productions
In pre-production for Dark of the Moon by Howard Richardson