STAGE LEFT, A Documentary Web Series That Explores Theatre And Community, Will Debut In 2020

Stage Left, a new documentary web series about theatre and community created by Ashley Marinaccio announces its first full season to launch in January 2020. Stage Left examines the impact of theatre and performance on local communities and introduces viewers to the performances, artists, theatre-makers, and communities that are creating work in places that go largely unnoticed by the mainstream. Each episode of Stage Left investigates a theatre company, performance tradition or performative ritual that is actively using theatre to engage, challenge and inspire their own communities.

The first season of Stage Left covers the work of Cabaret for Life; a Jersey Shore-based charity that puts on original dinner theatre productions about the local area to raise money for HIV/AIDS research; MAAFA (Kiswahili term for "terrible occurrence"), performed by the Incarn Ministry at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, a Brooklyn-based church congregation theatricalizing the Middle Passage and Trans-Atlantic slave trade; Tribe of Fools, a Philadelphia based circus troupe who utilizes physical theatre to address pressing mental health issues in the community; University Settlement, the oldest settlement house in New York which provides artistic leadership programs for historically underserved communities; The Queens Theatre, a senior citizen ensemble (ages 65+) who are staging their life stories; and Eagle Project/ASHTAR Theatre, a Native American and Palestinian theatre group who are collaborating to build solidarity around telling indigenous peoples' stories in New York and Ramallah.

The first season of Stage Left features the talents of Janet Bentley (Director, Editor, Production Sound Designer/Mixer), Noura Boustany Jost (Editor, Director of Photography), Jody Christopherson (Poster Photographer), Melissa Ingle (Assistant Director), Robert A.K. Gonyo (Field Sound Recorder and Sound Mixer), Karen Gunn (Producer), Ashley Marinaccio (Creator, Director, Host), Sarah Misch (Social Media Consultant), Micheal Rybicki (Field Sound Recorder). Stage Left is made possible by grants from the CUNY Graduate Center's Provost Digital Innovations, CUNY Graduate Center New Media Lab, Altfest Fellowship, and a fellowship from New York Public Humanities. For more information about Stage Left and to view the trailer and downloadable press materials visit Stage Left's website.