ArtsWest Utilizes Documentary Theatre Techniques to Give Voice to Local Nurses' Stories from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Created from verbatim accounts of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Seattle nurses who were there, AN ENDLESS SHIFT is a tribute to the everyday heroes who were confronted with what would become the longest shift of their lives. It is a journey of challenge, hope, and deep recognition of our common humanity, told in the firsthand words of the humans who were there.

Artistic Director, Mat Wright along with members of this year's Associate Artist cohort, Gloria Alcalá and Alma Davenport, interviewed five healthcare workers as they answered the questions: Who are you? What drew you to the profession? What did you experience? And how did the pandemic change you and your path? From these interviews, Mat, Gloria, and Alma devised a 75-minute piece of documentary theatre which will be performed as a solo performance by Gloria. The script is comprised of verbatim accounts transcribed from their interviews.

"There is a really unique magic when you are telling real world stories rather than fictionalized accounts," says Mat Wright, Artistic Director and Director of An Endless Shift. It's not a play about the pandemic. It is about the people who really experienced it firsthand. Devisor Alma Davenport describes that these are the personal narratives of nurses who were "trying to survive and trying to keep themselves alive while also taking care of us. And what's that? That is the hero's journey, and that story is timeless." An Endless Shift is about the human experience- full of funny, poignant, and visceral moments that remind us how we can live better together.

Seattle theater artist Gloria Alcalá, gives a solo tour de force performance, as they embody and voice the multitude of perspectives on the harrowing journey Seattle nurses faced in an ever-shifting landscape. Gloria, a musical theatre alum of Cornish College of the Arts, has regional credits with The Fifth Avenue Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare, and 12 Avenue Arts.

Cast: Gloria Alcalà

Creative Team
Mathew Wright - Director / Deviser
Gloria Alcalà - Deviser
Alma Davenport - Deviser
Alexei Cifrese - Stage Manager
Parmida Ziaei - Scenic Designer
Chih-Hung Shao - Lighting Designer
Max Sarkowsky - Sound Designer
Jae Hee Kim- Costume Designer

AN ENDLESS SHIFT plays January 26th - February 19th, 2023 at ArtsWest (4711 California Ave. Seattle, WA 98116). Tickets are on sale now at www.artswest.org.

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