Spotlights and Sneak Peeks from a Few PPP in Place Creators

Designer

Sara Outing

Tiny Dynamite audiences know Sara Outing’s delightful and surprising prop and set designs for many of our shows, including The Art of Swimming and The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged. 

Sara’s PPP in Place project, A Breath for Us — created in collaboration with playwright Jarrett McCreary — was delivered to you through letters and packages in the mail, telling a story and building a world through narrative pieces and imaginative artifacts.

In Sara’s words: “Theatremakers have a chance right now — everyone has a chance — to untether from normalcy. Despite being confined at home, the internet has expanded our vision. The physical boundaries tying us to a specific venue, or audience, or network of influence, have been nearly erased. We turn instead to the social and moral currents that have always influenced our lives and our work, and that now fully define it. I’m riding that current into whatever comes next.”

Playwright

Jarrett McCreary

Jarrett McCreary is a playwright and arts educator in the Philadelphia theater community. Journeying through almost every section of theater, from acting to administration, Jarrett has been well versed in what works best for a collective of creators in and out of a script. Jarrett was a part of the 2018/2020 member of the Interact Core Playwrights. His play “The Children of Edgar and Nina” also saw its first professional production with The Neighborhood Theater in Chicago IL, February 2020. His stories are black, they are queer, they are magical, and they are vulnerable, and the hope is to use these plays to dive deep into conversations about human connection.

Jarrett collaborated with Sara Outing on A Breath for Us, which was delivered to you through letters and packages in the mail, developing the text alongside Sara’s artifacts.

Playwright

Paige Zubel

Paige Zubel is a Philadelphia-area playwright, dramaturg, producer, and recent co-founder of Grapeseed Crafts. Paige‘s plays have been developed and produced across the country and the globe.

Paige‘s interactive PPP in Place project, We Can’t Wait, unfolded through a series of intergalactic transmissions from across the universe, delivered to you over the phone. You chose the order in which you experienced the story, while following guidelines to craft a unique artifact all your own.

In Paige’s words: “It’s been such a delightful challenge figuring out what interactive performance looks like in social isolation. It was important to me to incorporate Tiny Dynamite’s commitment to audience interaction into this play—and I hope my take on it is as fun to experience as it was to create. Also, I love world-building. And who doesn’t like to imagine the limitlessness of outer space? I never would have thought to create a play quite like this in a pre-quarantine world, which feels like a small, artistic silver lining to come out of these times.”

Playwright

Ian August

Tiny Dynamite audiences know playwright Ian August’s work from 2019’s one-woman show Donna Orbits the Moon. Ian’s plays have been developed and produced here in Philadelphia, across the country, and around the world.

Ian’s PPP in Place project, Social Distances, was a participatory play shared with you live over the internet, with audience members having 27 distinct paths through the story using Zoom’s breakout rooms. No two performances were exactly the same!

In Ian’s words: “I’m thrilled to partner with Tiny Dynamite on Social Distances, a new interactive experimental comedy about trust, friendships, and the perils of planning a wedding shower. I guarantee you’ve never experienced anything like it before!“

Designer

Natalia de la Torre

Natalia de la Torre is a prolific creative force in Philadelphia theater. Costume designer, scenic painter, wig stylist, craft artisan — Natalia does it all!

Natalia’s PPP in Place experience, Georgiana Recovered in Time, came to you through the mail. Letters, packages, and surprises delivered a modern, irreverent, and whimsical twist on the works of our beloved Jane Austen, as Natalia worked in collaboration with Jane Austen, Abridged co-writer and artistic associate Meghan Winch.

In Natalia’s words: “As a designer, sometimes I feel pigeon-holed no matter how many different skills I cultivate. But right now, the slate feels wiped clean and all theatermakers are in the same reset/holding position. I get to storytell in ways no one considered I could. The risks we take are exciting when we are invited to leave our comfort zones.“

Playwright

Meghan Winch

Meghan is a Philadelphia dramaturg and actor, and Tiny Dynamite’s artistic associate. She’s also one of the cowriters of Tiny Dynamite’s hit The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged!

Meghan collaborated with Natalia de la Torre on Georgiana Recovered in Time, a series of 10 packages and postcards that came to you through the mail. Two love stories – one modern, one set in the world of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice – were revealed through words and crafts, some of which you even made yourself.

In Meghan’s words: “As others have pointed out before me, there’s something really resonant today about the way Jane Austen’s love stories play out. I’ve been craving stories about love, connection, and joy, even (or especially) from a distance, and it’s been great fun to write one alongside Natalia’s delightful designs.”