Washington Ensemble Theatre received a grant in order to create an original play about the holidays in the theatre’s neighborhood of Capitol Hill in Seattle. The collaborative collective was interested in making an unsentimental piece that would truly explore a range of experience surrounding the winter holidays. I worked as the director and lead writer.
We interviewed a number of people in the neighborhood from devout Christians, to Jews to Atheists and included as many of their experiences – along with the experiences of the theater company members – into a piece that captured both the joy and sadness of the holiday season. In trying to imagine a set for a play that took place in dozens of locations we hit upon the idea of replicating the theatre’s storefront on stage, emphasizing the new theatre’s desired role of community meeting place.
Amy Boyce Holtcamp 