Page 28 - BusinessWest July 24, 2023

Double Edge creates ‘spectacles’ that move around the farm, so the whole property turns into a theatrical stage.
Photo by David Weiland
“The art is predominantly theater, although we touch all the mediums of art,” Bright said, noting that company members — some live on the grounds for extended stretches, while others com- mute — not only write and perform works, but build and paint sets; create costumes; handle lighting, sound, rigging, and other produc- tion aspects; and more,
The summer performances are called ‘spectacles,’ and it’s an apt term. “They move around this farm, so the whole farm turns into
a theatrical stage, essentially,” Bright said. “We really interact with the outside world; there are giant puppets and fire.”
The audience — which is capped at 80 to 90 per night — fol- lows the performance across the grounds, both inside and outside its buildings, and are often timed to begin in sunlight and end with dark skies, beside a small lagoon lit by fire and stage lights, lined
“We essentially guide every- thing, from parking the car through the final hurrah,” Bright explained. “There’s a whole jour- ney that the audience follows, and whether you’re at the front or the back, you’ll experience the whole thing. You won’t miss out on anything, although each audience member experiences it differently.”
The spectacles have been a staple of Double Edge’s offer- ings for a couple decades. “Lots
of people are involved; it could be painting giant murals or doing puppets, making costumes,” he said. “We also work with a bunch of contractors that come in to help us with some heavy lifting, cer- tain set pieces. So, really, lots of people are involved before we even open the performance.”
The current spectacle, directed by Double Edge founder and Artistic Director Stacy Klein, is called The Hidden Territories of the Bacchae, and is “our response to Euripides’ Bacchae, in which women’s rites are no longer in hidden territories and women are freely able to express their deeply held desires,” according to the company’s description. It runs from July 19 through Aug. 6, and tickets are available at doubleedgetheatre.org.
“Then, other times of the year, we make other works that can go into regular-type theatres, and we tour,” Bright said. “We just got back from Europe for a couple of tours there. It’s still large-scale, but it becomes a little bit more intimate, and you can control more in the theatrical setting than outdoors. There are different limita- tions, I would say. But it’s still visually stunning, very physical, poetic ... it’s definitely not your average Shakespeare recital.”
Meanwhile, Double Edge offers residencies and other coopera- tive oppportunities to like-minded companies across the U.S., he
with platforms in the trees, a tra- peze, a trampoline, and more. It’s ... well, a spectacle.
“Even in
neighborhoods
that seem great,
everyone goes
to their little
boxes, and then
they’re isolated. I
think what we’re
creating here —
or recreating,
let’s say — is
something closer
to a village,
and that feels
healthy.”
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