welcome to The Muse Project.
original poster design by Anna Lathrop. logo design by Cole Tucker-Walton.
a paradigm shift for women actors.
The Muse Project asks actresses: What role have you always wanted to play? What story have you always wanted to tell? What do you need to create that role & tell that story?
what is The Muse Project's mission?
The Muse Project seeks to disrupt the imbalance of opportunity and ownership of work for women actors through the development of challenging, actor-driven theater works and focused research into their participation in American theater. Our company shifts the theater paradigm through the empowerment of women actors as creators and content generators.
The Muse Project is an actor-first process. We give individual women performers time and space, and we help them to create a dream team of collaborators (other actors, writers, directors, musicians, and so forth). Women actors are given necessary resources to arrive at a first, second, & third iteration of their work through a workshop process termed the "Mini Muse." The work is shared with audiences to incite discussion and further development.
what's happening with our Muses, partner orgs, & associate Muses?
the MusesVanessa Aspillaga (2018) |
the associate MusesChelsea Villematic Harrison |
donate to The Muse Project.
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Please support The Muse Project with a tax-deductible contribution, to help us pay all collaborators generously for their energy and talents. Together, we can raise the industry standards of compensation for the new work development process.
Thanks for fighting the hard, awkward, frustrating, but good fight. Messy, but inspiring. Messy AND inspiring. |
The Muse Project is a sponsored project of The Tank & Fractured Atlas, non-profit arts service organizations. Contributions for the charitable purposes of The Muse Project must be made payable to 'The Tank' or 'Fractured Atlas' and are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. It is really important to me that the project is female-driven and actor-driven--it feels like it's much closer to the essential nature of theater. This is a rare opportunity... I love working in this way because we are working outside of the confines of the way the industry often tells us we need to work, and very interesting work is produced when we aren't trying to conform to the typical expectations of what a 'new play' is or what a 'performance' or 'audience relationship' should be. |
This way of playmaking reminds me of the heyday of The Group Theatre; how Odets wrote for specific actors in the company. When a playwright is writing specifically to the strengths of an actor, the play fits like a glove. While it's daunting to start with a blank canvas, it's also thrilling to be invested in a project from conception. To be part of a conversation about character arcs, plot points, and the overall 'message' of the play engages every aspect of my creative being. It is very humbling and empowering as a storyteller to be in the room witnessing the 'best idea win.' |
thank you for visiting.