A Note from Goat in the Road Artistic Directors during COVID-19 March

March 31, 2020

It’s strange to think about our mindset only two and a half weeks ago. At that time we were anticipating technical rehearsals for KindHumanKind, getting prepared to perform The Uninvited's ninth weekend of performances, and ramping up to the Play/Write Showcase. 

So many changes have happened since then, for all of us. We are giving ourselves time to think about what happens next, and also to reflect on the past year. 

The 2019-2020 season was an exciting one for us.

We brought on the amazing Mary Guiteras in a full time role as Education Director, and welcomed a new Play/Write partner school, Homer A. Plessy School. We had a kick-ass third year of Goat in the Schools, with some of our most hilarious student-written plays yet (go Bagel King!).  

In September we opened Roleplay, the culmination of a long-term collaboration with Tulane University students, Professor Jenny Mercein, and filmmaker Katie Mathews.  In January we premiered The Uninvited with the Hermann-Grima & Gallier Historic Houses.

The show enjoyed eight sold-out weeks before it was cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions.  And in just a few weeks we were set to remount the critically acclaimed KindHumanKind with musician Aurora Nealand.

We are so proud of all three shows, and the amazing artists who made them.  At Goat in the Road we have always strived to push ourselves to make wide ranging work that spans multiple genres, spaces, and styles.

This season, perhaps more than any other in our history, illustrated this ambition: a deep-dive ensemble work with University students, an immersive historical drama, and a visually-arresting concert all packed into a period of seven months.  We were thrilled to give our audiences some creative whiplash.    
 
Why do we say all this?  We want to take a moment to thank you. Our audience has been amazing to us over the past ten years.  You have supported us, encouraged us to experiment, and have been our extended family. We do not take that lightly. It has been our life's work to continue to cultivate and encourage the community around us.
  
Please take care of yourselves. Practice physical distancing. Support the people and organizations that you love now more than ever. And stay in touch. 

 When this passes, theater and community and person-to-person contact will be just as important as it ever was: a way for us to look each other in our (non-digital) eyes, to say hello, to exchange ideas, and to feel human.  Til then, we miss you and wish you well!

From our human computer to yours,
Shannon Flaherty and Chris Kaminstein