WORDS / ARKANSASSTAGED

PHOTO / EMILY CLARKSON

ArkansasStaged has developed a brand-new exploration of what it means to perform live theatre. Conceived by Laura Shatkus, Artistic Director of ArkansasStaged, CURBSIDE THEATRE is a new spin on presenting live performance: you stay inside and the performers come to you. It’s like delivery pizza, but better for the heart. CURBSIDE THEATRE is a new play, written and performed by local theatre professionals Michael Bell, Mischa Hutchings, Kholoud Sawaf, and Laura Shatkus, with contributions from Adrienne Dawes. In the tradition of past ArkansasStaged shows, this work will be presented for free and will be supported by donations from the community. 

The play was inspired by the idea of a “theatrical care package” and the deep belief in the power of art to heal. Given the need to adapt and change in the time of social distancing, the play is performed on curbsides, facing your front door, outside of your kitchen window, or in your backyard — always observing the rules of social distancing — with the goal of making you laugh, engaging your sense of wonder, and bringing you hope in absurd times. Each performance will be customized and staged with your particular dwelling in mind through a pre-show consultation. 

“We wanted to find a safe way to continue to bring the healing power of live theatre to a new world,” says Laura Shatkus, co-creator of the play. “CURBSIDE THEATRE was born out of a desire to innovate, make art, and send a ‘theatrical care package’ to our community.” 

The play takes the audience on a whimsical, interstellar journey with a space traveller experimenting in the realms of the mind and the heart. Through dance, music, and the heroic hygiene of a fastidious clown, you’ll be engaged in a new way of looking at the world. 

The piece is family-friendly but can be presented to only one household at a time, for best social-distancing practices. Thirty (30) performances will be offered for FREE between June 15 and July 30, with a suggested donation to a tax-deductible online fundraiser. Reservations can be made virtually but will not go live until June. 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE: FREE (limited) performances start: June 15th Runtime: 30-45 minutes 

TICKETS: 30 FREE shows are available on a first-come, first-served basis by visiting www.curbsidetheatre.com 

QUESTIONS: curbsidetheatre@gmail.com 

ABOUT ARKANSASSTAGED ArkansasStaged is a collective of theatre artists working to bring staged readings and experimental/experiential theatre to life in the unique spaces of Northwest Arkansas. With an emphasis on women’s voices, previous ArkansasStaged performances at the 21c Museum Hotel include Empanada Loca and readings of Squeamish, Natural Shocks, White Rabbit Red Rabbit, Dear Elizabeth, Collected Stories, Grounded, The Taming, Craving Gravy, Art, and Venus In Fur. Other performances include An Old Woman Speaks and Lazarus Catering (at Stage 18), Gertrude Stein Plays Paris and Picasso At the Lapine Agile (at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art), Veils (at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Fayetteville) and Love Song (at Fayetteville Underground). The artists in the ArkansasStaged ensemble have worked professionally in theatre and film throughout the U.S. and abroad.