Theatre Projects
We devise and create theatre projects in collaboration with schools, community organizations, artists, and nonprofits. In our process we look to lift youth voices, connect people across generations, open creative modes of dialogue, and use theatre as a catalyst for addressing community needs.
Some of our past and ongoing projects are listed below. To learn more about how we can help start a project with your community - please reach out!
Aiken: A Bridge for Understanding
Original Project: Aiken High School, Aiken South Carolina.
Fall - Winter 2025
In partnership with esteemed South Carolina educator, Dr. Kayla Hoesteller, Aiken High School Students, The Bread Loaf Teacher Network, Beyond the Page at Middlebury College, and Write to Change Foundation.
This civic engagement project uses theatre as a catalyst to empower youth voices, address community needs and facilitate conversation. The process began in English classrooms where students conducted a rigorous research process and paper identifying and analyzing pressing local community needs. That research came to life through the creation of short plays. The culminating community performance brought together over 70 students, teachers, parents, community members, and different stakeholders across Aiken. Students, working as an ensemble of theatre-makers, became advocates for what they saw as their most pressing community needs and used the power of theatre and performance to engage the audience in conversation, reflection, and connection.
“I was so nervous about the 'acting' part, but Craig made us feel like a real ensemble. He taught us that theatre isn't just about reciting lines; it’s about using your whole body to tell a truth. I found a confidence I didn't know I had.
“The process of turning facts into a story changed how I look at my community. I'm not just a student anymore; I feel like a storyteller and an advocate.”
PUBLISHED ARTICLES
The Stranger’s Case
Original Project: Town Hall Theater, Middlebury, Vermont.
Fall 2024
Citizenship and belonging are topics as rife today as they were more than 400 years ago when William Shakespeare is believed to have penned The Strangers’ Case, a passionate defense of refugees, in the play Sir Thomas More. Through a residency at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, Vermont, Artist from The Beyond Ensemble and Beyond the Page led community members in a rich exploration of this text’s themes and created a culminating theater and music presentation – incorporating community members’ storytelling into the play. This project was in collaboration with local high school, Middlebury College, and local organizations opening up dialogue around migrancy, community, citizenship, and belonging.
PRESS:
Beyond the Canvas
Original Project: Middlebury College Museum of Art
Spring 2026
Beyond Ensemble theatre artists Craig Maravich and Madison Middleton blended theatre, conversation, and music to further explore the themes of Damian Stamer’s Angels & Ghosts exhibit at The Middlebury College Museum. This immersive event engaged audiences around Stamer’s themes of memory, imagination, art, and what it means to be human in an increasingly technological world. Through Beyond the Canvas, everyone in the room deepened their relationship with Stamer’s paintings, going beyond first impressions and investigating personal connection and collective meaning- meaning. The gallery expanded as a space for shared experiences. Together, this multi-generational audience laughed, reflected, cried, shared stories, and came into community with one another.
“What a wonderful afternoon! Thank you for putting together the Beyond the Canvas performance—such a thoughtful and creative invitation to reflect on ways of seeing, lived experience, AI, and what’s ‘real.’ A touching and authentic performance.”
— Liza Sacheli Director, Mahaney Arts Center at Middlebury College
“The performance was incredible, but the conversation afterward blew my mind. I didn't expect the adults in the audience to engage so deeply. We weren't just performing at them; we were starting a dialogue with them about the future of our town.”
— Ze’Niya Harris,
Student, Aiken High School
