Frustrated by opportunities for virtual theater already disappearing from fringe festivals, actor/creator Tia Shearer Bassett (known locally as the cancer-surviving “TheatreWolf”) has
founded a festival dedicated to the work that kept her feeling connected and inspired as she underwent chemotherapy in 2020: online, telephone, and by-mail theater (a category she hopes to include in future Fests).
“The From-Home Fest is a celebration of the theatrics that blossomed at the start of the pandemic…shows that bravely and playfully expand the definition of ‘theater,’ welcome artists and audiences who may be unable to physically go to a theater, and surprise us with an experience of real human connection,” she said.
The inaugural From-Home Fest runs between October 28 and November 5, 2023. A designated space on Discord will serve as “fringe central,” where audiences and artists can meet and mingle. The small but mighty festival includes the following works:
- Juxtapose Tenement – a whimsical interactive website inspired by the works of Joseph Cornell, featuring vintage spectacle, physical theater, and theatrical clown. Created and presented by Happenstance Theater (DC area). This interactive website experience is available from October 28 to November 5. Get tix here!
- The Ritual – a one-on-one horror show via telephone, guiding audiences through a ritual to fend off an eldritch terror. Created and presented by Phoenix Tears Productions (FL), October 28 and 31, and November 2 to 4. Get tix here!
- Edward and Christine – a live Zoom show/object theater/solo performer reimagining of a poem-play by Kenneth Koch. Presented by Anna Lathrop, Deb Sivigny, and Tia Shearer Bassett (DC area). October 29 matinee only. Get tix here!
- in a way that matters – a live multimedia performance exploring death acceptance and the body through mushrooms, trans ancestors, and a dash of Hamlet. Created and presented by Tristan Willis (DC area). Live, streamed to YouTube, presented by Tristan on November 3 and 4. Get tix here or here!
- Void Main – a live online production where audiences’ choices determine the fate of one astronaut alone on a station 750 million miles away. Created and presented by CirqueSaw (NY/MA). This live, interactive workshop is presented on November 1, 4, and 5. Get tix here!
For more information, visit https://fromhomefest.com/.
SEE ALSO:
Artists Who Inspire #1: Tia Shearer Bassett (by Nicole Hertvik, March 18, 2020)
Giving back to Tia Shearer Bassett (news story, November 23, 2019)
