Making sense - and theater - out of Bedlam

Posted at 11:31 AM on April 15, 2010 by Marianne Combs (0 Comments)
Filed under: Theater

Images from some of the 20 different plays on stage as part of Bedlam's 10-minute play festival.

Even after 17 years, it's hard not to think of Bedlam Theater as "the new kids." The energy, idealism and creativity the company brings to its work seems more typical of a teenager than an established non-profit. Their venue, located right on a lightrail stop in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, is part theater, part community-center, and part social lounge.

This year that energy and idealism won the theater a Sally Award. But the company shows no signs of sitting back and relaxing now that it's earned some accolades. This Friday marks the opening of its annual ten-minute play festival, and the line-up looks more diverse than ever.

I met with Co-artistic Director Maren Ward to talk about the festival, and how it fits in to Bedlam's overarching goals of fostering new talent and connecting with the local neighborhood. She says the festival started out, and continues to serve, as a sort of in-depth general audition - it's how the staff meets a lot of its actors.

It's also a community builder in that connections are made across genres and disciplines and many people form relationships that they continue outside of the festival. That sounds like its a big hook up session. It is! Artistic hookups.

Over the years the range of people participating in the festival has continued to expand. Ward says she's particularly proud of the inclusion of a play written by participants in Bedlam's CRAZY program (Cedar-Riverside Art Zone for Youth). In addition, one third of the pieces in this year's festival are created or directed by artists who identify as queer. And another addition: Bedlam is collaborating with the Playwrights' Center, bringing in new writing talent. Last but not least, Tru Ruts is presenting an evening of ten minute Hip Hop theater pieces; it's a teaser for their Hip Hop Theater Festival coming to Bedlam in the fall.

Playwright Reggie Edmund, who has a show described as a "hip-hop monologue" in this year's festival, says he loves the diverse voices Bedlam brings together.

This event recharges me, as an emerging artists of color in an industry where there is often a sense of powerlessness, Bedlam gives that power back to the writers and the creators and that is truly an amazing thing to be a part of.

Edmund says through the festival production process he's learning to trust his voice. And he enjoys the structure and challenge of the ten-minute play.

The difficulty with the ten minute structure is similar to that of an artist painting a picture, you have to trust yourself that you don't need huge sweeping moments with the brush upon the canvas to make it into a masterpiece, but rather small delicate details are what truly make your art beautiful.

Still, with so many shows, and so many people involved, doesn't the play take a toll on the energy and enthusiasm of the staff? After all, they aren't "the new kids" anymore.
Co-Artistic Director Maren Ward says it's quite the opposite.

The pay off is in the numbers of people, artists, audience, volunteers who come through the doors to make this happen and who in one form or another keep coming back. The creativity that fills every crevice during the rehearsal period continues to feed us throughout the year.

After seventeen years, that's saying something.

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