Curious Encounters’ of the 7 Stages kind

The theatre directors talk an interactive festival of performances by local ensemble groups, stationed from the front sidewalk, throughout the theatre, and into the back parking lot

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  • MICHAEL HAVERTY
  • Raymond Carr as preacher in The Object Group’s Chapel Perilous



7 Stages Theatre closed its 35th season with Curious Encounters, an interactive festival of performances by local ensemble groups, stationed from the front sidewalk, throughout the theatre, and into the back parking lot. Artistic Director Heidi Howard along with Associate Artistic Director and show curator Michael Haverty talk with CL about the power of space, the heckling bathroom attendants’ true identities, and how many stages really do exist inside the theatre.

You have groups performing in the parking lot, black box, main stage, stairs, lobby, and on the sidewalk. Where is the seventh stage?

Heidi Howard: The bathroom. 7 Stages Founders Del Hamilton and Faye Allen really wanted to create this idea because overseas, every theatre company has really interactive coffee shop or bar. And they always have the bathroom attendants. And so, in Curious Encounters they very much played off of all of these characters that we’ve interacted with. Always wanting the money, getting in your way, talking in funny languages. They just had a really fun time with it. 7 Stages staff all wear many hats as a responsibility anyway, we’re always cleaning up the bathroom or whatever we have to do.