Current Project Leads on Version 2 – Pablo Antón & Sophia Coscia
a dinner party for you- and me? is about challenging the antiquated systems in our industry that we, as artists, have grown accustomed to. Instead of pursuing a chair at an existing, oppressive, table- Dinner Party calls its audience to contemplate building their own table. A table where our unique identities and experiences are embraced as an asset to our creativity and not a compromise.
The idea of staying quiet, unproblematic, and submissive as a means of success has been enforced on us our entire creative lives. We are tired of it. Why are we sitting back and allowing others to tell us what rooms we belong in. The pressure of conforming to succeed is felt by so many of our generation in academic programs, professional careers, and most importantly day to day life. It is time to forge our own path. We are tired for waiting for our turn at the table. We want a seat at the head… and we want it now.
It is easy to feel alone in this pursuit. However- Dinner Party aims to invite others to not only actively participate in the change, but publicly declare themselves as a part of it. It acts as a way of building resonance across the world and reinforces the importance of creation as a method of protest. Whoever is willing to participate directly becomes a part of the work.Our goal is to make this project as vastly available to the public as possible. We believe that theatre should be a public art form, and we look to technology and innovation to bridge this gap. Rather than thinking about the future of our industry, we want to create it. As demonstrated in our use of Augmented Reality.
After, presenting this project in the winter of 2021, we are currently developing the project into a mobile app. Throughout the fall of 2023, we hope to connect with various community organizations, particularly marginalized youth to show them the power of resonance and the ways art can work as a form of self-expression.
We choose the creation of a system where we are dedicated to equity and unity, derived from our differences as a community. We choose change. And we hope our audiences do too.
Full Team for Version 1 – Carnegie Mellon Installation
Creative Directors – Sophia Coscia & E. Lieu Wolhardt
Content Creator & AR development – Sophia Coscia
Content Creator & Social Media – E. Lieu Wolhardt
Media Engineer – Cleo Perez
Composers – Jacob Nelson & Brennan Becerra
Sound Engineer – Mirah Kozodoy
Lighting Design – Dean Thordarson
Scenic Job Lead – Adrian Monzon
Scenic Crew – Phoebe Huggett, Sophie Howard