Let me start by saying, if you as a performer believe you know all there is to know and have no interest in growth, Empire Arts Collective is not the place for you. However, if you are interested in learning and challenging yourself, I could not recommend this group highly enough.
Leadership has created a safe and supportive atmosphere to encourage all performers in whatever project they are doing. People from all walks of life, at varying experience levels, are treated with respect and patience as they work together to create art.
Overall, the Empire Arts Collective projects in my past are some of my favorite learning experiences and challenges that I have tackled.
Empire Arts Collective is a real thrill to work with in the Sacramento Community Theatre scene. Empire takes very special care to be extremely inclusive to all people, including sporting one of the few devised theatre programs in the Sacramento area.
The program is led by Lily Tanner, a delightful and thoughtful director with an incredible ability to make the most stressful aspects of the performing arts relatively relaxed. The devised theatre program lends itself tremendously to allowing anyone to step onto the stage and create art without the limitations of type of physical capabilities as performers are actively creating a new work with their collective strengths and perspectives.
The creative team is always very aware of the needs of performers, checking in with them constantly about their comfort levels with whatever they are doing. In addition, they are very attentive to honoring the time of performers. This includes having a preliminary rehearsal schedule available with an audition announcement, ensuring that the final rehearsal schedule is provided within one or two days of final casting, and often limiting rehearsals to 2-3 2 hour rehearsals per week.
Auditions are similarly a calm experience as it is not about casting roles, but ensuring that the group creating the work can effectively create together. It naturally weeds out controlling and egotistical personalities from being involved as they are not condusive to the devising process.
Empire also runs an Improv program led by Jessilee Windhaus, one of Empire’s founders and a natural leader and improvisational talent. The improv program includes very informative workshops available for anyone interested in learning how to improvise as well as a regularly performing improv team known as Sharks Barkeley. Sharks holds auditions several time throughout the year that are, similar to the devised theatre program, focused on ensuring that the team can work together in an positive atmosphere. The team practices once a week on Mondays as a static rehearsal and performs roughly once a month on Saturday evenings. There is a strong respect for performer’s time and comfort levels with Jessilee having a particularly strong ability at helping performers know how serious it is to her that everyone feels comfortable and respected.
Empire naturally has an atmosphere that raises the bar on the stabdards for being a performer in community theatre. I can’t remember the last time I was comfortable voicing an opinion or concern without fear of retaliation outside of the Empire space. They truly know what it means to be a community worth being a part of.
Anonymous User
September 29, 2023 at 1:57 pmLet me start by saying, if you as a performer believe you know all there is to know and have no interest in growth, Empire Arts Collective is not the place for you. However, if you are interested in learning and challenging yourself, I could not recommend this group highly enough.
Leadership has created a safe and supportive atmosphere to encourage all performers in whatever project they are doing. People from all walks of life, at varying experience levels, are treated with respect and patience as they work together to create art.
Overall, the Empire Arts Collective projects in my past are some of my favorite learning experiences and challenges that I have tackled.
Anonymous User
September 27, 2023 at 11:29 amEmpire Arts Collective is a real thrill to work with in the Sacramento Community Theatre scene. Empire takes very special care to be extremely inclusive to all people, including sporting one of the few devised theatre programs in the Sacramento area.
The program is led by Lily Tanner, a delightful and thoughtful director with an incredible ability to make the most stressful aspects of the performing arts relatively relaxed. The devised theatre program lends itself tremendously to allowing anyone to step onto the stage and create art without the limitations of type of physical capabilities as performers are actively creating a new work with their collective strengths and perspectives.
The creative team is always very aware of the needs of performers, checking in with them constantly about their comfort levels with whatever they are doing. In addition, they are very attentive to honoring the time of performers. This includes having a preliminary rehearsal schedule available with an audition announcement, ensuring that the final rehearsal schedule is provided within one or two days of final casting, and often limiting rehearsals to 2-3 2 hour rehearsals per week.
Auditions are similarly a calm experience as it is not about casting roles, but ensuring that the group creating the work can effectively create together. It naturally weeds out controlling and egotistical personalities from being involved as they are not condusive to the devising process.
Empire also runs an Improv program led by Jessilee Windhaus, one of Empire’s founders and a natural leader and improvisational talent. The improv program includes very informative workshops available for anyone interested in learning how to improvise as well as a regularly performing improv team known as Sharks Barkeley. Sharks holds auditions several time throughout the year that are, similar to the devised theatre program, focused on ensuring that the team can work together in an positive atmosphere. The team practices once a week on Mondays as a static rehearsal and performs roughly once a month on Saturday evenings. There is a strong respect for performer’s time and comfort levels with Jessilee having a particularly strong ability at helping performers know how serious it is to her that everyone feels comfortable and respected.
Empire naturally has an atmosphere that raises the bar on the stabdards for being a performer in community theatre. I can’t remember the last time I was comfortable voicing an opinion or concern without fear of retaliation outside of the Empire space. They truly know what it means to be a community worth being a part of.