in development
The National Park Service writes:
“What does the phrase, ‘the separation of church and state’ mean? The earliest mention of that metaphor comes from Roger Williams, a minister, lawyer, and merchant who desired a way to worship freely. Williams referenced ‘a high wall’ between church and state to keep the ‘wilderness’ of the human institutions out of the affairs of religion.”
Wall of Separation
ABOUT THE PROJECT
What can a Supreme Court case from 1962 reveal to us about the questions still at play about cultural identity, religion (or lack thereof), and freedom in the United States of America? How does our society navigate the words and intentions of the country’s founders (and their associated deficits, assets, and limitations) and balance those with the evolving needs of the nation and the rights of its diverse inhabitants? And finally, during a time (present-day) when Christian Nationalism is on the rise, how does one uphold fundamental principles in the face of strong and growing opposition?
In our next project, which we are developing under the title Wall of Separation, we use the landmark Supreme Court “prayer in school” case Engel v. Vitale as an entry point to look at the separation of church and state, the positions of religious and cultural minorities in America, and the backlash that can occur when progress is made. The show will bring together a primary text – oral arguments at the Supreme Court – with a variety of other materials, including historical and scholarly points of reference.
our process
So...how do we create a new work?
Each theatre dybbuk work is conceived by Artistic Director Aaron Henne and created with the ensemble. The process begins with internal research and then takes up to three years from the first group meeting to opening night.
In the first phase of the process, we have around a dozen script development meetings with the writer/director, dramaturg, composer, actors, designers, and a scholar.
We also have regular physical development sessions – meeting two to three times a month – with the actors, writer/director, choreographer, and other leaders of stylized performance, such as a mask and puppet designer.
As the script development concludes, a brief workshop phase begins where we experiment with choreography, music, and other show-specific performance elements such as shadow work, mask work, and puppetry. We also refine the script.
In the final four weeks leading up to opening night, we take what we learned during the workshop period and "set" the script, music, and various staging elements. While the script and staging may continue to change up until opening night, this final stage is a process of refining all that we have created up until then.
