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A THOUSAND WAYS

A Thousand Ways is a triptych of encounters between strangers. Guided by a score of instructions, questions, prompts, and physical directives, people who have never met build a series of performances for one another. Each installment of A Thousand Ways explores the line between strangeness and kinship, distance and proximity, and how the most intimate assembly can become profoundly radical.

Part One: A Phone Call

On a simple phone call, you and another audience member – nameless strangers to one another – follow a carefully crafted set of directives. Over the course of the journey, a portrait of each other emerges through fleeting moments of exposure and the simple sound of an unseen voice.

Part Two: An Encounter

Nested at the center of an empty space is a small table bisected by glass. You sit at the table, opposite a stranger, with a stack of index cards, a handful of objects, and a set of instructions to guide you. What will come from this? It is a chance at being heard, a brave moment to show up.

Part Three: An Assembly

An intimate reckoning of how small we are in the face of awesome natural forces, and of our mutual dependence, AN ASSEMBLY tasks an audience of 16 strangers to reconstruct an evocative story of perseverance and ruin. This unique theatrical event tests the ways we arrange ourselves after so much time apart.

May 29–June 10, 2024Part TwoVivid SydneySydney, Australiatickets

More dates to be announced.

*Part One can be attended from anywhere via phone. Parts Two and Three are in-person. 

Parts One & Two: Written & Created by: Abigail Browde & Michael Silverstone
Part Three: Written & Created by: Abigail Browde & Michael Silverstone, with Andrew Kircher
Executive Producer: ArKtype / Thomas O. Kriegsmann
Dramaturg & Project Design: Andrew Kircher
Line Producers: Cynthia J. Tong & Sami Pyne

Translations:
Part One (German): Matthias Seier & Anne-Kathrin Schulz
Part One (French): Anna Johannsen & engineered by Amelia Parenteau
Part One (Dutch): Merel Eigenhaus
Part One (Hebrew): Maya Buenos

Part Two (French): Anna Johannsen
Part Two (German): Anna Johannsen
Part Two (Latvian): Gundega Laivina
Part Two (Dutch): Carol van Gelder
Part Two (Cantonese): Tai Yin Chan
Part Two (Hebrew): Maya Buenos

Part Three (Hebrew): Maya Buenos
Part Three (Italian): Elisa Pistis

This production was commissioned by The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, Stanford Live at Stanford University, The Public Theater, and Festival Theaterformen, and was originally commissioned and co-conceived by Temple Contemporary at Temple University, USA. Part One: A Phone Call was developed in partnership with On the Boards production and technical teams. The German language premiere of Part One: A Phone Call was developed, translated and premiered in partnership with Volkstheater, Austria. Part Three: An Assembly was developed through a residency partnership with the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and with A.P.E Arts in Northampton, MA. Certain engagements supported by Mid Atlantic Arts through USArtists International in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Trust for Mutual Understanding. Original support for the production was provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, Philadelphia.

Additional Credits:
Part One Sound Design: Stanley Mathabane
Photos: Maria Baranova
Illustrations: Cass Sachs-Michaels
Early development of the project with composer Jerome Ellis and designer Eric Southern.

“The term “experimental” tends to signal an ambition to flaunt difficulty and occlude meaning, but 600 Highwaymen’s experiments with theatrical form are distinctly generous. That is the case with A Thousand Ways, which takes a simple premise and turns it into magic … What we were doing was dancing, using only our voices, learning each other’s rhythms as the steps were called, the random and the banal grapevining with the profound.”
– The New Yorker

“Splendid. Funny and sweet and unexpectedly moving.”
– The New York Times

“The single most remarkable work of 2022”
-Culturebot

“An expressive gesture of hope. ⭑⭑⭑⭑”
– The Irish Times

“The piece passes many crucial tests: It’s something you’d want to do even when not in the midst of a pandemic. It sates a desire neglected during this time, which is to meet new people. Most importantly, it represents truly adventurous, assumption-busting thinking about what theater is and what it can be.”
– SF Chronicle

“For an hour, I forgot the world around me as I pieced together a blurry picture of a stranger from the clues in her voice and the breadcrumbs of her backstory. Sitting in the dark, I came as close to a theater experience as I’ve had in a long time.”
– Crosscut

⭑⭑⭑⭑  “A genuinely moving experience and a timely reminder of the way intimacy is restricted and enhanced when in-person communication is impossible.”
– The Stage

July 2–12, 2020Part TwoFestival Theaterformen Braunschweig, GE-
Sept 9–27, 2020Part OneOn the BoardsSeattle, WA-
Sept 24–27, 2020Part OneDublin Theatre FestivalDublin, IRE-
Oct 2–4, 2020Part OneWilliams CollegeWilliamstown, MA-
Oct 7–18, 2020Part OneThe Arts Centre Abu Dhabi, UAE-
Nov 4–29, 2020Part OneCanadian Stage
Toronto, CAN-
Nov 5–22, 2020Part TwoOn the BoardsSeattle, WA-
Nov 5–22, 2020Part OneSingapore Int'l Festival of ArtsSingapore-
Nov 13–15, 2020Part OneArizona Arts LiveTucson, AZ-
Dec 3–6, 2020Part OneStanford LiveStanford, CA-
Dec 6 & 13, 2020Part OneCAP UCLALos Angeles, CA-
Dec 11–13, 2020
Part OneBoom Arts Portland, OR-
Dec 21–Jan 17, 2021
Part OneThe Public TheaterNYC, NY-
Jan 13–17, 2021Part OneStanford LiveStanford, CA-
Jan 21–24, 2021
Part OneBoom Arts Portland, OR-
Jan 21–Mar 7, 2021Part OneLa Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla, CA-
Jan 24, 2021Part OneCAP UCLALos Angeles, CA-
Feb 4–14, 2021Part OneOn the BoardsSeattle, WA-
Feb 27–28, 2021Part OneArizona Arts LiveTucson, AZ-
March 1–14, 2021Part OneCarolina Performing ArtsChapel Hill, NC-
March 2–14, 2021Part OneWalker Art CenterMinneapolis, MN-
Mar 3–Apr 3, 2021Part OneThe Momentary
Bentonville, AR-
Mar 30–Apr 29, 2021Part One (German)Volkstheater Wien
Vienna, Austria-
March 4–14, 2021Part TwoOn the BoardsSeattle, WA-
Apr 15–May 2, 2021
Part TwoSingapore Int'l Festival of ArtsSingapore-
Apr 22–May 2, 2021
Part TwoWalker Art CenterMinneapolis, MN-
May 2–16, 2021Part TwoCAP UCLALos Angeles, CA-
May 7–16, 2021Part One (German)Figuren Theater FestivalErlangen, Germany-
May 12–29, 2021Part One (French)Théâtre GaronneToulouse, France-
May 14–23, 2021Part TwoBoom ArtsPortland, OR-
May 17–22, 2021
Part OneNorfolk & Norwich Festival / In Between TimeUK-
May 20–July 18, 2021
Part OneThe Public TheaterNew York, NY-
May 20–24, 2021Part One (Dutch)SPRING / NoorderzonThe Netherlands-
May 28–29, 2021
Part OneTake Me SomewhereGlasgow, Scotland-
June 2–27, 2021Part TwoThe MomentaryBentonville, AR-
June 3–7, 2021Part OneSpoleto FestivalCharleston, SC-
June 3–20, 2021Part TwoLa Jolla PlayhouseLa Jolla, CA-
June 8–Aug 15, 2021Part TwoThe Public TheaterNew York, NY-
July 7–18, 2021Part TwoStanford LiveStanford, CA-
July 13–18, 2021Part OneA2SF / UMMAAnn Arbor, MI-
Aug 13–22, 2021Part Two (Dutch & Engl)NoorderzonGroningen, NL-
Aug 20–28, 2021Part OneFreedom FestivalHull, UK-
Aug 20–22, 2021Part OneENT Center for the Arts at UCCSColorado Springs-
Aug 27–29, 2021Part TwoENT Center for the Arts at UCCSColorado Springs-
Sept 8–18, 2021Part OneANTI FestivalKuopio, FIN-
Sept 8–18, 2021Part OneHomo Novus FestivalRiga, LV-
Sept 8–18, 2021Part Two (Latvian)Homo Novus FestivalRiga, LV-
Sept 14–19, 2021Part Two ANTI FestivalKuopio, FIN-
Sept 16–18, 2021Part TwoWilliams CollegeWilliams, MA-
Sept 16–19, 2021Part Two (German)Figuren Theater FestivalErlangen, GE-
Oct 1–17, 2021Part Two Carolina Performing ArtsChapel Hill, NC-
Nov 5–9, 2021Part Two Denver Film FestivalDenver, CO-
Nov 9–14, 2021Part OneA2SF / UMMAAnn Arbor, MI-
Nov 16–20, 2021Part Three
(in development)
Boom ArtsPortland, OR-
Dec 2–4, 2021Part Three
(in development)
Williams CollegeWilliams, MA-
Dec 2–5, 2021Part TwoLókal International Theatre FestivalReykjavik, Iceland-
Dec 9–12, 2021Part ThreeICA / BostonBoston, MA-
Mar 3–12, 2022Part ThreeOn the Boards Seattle, WA-
Mar 8–Apr 24, 2022Part Two A2SF / UMMAAnn Arbor, MI-
Mar 12–13, 2022Part ThreeStanford LiveStanford, CA-
Apr 23–24, 2022Part ThreeLa Jolla PlayhouseLa Jolla, CA-
May 19–June 11, 2022Part Two Théâtre GaronneToulouse, France-
June 3–5, 2022Part ThreeCarolina Performing ArtsChapel Hill, NC-
July 23–31, 2022Part Two (Cantonese)Hong Kong Live ArtsHong Kong-
Sept 15–22, 2022Parts One, Two & Three
(Hebrew)
Israel FestivalJerusalem, Israel-
Oct 1–23, 2022Part ThreeCAP UCLALos Angeles, CA-
Oct 5–6, 2022Part Three (Italian)Base Milano / Far Out FestivalMilano, Italy-
Oct 13–22, 2022Part Three (Italian)Sardegna TeatroSardenga, Italy-
Nov 18–20, 2022Part ThreeA.P.E.North Hampton, MA-
Dec 17, 2022Part ThreeA.P.E.North Hampton, MA-
Jan 4–22, 2023Part ThreeThe Public Theater / NYPLNew York, NY-
Feb 4–12, 2023Part ThreeCAP UCLALos Angeles, CA-
Mar 15, 2023Part Three (Italian)Museo Archeologico Nazionale Nuoro
Nuoro, Italy-
Mar 16, 2023Part Three (Italian)MAN Museo d'Arte della provincia di NuoroNuoro, Italy-
Mar 17, 2023Part Three (Italian)Museo NivolaOrani, Italy-
Mar 18, 2023Part Three (Italian)Museo delle Maschere MediterraneeMamoiada, Italy-
Mar 19, 2023Part Three (Italian)Spazio IlissoNuoro, Italy-
Sept 16, 2023Part Three (French)Atelier 231Sotteville-lès-Rouen, FR-
Sept 30 - Oct 1, 2023Part Three Center for Performing Arts at Penn StateUniversity Park, PA-
Oct 20, 2023Part Three Center for Performing Arts at Penn StateUniversity Park, PA-
Nov 3–4, 2023Part Three (French)Lieux PublicsMarseille, France-
Nov 8–10, 2023Part Three Center for Performing Arts at Penn StateUniversity Park, PA-
May 29–June 10, 2024Part TwoVivid SydneySydney, Australiatickets
– additional dates to come –

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