Dark Houses Atlanta
This video is a culmination of a two-month project to make photographs of Atlanta stages that have gone darkāin the state that they were left when lockdowns forced the houses to close. The goal is to bring awareness that because theater is a live art-form, performers, stagehands and craftspeople basically cannot work and they and their companies/communities/houses need help as well. While theater has survived many plagues, social unrest and economic crises in its 2,500 years, it will need community help to survive all three at the same time.
Visualizing the need to those not directly impacted will make other efforts more effective and the more houses and stages we can get, the better the story. For those stages that still have one, the hope has been to use just the ghost light or whatever safety lights are left on and whatever set (or works) was in place when performers and crew had to bug out.
As of August 31, I have photographed 30 Atlanta theatres. 29 chose to participate in publicity for this project. They are: Academy Theatre, Actors Express, Alliance Theatre, Art Station, Aurora Theatre, Conant Theatre, Core Dance, Dads Garage, DramaTech, Ferst Center, Fox Theatre, Grand Theatre, HorizonTheatre, Jennie Anderson Theatre, Legion Theatre, Marietta's New Theatre In The Square, OnStage Atlanta, Out Front Theatre, Pinch N Ouch Theatre, Rialto, Seven Stages, Shakespeare Tavern, Southwest Arts Center, Stage Door Players, Synchronicity Theatre, The Basement Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, Village Theatre.