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David Kersnar,
Managing Artistic Director + Co-Founder |
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As a busy theater professional, why take part in Shaking the Tree? |
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I have been fortunate to have been a part of many exciting artistic projects in my career. The life of a theatre professional requires you to juggle many projects at once -- sometimes literally! I have to be mindful of not over extending in order to ensure the quality of the artistic products I have a hand in creating.
So what keeps me coming back to Shaking the Tree with everything else I have going on? Impact. It is hugely rewarding for an artist to see that their work is not only enjoyed for its entertainment or aesthetic value but, at least for me, is also utilized to make a real impact in the greater community. There is nothing more thrilling than creating art that has the possibility of effecting change in the world. |
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| This drive to "change, charge and empower" is actually at the heart of the work I do at Lookingglass Theatre, the Chicago company I co-founded almost twenty years ago. Whether I am directing or acting in a main stage production or teaching through our education programs, this idea of transformation fuels our ensemble collaborative mission. |
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| It is these very core values that I tried to bring to the table seven years ago in my work with fellow co-founders at Shaking the Tree. It is truly moving to see so many of the Living Case Studies we have created over the years being played in front of new audiences--proof that their complex themes are still relevant. |
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| Shaking the Tree reminds me that learning never stops in life. It is never too late to see things from a new perspective. I think for all of the founders of Shaking the Tree, the fact that we each have a unique component to add keeps us coming back. |
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What else have you been up to outside of Shaking the Tree? |
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I recently chose to pursue graduate study at Northwestern University putting the concept life long learning to the test. I am thrilled to currently be directing Harold Pinter's play Old Times opening this November at Northwestern. |
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If I did not truly believe in the human capacity to expand our reach, I may not have had the courage to direct projects outside the styles of theatre I have tackled before. Last fall, I was thrilled to have directed Sita Ram at Lookingglass, my own musical adaptation of the Hindu epic, The Ramayana. The sold out run was a huge success and is up for many Joseph Jefferson awards in Chicago. It took six years to bring that show to the stage, and frankly, I am glad we didn’t rush it. I take pride that we did not short change the process, making sure it was the best show possible.
I am proud that all of us at Shaking the Tree share this same obsession with excellence! |
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