Stage Left
a documentary photography series examining theatre process, rehearsals, and collaborations
MAAFA, Brooklyn, NY
ASHTAR Theatre, Ramallah, Palestine
Bread and Puppet Theater, Glover, Vermont
About
Stage Left is an ongoing documentary photography and interview series examining theatre rehearsals and development processes.
History
Stage Left began in 2019 as a digital series and part of Ash Marinaccio's public humanities project to complete the Interactive Technology and Pedagogy certificate at the CUNY Graduate Center. Each episode of the Stage Left series investigated a theatre company, performance tradition, or performative ritual actively steeped in a particular community.
Following the coronavirus pandemic and with the subsequent development of Ash's Ph.D. dissertation project investigating theatre rehearsals in areas of war and conflict, she decided to modify Stage Left to focus on highlighting the rehearsal processes of artists.
This work aims to document the artistic work created in rehearsal rooms and workshops and the tensions that artists face from outside forces and their communities. This work aims to add a new perspective on the impact of the performing arts on communities locally and globally and lead to action in supporting artists making changes in their communities.