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and respect for the quality of our art. We each feel it is our
name and our theatre, and the individual is closely linked to
the identity of the artistic product we make. This ownership
comes with a high price and commitment, but also reaps a
generous personal reward.”
Collaborating In Out of Hand
That personal reward seems to be equally generous for
the ensemble of Atlanta’s Out of Hand Theatre, which aims
to alter the way people experience live theatre via engaging,
interactive productions such as the self-help movement
parody of HELP! and the drug culture critique of MEDS.
Named “[one of] a dozen young American companies you
need to know” by a prominent theatre magazine, this offbeat
ensemble operates with a three-A.D. structure, with founding
members Maia Knispel, Ariel de Man and Adam Fristoe sharing
responsibilities equally.
“Out of Hand is a collaborative ensemble,” says Knispel,
“and we believe that our best art is created collectively. So
we have three artistic directors that all have equal say in the
artistic decisions of the company. We feed off of and build on
each other’s artistic ideas, and rely on each other to further
our own creativity.”
Fristoe explains their creative approach in a more esoteric
fashion, describing Out of Hand’s collaborative ensemble
as a reflection of what people love about theatre in the first
place. “I believe the primary element of theatre that excites
audiences is the way performers offer an alternative way
for people to interact with each other. Actors function as a
cohesive group working towards a common goal. They really
listen to each other, move together and form a true community.
The three of us bring different perspectives on the art
form and when we marry those perspectives, we challenge
ourselves, our company and our audience to grow in ways
that we as individuals wouldn’t imagine.”
They acknowledge similar challenges to those facing the
Neo-Futurists, but insist that the benefits of their approach
far outweigh the drawbacks. “In many ways the challenges
are also the blessings,” Knispel insists. “The three of us have
many different ideas and opinions, and distilling all of that to
only the finest gems is very hard and time consuming… but
so totally worth it! We disagree, we argue, maybe we fight,
but that’s all part of what makes it so awesome. All those
things create the path that leads us to the best product. We
know that we share the same artistic goals, and the struggles
are just signs of our depth of caring about the work, and an
inherent part of achieving the goal.”
The goal for Out of Hand is to continue to create original
theatrical productions that appeal to everyone from nontheatregoers
to traditionalists and theatre scholars, but also
to attract the coveted 18–35 set. “We want to keep making
the kind of crazy stuff we’re making,” says Knispel. “We want
to find better and wilder ways of making it. We want to share
our shows with as many people as we possibly can, touring
nationally and internationally. We want to introduce multitudes
of people to our methods of training and share our
work and knowledge as widely as we possibly can.”
Taking It Home
Asked what advice they would give other theatre companies
contemplating adopting a more democratic A.D.
structure, Allen, Torrence and Knispel all agreed that their
unique approaches should be handled with caution. Allen
recalls a time in the Neo-Futurists’ history where literally
every decision regarding the theatre was decided via
consensus, from casting issues to what concessions were
offered at the theatre, which ground things to a halt on an
organizational level.
“I think our consensus model works great for the art
if you’re creating an ensemble-driven, ever-changing,
on-going production which is all about self-expression,”
Allen admits, “but it is not the best model for the governance
of an organization.”
“Don’t do it because you’re trying to be democratic,”
Knispel warns. “Do it only if it is the best artistic choice for
your company. Be very careful. The key to successful artistic
‘power sharing’— which is a dangerous way to think of it —
is knowing that you have the same artistic goals. You must
love and respect those with whom you share something this
personal and precious.”
Linnea Frye
A cheery moment from Out of Hand’s MEDS A shot from the Out of Hand production Cartoon Neo-Futurist Dean Evans and audience member
www.stage-directions.com • May 2008 31