Horizon Theatre Company Incorporated

HORIZON'S MISSION IS TO CONNECT PEOPLE, INSPIRE HOPE AND PROMOTE POSITIVE CHANGE THROUGH THE STORIES OF OUR TIMES. WE PRODUCE PROFESSIONAL CONTEMPORARY THEATRE FOR OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND NURTURE THE NEXT GENERATION OF AUDIENCES AND ARTISTS.

DURING THE PAST YEAR AS OUR NATION HAS ADJUSTED TO THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, HORIZON HAS FOUND ITS VOICE IN A WIDE ARRAY OF VIRTUAL AND HYBRID OFFERINGS THAT HAVE ALLOWED OUR ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION TO STAY PRESENT IN THE LIVES OF OUR PATRONS AND REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE THAN IMAGINABLE IN PRE-PANDEMIC TIMES. WHILE WE WERE NOT ABLE TO OFFER PRODUCTIONS LIVE IN OUR THEATRE THIS YEAR, WE FOCUSED INSTEAD ON VIRTUAL WORK AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW WORKS AND NEW ARTISTS.HORIZON AT HOME IS OUR ONLINE STREAMING INITIATIVE, LAUNCHED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC IN MARCH 2020. IT INCLUDES VIRTUAL AND HYBRID PRODUCTIONS, ONLINE SHOWS AND EVENTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING.UNDER HORIZON AT HOME, WE CREATED VIRTUAL PRODUCTIONS OF NEW WORKS THAT INCLUDED: COMPLETENESS, A ROMANTIC COMEDY ABOUT YOUNG SCIENTIST WRITTEN BY TONY AWARD WINNING WRITER ITAMAR MOSES; A SHOT: #A LOVE STORY INSPIRED BY BLACK LIVES MATTER BY GLORIA BOND CLUNIE HEADLINING OUR ELECTION EVE OFFERING; AND LOVE, M. BY CLARINDA ROSS, A WORLD PREMIERE FOR WORLD AIDS DAY WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER, AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION.HORIZONS NEW SOUTH PLAY FESTIVAL PROGRAM OF NEW WORKS BY WOMEN, ARTISTS OF COLOR AND WRITER/CREATORS FROM THE SOUTH WAS PART OF OUR HORIZON AT HOME PLATFORM THIS YEAR, AND IT EXPANDED SIGNIFICANTLY, CREATING PLAYS AND EVENTS FOR VIRTUAL/LIVE AUDIENCES.WE CREATED ORIGINAL CONTENT HYBRID PRODUCTIONS WHICH, THROUGH THE TECHNOLOGY WE MASTERED OVER THE YEAR, COMBINED LIVE, VIRTUAL AND PRE-RECORDED ELEMENTS. THE GHOSTS OF LITTLE FIVE POINTS: A VIRTUAL HALLOWEEN EXPERIENCE WAS A LIVE, INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE CREATED BY 20 OF ATLANTAS TOP WRITERS AND ACTORS. SOUTHBOUND: TRUE LIFE TALES FROM THE ATL AND BEYOND WAS A LIVE, ONLINE SERIES, PRODUCED AND CURATED BY TWO HORIZON ARTISTS, FEATURING LOCAL ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS FROM OUR COMMUNITY SHARING TRUE-LIFE STORIES, MUSIC AND SPOKEN WORD ON A THEME. EARTH LOVE BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER 50 LOCAL ARTISTS TO CREATE SHORT VIRTUAL WORKS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE PRESENTED IN A LIVE/VIRTUAL EVENT (EARTH LOVE) IN CELEBRATION OF EARTH DAY. AN EXCITING NEW PERFORMANCE PIECE BY EGYPTIAN-AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHT SUEHYLA EL-ATTAR, NOPE, THATS JUST MY FIRST NAME WAS WORKSHOPPED IN A SERIES OF INTERACTIVE, LIVE, CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE ZOOM EVENTS THAT ENGAGED AUDIENCES WHILE ALSO HELPING TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE LIVE STAGE DEBUT.WE INCREASED OUR OFFERINGS TO INCLUDE ONLINE ARTIST EVENTS WHICH FEATURED OUR FAMILY OF ACTORS AND DIRECTORS IN ONLINE SHOWS THAT SHOWCASED THEIR SKILLS AND TALENTS, INCLUDING COOKING ALA LALA COOKING AND URBAN GARDENING SHOW, SING WITH KEENA SINGING LESSONS, TOM TALKS COMMUNITY BASED INTERVIEWS WITH BLACK ARTISTS, AND A 21-DAY HOLIDAY TREATS HOLIDAY CELEBRATION WITH SHORT PERFORMANCES DAILY.HORIZON ALSO INCREASED ITS FOCUS ON COMMISSIONING NEW PLAYS FOR THE STAGE THIS YEAR. THOMAS W JONES, II (ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE) STARTED WORK ON A NEW MUSICAL ABOUT ATLANTAS HISTORIC ROYAL PEACOCK CLUB IN THE 1930S AND 40S. AND ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC PRODUCER, MARGUERITE HANNAH LAUNCHED THE NEW GEORGIA WOMAN PROJECT: BLACK WOMEN SPEAK. THIS MAJOR PROJECT COMMISSIONED 9 BLACK WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS WITH ROOTS IN THE SOUTH TO WRITE THEIR OWN PLAYS EXPLORING AND CENTERING THE LIVES OF BLACK WOMEN TODAY, INSPIRED BY COFFEE CHAT CONVERSATIONS WITH 100+ BLACK WOMEN IN GEORGIA. THE WRITERS WERE CHOSEN FROM A LOCAL AND NATIONWIDE SEARCH AND A BWS COMMUNITY OF WOMEN WAS RECRUITED FROM THE METRO ATLANTA AREA TO PARTICIPATE IN ZOOM COFFEE CHATS FOR INSIGHT, GROUNDING AND SISTERHOOD WHICH BEGAN IN THE SUMMER OF 2021.HORIZONS COMMITMENT TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF THEATRE ARTISTS AND PLAYWRIGHTS CONTINUED WITH OUR NEW SOUTH YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL IN ITS 23RD YEAR AND 2ND YEAR AS A WEEKLONG VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE. 23 COLLEGE STUDENTS GATHERED FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY FOR SEMINARS, TRAININGS AND READINGS OF THEIR WORKS. AND IN-SCHOOL PLAYWRITING RESIDENCIES FOR FIVE TITLE ONE SCHOOLS CONTINUED IN THE VIRTUAL SPACE LED BY PLAYWRIGHT SUEHYLA EL-ATTAR. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW SCHOOL, AN INDEPENDENT NEARBY HIGH SCHOOL, LEADING THE DRAMA PROGRAM FOR THE SCHOOL.