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.

THE SUMMER OF 2021 SAW HORIZON CONTINUING ITS VIRTUAL & HYBRID OFFERINGS AS OUR NATION SLOWLY BEGAN THE RETURN TO ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN GROUP SETTINGS. WITH OUR ORGANIZATIONAL MISSION OF CONNECTING PEOPLE THROUGH CONTEMPORARY THEATRE EVER PRESENT IN OUR MINDS ALONG WITH THE HEALTH & SAFETY OF OUR PATRONS, STAFF & ARTISTS, HORIZON CHOSE TO ENGAGE SLOWLY & CAUTIOUSLY HORIZONS FIRST IN-PERSON OFFERING WAS AN OUTDOOR FAMILY EVENT DURING THE SUMMER OF 2021. WE CO-PRODUCED HOW TO BE A PIRATE, WITH DESTINATION THEATRE IN THE PARKING LOT OF OUR BUILDING FOR 7 PERFORMANCES OVER 4 WEEKENDS.HORIZON AT HOME, OUR ONLINE STREAMING INITIATIVE, LAUNCHED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC IN MARCH 2020 CONTINUNED AS WE INCLUDED MORE HYBRID OPTIONS THAT AFFORDED THOSE READY TO GATHER IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES WHILE STREAMING THOSE EVENTS FOR OUR AT HOME AUDIENCE. 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 EXPANDED TO INCLUDE AN IN-PERSON AUDIENCE AND PRESENTED BOTH LIVESTREAMED AND RECORDED.HORIZON CONTINUED ITS COMMITMENT TO COMMISSIONING NEW PLAYS FOR THE STAGE WITH THE NEW GEORGIA WOMAN PROJECT: BLACK WOMEN SPEAK. HORIZON BROUGHT TOGETHER 9 BLACK WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS THROUGH A NATIONAL SEARCH TO WRITE PLAYS GROUNDED IN THE SOUTHERN EXPERIENCE CENTERING THE LIVES OF BLACK WOMEN TODAY. PLAY INSPIRATIONS CAME FROM A SERIES OF VIRTUAL COFFEE CHAT CONVERSATIONS WITH 100+ BLACK WOMEN IN GEORGIA. EXCERPTS FROM THE PLAYS WERE SHOWCASED IN A FALL FIRST LOOK HYBRID EVENT WHICH FEATURED WRITER INTRODUCTIONS AND INTERVIEWS. WRITERS WERE IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL, SCENES WERE ON VIDEO, AND THE EVENT WAS PERFORMED LIVE AND ALSO LIVE STREAMED. THE EVENT WAS HELD AT THE ALPHARETTA ARTS CENTER OCTOBER 29-30 AND AT HORIZON NOVEMBER 5-7, 2021.IN JANUARY OF 2022, HORIZON WAS EXCITED TO RETURN TO AN IN-PERSON INDOOR SUBSCRIPTION SEASON WITH OUR FIRST LIVE PRODUCTION SINCE COVID RESTRICTIONS BEGAN IN MARCH 2020, THE STAGE VERSION OF EVERY BRILLIANT THING. THIS TIMELY AND LIFE-AFFIRMING STORY OF LIFES MIRACLES AND FINDING HOPE WRITTEN BY DUNCAN MACMILLAN AND PERFORMED NIGHTLY BY A ROTATION OF 3 DIVERSE SOLO PERFORMERS WITH HEIGHTENED COVID PROTOCOLS FOR THE AUDIENCE AND ACTORS.WITH LIVE THEATRE BACK UNDER OUR BELT, WE SOARED WITH THE LIGHT BY LOY WEBB, A ROLLER COASTER JOURNEY OF LAUGHTER, ROMANCE AND RECKONING PERFORMED BY TWO OF ATLANTAS FINEST BLACK ACTORS. THE LIGHT WAS AWARDED LOCAL SUZI AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS & BEST DIRECTOR.IN THE MAY AND JUNE AS THE SUPREME COURT DEBATED THE FATE OF ROE VS. WADE, WE PRESENTED THE STAGE PLAY ROE BY LISA LOOMER WHICH FOLLOWED THE PERSONAL JOURNEYS OF NORMA MCCORVEY (JANE ROE) AND SARAH WEDDINGTON, THE LAWYER WHO ARGUED THE LANDMARK CASE AT THE SUPREME COURT. WE FEATURED SOME OF ATLANTAS FINEST TALENT IN A HISTORICALLY SWEEPING PLAY CUT FROM AND THROUGH THE HEADLINES. WE USED THE PLAY AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE OUR AUDIENCES AND BROADER COMMUNITY ABOUT THE ISSUES SURROUNDING ROE AND TO SPARK DIALOGUE. WE PARTNERED WITH MANY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADERS TO PRESENT SPEAKERS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS, LIVE AND VIRTUAL, PROVIDING IN-DEPTH INFORMATON ON AND DISCUSSION OF MATERNAL HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.HORIZONS COMMITMENT TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLAYWRIGHTS CONTINUED WITH OUR 24TH ANNUAL NEW SOUTH YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL, AN INTENSIVE, WEEK-LONG EXPERIENCE FOR A HIGHLY DIVERSE COHORT OF 23 COLLEGE STUDENTS, COMPETITIVELY SELECTED, OFFERED AT NO CHARGE TO THESE TALENTED YOUNG WRITERS. GATHERED FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, THE WRITERS ATTEND SEMINARS, TRAININGS AND READINGS OF THEIR WORKS AND CREATE A NEW SHORT PLAY, AND ARE MENTORED BY VETERAN PLAYWRIGHTS AND SCREEN WRITERS. THIS WAS OUR 3RD YEAR AS A WEEKLONG VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE.WE OFFERED FREE IN-SCHOOL PLAYWRITING RESIDENCIES (VIRTUAL, HYBRID AND IN PERSON) FOR SIX TITLE ONE SCHOOLS IN THE METRO ATLANTA AREA. LED BY PLAYWRIGHT AND TEACHING ARTISTS SUEHYLA EL-ATTAR, THE PROGRAM INTRODUCES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PLAYWRITING AND FOCUSES ON EACH OF THEM WRITING THEIR OWN SHORT PLAY SHORT PLAY.WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NEW SCHOOL, AN INDEPENDENT NEARBY HIGH SCHOOL, LEADING THE DRAMA PROGRAM FOR THE SCHOOL.