Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryant Edwards.

Hi Bryant, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I never knew I wanted to do theatre when I was a kid – I barely knew what it was, honestly, besides vague memories of seeing The Velveteen Rabbit from a balcony on what I believe was a school trip. I’m from a very small town in Lower Delaware – slower lower as many call it, for better or worse. In the 90s and early 2000s there was not much of an emphasis on art there, at least from my perspective. However, following a series of unfortunate events, I ended up moving to the Philadelphia suburbs with my mom.

I was nervous starting in a new school on the precipice of becoming a teenager; one of the first people I met, Tori, ended up being a great friend and almost immediately encouraged me to audition for the school musical: Footloose. I barely even knew what a musical was, but I went for it.

I soon realized 1) I can’t sing. 2) I have about 3% rhythm. 3) I had a knack for acting AND I didn’t stutter when I acted.

Fast forward a few years and I am thriving in the “theatre clique” in high school. I felt wildly passionate about it, but the realist inside of me knew I wouldn’t get a degree in Theatre in college. I would get a degree in Economics. Well, that realist was wrong. I went to the University of Pittsburgh where I got my B.A. in Theatre Arts and Political Science. The realist inside of me had been in hibernation for many years, so I decided if I was going to pursue theatre, now was the time to give it a shot.

I moved back to Philadelphia to pursue an apprenticeship at the Arden Theatre Company in Old City (“the 2nd largest theatre in the 5th largest city, in the 3rd largest country in the world” I would semi jokingly say). This wasn’t an acting apprenticeship – it was an apprenticeship in everything else it takes to run a theatre and I was enthralled by that learning opportunity (and it was one of the few theatre apprenticeships in the country that paid a mostly living wage). I learned a lot while I was there, working 60 hour weeks in between nights out with new friends and soon to be collaborators.

Once I finished the apprenticeship, the realist inside of me was still dormant, so I took on freelancing – teaching theatre in the Philadelphia School District, building sets, running box office, only occasionally getting yelled at by people who take things WAY to seriously.

Through all of this, I realized I liked being involved in creating something, not just a cog in the wheel, even though I am a wildly efficient cog. So I wanted to try producing a show from scratch. This eventually became The Vs. Series which worked with dozens of artists from around the country to make a choose your own adventure style fighting extravaganza. Through this show, I met some incredible people who I knew I wanted to work with more.

A big goal of mine was to create a space where anyone can try anything without fear of failure. I talked to several of my collaborators and, whiles sitting on the dirty floor of a green room and drinking boxed wine, we created Theatre Contra.

Theatre Contra started as a typical theatre company – we would do straight plays and be VERY SERIOUS. Soon enough, we realized that wasn’t our true vibe though (and the world doesn’t necessarily need more VERY SERIOUS theatre artists – there will always be plenty of those). We wanted to do a fundraiser that would bring joy to people, so we came up with the idea of doing Movie Readings with purposefully minimal rehearsal and space. What started as a one off event turned into our most popular offering in Philadelphia.

Theatre Contra is all about “low stakes, high fun” – we have become a place where people can come out, have fun, loosen up, and get to know some amazing people. We attract tons of “theatre people” and non “theatre people” a mix that is hard to find in a post-pandemic world. Now in our 7th year, we’ve been awarded a Best of Philly Award, worked with dozens of artists, and become known as a place where you can find a new love of theatre.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Nothing is ever smooth! The pandemic was a very confusing and difficult time for the live arts world. Gathering were non existent and that was the whole point so what would we do.?

We didn’t go too crazy with online programming – thankfully we are not beholden to donors or a board; we were so small it was impossible for us to fold. During this time we also saw a transition in members – many of the founding group found new passions or moved or needed a break so they took a step back from working with Theatre Contra, which meant we got to bring in new members – currently at 9.

We’ve also encountered people who say we “don’t do real theatre”. I’d be lying if I said that didnt’ hurt the first time I heard it..but I soon realized that was the opposite of true. Theatre doesn’t have to break you. Theatre doesn’t have to be a chore. Theatre is humanity. It is a reflection of our wants, needs, and desires. Theatre is what you make of it, and we chose to make it low stakes, high fun.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

We mostly perform in local bars which is something I especially love. Bars have always been a gathering place where people from all different backgrounds come and just enjoy themselves. This has allowed us to introduce ourselves to people who may have never been to a live theatre performance in their lives!

Our audience at our readings is always about 50% returners, 50% new people. This is what we strive to hit because not only are we retaining audiences, but they are hearing more about us and either bringing friends or spreading the word. I always want people to feel like the evening they spent with us was one of the best ways they could use their time and I think we do that…at least mostly. I’m also proud that we always have PWYC seats available at all of our readings – we just want people to enjoy time with us, whether they have the extra funds or not!

While I am wildly proud of our reading series, I am also proud of our occasional immersive pieces. We did a devised show at A Novel Idea on East Passyunk that let the audience choose their journey through the true story of Alice in Wonderland and while the logistics were INTENSE…it was such a fulfilling and fun experience. We try to do these at least once over two years and our readings help fund these more involved projects.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?

Don’t be afraid to say hi! Don’t be afraid to just ask questions. Most people LOVE to talk about their journey. But remember to show an interest in what they are doing. Be honest with yourself – are you a fit as a possible mentee or do you just think they can get your farther? Most people can sniff out someone who just wants to use someone as a connection, so just be true to yourself.

It would surprise some people, but I am very much an introvert. My anxiety has made it very hard for me to meet and network with people. It gets easier and eventually becomes at least somewhat fun, I promise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theatrecontra.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theatrecontra/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theatrecontra/
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/c/theatrecontra

Image Credits

Jaws and Carrie – Photo by Theatre Contra
Dream Rushes – Photo by Emilie Krause, Glasscanary Photography
Movie Trope Pageant – Photo by Adaeze Nwoko