We were lucky to catch up with Beth Wheat recently and have shared our conversation below.
Beth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Stories and story telling are essential to our humanity and I believe they are most powerful when experienced in gatherings where group reactions and insights are palpable. The theatre provides us with a rich, 3-D world in which stories become a shared, lived experience in that darkened room with a focal point of light that keeps us on a journey together.
Beth, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I have been fortunate to have pursued many of my passions and interests professionally. In addition to my work and studies in performing arts, I have worked in technology, education and environmental science. I am co owner and group president of Gobo LLC, which is a small business creating big strategies, narratives and tools for harmonious communities and a sustainable world. In this realm as well as in performing arts, the problem to be solved is really the opportunity to inspire through stories and experiences. I am particularly proud of a rich tradition of quality theatrical productions, the creation of original works and adaptations, the mentoring of other performers and having had the privilege to inform and entertain.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Currently I am working with a growing number of like minded individuals who see the potential for establishing our mountain top town, Big Bear Lake, as an arts and culture destination for tourism and industry. Ours is a small, rural community situated on what we call a “sky island” – we sit at 6,700 feet atop the San Bernardino mountain range with three roads in and out. We are surrounded by national forest and are best known for our ski resorts and lake related sports and activities. We are surrounded by some of the largest population centers in the US – Los Angeles, San Bernardino County, Palm Springs and not too far from Las Vegas. People from these areas delight in visiting our high altitude forest with cool temperatures and pristine air and water. It is literally a place to breathe. We envision establishing our community as an arts and culture destination will bring industry, tourism as it unites our residents, celebrates our heritage and enables us to acknowledge our shared humanity despite our differences.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I believe every human is born to make art and to create. Our innate interests and talents may steer us in given directions, as might parents, educators and any number of other societal forces that influence the paths we take. Because creativity is innate, the most rewarding aspect for me is a heightened sense of being alive. When writing, performing or directing, the rest of the world recedes from my consciousness. I am able to create new worlds, characters, outcomes, and then collaborate with other humans elevated to a similar state bringing their own perspectives and creativity to the project or experience. We lose ourselves to the creative process and create instead a central “thing” that we are unified within. When the conditions are right – the work is good, the cast are harmonious – the audience is so moved as to join in that same central “thing” and at once we become one – one beating heart void of ego and opinion.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bigbeartheatreproject.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethannwheat/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beth.w.gardner
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-wheat-83355829/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bigbearconnected8651
Image Credits
Brandon Riley Miller