We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Susie Tanner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Susie below.

Susie, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s talk about innovation. What’s the most innovative thing you’ve done in your career?

In 1983 I received an Artist in Communities grant from the California Arts Council to do a theatre program with a group of unemployed steelworkers who had worked at the shut down Bethlehem Steel plant in Southeast LA. My goal was to create a play about their lives, and to shed light on the industrial unemployment and plant closure crisis that was sweeping America at that time. This venture gave birth to my company, TheatreWorkers Project,

When it was typical for theatre makers and writers to create/write plays “about” a group of people and use actors to portray the characters, I engaged playwright Rob Sullivan to collaborate with the men to create a play that was based on their lives and stories and in which they were the actors. “Lady Beth: the steelworkers play” was directed by Darrell Larson and performed by 6 former steelworkers from 1984 -1986 in union halls, theaters, for members of Congress in Washington, D.C., and on a 16 city tour co-sponsored by Bruce Springsteen. This work marked the launch of an unique form of documentary theatre that I pioneered. This technique has been replicated, adapted and transformed by scores of other theatre artists over the years and is now a well established method of working in communities and bringing issues and unheard stories to theatrical life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am dedicated to providing opportunities for members of diverse underserved, unheard and at-promise communities to catalyze their stories through the mediums of theatre and movement, ultimately providing classical and contemporary theatre experiences that reflect and illuminate the complex human condition. I was trained by Robert Alexander at The Living Stage Company at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and influenced by Augusto Boal. I was inspired by Growtowski and Peter Brook whose work made me understand that theatre can be made anywhere–that an “empty space” can be transformed to house diverse works of art. I believe that all people possess the ability to create works of art and each person has a critically important story to tell. I believe
that my responsibility as an artist is to partner with each community of participants to bring their stories to life through high-quality
meaningful theatre experiences and that I have a responsibility to use my creative skills to address and illuminate social and political
issues. It’s my intention to create and present work that offers opportunities for audiences to grapple with these issues while breaking isolation, promoting dialogue, and fostering community healing. I humbly served as a teaching artist and facilitator inside California state prisons from 1982 – 1991 and returned to in-prison programming in 2015. I added service to reentry programs in 2016 and this work remains as some of my most meaningful artistic accomplishments.

The performances that I direct and/or produce always include a “Second Act Discussion” with theaudience where dialogue and reflection can occur on the part of the artists and the viewers, to further understand the process and its impact. The most impactful audience responses continue to come from incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals for whom the stories that unfold during the performances most resonate. This has been true from the time I first presented Lady Beth: The Steelworkers Play to a union hall packed with unemployed steelworkers and it remains true every time a performance by a group of participants is presented to members of their community. As they watch their peers perform, they see themselves on stage and are able to walk in the shoes of the actors. “I was paroled this month after 35 yrs. and saw tonight’s performance at USC. It was 7 stories, it was one story, it was my story, and it was our story”. —Charles M., Francisco Homes resident. It’s also quite powerful to witness the impact that these performances have on audiences who are unfamiliar with the people on stage. Isolation is broken as audience members begin to see the performers as human beings and the transformative power of theatre becomes most evident.

Since founding TheatreWorkers Project (TWP) in 1983, my focus as a theatre artist has been to develop, create and produce timely works of art. For over 38 years, TWP teaching artists and I have worked with communities of all backgrounds – including those impacted by the carceral system (California State Prison LAC, The Francisco Homes, Project Rebound, etc.), displaced workers (Steelworkers, shipbuilders, Latino immigrant workers, striking meatpackers, etc.), and at-promise youth. Our work has been revered by organizations and individuals seeking to work in more meaningful ways with diverse communities. We often consult with organizations and the State has funded TWP to offer trainings to arts organizations on best practices of working within the state prison system.

I was honored to share my work as the director of a production of Bertolt Brecht’s “A Man’s A Man” with members of the Berliner Ensemble and to do a distance collaboration with La Colmenita, the Cuban National Children’s Theatre.

As a member of Ensemble StudioTheatre/LA, I’ve directed readings, one acts and workshop productions, often including teen actors in the cast. I’m currently the Director of the Educational Outreach, supporting EST/LA’s first Artist in Schools program. As a member of SAG-AFTRA’s Radio Play committee, I have acted in and directed live radio plays performed at The Autry Wells Fargo Theater.

As a member of Actors Equity, I’ve acted in numerous professional productions, produced/directed/stage managed independent Equity productions.

As a ProfessionalDevelopment Consultant and Teaching Artist, I’ve provided arts integration training for teachers and unique theatre experiences for youth ages 5-24 during residences at private and public K-12 schools and colleges including Sequoyah School, LACHSA, Manual Arts HS, Occidental College, LACC Theatre Academy, and Woodbury University. I collaborated with Shakespeare Center/LA to provide audition prep workshops for underserved youth and ran Will Play/Shakespeare Remixed, summer
theatre programs for youth. My arts education work was honored with a National Artist Teacher Fellowship, a Music Center Bravo Award, and a CTG JP Morgan Chase Fellowship. My artistic work in the labor movement was honored with a Cal Poly Phi Kappa Award/Outstanding artistic & professional contributions to Labor struggles. and LA County Fed Labor Image & Union Label Awards.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My orientation to my socially engaged theatre practice is rooted in my training at the Living Stage Company. I was a member of the company in the early to mid 1970’s. Founded and directed by Bob Alexander, Living Stage believed that every human being is an artist. He trained us as both physical theatre improvisational actors and teaching artists and what I learned during my years at Living Stage have stayed with me to this day. My commitment to providing opportunities for participants to explore, express, and redefine their life stories, hopes, fears and dreams through theatre, movement and writing has not wavered. I’m particularly passionate about collaborating with fellow artists and members of underserved and unheard communities to create theatre pieces that can be performed for community peers and the public. These performances serve to break the isolation often felt by unheard community members and educate the public about our shared humanity.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I began my journey as an artist at the age of 5 with a dream of being a professional ballerina. I took ballet until age 16 and then switched to modern when it was clear that I would never be accepted in the ballet community. I was only 5″4″, not at all thin as a rail, and didn’t have the “Balanchine” look that was required of ballerinas in those days. I had also been active in children’s theatre since the age of 10, so I switched my aspirations to being a professional actor. I saw myself as a classical actor, working in theaters with the dream of being on Broadway. I did my Equity Apprentice and Journeyman years in two regional theaters and was living in NY as a struggling actor, working at a variety of jobs to sustain myself when I saw a casting notice for the Living Stage Company. I was intrigued by the company’s focus on social justice. Altho I was deeply committed to being a traditional actor, I was hoping to be able to work in productions that would be expressive of my political beliefs. It was not common to find such opportunities in those days.

Along with my artistic attributes were my political orientation and my upbringing that focused on social justice and activism. I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s. I came from a radical, political home where many of my parents’ friends were blacklisted actors, writers and directors. My father was a car salesman who had been called by the HUAC and blacklisted from working for Chevrolet because he had Stockholm Peace petitions in the trunk of his car. My mother was a brave woman who, when two FBI agents came to our front door to investigate my father’s political activities, said “I have nothing to say to you” and slammed the door. I went on peace marches and demonstrations with my parents and was proud to follow in their footsteps as a political and social activist.

I auditioned for Living Stage, was hired, got my Equity card and my artistic life was transformed. It was a true pivotal point for me as a person and as an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theatreworkersproject.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/theatreworkersproject/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheatreWorkersProject/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susie-tanner-4aa56519/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/twp1983
• Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user39723301

Image Credits
Photo by Aidan McCullough