Staff Photo Nick Brothers:
Joesph Fletcher (left) and Whitney Masters (right) practice one of the many “scenes” that occur throughout Tri Cycle Farms during The New Now performance. While details are still kept in secret, organizers said to expect a unique experience as the show explores different cultural themes about technology and social media.
Something’s been growing at Tri Cycle Farms throughout the past eight weeks, and it isn’t produce. This weekend at the urban garden off Garland Avenue in Fayetteville, The New Now — an immersive performance series about technology and social media — will be hosting a harvest of ideas.
That’s right, from Friday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Sept. 21 and Oct. 2-5, Tri Cycle Farms will host the lastest installment of The New Now with 50 “seats” per show. Because of organizers’ promises to bring a unique experience — so as not to spoil it — many of the details of what the “whimsical” theater experience will hold have been kept secret.
The show was originated through what’s called “devised theater” where the ensemble reflected upon several complex ideas about technology and social media. After exploring the ideas, they were able to develop several different stories, scenes and elements that demonstrated the truth found in the ideas. The goal is to get audience members to engage in the ideas and scenes presented throughout the garden and maybe learn a thing or two in an entertaining way.
“We aren’t doing anything that’s out of the realm of what you would see on a theater stage, there’s just some things that we kind of do differently,” said Joseph Fletcher, co-director for The New Now. “All of these factors go in to create this thing that’s hard to explain what the show is.”
The performance will feature several different scenes that will go on at different times throughout the show. Some of the ideas that the scenes are based on include romance in the digital age and communications, as well as the positives and downsides of each to society.
The performance is expected to continue to evolve with each installment as new themes are explored and questions are asked by community dialogue sessions. The first version of The New Now was put on earlier this year in the spring.
“We’re always thinking about what it’s going to be next,” said Erika Wilhite, executive artistic director for The New Now. “We’ve created the core concept of the show this time around. The first time around was about activating the space. Outdoor theater is compelling, so part of our job is figuring out how to attract your attention. That’s part of our fun.”
As for how the performance will operate on the farm, there won’t be a main stage, as traditional theater works.
Much like how you may navigate a web page with “rabbit holes” of hyperlinks leading to further links, the movement of the performance is designed to supply audience members with various “rabbit holes” to explore, making discovery one of the larger themes. The ensemble of six will resemble customer service for The New Now, and they will guide the performance as well as answer any questions an audience member may have during the show.
“Here, it’s much easier to buy into the world being created because you have no idea what could happen next,” Fletcher said. “You’re thinking more about what’s happening around you than what just happened — if that makes sense.”
As a part of Tri Cycle’s mission to share their food with the community, there will be a part during the performance where food from the garden will be served to the audience. However, it isn’t dinner theater, so don’t come hungry, Wilhite said.
“It’s going to be different. There’s a farm to table element in there,” said Don Bennett, founder of Tri Cycle Farms. “Breaking bread together, that’s an important element of what we used to have. We don’t get together often enough like that.”
Because of The New Now’s unusual setting circumstances, audience members are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes and shoes for walking through the garden, and bug spray is recommended. There will be opportunities to sit down as the show progresses.
“I hope that everyone has a remarkable and memorable experience,” Wilhite said. “We want you to engage more with the environment and encounter stories in a new way.”
Tri Cycle Farms is the recipient of the Collaborative Project Support Grant from the Arkansas Arts Council, which made The New Now possible. With the grant money, Tri Cycle has been able to pay the artists involved and create temporary jobs.
“Working with these actors, they’re just so quirky,” Bennett said. “They have some fun ways of doing the show. All of this is community based, so with the outreach to community to help write it, it falls within our mission. Based on the first New Now — just how people were impacted by it — it’s just something they’ve never experienced before.”
While many details of the show are being held under wraps, the show will be unique to each person who attends based on how they move through the space, Wilhite said.
The project is a collaboration with Ozark Natural Foods and Artist’s Laboratory Theatre as well as artists Heather Younger and Nathan Morton that are working as designers for the project.
Tickets for adults are $15, and students can get tickets for $10. If price is an obstacle for going to the show, Bennett said to contact him at 479-966-0572 to work out a voucher deal.
“They’ve really bust their butts working on this and they’re sweating just as much as we are,” Bennett said. “I’ve been impressed by that. They’ve been working hard together to come up with the best possible show. I’m blown away by that.”
