In 2006 I was directing a theatre training and performance program for high-school students at the Colorado Festival of World Theatre. There, I met Bobby and Renee Hartslief, two incredible activists and professionals who invited me to come work and perform at their wildlife preserve near Johannesburg, South Africa. Soon after, I was also invited to share my work at the Witness Hilton Arts Festival near Durban. I decided not only to perform and teach workshops at these locations, but to create an international theatre project with the sharing of work among artists and communities from all over the world. I gathered a group of trusted, dedicated artists to develop the program with me, and our project partnered with the non-profit theatre company, Odyssey Productions, directed by Marina McClure, as our producer. With the commitment of these artists, we have created a dream-program, and already our project is expanding to include a rapidly growing number of American, European, and South African artists and communities. We are privileged and honored by this invitation to work in South Africa and grateful for the opportunity to create such a full artistic program.

At the heart of our program lies the desire to activate dialogue and exchange. Through our program of creating and sharing our own work, observing the work of others, and subsequently creating something new together, we have the potential to utilize the theatre as a diverse and powerful tool of communication. We are artists, explorers, and people, both teachers and students. We would like to engage with others in the exploration of present issues, and we would like to find new answers to old questions. As theatre artists, we are determined to do our part to contribute to the global discussion about the future of international interactions, and as experienced practitioners and world travelers, our company is particularly qualified for this responsible exploration of new possibilites.

I hope you enjoy learning about our project, as it has been our pleasure to create it. If you are interested in what we are doing, would like to learn more, or would like to be involved, feel free to contact us at TSTP.Company@gmail.com There is still much to do and plenty of ways to help this unique and important project fulfill its great potential. 

Thom Pasculli, Artistic Director