Thursday July 28 - Nick Flint

One of the experiences I treasure in our summer residency in Papingo is the
time and space for focused discussion between the OYL creative ensemble. A
good portion of time is allocated to reading new scripts, discussing
playwrights we are considering for commissions of new work, and in-depth,
frank conversation about what we value in the art form, why it is important
to us individually and how to reflect these elements in our creative process
and the end product itself.

Away from the sirens, subways and Starbucks of New York, the tranquility of
village life and the stronger connection to nature and our own thoughts that
it creates, give us the rare opportunity to check-in with our priorities as
individuals and artists – where we meet and where we collide.

During one of our sessions today, we began by reading a short story about a
taxidermy convention in Springfield, Ohio – the subject for a possible
future commission a playwright had proposed. After only a few pages, the
reading stopped and the conversation began… Over the next two hours, as a
group, we experienced tears, irritation, coalition, disagreement and
laughter as we covered topics as diverse as hunting; gun law; abortion;
illegal immigration; terrorism; tolerance; the manipulative-prone nature of
the human mind; the human need to belong, to identify, and the ideological
structures that exploit that need; bureaucracy as a concept and its unique
expression in different nations; sex slavery in Florida; manipulation in the
mass media and the IRS. We brought gentle attention to what was unexpected
in each others’ reactions and considered the subjectivity of our points’ of
view based on our particular upbringing and opportunities.

Feeling so blessed for this important shared time with such wonderful people
in the midst of another wonderful summer in Papingo, alongside an inspiring
and talented group of tomorrow’s theater artists in our apprentice company,
the OYL artistic ensemble grows another year older together. With the world
around us in a state of ongoing conflict and uncertainty, the importance of
our individual politics, complexities and prejudices and their
reconciliation within our work feels ever-more important.

The precious connection between us as artists is a vital touchstone to the
organic growth of our community - the work we choose, how we approach it,
and how we place ourselves within it to touch audiences with our own human
experience…