zAmya theater project

How does a play do all that?
Sure, living without a home offers plenty of drama: The thrill of finding a place to sleep. The heart-warming search for a job. The inspiring quest for a next meal. The tender romance of trying to survive winter on the street. Gripping, to be sure. But a little short on chances to tell stories, trust fellow human beings or reclaim a place in society. zAmya Theater Project gives actors, both homeless and housed, a chance to step outside of their daily lives and enjoy a heaping helping of perspective with a dollop of imagination and free refills on dignity. Interestingly, it seems to have the same effect on audiences.

What kind of play are we talking about?
Our plays emerge from script development workshops held at shelters, homeless camps, schools and corporations. Not surprisingly, they tend to focus on homelessness. We tell stories, improvise and do some role playing, which gives us the basics of the play. Then we go straight into script writing and rehearsals.

The lights come up for six performances during National Hunger and Homelessness Week. The money we raise through performances goes to pay the actors, the director, the playwright and the musicians. It’s not much. But it is food, clothing and a down payment on the possibility of a better life. A little goes a long way.

So what’s in it for you?
As if the previously mentioned mind- and/or life-changing experiences were not enough, a zAmya Theater Project performance offers you something more: knowledge. Pearls of wisdom, ripe for the plucking, free with every admission. And not just any knowledge, friend: knowledge of yourself. We provide you with a mirror in which to reflect upon how you see the world and how the world sees you. We impart object lessons in solving problems by changing the way you look at them. Skills and wisdom, you’ll find, that have many uses in our modern world. Oh, and the good feelingthat comes from helping somebody help themselves? That part’s free.