Our Process

Stage One: Choose a Theme

At Arête, we select a theme each season to research, write shows about, and explore through performances on stage. These themes help us challenge our beliefs as a society and as individuals, and call on us all to create meaningful change for a better future.

Stage Two: Writing & Composing

Stage Three: Making it a Thing that can Happen in front of People

Reflections from the Artistic Director
Arête’s production process is completely grounded in character work. Our actors develop a healthy framework of their character through in-depth textual analysis before having to worry about memorization or blocking. Deep understanding of character is especially important because we focus on original work, and actors don’t have prior performances of the show to draw upon. We also develop character in music rehearsals, by exploring how musical expression and lyrics expose a character’s inner-most emotions.  In musicals like “Man Up,” songs occur during the most significant parts of the story, so each note sung requires motivation and intention.

--Max Middleton

Stage Four: Community

At Arête, we believe there is no art without community. If you’ve been in our cast, worked on our crew, or have sat in the audience at one of our shows, you’re family.

We begin each rehearsal with a meditation. This fosters a safe and sacred space for us all to enter, and sets the intention for a focused, positive rehearsal.

Through in-depth character work, textual analysis, and expressive coaching, we create the space for our actors to connect deeply to their character’s emotions, to other actors’ in the cast, and to their own. The members of our cast grow to rely on and love each other, and many create friendships that sustain long after closing night.

We strive to make everyone feel at home at Arête, whether you’re an actor on our stage, a musician in the pit, a board-op or a fervent parent.

Head over to our Join Us page to see how you can become part of the Arête family today.