Our Company Values
Masks created and designed by Tara Cariaso of Waxing Moon Masks
THE AUTONOMY OF THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST IN COLLABORATION
Artists and artisans will always have a creative voice in the room, and are encouraged to speak up when they have thoughts on the processes used or the work created. In every production or project, the Artistic Leadership and production directors will create an open and collaborative space for each artist and artisan to share opinions and ideas, engage in discussions about the direction of the production or their roles in the production, and create their own work that speaks to their perspectives, identities, and interests. Creation processes will be flexible and adapt to the needs of the group. New, ensemble-devised work will be privileged over canon plays, and creation methods will be employed that utilize the performers as “Actor-Devisors.” These Actor-Devisors contribute their ideas and perspectives to the process and the products.
ACCESSIBILITY OF THE CRAFT
Training is key to deep, thoughtful comedic work. Often, the training required to perform Commedia dell’Arte is only available to those with the financial means to pursue specialized workshops or advanced degrees. Faction hosts regular open studio “gym” trainings, taught by experts in the Physical Theatre field, to foster “skill sharing” amongst our company members, and invite and recruit new members. Faction also recognizes that accepting less than a living wage to work a contract is also an act of privilege. The company will increase artist and contractor pay incrementally by a minimum of 5% annually. In the meantime, production schedules will be adjusted to accommodate the lives of parents, caretakers, and people with full time jobs. Faction will achieve this by choosing comfort and health over efficiency.
BYSTANDER ADVOCACY & EMPOWERMENT
Core Faction staff is training in bystander intervention. In any working space, be it a rehearsal, training session, or Faction hosted event, one of these trainees will be present. Faction provides a clear and transparent conflict resolution process with accountability with appropriate resolution, and/or remedy. A No Retaliation Policy is in place to protect both victims and bystanders from retaliation by artistic leadership. This policy, along with the rest of our Company Handbook clearly lays out the rights and protections an artist or artisan has while working with Faction, and clear instructions on how to report an issue or harm done. These documents will be shared with production contractors at least three times during a process: in a welcome email, before technical rehearsals begin, and after the production closes. If any affiliated staff, artists, or contractors have any questions about these processes, they should reach out to the Co-Artistic Directors, Staff Representative, or any member of the Board of Directors.
EMPHASIS ON JOYFUL PROCESSES
Abusive behavior, unreasonable deadlines, and work schedules that prioritize efficiency over quality of life will not be instituted. Meeting a deadline or an artistic goal will no longer be an excuse for harmful behavior or compromised processes. Company leadership (the Co-Artistic Directors and Associate Artistic Director) work together in a collaborative, consensus based way. Rehearsal schedules will provide at least one weekend day off, and we continually adjust our tech schedule production by production based on artist feedback. During productions, a clear reporting process will be shared with production artists and artisans, and all contractors will be encouraged to come forward with any instances of harm, whether it be person to person, or as a result of the processes employed by that company and/or a production.
EMPHASIS ON JOYFUL PRODUCTS
Faction is re-imagining the tradition of Commedia itself by examining character archetypes, traditional physicalities, relationships between characters, and re-designing stock characters and masks that do not evoke harmful stereotypes. In this work, we examine the character’s origins and their traditional role in Renaissance Italian society to determine the “essential qualities” of each character. These qualities eliminate the traditional “stock” characteristics of race, gender, sexuality, and age. Then we craft parameters for what archetype this character might inhabit in modern American society. The company has designed a set of training masks with our Commedia and Style Consultant and Resident Mask Maker Tara Cariaso of Waxing Moon Masks based on this research that emphasizes these archetypal essential qualities. The company recognizes that there are no “one design fits all” masks, and will work with each actor to find the right mask for them in their version of the character archetype they have developed. These training sets will be utilized in the development and rehearsal process for a new piece, but the company will commission new designs or repaints of masks to fit each actor in each role. The mask design processes will begin early, after a character development period, before the full time rehearsal process begins. Actors will be involved in the design process, and have input in the shape and features of their mask.
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS & SERVICE
Faction of Fools is committed to connecting within the DMV community, especially its local DC Ward 6. Artistic leadership will ask themselves how they can serve these communities, not what is “grantable.” The company pursues meaningful and ongoing community partnerships, and is particularly interested in engaging with students and theatre professionals through educational workshops. Faction is a theatre partner with Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW), and provides programming for their after-school “Youth Arts Program.” Faction is a member of DC Collaborative, a local organization that brings DCPS students to productions and workshops. The company currently provides free programming to DC Collaborative through pre-recorded workshops, which have reached over 1000 students. Any staff member, affiliated artist, or contractor is welcome to bring prospective partnership proposals to Artistic Leadership.