Photo: Sandra Coudert-Graham
Art allows a person the
opportunity to not only
reflect upon experiences that
she can relate to, but more
importantly it has the ability
to open a door to an infinite
number of experiences that
she may never have.
introduced herself at the start of the
program as “Chey.” Chey grabbed the
microphone following the final per-
formance and expressed how she had
previously been too shy to speak in
group settings, but CommunicateME
had taught her to use her voice. My
ambition in life was confirmed in that
moment: to create spaces for people to
discover the power and significance of
their voices, and to make more room
in the world for stories untold, stories
that evoke compassion and love from
audiences of all backgrounds.
I’m now the Managing Director of
an Off-Broadway downtown theater
in New York City. The company has
been around for over 20 years, and has
always been committed to producing
risky, provocative new plays written
and directed by emerging artists who
are, for the most part, in an early stage
of their careers. I joined the company
nearly a year ago, at the same time as
Artistic Director, Daniella Topol and
Associate Producer, Victor Cervantes.
As the theater’s new team, we are es-
pecially committed to producing work
that not only celebrates diversity, but
insists upon it. Our first main stage
production this season was Orange Ju-
lius, a play by Basil Kreimendahl about
a Vietnam war veteran, Julius, and his
sickness resulting from exposure to
Agent Orange. The protagonist is Nut,
Julius’ trans-masculine son, and the
play centers around familial relation-
ships, PTSD, and a trans-masculine
man’s experience with self-discovery,
transitioning, and his relationship to
his dying father.
This play, along with the others
we will continue to produce, to me
exemplifies theater’s ability to act as
an educational tool that can promote
peace and understanding in a deeply
impactful way. Because, in addition
to the ability to teach self-expression,
what moves me is art’s ability to teach
humans about the worlds that ex-
ist outside of their own. Art allows a
person the opportunity to not only
reflect upon experiences that she can
relate to, but more importantly it has
the ability to open a door to an infinite
number of experiences that she may
never have. And this is the route to
developing empathy, which is the
beating heart that keeps peace alive.
As a theater-maker, I am committed to
working for the accessibility to art that
promotes peace and creates change.
Annie Middleton is the Managing Director
of Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in the
West Village in New York City. She recently
received an MFA in Theater Management
from Yale School of Drama. At YSD, she
served as Managing Director of Yale Cabaret
and Company Manager for Yale Repertory
Theatre. Prior to grad school, Annie lived in
Los Angeles where she spent a year at WME,
followed by two years at Carousel Produc-
tions, a film/TV production company led
by actor, producer and writer Steve Carell.
Annie received a B.S. in Theater from North-
western University.
IMAGINE l Spring 2017 27