Three Years in the Making
Delaware Theatre Company opens “10 Months: The Wilmington Voices Project” on March 17. Conceived and directed by DTC Artistic Director Anne Marie Cammarato, the show is part of DTC’s Community Series project, which commenced last season with the excellent “No Child.”
Cammarato set out to explore the voices of Wilmington by asking how the city defined itself, and what can happen to a community over a period of 10 months. Via interviews, video and actors performing live on stage, the piece follows stories of Wilmingtonians, their neighbors and their community leaders, and discusses Wilmington’s early history—including the occupation by the National Guard in 1968—as well as its present.
“10 Months” took three years to produce. Cammarato felt that the Wilmington community was ready for a story about itself, an honest look into its past, present, and future, but was most interested in creating an emotional history of the city. “We wanted to understand opinions, memories, ideas, and impressions from ordinary people,” Cammarato said in a statement. “We wanted to hear the stories behind the facts, and allow them to join together as a snapshot of our town. It is not, by any means, meant to preach, testify, or instruct. For me, this project is about revealing our community in a new and personal way, and doing it right now, with an open heart.”
With the help of Charles Conway, DTC’s Director of Education & Community Engagement, Cammarato interviewed about 50 members of the community who were of various ages, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. Audiences won’t see these 50 on stage, of course. Cammarato decided to honor their anonymity by encompassing them in the creation of six characters.
Audiences will have a chance to have their voices heard when Neill Archer Roan and Wendy Roan of The Roan Group facilitate a week’s worth of talk-backs at the theater, following the March 24- 28 performances.
Contact info: delawaretheatre.org, or 594-1100
