Episode Overview: In this episode Adam and Micah discuss what are the limits of arts, should/does art come at the expense of the artists? What types of creative spaces do artists engage in? Are they all safe? Is art made in “not great spaces” any less or better, and childlike wonder as adult artists & freely going against the grain.

More about the speakers:

Adam is grateful to be a part of Grey Box Collective once again, and create original works. Raised in the cold mountains of Helena, MT and starting in poetry & musical  theatre, Adam received his BA in Theatre (Acting Concentration) from ASU in 2016. That following winter, Adam moved to LA to pursue acting dreams & networking. Adam continues to work on film & theatre in the area, primarily works with an educational theatre program currently (Kaiser Permanente). He also practices and writes his own sounds with his instruments: guitar, violin, harmonica & piano. Adam Mendez has also voiced his first VO character in the project, “In the Ring with Daisy King” alongside Ramona Young. Adam’s family also runs a taqueria in Helena, MT, El Vaquero Taqueria, so be sure to visit if you want flavorful at an affordable price, in the beautiful mountains of Helena, Montana. For more about Adam visit his IMDB page and listen to his music on spotify.

Micah Jondel DeShazer (micahjondel.com) is a newly established artistic leader and performer in the Ottawa community. He kicked off his career over the last 15 years, working in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, Madison, and now in Canada has developed him into an accomplished actor (2018 ariZoni award - Best Actor), director (nominated for 2022 Prix Rideau award; Puzzles), artistic leader and educator. Micah is specifically drawn to bridging the unique experiences of BIPOC, Anglo-Saxon, LGBTQIA+ & religious individuals finding commonality and understanding through the forging of a passionate collective dedicated to multidisciplinary collaboration in pursuit of radical transformation throughout the artistic world.

Producing Company Bio: Grey Box Collective (GBC) devises interdisciplinary, experimental, and post-dramatic work about social and emotional wellbeing (i.e. we make weird art about tough stuff). GBC finds innovative ways of exploring, challenging, and igniting difficult conversations. This is achieved by living in the messy grey areas of life and tackling socially relevant topics such as hate, shame, sexual violence, depression, and anxiety. GBC was founded in 2016 by Molly W. Schenck. Since then, GBC has produced over 20 new works, created by nearly 100 artists, and partnered with a dozen local organizations. GBC has presented work at the Boulder Fringe Festival, the Network of Ensemble Theaters’ annual conference, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and at the Phoenix Center of the Arts while in residency with nue[BOX].  In response to the pandemic, GBC expanded it’s digital offerings by hosting virtual workshops on Trauma-Informed Creative Practices, opening an online store with devising tools, and launching a podcast. For more information, sign up for GBC’s newsletter, check out GBC’s website, and follow GBC on social media.

Links to more about Grey Box Collective:

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/podcast

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/shop

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/product-page/introduction-to-trauma-informed-creative-practices

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/GreyBoxCollective/

https://www.instagram.com/grey_box_collective/

https://www.instagram.com/traumainformedcreativepractice/