ARTISTIC VISION STATEEMENTS

Krisaana Gunsager

THE FEARSOME FOUR IS AN ORIGINAL PLAY, EXPLORING THE LIVES OF FOUR, TEENAGE BEST FRIENDS WHO RECONNECT TO OPEN A TIME CAPSULE THEY BURIED AS CHILDREN THE PLAY DELVES INTO THEMES OF MENTAL HEALTH, FAMILY, DISABILITY, AND FRIENDSHIP IT FOLLOWS EACH GIRL'S JOURNEY OF GROWING UP, EMPHASIZING THE POWER OF CONNECTION, DESPITE THEIR DIFFERENT PATHS

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE PLAY ORIGINATED FROM THE AUTHOR'S PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH HER FRIENDS, WHO HAVE DEALT WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND THE PRESSURES OF ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND FAMILIAL LIFE THE AUTHOR HOPES TO HUMANIZE THE BAY AREA MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AND OFFER A GLIMPSE INTO THE DAILY STRUGGLES OF THOSE GRAPPLING WITH IT

DESPITE THE PLAY'S HEAVY THEMES, THE AUTHOR AIMS TO LEAVE THE AUDIENCE WITH A MESSAGE OF HOPE. SHE BELIEVES THAT THROUGH FRIENDSHIP, SUPPORT, AND THE STRUGGLE TOWARDS RECOVERY, IT'S POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME THIS CRISIS THE FEARSOME FOUR EMBODIES THE IDEA THAT "YOU ARE NOT ALONE, NO MATTER HOW ALONE YOU MAY FEEL "

TONIGHT, A STAGED READING OF THE FIRST ACT OF THE PLAY WILL BE PERFORMED. PLEASE NOTE, THERE ARE REFERENCES TO EATING DISORDERS, SELF-HARM, SUICIDE, AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, WHICH MAY BE TRIGGERING TO SOME IF AT ANY POINT YOU NEED TO STEP OUTSIDE, PLEASE DO SO

Zoe Zappas

“MY CHARADES” IS MY DIP INTO THE WATERS OF SOLO PERFORMANCE IT IS AN EXPLORATION OF MY VOICE AS A STORYTELLER IN THE CONTEXT OF MY PERSONAL ANECDOTES THAT INFORM THE LARGER MESSAGE I HOPE TO CONVEY IN AN ATTEMPT TO CONNECT TO MY INNER CHILD, LITTLE ZOE, I VENTURE THROUGH SOME OF MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL UP UNTIL THE PRESENT MOMENT, TRACING THE DEVELOPMENT OF MY PERFECTIONISM AND ANXIETY I WANTED TO TAKE A RISK WITH THIS PIECE, SO ALTHOUGH I GENERATED ENTIRELY ORIGINAL MATERIAL IN A SCRIPT TO GUIDE MY PERFORMANCE, MUCH OF THE CONTENT I WILL SHARE IS SPONTANEOUS EACH NIGHT WILL BE A DIFFERENT VERSION OF MY STORY, DEPENDING ON THE ENERGY I GIVE AND RECEIVE NOWHERE NEAR PERFECTION, MY PIECE DEFIES ALL EXPECTATIONS I HAD FOR MYSELF IT IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED TO SHARE HERE AND NOW, AND THAT IS WHAT MATTERS MOST I HOPE TO CONNECT WITH EACH MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE, SO EYE CONTACT IS A CRUCIAL PART IN MAINTAINING THE ATMOSPHERE ALTHOUGH THIS IS A ONE WOMAN SHOW, MY VISION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT CONTINUOUS CONVERSATION WITH MS HANSON, IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIND THE HEART OF MY STORY, AND DIRECTOR’S FEEDBACK FROM KRISAANA, WHO HELPED ME TRANSFORM MY THOUGHTS INTO ACTION. COMBINING IMPROVISATION, PHYSICAL THEATER, MUSIC, HUMOR, AND A CLASSY DOSE OF VULNERABILITY, I INVITE YOU TOO TO TAP INTO YOUR OWN IMAGINATION AND REMEMBER THE POWER AND THE MAGIC OF CHILDHOOD