PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY, THE

THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY partners that heal

By Lisa Van Loo

Facing a quiet stage since March, The Phoenix Theatre Company has focused on healing, taking advantage of a digital environment that allows a program they developed years ago to reach even more children in need of an emotional pick-me-up.

Partners That Heal, an outreach program developed by The Phoenix Theatre Company and performed inside hospital rooms, has been able to reach more than 1,600 patients and families since the outset of the pandemic. This was possible because it migrated to a virtual experience.

“It’s great respite for all of us to be able to connect, even if it’s through a digital platform,” Pasha Yamotahari, associate producing director for The Phoenix Theatre Company who also oversees Partners That Heal, says.

There’s joy and fulfillment in this season of invention, according to Robert Kolby Harper, The Phoenix Theatre Company’s associate artistic director. While it has thrown a monkey wrench into planning and it has greatly impacted incomes, it’s created time and space to discover new perspectives.

It’s why The Phoenix Theatre Company is working through the intricacies involved with launching outdoor programming this November.

“That seems to be the safest way to start,” Harper says. “We want to provide something that’s fun and safe and unique.”

In between planning for a new-look season, Harper and Yamotahari are delivering other interactive experiences to patrons such as a game show, a behind-the-curtain interview series, play readings and a summer dance intensive. They have appreciated the supportive energy of the creative community.

“It’s the artists who have all lost their jobs and they are constantly creating free things online because they have to. They can’t help it,” Harper says. “We wake up and do a dance in the morning because it’s what we do.”