An Interview with The Becoming Art’s Collective Founder Darrin Friedman
Originally published by onStage Pittsburgh
By JESSICA NEU
This past January, playwright Darrin Friedman and director Art DeConciliis debuted Friedman’s original play Three Blind Mice. After achieving commercial and critical success, Friedman recognized untapped potential in Pittsburgh’s community theater scene. He sat down with his wife, Heather Friedman, and the pair initially set out to do a couple of shows a year. However, the Friedmans quickly realized that Pittsburgh has a vast theater community interested in the idea of a collective. As a result, Friedman is proud to introduce the The Becoming Arts Collective. I had the privilege of speaking to Friedman about the birth of The Collective and his plans for the future.
Coming up in June, The Collective will hold auditions for their first performance in September. The company debut will be an exciting two-night festival featuring twenty-four 10-minute plays from emerging playwrights. Following the festival will be a full-length show in November that promises to be a Pittsburgh (and possibly a world) premiere. An original Friedman show will close out The Collective’s first season in January. DeConciliis has joined The Collective as Artistic Director, Heather Friedman as Artistic Producer, and Ponny Conomos Jahn will serve as Artistic in Residence.
Friedman stressed how The Collective allows emerging playwrights who may not otherwise have the opportunity to have their works heard or seen. “The Collective is about bringing artists together to do really cool work with really cool people and also doing the work from the ground up,” Friedman explained. “We are focused on emerging playwrights whose voices haven’t been able to get through the noise. We want to give people the opportunity to have their work seen.”
Friedman was pleasantly surprised at how many people were quickly drawn to the idea of a collective. “We have people who want to get involved in a way that I didn’t see coming,” Friedman stated. “We already have 13 directors for the festival and are gaining momentum on social media. People are talking about [the Collective]. It is not what I anticipated; it’s so exciting. People are always searching for something to become a part of.” He is looking forward to offering a new space for people to foster community and to be able to express themselves creatively.
Friedman believes that the intense connection to The Collective is several-fold. He credits naming DeConciliis as the perfect choice for Artistic Director. “When we first started out, the groundswell of good wishes was everywhere, but as soon as I named Art as Artistic Director in March, his name gave us so much credibility. People want to do things with cool people that they know. Then we added Conomos as Artists in Residence. Art and Ponny have been getting a lot of messages from people asking what we are doing. The Collective is about giving people opportunities. It is a tremendous opportunity for people, and it represents fresh faces, names and ideas in Pittsburgh.”
“I want everyone to have a chance to be a part of what we are doing,” Friedman continued. We have momentum, exposure, and credibility, and people are excited.” The community is connecting with The Collective, and its mission is resonating with people across the theater landscape.
Friedman encourages anyone interested in joining The Collective community to reach out to him via the contact information posted on their website: https://www.thebecomingartscollective.com/contact
“If it’s a director who wants to get involved, I will introduce them to Art, and we can start conversations,” Friedman explained. The team is also eager for individuals who want to act, learn to direct or work behind the scenes. “We are working to collect people to attach to something growing and cool. If someone is reading this and wants to get involved, call me! We have plenty of positions that we need people to fill. We have a festival in September that will be amazing, but we need people.”
When asked about potential reasons for people’s urge to join a local theater community, Friedman acknowledged that this current moment can be very uncertain and even scary. However, people can channel that trepidation by having their voices heard through theater. The idea that someone’s voice can be heard is empowering. “Whether you’re an actor, director, or writer, we want your voice to be heard,” Friedman stated. “We won’t tell someone, “You can’t say that.” This is a safe space. We are giving people a space to say what they want to say. As long as people feel safe to write, direct, and act what is in their heart, then go for it!”
Elaborating on The Collective’s first season, Friedman explained that their fall show is about a family dealing with mental illness, and the second is about a family dealing with grief. He noted that these shows spoke to us profoundly and personally, and he hopes they will equally resonate with audiences.
Friedman also reminds us that just because a theater company is not a huge name does not mean their writers, directors, and actors lack value. “There are a lot of terrific playwrights who people have never heard of. I really want to give voice to people. We are doing an award-winning show in the fall. It’s a brilliant piece. Just because some people may not have heard of the show before does not mean it won’t be great.” He continues, “there are simply not enough opportunities for unknown people in theater. I’m not anyone, but I am someone because I have something to say and what I have to say resonates with people. Pittsburgh is a scene with different places and different voices. We need to take advantage of that. Three Blind Mice was an artistic and commercial success and we want to capitalize on that momentum and those opportunities.”
With many nationwide uncertainties surrounding theaters, Friedman hopes that The Collective can tap into something commercially viable but still open the doors to innovative new approaches with cool people doing cool things. “We have to be creative and look for new ways to get our work out,” Friedman explained. “I’m going to try to give everyone a chance who wants a chance because everyone has something to say.” Although the festival will feature some national writers, Friedman highlighted the value of prioritizing local artists in the festival. “I want Pittsburgh voices to be heard, and they will be.”
Friedman has nothing but gratitude and optimism for The Becoming Arts Collective. “I’m so excited that people are excited about what we’re doing. We are trying to deliver a message of hope and invite people who want a home in the theater to do really great work. Our doors and our hearts are open to anyone who is excited about great theater. The Becoming Arts Collective is all about good people and good art that is done well. Everything else will take care of itself.”
