Meet Ashley Kobza, Our New Education Director!

Ashley Kobza joins the Flatwater Shakespeare Company staff with over a decade of experience as a theatre artist and arts educator. Born and raised in small-town Nebraska, Ashley received her BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. After undergrad, she set out on a ten-year journey that took her to grad school, theaters, communities, and colleges across Ohio, Illinois, San Diego, and Kansas.  She moved back to the land of Goldenrod and Cottonwood in May of 2018 and has been actively working in the Omaha and Lincoln theatre communities ever since. Highlights include Circle Mirror Transformation at BlueBarn, assistant director of The Penguin Project at Lincoln Community Playhouse, and contract work for The Rose Theatre. Ashley also sits on the board for Blixt Locally Grown. 

 

Ashley earned an MFA in Acting and New Work from the Ohio State University where she was afforded the abundantly awesome opportunity to work and train with the Royal Shakespeare Company in their Stand up for Shakespeare initiative. It was through this work that she began to understand Shakespeare's texts for the vibrantly visceral, living-breathing experience that they are. Whatever Shakespeare situation she may find herself in, pedagogical or performative, Ashley begins from a place of curiosity and accessibility all with a "do first, analyze second" approach. When she's not at her desk working and writing away, you will find her among the local trails and trees with her two dogs slapping high fives with all the flora and fauna or at home with her two cats binging late 80s early 90s TV.

 

Welcome to the FSC family, Ashley!

Flatwater Shakespeare Invites New Solo Works

 

 

The play’s the thing!

 

Flatwater Shakespeare Company seeks writer-performers to create short solo works for live and virtual performances. These would be original, previously unproduced, Shakespeare-inspired pieces for individual actors. Each writer-performer will be paired with a director who will help get the performance on its feet. Artists whose works are selected for production will be paid a stipend.

 

Examples of worthwhile scripts might include a closer look at a lesser-known character; an exploration of your unique experience on stage or in the classroom; a personal confession about why you love or loathe Shakespeare.

 

All genres and approaches are welcome. The works can be humorous, dramatic, or musical. They must be able to be staged with minimal props and set (such as a table and chair). Finally, the works must include passages of Shakespearean text.

 

Performances will take place in Fall 2021 (September-October). There will be two weeks of rehearsal, Sunday through Friday evenings. The dates and location for the show are still being determined. The pieces will also be filmed for a subsequent online festival.

 

To be considered as a participant, please submit the following to

flatwatershakespearecompany@gmail.com:

 

Subject line with your last name and “Solo Submission.”

 

Message with your full name; the name of your work-in-progress; a statement of your commitment to rehearsals, public performances, and filming; and an estimate of eventual run-time between 10 and 30 minutes.

 

PDF attachment of the first few pages (no more than 10) of your script. The file should be labeled with your last name, first name, and the script’s working title.

 

Initial submissions must be sent by April 15, 2021. Questions can also be sent to the same email address.