We had the good fortune of connecting with Michal Mcdowell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michal, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Before we were Third Side Theatre Company we were individuals who had worked on various projects at various theaters.

The Old Man and the Old Moon was the show that brought us together. It’s such a unique story that encourages a unique, simple, yet magical way of telling it. As the director, I also encouraged a more collaborative approach to make this story come to life.

We enjoyed it so much and worked so well together that we didn’t want to stop and wanted to not just perform more shows in this way but create shows that will foster the same experience as well.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Our tag line is “theatre from scratch”. We have sort of a vagabond style and let limitations fuel our creativity. Practical sound and low tech effects sort of transport us to when we’d create shows as kids in our living room or garage.

Getting started was surprisingly easy. I think theater goers and performers are ready for something fresh and quirky. We received so many donations to get us up and running. It was really amazing!

Every single one of us has different gifts that we are bringing to the company from the fun creative aspects to the organized and whip cracking elements that are a part of running a business.

The challenges we are most experiencing are in trying to have structure to the company without losing the free spirit we’ve enjoyed. We’re all friends and don’t want it to get to “corporate” but there’s value in some of that and it’s already been tried and tested.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We have to thank Pig Pen Theatre. They are the masterminds behind The Old Man and the Old Moon. It’s their style of storytelling that has really inspired us.

Also a shoutout to The Evergreen Players for providing the opportunity to do the show in the first place and for taking a risk with a first time director.

Website: https://www.thirdsidetheatre.com

Instagram: Thirdsidetheatre

Facebook: Third Side Theatre Company

Image Credits
Tracy Doty Photography
Kelly and Matt Fox

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