News: Artistic Stamp Launches Inaugural Season of Interactive Plays-By-Mail

Image courtesy Kampfire PR

 Presenting original work from six award-winning playwrights--Ben Bonnema (The Apple Boys) , November Christine, Matt Schatz (UNTITLED a New Musical Comedy about Serious Drama, The Burdens), Jahn Sood (The Disappearing Man, We Were an Island), Elyne Quan, and Natalie Ann Valentine--Artistic Stamp will produce a season of interactive experiences that take audience members on unique journeys via handwritten correspondence. The audience becomes a character in the story, reacting and replying to the letters received and playing a role in deciding the outcome. All of this takes place during a seven-letter narrative arc that plays out over the course of September to December. In a time when theatergoers can’t venture out, Artistic Stamp brings the plays home.

“Almost overnight we experienced the disappearance of live theater; the art form to which we’ve devoted our entire professional lives,” said West Hyler (Cirque Du Soleil Paramour, Big Apple Circus) and Shelley Butler (A Doll’s House Part Two), Artistic Directors of Artistic Stamp. “Searching for a way to recapture the in-person experience of live theater during this time of social distancing and for new ways to collaborate with writers and actors whose work we love and admire, we created Artistic Stamp. With the help of six playwrights, thirty actors, and a props designer, we are bringing interactive narrative experiences into the living rooms of all those who, like us, are hungry for connection.”
Artistic Stamp’s inaugural season features an eclectic and far-reaching variety of experiences- from November Christine’s story of Ida B Wells discovering her voice, to Jahn Sood’s adult-only romance, to Elyne Quan’s sci-fi fantasy for young audiences. 

The four month long experience costs $100, paid upfront or in four monthly installments. Tickets are now on sale at Artistic Stamp's website. 

2020 Artistic Stamp Inaugural Season Productions

The Constellation Melody, by Ben Bonnema
A single melody haunts four composers over two centuries in this queer-musical puzzle. From a woman struggling with an opera commission to a 19th-century liturgical organist hiding his atheism, four nested stories explore the power of music transcending time and space. (Target Age: 13+)

Ida, by November Christine
From the ashes of the Civil War rises the bustling city of Memphis, Tennessee. Ida B. Wells, a young Negro schoolteacher, arrives in search of a new beginning. But the echoes of slavery still ring loud in the Dixie South. Guide Ida as she discovers her voice in the fight for equality. (Target Age: For All Ages)

The Hidden Slipstream, by Elyne Quan
Two otherworld figures attempt to return an alien artifact to its rightful place on Earth, but end up separated from each other and need your help to reconnect and restore balance to the planet. But you must be careful – a dangerous interdimensional enemy is on their trail and only you can set things right! (Target Age: For Young Audiences and The Young At Heart)

The Wax Box, by Matt Schatz
The adventure begins when you receive a letter from the person who lived in your home before you and the confession that they've hidden something of extreme value within the walls. Can you trust them? (Target Age: 13+)

Fall In Love in 4 Months, by Jahn Sood
Are you tired of staying home watching romance flicks and swiping through Tinder? Does love always seem like someone else’s adventure? Over the next few months you will become embroiled in an affair of your own. Step one, meet our top-level matchmakers. Step two, tell them a little bit about yourself. Don’t hold back. The more honest you are the more likely you are to find real love. Step 3, let the drama begin. (Target Age: 18+)

The Otherwise, by Natalie Ann Valentine
The world as we know it is falling into chaos. You are the only one with the power to keep darkness from taking complete control. The Otherwise – a mysterious and strange group of deities who are the guardians between our world and all that lies elsewhere – are vanishing. Vega, their leader, requires your help. Through your combined magic – magic you perhaps didn’t even know you had – you must protect our protectors and banish the monsters before it’s too late. (Target Age: 18+)