6 Month Milestones/ Thank You, All!

Thank you wordcloud

It has been six months since the launch of our THEATER ViSiONS website and we would like to take the time to say how grateful we are for your support. This goes for each and every one of you who have browsed our website or followed our monthly (or sometimes twice monthly) ViSiONS BLoG. Or followed us on social media: Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. For everyone who has taken a class or workshop or seen a production. For all of you who have been rooting for us behind the scenes (you know who you are) and those who have influenced and shaped our theatrical perceptions and skills over the years. A big hearty THANK YOU!!! And to our new Bulgarian friends and advocates, МНОГО БЛАГОДАРЯ!!!

Since the website was launched on 9 May, 2020 we have had over 500 visitors to the website from 23 countries, and nearly 1,700 views. We are very thankful for each and everyone of you especially for your support during this quiet time for us. The “Thank yous” in the featured image reflect the languages spoken in those countries and the text size roughly relates to how many visitors. And we are just getting started! We look forward to serving our local community of Sofia, all of Bulgaria and beyond its borders in the months and years to come. Follow our ViSiONS BLoG to get monthly updates from us.

Huge THANK YOU’S also go to our Advisory Board members, Vera Frengova, Desislava Duridanova and Milena Aneva, who are truly inspiring. Your guidance,  support and suggestions have been invaluable.

And the biggest THANK YOU of all goes to my wife, who has been a listener, fellow dreamer, editor, translator and producer in the short time of the little over a year that we have been an NGO (non-govermental organization). 

Company Bulletin

Theater Visions flag rotated to side

Like most companies nowadays we are reevaluating our plans and figuring out how to move forward effectively. As a theater company this has meant considering the possibility of moving much of what we do into video format and shifting it online. Also should we apply for the government funding that is meant to assist with sustaining the cultural industry that has been so greatly affected by the pandemic due to shut downs and greatly reduced capacity. Certainly there are many arts organizations, large and small, who have done one or both of these things.

After careful consideration, THEATER ViSiONS have decided, at this time, to do neither of those things. Although the possibility of recording performances and offering classes and workshops online is certainly viable, we do not at this time believe this is the best way forward for our company. Our strength lies in the rehearsal room, whether it be preparing for a performance or working with students. We thrive on that interpersonal connection and the energy that comes from collaboration. It is true that these things can be achieved to a degree through the latest technologies, but that it would also involve an investment of resources, which represents a commitment, towards making this decision work. We would rather use our company resources to go in a different, and hopefully, more sustainable direction. To this end, look for future blog posts that will reveal more information in due time (for a sneak peek). As for pursuing funding, we are in a unique and somewhat fortunate position. Because we are a new company with no full-time employees and no building, it means we do not have the administrative or overhead costs associated with these either. Since that is the case, we would rather allow companies with greater need apply for these funds. Instead we will focus our energy on upcoming projects and use our time and resources towards bringing new artistic endeavours into existence.

Audio Theater Coming Soon!

Recently THEATER ViSiONS held a poll to select the genre of our first audio theater presentation. The choices were science fiction, detective, mystery/ suspense and western. The results were a resounding “yes” for mystery/ suspense with over 60% of the vote.

We have already begun reading scripts, checking copyright status, testing our recording equipment, refreshing our sound effects library and preparing our foley studio (also known as Mark‘s kitchen). Soon we will be recruiting voice actors for the podcast, however, please be aware that these are unpaid positions as this project has no funding at this time. If you are interested, check out our WoRK WiTH Us page for more details as they become available.

In keeping with our mission, we will be creating some English language downloads and resources to go along with the podcast to assist any English Language Leaners who would like to build their understanding and context competence. The podcast and support materials will be made available from our website as they are made ready for release. We hope you will join us as we begin our new venture into podcasting!

Summer Solstice

Vitosha Boulevard in springtime towards mountains

We have successfully navigated past the longest day of the year. That may seem like no big deal, but for me during the last few months many days felt like the longest day of the year. So let’s rejoice that perhaps, here in Bulgaria, the tide is turning. The weather has been good, the skies blue, the mountains a patchwork of green, and the air is clean.

What good news is coming up for THEATER ViSiONS? First off, we are gearing up to do our first Audio Theater podcast. If you haven’t already, go to our Home page or Facebook profile and vote for what genre we should start off with. Your choices are Mystery/ Suspense, Western, Detective, or Science Fiction.

Also we have been hard at work on building our website to best represent who we are and what we hope to achieve as a company. There’s lots there already with more pages coming soon. Take a look to find out more.

Also in the works are potential offerings for the fall and winter. We can’t announce anything yet because things are very indefinite about how groups can gather. When we are able to we will provide the details. Be sure to sign up for our blog to be the first to get the information when it becomes available.

That’s all for now. Whether you prefer the mountains or the seaside, get outside and enjoy your summer!

Why THEATER ViSiONS?

Romeo and Juliet Theatre Cardiff

Sofia, Bulgaria is a bustling, scenic, international, capital city. It’s easy to fall in love with the city and the country. With many global corporations and businesses and a vibrant arts and culture scene there are many options…in Bulgarian. At THEATER ViSiONS we embrace Bulgaria and it’s culture, but we offer programming in English. We stage our own productions, run a variety of workshops and classes, develop educational tours and serve as coproducer or presenter for English language performances.

Our ViSiON is to be a hub for English speakers living in Bulgaria. We invite you to attend our performances, get involved with our lively, interactive language workshops, our intriguing acting classes, request our educational school tour (in development) or come out / join our play reading group. We also aspire to promote Bulgarian culture to new audiences by offering Bulgarian plays in English.

THEATER ViSiONS also aims to assist in unifying the English language artistic offerings in Sofia by providing a cultural calendar, so submit your information to us.

Experience THEATER ViSiONS

Tales from Mama Goose 2019

We are happy you have taken the time to find us. THEATER ViSiONS offer theatre performances in English, acting classes and interactive English workshops for all ages. We are located in Sofia, Bulgaria and perform outdoors or in theatre venues. Stay tuned as our website and offerings are under construction.

From the Wings

Liliom

In the summers of 2018 and 2019, THEATER ViSiONS performed our family friendly show, “Tales from Mama Goose” (our adaptation of some of the Mother Goose fairy tales) in Borisova Gradina. This free summer event was enjoyed by over 600 people of all ages! We can’t wait to be back and bring you more performances, workshops and classes. But in the “down time” we are hard at work building our website, planning workshops, meeting collaborators, seeking partners and developing shows for next season