Presenters and organizations
DESCRIPTION
Curbside Theater is a mobile outdoor platform for a concert experience of dance, music, and theatricality. With expert craftsmanship, it packs an impressive level of spectacle into a manageable and adaptable footprint. It is produced by SB Dance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that received a prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Grant for the Curbside 2023/24 season.
ORIGIN
Curbside Theater was made in response to the shutdown of 2020, an obstacle that prevented audiences from engaging with live performing art. Later, we discovered Curbside solves many other obstacles that prevent people from going to the theater: geographic isolation, affordability, the sense of belongingness, and changing cultural attitudes. Indeed, recent data suggests that, since the pandemic, “demand has been redistributed away from stationary indoor experiences” and toward “those that offer outdoor experiences….a revolutionary opportunity for [arts] organizations to fundamentally adapt engagement methods and means to change up these experiences as we currently know them.”
PRODUCTION DETAILS
The Curbside Theater season runs from the end of September through the beginning of October in Northern Utah. The show begins at dusk to allow our stage lighting to be visible. (In N. Utah, dusk is approximately 8:30pm in August and 7:15pm by the end of September.) Even on the hottest days, nights are pleasant, and that’s a message usually included in marketing. For example, an early September show in 2022 occurred on a 103 degree day; by dusk, the unshaded concrete surface was the perfect temperature as the audience arrived.
Completely self-contained and requiring no support or infrastructure, the production features 5 dancers, a musical duo, one technician, and a technical package of lighting, audio, stage, backstage, power, and controls. The time frame is 1 hour set-up, 50 min performance duration, and 45 min take-down. Audiences members are usually asked to bring folding chairs or blankets and pads for seating. Some hosts provide supplemental seating. We encourage presenters to plan some kind of pre-show activity- social hour, food, drink, mini-market, celebration, recognition, or welcome.
Curbside requires a relatively level performance area roughly 20ft wide x 12ft deep. The audience area should be at least 30ft wide and 20ft deep. The trailer-mounted stage is elevated 4ft above grade to accommodate sight lines for instances when the audience sits on level ground. It requires access for a mid-sized truck towing a 12ft long, high-axle light trailer. If access isn’t available, please contact us about options. Preferably, the audience area is slightly sloped like a amphitheater.
Are you interested in an indoor performance? Click here for indoor production requirements.
SUPPORT MATERIALS
Marketing support consists of digital properties including photos, copy for social and other media, and graphics. The Curbside Theater Night Sky Series bundles numerous shows to invite audiences to visit new places and programs throughout the Wasatch Front. SB Dance publicizes the Night Sky Series through multiple outlets including tv and print media.
CONTENT
In 2024, we expand a show called Tarotville. Constructed as a Tarot reading with the audience choosing each “card”, every show is a little different. For the upcoming season, we’re adding more “cards”, more technical features, and more pre-show options. Humorous and bold, Tarotville’s artistic language combines athletic physicality, devised theater, song, and storytelling. An international songbook sung in French, Spanish, German, and English appeals to a multi-generational, multi-cultural audience. Tarotville is crafted for adults but is kid-friendly and delights most youngsters.
ADVERSE WEATHER
After a few years that have included fire and rain, we now suggest that presenters choose a “rain date” on a subsequent Mon, Tue, or Wed. There is no obligation to use the rain date but it can be a viable alternative, we encourage you to include a rain date in promotional materials, or at least think about it. If adverse conditions arise, there is a procedure in place to discuss options and make final decisions. This procedure is detailed in the performance contract.
THANK YOU
That’s a lot to digest so let’s talk about it. We appreciate your interest.