The Border Theatre invites El Paso to get into the play

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EL PASO, Texas — A different kind of theatre group called The Border Theatre finally found its rightful place in the border city of El Paso, Texas and it intends to produce edgy original plays that will inspire community interaction.

“The audience, in a lot of cases, is bored with the old stuff when there is a great myth that people want to see the same standards for the 50th time,” said Austin Savage, founder of The Border Theatre.

Savage has a vision that audiences should not sit down and watch classics be played over and over, and at the same time watching a stage out in front of you with no interaction.

“On-stage you should get something that you cannot get from any other medium,” he added, meaning that the audience should get more than just sit down and watch something play in front of them that they can regularly see on television or film.

The Border Theatre recently held its first project, Exhibitions on Dis/Connection last month. It involved different aspects of art—music, dancing, and acting in three different plays and scenarios in which the audience was able to engage with the performers. It grew to be very successful, and has now become an annual event that will be presented again next August.

They will now begin a Halloween production called the Fregoli Project and two other productions for the Spring.

For the Fregoli Project, the ensemble is using Oliver Fregoli’s psychological experiments and incorporating them into a play. “It will be an alternative to the regular cheesy haunted house kind of thing, and it is meant to be frightening,” said Suzanne Perez, 27, a Border Theatre performer.

“Were doing an experiment to affect people’s subconscious and their psyches and really frighten them,” added Perez. It is the all-for-fun, scary Halloween experience that the public always seeks for at this time of year, and The Border Theatre has a very good offer for them.

The group currently holds bi-monthly workshops, which are free of charge and open to all public. These workshops help to educate the El Paso community on the basic aspects of theatre and acting, and show them how to enjoy a performance. Not only is to build an appreciative audience for their shows, but also for partakers to learn the difference between a good or bad production.

Along with workshops and acting classes, Savage has included another venture within the group called the Border Performer Project. Here, Savage and other of his ensemble performers guide community participants into making their own production. That includes the acting, writing, and setting up a production on their own. They began early September and hope to have their presentation by early December.

The Border Theatre ensemble consists of 14 members and is currently established in the Glasbox, formerly known as the FORUM Arts+Culture building, which they share with other artists and performers to bring out events together for the public.

Savage has been working on the idea for The Border Theatre for a couple of years now, and is proud to finally bring in out to the public this year. Part of his mission was to put forth new works from talented writers. “They are putting out tremendous amount of material and they have hard time getting stuff done because people are too busy doing the old stuff,” he said. He encourages for anyone in the community to submit their works and ideas as it could be in their next production.

Enjoying a play on any given day is not what locals usually enjoy, but Savage and The Border Theatre may be ready to change that ideal.

“We’re endeavoring to put forth a very good product,” he said. “Were not appealing to those higher ideals of “you should come see a production because it fills your soul”, but because the performance is good and enjoyable.”

For more information on The Border Theatre, to submit ideas and information and their upcoming Fergoli Project you may visit their website www.bordertheatre.org, or find them on Facebook.

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