The Ten Sessions break down as follows – details of each session detailed in the full toolkit provided to participating schools

Session 1 – Midnight Radio professional performance in the school followed by hands on Foley workshop

Session 2 – Team building, brainstorming, and research

Session 3 – Research continues – Students pitch stories – Playwrights assign outlines – genre workshop

Session 4 – Playwrights review outlines, assign first drafts, commercials – dialogue workshop

Session 5 – Playwrights review first drafts – deliver notes for second draft – choose one script for each class – deliver scripts to Foley construction team

Session 6 – Playwrights review second drafts – Playwrights polish drafts between sessions – Foley construction continues

Session 7 – Casting and Rehearsal of polished scripts – Foley assignments

Session 8 – Rehearsal – Music/Singing/Songwriting with Musical Director

Session 9 – Dress Rehearsal

Session 10 – Performance

The goal of the residency program is to engage the students in inquiry-rich, project based learning by leading them through the process of researching, writing, rehearsing, and performing original radio plays for live audiences. The students perform all the vocal parts and provide live sound effects using Foley equipment (which they have the option of designing and constructing themselves). These plays are performed live for an audience of fellow students, teachers, administrators and, if possible, parents and the community. They may also be recorded for podcasts, or a school’s television network.

Mission

Bricolage’s mission is to immerse artists and audiences in adventurous theatrical experiences that foster connections and alter perceptions.

Artistic Vision

Bricolage envisions theater not as a passive experience, but as a vehicle for heightened involvement for artist and audience alike. Our approach encourages artists to take the creative risks necessary to create full-blooded, high-quality theatrical experiences that challenge audiences to engage in new ways, react, and express openly their opinions about our work – to have a stake in the creative discussion.

The word Bricolage means “making artful use of what is at hand.” What excites us is the connection and interaction between seemingly disparate elements, and the potential for these components to resonate as one cohesive event. We use the distinctive resources of the Pittsburgh region to create theatrical experiences that stimulate a heightened sense of involvement for the audience. “What is at hand” is the city’s changing landscape, its plentiful human and material resources, and the salient political, cultural, and ethical issues we all encounter and react to each day. By combining different artistic mediums, nourishing local talent, producing provocative work, and facilitating audience engagement, Bricolage seeks to revitalize live performance for a new era.

Working as a Team

At Bricolage, we believe that the best work is created by bringing together talented people and working collaboratively towards a goal. We strive for every person who works with Bricolage, both on stage and behind the scenes, to feel welcome and vital to the process.

In the Bricolage administrative offices, each of the eight full-time staff members is given voice during planning sessions for the year. Artistically, we strive to form our creative teams from diverse local talent that represents our community. Bricolage is committed to making its programs accessible and inclusive to all. We take a non-traditional approach to creation and encourage contribution to each stage of the process.