Blank, Gould and Rosenberg Create Sparks with The Fire Dept

The summer is gone and now we move into a change of season. And change is always a good thing because it goes hand in hand with growth. And growth in the area of theatre is beneficial for everyone. So the birth of a new theatre company is a welcome change to theatergoers and artists as well. And we can thank artistic directors Jessica Blank, Erica Gould, and Audrey Rosenberg, who recently announced the creation of a new theater company, THE FIRE DEPT (www.thefiredept.org).

THE FIRE DEPT is made up of established and emerging writers, directors, actors and designers who have come together to create and produce work that cannot be replicated inside a television box or on a movie screen. THE FIRE DEPT is dedicated to producing invigorating, visceral theatre that not only entertains, but also wrestles with questions of importance to our society and our world. The work of THE FIRE DEPT combines the rigor and structure of great narrative storytelling with the vitality of formal experimentation to immerse audiences in a total experience that leaves them awake, alive and transformed. Using traditional as well as alternative theatre spaces, the plays produced by THE FIRE DEPT will ignite questions, spark controversy, and respond to the urgency of our times.

The founding members of THE FIRE DEPT include a who's who list of the entertainment and theatre community including Kathleen Chalfant, Constance Congdon, Chuck Cooper, Anton Dudley, Peter Gallagher, Janeane Garafalo, Jeff Goldblum, Judith Hawking, Brian Keith Jackson, Erik Jensen, Toby Jones, Rajiv Joseph, Carson Kreitzer, Neil LaBute, Harry Lennix, Matthew Modine, Dael Orlandersmith, Theresa Rebeck, Jose Rivera, Jake Robards and Rebecca Wisocky. The Artistic Advisory Board consists of Peter Askin, Jill Clayburgh, Emily Mann, Lynn Redgrave, Marian Seldes and Sam Waterston.