Stage and Screen Meld In FROM THE FISHBOWL From TFTV and Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre

In a first-time collaboration, The University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film & Television (TFTV) is partnering with the Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre to present From the Fishbowl, a new fantastical work devised in collaboration with Theatre Studies and Design & Technology students and directed by illusionist and physical theatre creator Wolfe Bowart.

Created during the winter of the pandemic, the production features seven actors gliding magically and seamlessly between stage and screen as they explore what it means to live in a world that has become both socially distant and yet somehow more personal. From the Fishbowl will premiere online on April 1 at 6:00pm MST, followed by an Artist Talkback. The production will then stream online for viewing any time from April 2 - 18.

Linda Paola Varela, a student majoring in Film & Television with a minor in Theatre, initially signed on as the production's video designer. The creative process soon inspired her to also become a co-devisor and cast member. "One of the first things Wolfe asked the cast members was - if you had a microphone right now and you could say anything to the world, what would you say?" Varela recalls. "Everyone came up with these deep topics. It was a challenge to weave the topics into a production that would engage and entertain people of all ages. Wolfe suggested the framing device of a zoom call gone wild, and we combined live performance and video performance with animated visuals, puppetry and magic into a production that is largely non-verbal, so that it's accessible for all. The production is intricate, hopeful, deep and magical, and it's been a privilege to have been able to create this new work that speaks so uniquely to the time we're in."

"The School of Theatre, Film, and Television is delighted to bring our BA students in Theatre Studies into this unique collaboration along with Tucson's Scoundrel & Scamp Theatre and director Wolfe Bowart," says Associate Professor Jessica Maerz, Head of the School's Theatre Studies division and Chair of the Studio Series. "Scoundrel & Scamp has quickly emerged as an innovator in the Tucson theatre scene, programming intelligent season offerings into which many TFTV students have found their way. And Bowart's 2019 production in the School's Studio Series season, Sinkers, was such a gem that we leapt at the chance to work with him again. Our students will be much richer for the collaborative experience that From the Fishbowl provides, and we are excited to see where the future takes our Theatre Studies program."

Scoundrel & Scamp Artistic Director Bryan Falcón: "Part of our mission is to inspire the next generation of theatre makers, and the Scoundrel & Scamp already counts many School of Theatre, Film & Television alumni as members of our artistic community, so this collaboration with the students and faculty of TFTV feels very natural. As a presenter of the work of Wolfe Bowart, we know that he creates magic wherever he goes. Whether Wolfe is leading workshops for young students, or devising ingenious works of physical theatre with older students, we always look forward to seeing the wonders his guidance will manifest."

As a playwright and multidisciplinary performer, TFTV guest artist Wolfe Bowart has written, performed and garnered international recognition for his original works The Shneedles, LaLaLuna, Cloud Soup, OAF and the Helpmann Award nominees Letter's End and The Man the Sea Saw. As a director and artist-in-residence, Bowart has brought physical theatre to people of all ages in conjunction with the Los Angeles Music Centre, Wolf Trap, the Ahmanson Theatre, the Playwrights Project, California Youth Theatre, the Virginia Avenue Project, the Mark Taper Forum and Australia's National Institute of Circus Arts.

Ticket prices are $11 and will provide online streaming access to the production. A link to view the show will be sent to ticket holders shortly before the stream is made live. More information and tickets are available at scoundrelandscamp.org/from-the-fishbowl.

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