What, Why, How

The Gateway Theatre Project, through a series of thrilling, audience focused experiments, seeks to discover each individual's capacityfor sensation, reflection, and changein an increasingly shut down and disembodied age.

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At GTP we suspect that relishing one’s consciousness is not something that just happens. It requires contact and care. Like the battery in a derelict car, a habit of neglect - toward our own curiosity, toward having focused, meaningful experiences - can, over time, make us cold and unresponsive to the notion of our very existence.

Live theatre is one of the most efficient, accessible, and exciting ways for our consciousness to “do a few laps.” Austin is fortunate to have some of the country’s best theatre artists working on our local stages. Which means Austinis one of the best places in the country to learn and nurture themotion of your own existence.

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Every year at GTP we takea small handfulof people, who currently don’t attend live theatre, and (in less than 12 months) attemptto unlock an appetite, curiosity, and passionfor live performance. GTP has twolong term goals. First, we aim to cultivate engagednew audiences for Austin's adventurous and diverse theatre companies. More importantly, we wantto open the door on a more vital way to encounter leisure, life, and human-kind forevery person in Austin who craves the experience.

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If you’re drawn towitnessingan event,

not justmonitoring a screen,

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if you cravethe charge of being with

real people, in real space, in real time,

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if you long to have your breath taken away,

have we got an experience for you.

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Come spend time on a GTP experiment.

Spend time in an Austin theatre.

Turn on all your senses

and find out what “live” feels like.

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Our 2020 Experiment

"...I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful performance and just everything about the night. It was an amazing, inspiring experience - transformative, really. I just loved everything about it, and am so thankful for the opportunity to have been a guest for such a special occasion...I will honestly remember it forever." - Tom I.

In February of 2020, GTP launched their first experiment. It was a semi-immersive production of Ghosts in the parlor of a historic home in Clarksville. There were only supposed to be fourteen seats in the house per night. We managed to squeeze in a few more. Half of the seats were filled by people who hadsigned on as “mentors” with GTP. Each of our mentors brought with them one guest who didn’t, at that time, follow local theatre.

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Every night of the run was co-hosted by aleader from one of our

local theatre companies. They greeted our new guests at the door, poured the wine, ushered them into the parlor,and basically made them feel at home.

After experiencing the show, the guests got to spend some time with the cast, share a drink, and make a personal connection with them and with each other.

Every night was electric!An unforgettable celebration of a shared experience.

When the night was done, our guests were sent off with two tickets to the next show in the co-hosting company's season. When the time comes for them to see that second show, they’ll be invited to bring someone new to theatrewith them. Now ifthey want,they can mentor someone else into another memorable night of live theatre.

Next experiment begins in September2021.

If you would like to be a part of it, either as a Mentor or an Initiate, please sign up for our newsletter. We will let you know when slots are open for 2021.

(FYI, your contact info will not be passed to any other entity, and we send emails outjudiciously.)

Contact Us

gatewaytheatreproject@gmail.com