About
Our Mission
Houses on the Moon Theater Co. exists to dispel ignorance and isolation through the theatrical amplification of unheard voices.We help communities come together and make meaningful connections through the public sharing of their untold stories.Through original performances, post-show discussions and pre-and post- performance issue-based creative workshops, Houses on the Moon is able to offer communities a powerful tool to educate and offer support around the complex issues of our time.
History
Houses on the Moon Theater Company was founded in the fall of 2001.
Founders and co-artistic directors Jeffrey Solomon and Emily Weiner met while working together as teaching artists in the NYC public schools. They discovered they shared very similar ideas about theater being singular in its ability to portray aspects of the human condition in a dynamic, accessible way and to engender complex discussion and lasting and meaningful connections. They began to conceive of a theater company that could create work that was essential in some way: a theater that could truly serve the needs of the community.
Houses on the Moon incorporated in 2001 and developed their first two projects/plays, which are currently touring the Northeast. In the spring of 2006 Houses transitioned into a not-for-profit and received its 501c3.Some of the issues the company has explored to date include homophobia, coping with violence and post-traumatic stress disorder, racism, classism, immigration/detention and political asylum.
The company is dedicated to creating accessible, easily portable work with a wide appeal for multi-generational and multicultural audiences.While productions sometimes appear in traditional theatrical venues, a special emphasis is placed on expanding the theater walls to include the classroom, boardroom, houses of worship, and other community and public spaces.Partnership, feedback and collaboration with community are integral to every phase of development and performance of our theater projects.
Community partners to date have included Amnesty International OutFront!, the American Friends Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program, Human Rights First, GLSEN Boston, PFLAG Philadelphia and many others.Houses on the Moon has performed at Universities, High Schools, Conferences and community venues across the country as well as the Lucille Lortel Theater, Queens Theatre in the Park, The City Theater of Pittsburgh, Connecticut Repertory Theater, the Lower East Side Tenement Theater, Queens Pride House, The International House in Philadelphia and many more.
The company’s inaugural production “Building Houses on the Moon”, an original play about the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth, has been performed for student audiences throughout the Northeast and been used extensively as a diversity training tool for educators and administrators. The play has also appeared at regional theaters such as the City Theatre of Pittsburgh and the Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival where it won the Award for Best Ensemble Production.
“Finding the Words,” a co-production with Enact, Inc. is a documentary theater piece curated from interviews and poetry of young people and educators who were on the front lines of the unprecedented events of September 11th, 2001. The play toured New York City schools on a grant from Time-Warner and Project Liberty and was presented as a training tool on dealing with traumatized youth at the American Group Psychotherapy Conference. It also appeared Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
“Tara’s Crossing” was inspired by dozens of interviews with refugees fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. The play is one of the first ever to deal with political asylum for sexual minorities, a remedy that has been available in this country since 1994. The play had its developmental reading at the Queens Theatre’s Immigrant Voices Project and its world premiere run at the Lower East Side Tenement Theatre in a production underwritten by The American Friends Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program. The Detention Watch Network presented the play in the fall of ’05 at their National Conference at the American University Washington School of Law in Washington D.C. as a training tool for immigration lawyers and service providers.
The company’s newest work, DE NOVO PART 1 – ‘LIL SILENT, deals with the lives of undocumented youth in U.S. immigration custody and had its world premiere at the Rattlestick Rep in a production underwritten by the American Immigration Lawyer’s Association and New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs.
Timeline
A selected history of our events, awards, honors and sponsors
- 11/07 – Performances of “Building Houses on the Moon” for 9th Annual Prideworks Conference for LGBT Youth (GLSEN Hudson Valley, White Plains, NY)
- 6/07- World Premiere of “De Novo – Part 1: Lil’ Silent,” Rattlestick Rep, NYC (sponsored by the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Human Rights First, The Door, and the American Friends Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program.)
- 6/07 – Awarded a grant by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs for NYC tour of “De Novo – Part 1: Lil’ Silent.”
- 4/07 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon” White Plains, Sponsored by GLSEN Hudson Valley
- 1/2/07- Research Trip to Arizona, Colorado and California to interview undocumented youth, and advocates for newest work, “De Novo – Part 1: ‘Lil Silent”
- 11/06 – Professional Development: Combating Homophobia and Creating a More Inclusive Campus (Hastings on Hudson school district, Hastings on Hudson, NY)
- 10/06 – Workshop on Immigration Detention, National Grant Maker’s Conference, Chicago, Ill.
- 10/06 – Performance of “Tara’s Crossing,” sponsored by CT Trans Advocacy, Hartford, CT
- 9/06 – Workshop on Immigration Detention, “Community Dialogue on Migration, Human Rights & Development,” New York City
- 6/06 – Performance of “Tara’s Crossing,” a benefit for Bee’s Fund, Lucille Lortel Theatre, NYC
- 3/06 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Hastings on Hudson High School, Hastings, NY
- 10/05 – Performance of “Tara’s Crossing,” American University, Detention Watch Network Conference, Washington DC
- 10/05 – Performance of “Tara’s Crossing,” University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
- 10/05 – Performance of “Tara’s Crossing,” University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA
- 10/05 –Professional Development Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” North Hunterdon High School, NJ
- 06/05 – World Premiere Run of “Tara’s Crossing,” Tenement Theatre, Lower Eastside Tenement Museum, NY, NY (Cosponsored by the American Friends Service Committee Immigrant Rights Program.)
- 4/05 – Preview Performance of “Tara’s Crossing,” Lucille Lortel Theatre, NYC, Benefit Performance for American Friends Service Committee’s Queer Immigrant Rights Group (Cosponsored by Amnesty International, Human Rights First, International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Commission)
- 4/05 – Performance of “Tara’s Crossing,” Berkshire Stonewall Community Coalition LGBT Festival, Lenox MA
- 3/05 – Community Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” East Lyme High School,East Lyme, CT
- 3/05 – Student Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Norwich Free Academy, Norwich, CT
- 1/05 – Public Reading of “Tara’s Crossing,” Queens Theatre Immigrant Voices Project, Queens Theatre in the Park, Queens, NY
- 11/04 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” 10th Annual Multicultural Conference, SUNY New Paltz, NY
- 10/04 – Community Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Vorhees High School,Glen Gardner, NJ
- 10/04 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Lucille Lortel Theatre, Off Broadway, NYC(Benefit for Bee’s Fund.)
- 9/04 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Columbus National Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival, Davis Center, Columbus OH (*Winner: Best Ensemble Production.)
- 8/04 – Reading of “Tara’s Crossing,” QUIR (Queer Immigrant Rights), American Friends Service Committee, New York, NY
- 6/04 – Reading of “Tara’s Crossing,” Queens Pride House, Queens, NY (Reading for members of the Queens LGBT community.)
- 5/04 – Community Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Yale University, Off Broadway Theatre, New Haven CT (Co-sponsored by The Larry Kramer Initiative for Lesbian and Gay Studies at Yale & Yale University’s Office of New Haven Relations)
- 4/04 – Reading of “Tara’s Crossing,” International House, Philadelphia, PA(Co-sponsored by Equality Forum, Inc.)
- 02/04 – Community Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” City Theatre, Pittsburgh PA(Co-sponsored by GLSEN Pittsburgh)
- 11/03 – Workshop for educators on Bullying and Violence Prevention – 1st Annual Knock Out the Violence Conference, Philadelphia PA
- 11/03 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Temple University, Philadelphia, PASponsored by Philadelphia PFLAG, Mazonni Center, Philadelphia Dept. of Human Services & Philadelphia Public Schools
- 10/03 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Towson University, Towson Maryland, Oct 03
- 9/03 – Workshop on LGBT Youth and Homophobia – GLSEN Teaching Respect For All Conference, Washington D.C.
- 6/03 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC) Conference, Washington D.C.
- 6/03 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Rockland County Pride Festival, Nyack, NY
- 6/03 – Performances of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival, Mum Puppet Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
- 4/03 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” 11th Annual CANDLE Conference on Sexual Orientation and Youth, Stony Point, NY
- 3/03 – Student Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Clarkstown South HS, West Nyack, NY
- 3/03 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Rockland Community College, Suffern, NY
- 2/03 – Student Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Miss Halls School, Pittsfield, MA
- 2/03 – Workshop for educators and Homophobia, GLSEN Boston Teacher Training – Provincetown, MA
- 1/03 – Student Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Norwich Free Academy,Norwich, Connecticut
- 1/03 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Blue Heron Arts Center, New York City
- 10/02 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Berkshire Community College,Pittsfield, MA
- 8/02 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Exploration Program, Yale University,New Haven CT
- 3/02 – Student and Community Performances of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Belmont High School, Belmont MA (cosponsored by Belmont against Racism.)
- 2/02 – Student and Community Performances of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Brookline High School, Brookline MA
- 1/02 – Workshop, Creative Arts Intensive, Brookline High School, Brookline MA
- 08/01 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Exploration Program, Yale University,New Haven CT
- 3/01 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Boston GLSEN Conference at Tufts University, Medford MA
- 3/01 – Performance of “Building Houses on the Moon,” Common Threads Youth Empowerment Conference, Fishkill, NY
- 3/01 – Workshop, Creating a Safer School Environment, Common Threads Youth Empowerment Conference – Fishkill, NY