Theater company widens door to stage inclusivity

KAYLA PISCATELLI

Jassi Bynum rehearses in The Lotus Project’s production of “Seussical the Musical” Nov. 21-23 at Light of Christ Church, 9212 Bryant Farms Road.

Oh, the things you can do with community theater.

The Lotus Project is presenting “Seussical the Musical” Nov. 21-23 at Light of Christ Church, 9212 Bryant Farms Road. Shows are 7 p.m. on Nov. 21 and 22 and 2 p.m. on Nov. 23.
Tickets are $18 at thelotusproject.com/tickets.

The troupe, which opened in 2023, debuted with “Godspell” as its full-scale play. “Seussical the Musical” is the follow-up after a series of smaller productions.

“This is our second large community musical,” artistic director and co-founder Susan Cherin said. “We did our first one last year in December. We’ve also done several other productions that are a little bit smaller, and several summer intensives with full musicals that are a little bit smaller.

“And we have a whole series of workshops and in school residencies and preschool touring production that we’re getting grant funding to take to different places.”

“Seussical” is based on the books of Dr. Seuss (birth name Theodor Seuss Geisel) and includes some of the author’s most-recognizable characters: The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz and JoJo The Who. The play’s theme – it’s OK to be yourself – fits Lotus Project’s goal of empowering community.

“Our mission really is to use the arts as a vehicle for building community and inspiring change in self-empowerment and conflict resolution and community advocacy,” Cherin said. “What that ends up looking like for us is a lot of focus on accessibility and inclusion. We do a placement audition for our shows, but everybody who wants to participate is able to participate in some way, so we cast the show based on that placement audition.

“And we have a huge variety of folks who range from actors who get paid in Charlotte at the few places that pay professionals all the way through people of all ages and backgrounds and abilities, because we feel really passionately about providing that opportunity for everyone to be able to participate.”

As part of its mission, the Lotus project engages community partners as part of its productions. PFLAG, a nonprofit advocacy for LGBTQ+ causes, will participate in a post-performance discuss after the Nov. 23 show.

The cast is a hybrid of professionals and amateur actors and that takes into account their skill level and availability to prepare for the production, which is spread out over a longer schedule.

“It’s only on Sundays to make it accessible for people with quote, unquote regular lives to participate,” Cherin said. “It’s a longer process, as opposed to what most other companies look like – rehearsals every night for about five to six weeks in the evening or even during the day, making it kind of prohibitive for people to participate.

“We really focus on a really affirming and nurturing atmosphere that's really inclusive to everybody, regardless of their ability or skill level or background or gender or sexuality or socio-economic status – all of those things that make us different. We are striving to create a space, a safe space for really everyone to be able to come and participate.”

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