A Play On a Canoe...Part Two!

Back in 2023, my collaborators Dina Vovsi, Jens Rasmussen, and I created River Watchers—a play that took place on a moving 14-person canoe in Brooklyn's Newtown Creek. Produced by The Motor Company and written with support by NYSCA, Brooklyn Arts Council, NYC Cultural Affairs, and The Puffin Foundation, the play was an immersive adventure for the audience that drew from the creek's real-life history.

We've since dreamed of making more canoe plays for different American waterways, and a couple weeks ago, it finally happened! Dina, Jens, and I were invited to Tofte Lake Center in northeastern Minnesota to create another immersive story on the water. Over the course of a week, we wrote, paddled, and socialized with others as part of the Artist Educators Residency, ending the week with a brand-new play created just for (and about!) Tofte Lake. We were honored to present it for our fellow residents and some wonderful folks from the nearby Ely community. 

We're immensely grateful to Liz Engelman, Nicole Selmer, and the best canine dramaturg around, Jai, for bringing us to Tofte and giving us the space to create. We're also keeping them in our hearts and minds this week as the area deals with a truly awful chain of wildfires. We're excited for TLC to open back up, and hopefully to return in the future to expand our play and further enjoy what is truly one of the most magical places on Earth!