An Update from our Artistic Cohort

Our 2023-25 Jungle Theater Artistic Cohort have been busy in their first few months with preparing for our New Works Showcase as well as working on projects outside of the Jungle.

Our cohort model provides artists with space and security to create outside of our walls. By providing them with resources, they can pursue their craft and assist other organizations in projects that bring better representation to our communities. We are excited to share how our cohort is contributing to a larger scope and we encourage you to check out their upcoming projects on and off the Jungle stage.

FROM KATIE KA VANG:

My time in the cohort so far has mostly been about pre-planning and getting to know the Jungle staff/ leadership better; creatively I've been working on redrafting an outline of a play I've been trying to figure out for years- my hope is to get a new draft ready for the New Works festival in the summer. Outside of The Jungle cohort, I've been working on my narrative change project(s) with Indigenous Roots in the west 7th cultural corridor, one of which is a short film. I'm also a part of Red Eye Theater's WiP cohort this spring where I get to explore new performance ideas within an artistic community. And lastly, I'm headed to Atlantic Center for the Arts in Daytona Beach, Florida for the month of February where I'll be working on a few projects including those I've mentioned above. 

American Theatre magazine sat down with Artistic Cohort member Katie Ka Vang. The interview dives into her lived experiences, Hmong American roots, having cancer in graduate school, and how these moments have shaped her storytelling. Read more and/or listen by clicking on the article here.

FROM ISABELLA STAR LABLANC:

Since I started as a Cohort member, I’ve loved seeing how The Jungle has been carefully and thoughtfully identifying the big wins of this season and using those to strategize exciting possibilities for the future. During this time I have been simultaneously promoting my TV series True Detective: Night Country on HBO. I am grateful that during this moment my continued connection to The Jungle has allowed me to remain grounded in the future of the work being done in my home community and I look forward to continuing that connection during the New Works Festival this summer.

Photo from HBO