About ESP
The Endangered Species theatre Project officially began as a group of friends putting together a project to increase representation on our stages of women over 40 and other historically excluded artists. We began on May 1, 2018 with a focus on Forgotten Plays. We performed three Rachel Crother's Pieces and a series of poetry and plays from Georgia Douglas Johnson.
That summer, we presented "Ten by Tennessee" - a production of Tennessee Wiliams' little known short plays which featured strong female characters between 40 and 70 years old (alongside younger actors.) The show performed at Sky Stage in July and August. By summer of 2019, our Artistic Director, Christine Mosere, with Hood College Professor and artist Aaron Angello formed the Frederick Shakespeare Festival.
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ESPtheatre’s mission is to bring enjoyment and understanding through live theatre that proactively focuses on diverse representation to our community. We do this by: a) giving voice to forgotten plays and playwrights; b) producing and sponsoring local artists who stage/promote/celebrate productions that increase representation of women over age 40 and other historically excluded artists on the stage; and c) making vital connections between people of all generations.
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We aim to:
a) Hire at least 50% CIS or TRANS women both on our stages and backstage,
b) educate ourselves on anti-racism and be actively involved in color-aware and anti-racist casting, and
c) open roles to actors of all genders, abilities, and ages -- and to actively work and train to be as inclusive as possible.
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At ESP, we believe that art can provide a way for engaged citizens to better understand and more competently navigate difficult times such as these. We will continue to tell the stories that need to be told as a part of an ongoing struggle to make this society all that it can and should be.
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ESPtheatre is in the middle of a Capacity Campaign (thank you Nora Roberts Foundation and Ausherman Family Foundation -- working on creating a home theatre space and increasing our staff. Won't you please consider a donation of any amount.
Our Team
Christine Mosere - Artistic Director
Deanna Kinzie - Associate Artistic Director
BIOS
Christine Mosere, Founding Artistic Director
Director, producer, and actor, Christine was the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of NYC’s “Woman Seeking... a theatre company” (with the mission of breaking stereotyping of women in casting) for over 15 years where she won an OOBR Award for her direction and garnered rave reviews in The Village Voice and New York Times. She was a founding member of the Lucille Lortel award-winning Off-Broadway theatre “Peccadillo Theatre Company.” She performed at LaMaMa (with Arthur French & Barbara Montgomery) at BAM!, Westside Theatre, and Center Stage NY. Regionally, she took Book-It Repertory Theatre through a 2.5M capacity campain in 2018 and performed at ACT Theatre, the Phoenix Theatre, and Theatre 9/12, among others. She is a member of Actors Equity Association and SAG/AFTRA. She formed the Endangered Species theatre Project in 2018 and co-founded the Frederick Shakespeare Festival.
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Deanna Kinzie - Associate Artistic Director
Deanna joined ESPtheatre as part of the Crew in early 2019 supporting "A Midsummer Night's Dream". A year and a half later, she was Director of our Teen programs (directing all our teen productions.) She began Assistant Directing numerous productions in late 22. In 2023 she not only Co-directed our spring production of "The Awakening," she became Associate Artistic Director of the company.