BITFest Company Spotlight: Hawberry Productions

Name: Hawberry Productions Website: sites.google.com/view/bthlacting/ Contact: bthlacting@gmail.com

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About Hawberry Productions

Founded in 2019, Hawberry Productions is specializing in Chinese-language stage plays, drama workshops, and microfilm production.

Over the past 5 years, our presence has spread throughout the Seattle Chinese community, including stage plays, radio dramas, performance workshops, drama summer camps, and films, among others. "Lighting the way for future generations" is the motto of ours. Through the art of drama, we hope to continue the cultivation of humanistic values in the overseas Chinese community.

We're building the easiest access to theatre productions through optimizing the standard yet complicated process. By recognizing the talent and creating the play to fit them, any type of barrier will be demolished.

How did your company start, and what inspires the work you do?

We started in a Seattle apartment December 2019. All my works were intended to create the easiest access for people who are interested in Drama.

What kind of theater do you specialize in?

Contemporary, Experimental.

What show are you bringing to the festival, and why did you choose it?

I'm bringing an original play, Mississippi to the festival. I wrote this play as a bold experiment to change the way people watch, and interpret a theater play.

How would you describe this production in just a few words?

This play makes you the witness, not just an audience.

What should audiences expect from this performance?

This might be the weirdest play you've not seen for a while. But if you open your mind (not just ears), you'll bring home the most.

Is there anything unique or special about your approach to this production?

Unlike most of the recently produced play, I limited the influence of lines as much as possible. I also simplified the story, and I put most of the context into other factory than lines. My goal was to create a play that can be enjoyed by anyone who speaks different languages.

What has the creative process been like for this production?

I got inspired by a true, local Seattle story on September 2024, and it took me about a month to decide the Title of the play. And then there's another month of waiting until I saw a Taiwanese movie trailer, and put down the first word into the script. At the end of 2024 (12/31, 11:57 PM), the first version got finished.

Have there been any exciting or unexpected challenges during rehearsals?

One of the actresses declined the offer two 5 days before the rehearsal started.

What are you most looking forward to about participating in the festival?

To see other people's work and exchange ideas with all the participants!

If someone has never seen your company’s work before, what should they know about you?

We might not have the fanciest production, but our passion and aspiration is not short than anyone else.

Where can people follow your work after the festival?

Our Company Website: https://sites.google.com/view/bthlacting/home

Our Acting Coaching Service: https://www.actingseattle.com