luna stage company
West orange, NJ
WE-Making is a suite of resources that explores the relationship between place-based arts practices and social cohesion as a means to advance health equity and community wellbeing. This We-Making story is one example of how place-based arts and cultural strategies uniquely contributed to social cohesion and wellbeing in this community. Throughout this story you’ll see terms paired with actions in parentheses (e.g., social capital, collective action, place attachment, civic engagement, self-determination of shared values). This is to denote for the reader how the WE-Making framework was specifically incorporated. Explore the WE-Making framework and resources.
Image credit: Luna Stage Company & Montclair Local
Luna Stage develops, produces, and presents vibrant plays about local and global experiences. As a community-engaged arts incubator and professional regional theatre, we are committed to reflecting the rich traditions, histories and experiences of our region. Our work inspires dialogue and appreciation between the diverse communities we serve. Founded in 1992 in Montclair, Luna is now in its 29th season and celebrates 11 years as an arts anchor of the traditionally underserved Valley neighborhood in West Orange.
Each year, we commission and produce new series of plays as a part of our Secret Cities program, inspired by a specific walkable community. These events are staged outdoors free of charge and build community, pride, and connection (civic engagement- high opportunity, low barrier activities). Previous projects have included
Walking The Valley, an exploration of the blocks around Luna, and
Heart of Orange,
which celebrated the Main Street of our neighboring town.
During the pandemic, we went online to create a collaboration with Ping Chong and Company, creating
2.2 Square Miles of Soul, a documentary film celebrating 80 years of Orange history as told by its residents.
2.2. Square Miles of Soul
is a new work in Ping Chong and Company's
Undesirable Elements series of interview-based theater productions examining the role of place, identity, and sense of belonging within communities. A powerful documentary film exploring the changing face of Orange, New Jersey, told through first-hand narratives of six former and current residents of Orange, as they reflect on the community they all still think of as home. Deeply personal and full of heart and humor, the project bears witness to some of the social, political, and economic forces that shaped the community over the course of the last century, including historic disinvestment, demographic change, and the fight for representative government.
2.2 Square Miles of Soul
investigates the intersection of personal and political histories, as well as the resistance and resilience of the people of Orange (celebration and preservation of culture- exalting cultural forms that have not been valued).
As part of Luna Stage’s commitment to increase access to our programming,
2.2 Square Miles of Soul
was made available through multiple channels, including two separate month-long online screenings, in which tickets were made available in a pay-what-you-wish model (civic engagement- encouraging participation from community members who may not be able to participate otherwise). In October of 2021, Luna Stage and Ping Chong and Company presented a free outdoor public screening of
2.2 Square Miles of Soul
in collaboration with the University of Orange and HUUB. This screening culminated in a public Q&A with some members of the cast and production team (social capital- bridging).
Place-based arts and culture strategies…
2.2 Square Miles of Soul
directly address the goal of using the arts and culture sector to address issues in racial equality and community development. The city of Orange has experienced multiple incidents of disinvestment and demographic change over the past century. Through the eyes of six storytellers, the film offers multiple perspectives on these events, allowing viewers to get a greater sense of their emotional, social, and cultural impact. In addition, the film asks viewers to examine the role of space and community, in particular by exploring the aftermath of highway construction that bisected the city of Orange and resulted in significant changes to cultural and economic conditions throughout the city (creative responses to trauma).
…amplify the drivers of social cohesion…
At Luna Stage, we believe that artistic engagement is a civic right, and are dedicated to eliminating barriers to participation and nurturing the next generation of artistic voices. We further believe that the theatre at its best is a laboratory for examining and reconstructing our world, and are committed to building a more honest and just society (aligning change goals to create collective efficacy). Luna Stage’s presentation methods, including public talkbacks in both our online and in-person formats, offered an opportunity for community members to engage with other individuals invested in the history and future of the city of Orange (social capital- bridging, fostering understanding among community members). Our interactive question and answer sessions with the cast and artistic team provided our audience access to insights about our artistic intentions and creative process. Luna Stage’s commitment to equity and access via our pay-what-you-wish model eliminated financial concerns as a barrier to entry for our audience. Luna Stage and Ping Chong and Company are also continuing to explore new audiences for the film and are currently in conversations with the Orange public school system to bring this story to middle and high school students across the city in 2022 (civic engagement for impacted youth- possibility of leading to lifetime inclination toward arts and culture activities). These school-specific screenings will enable deeper conversations about the history of the city, as well as prompt student explorations of their own community and their perceptions of the lingering effects of that history on their own lived experiences.
…to increase equitable community well-being.
Luna Stage’s SECRET CITIES is an ongoing collaboration between Luna Stage and surrounding communities. Beginning in 2018 with the site-specific WALKING THE VALLEY, a series of short plays set in venues and outdoors in the Valley Arts District, Luna has commissioned and produced new work inspired by local interviews and history. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, threatened to pause this program due to health and safety concerns. The development of 2.2 Square Miles of Soul allowed us to continue to explore the history of the city of Orange in a safe manner during the COVID-19 pandemic. Luna Stage and Ping Chong and Company retooled the existing methodology of Ping Chong’s Undesirable Elements program for a virtual environment, shifting from a theatrical experience to a piece more akin to a documentary. By doing so, the producers were able to incorporate the perspectives of individuals who spent much of their lives in the city of Orange but have since moved to other parts of the country, and as such might never have been able to participate in an in-person program. Beyond the production changes due to the pandemic, our online screenings and continued development of live screenings offered viewers multiple ways to engage with the project in methods that offered safe and equitable access. In addition, the film was recently referenced at a local meeting of the community organization HANDS, and held as an example of how the history of Orange can be amplified and used to advocate for equality and change within the community and local government. Clearly, this is a film that has resonated with our local audience and provides evidence for the value of place-specific arts projects that explore both historical and cultural experiences.
