BIO

My name is Joseph Schupbach and I am a director, writer, and educator. I create theatre that is narrative-forward, human-driven, and spectacle-inspired. My work is found in the intersection of the theatre of the oppressed, a stripped-down hoedown, and a surrealist happening. I create devised work, performance art, puppetry, immersive experiences, non-fiction storytelling, adapted classics, and shiny world premiere plays. I create theatre where both audience members and artists are considered, cared for, and challenged. I create theatre where audiences can “see the strings” and are a part of the shared interpretation. I create theatre that questions the form, reframes the norms, and cries out for change.

WHAT I MAKE

I like to direct, devise, and dramaturg theatre. I write nonfiction and plays.

INSPIRED BY

I believe that story is one of the most powerful tools in society and that art with flair and intention can transform people. I believe that creating is one of the most radical acts one can participate in because it offsets the death, loss, and destruction that manifests daily. I believe watching a performer breathe life into a puppet is sacred. I believe shadows and projections transporting an audience are restorative. I believe empathizing with an actor pretending to be a character helps onlookers metabolize conflict and trauma. I believe theatre which invites the audience to see the “man behind the curtain” shows respect and invites deeper experience and interpretation. I am inspired aesthetically by Tectonic Theater Project, Qui Nguyen, Bread & Puppet Theatre, Taylor Mac, Manual Cinema, Anna Deavere Smith, The Neo-Futurists, and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

EXPLORING:

I think creativity is showing up in my home, my cooking, my hobbies, my job (instructional coach), and in the way I see the world. I am also directing a historical reenactment of Kukla, Fran and Ollie in October.