FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — There’s not much access to theater or the arts in northern Arizona, especially with how spread out some rural communities are.
A new women-owned theater company wants to change that by providing access to plays or dance classes for people across the High Country.
Delano Hays and Dani Commanda met at Northern Arizona University where they began performing together in 2009.
During this time the idea of creating their own theater company slowly grew.
“This was one of those things that was always like in the back of our heads and we didn’t quite have all the pieces together until we met Caitlin and that was our missing price for starting the theater company,” Hays said.
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With the help of Caitlin Burd, who grew up going to plays in Chicago, the three women created Stargazer Collaborative Theater.
“Just to have that safe space for people within our community to come and be who they are,” Commanda said.
The company officially started in 2023, but the 2024 season was their first full year. They offer dance and audition workshops and have already put on multiple plays.
However, the women also recognize the challenges of theater access across the High Country.
“Throughout northern Arizona, there’s going to be more limited access to theater education, art education and funding and things along those lines,” Burd said.
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So they not only keep their ticket prices under $20 but they’ll also be taking their shows on the road this fall to rural schools in Page and on the Navajo Nation.
“We really felt it was important to get those into the rural communities and start exposing children to theater at a young age,” Hays said.
They’ve already performed in front of over 1,000 people and are getting more people at every workshop.
They say their goal is to see the company grow alongside the number of people and children interested in the arts.
“So being able to now bring this program to schools throughout northern Arizona is absolutely astonishing and we’re so excited,” Burd said.
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