ABSTRACT
This chapter contains core principles, techniques, and protocols that young directors and performers can use to establish and nurture a rehearsal environment that is fun, safe, efficient, creative, respectful, anti-racist, inclusive, and democratic. The author describes Epic's company values about color-conscious casting, which ensures that the actors on their stages represent the diversity of New York City and provides an invitation for audiences to reflect on their own notions about the construct of race. Also somewhat unique to Epic as a company is their open rehearsal policy in which professional productions are sometimes rehearsed in public spaces and the Epic NEXT rehearsal rooms opened up to members of the communities they are trying to reach. The chapter concludes with a description of several verbatim theatre acting techniques and thoughts from Epic's professional Teaching Artists on training young artists how to rehearse.
