Who is PEP?
We are Performers Exchange Project (PEP), a collective of Central Virginia theatre artists with a two-fold mission:
- To develop and perform original works in and for our own communities. To date we have created two original performances (Zelda & Lucia’s Loony Bin Tragedy and Dido Versus The Squid Monster), produced two large-scale collaborative carnivals (Wunderkammer and Shentai) at the Ix Building in Charlottesville, and toured a working demonstration called “Building Performance: A Look at Actor-Created Physical Actions.”
- To host like-minded performers from around the U.S. and the world for residencies of performance, workshops, and exchange. Our first exchange, in 2005, was with Serbia’s Dah Theatre/Jadranka Andjelic Project. To maximize the human contact and conversation, we provided food, shelter and performing space to our guests. In exchange for their performances and workshops, we offered our experience of living/working in this community, as well as our own performances and training demonstrations. We believe that the interaction instigated by our collective can serve as an example and catalyst for an ever-widening network of like-minded artists opening their doors and sharing their communities.
Though we have all worked together in different configurations for over 10 years, PEP formed in 2005. We are based in Charlottesville with members also living in Staunton and North Carolina. Collectively we have 5 supportive partners, 6 children, 8 cats, and many, many family members and friends. PEP is Martha Mendenhall, Sian Richards, Kara McLane Burke, Doreen Bechtol, and Jennifer Hoyt Tidwell
