A couple weeks ago I (Thomas Choinacky) sat down with Sam Tower to get the latest on her artistic journey. Sam is an Applied Mechanics Associated Artist and has also been our company Administrator for the past 2 years. This week marks her last week with Applied Mechanics, in her Administrator position. She is stepping away from Applied Mechanics in this capacity to focus on her own company Ninth Planet. Here is some of the dirt from our conversation and Sam’s current artistic processes.
Sam’s producing and directing has been held under several monikers (Hybridge, Sam Tower + Ensemble…) over the course of her artistic history, but in the past two years she has settled into the collaboration of Ninth Planet which she co-directs with Nia Benjamin, and creative advisor Katie Croyle and narrative developer Jeremy Gable. Ninth Planet recently received a grant from the Network of Ensemble Theaters to provide administrative and planning support for the company. With few opportunities (in the grant world) for general operating support, she and her company are very excited for this award. This grant (and leaving Applied Mechanics) are actions for Sam to build capacity for her own organization as an administrator. I cannot wait to see what Sam (and the rest of the team) generate with her fuller attention on all parts of the organization.
Ninth Planet’s first major production was Homeworld, an original performance for babies and their caregivers. A radical concept for performance— I have never heard of a performance for babies before this project! Homeworld was a space to “deepen impact of the creative experience for families.” The company’s goal was and continues to be about reaching socially or economically vulnerable families and seeking more opportunities for families who don’t have access to theater. Ninth Planet is currently seeking community organizations to partner with to co-create Homeworld again.
Sam walked me through the experience of the show, which began with an introduction— “the landing pad”— where each caregiver said something special about their baby. The audience was then invited by three dancers to explore their interests within an immersive space of fabric jellyfish and coral reefs. In reflection there was an inherent caring for others across performers and audience. Sam mentioned one performance where one baby accidentally pants-ed (!) another baby. This accident, which could have led in multiple directions, produced openness and joy between the caregivers of each of the babies involved.
Ninth Planet is thoughtfully reflecting on the efforts of Homeworld. In its first run the team noted the impact that the show had. Homeworld was not just for the babies, but held value for the caregivers to share space with other caregivers. Sam highlighted the ongoing work that they aim to do with Homeworld including building ongoing artistic relationships with their audiences, (both the babies and the caregivers), providing a combatant to post-partum depression, as well as the value of care and support provided within an audience.
Sam and the entire Ninth Planet team are clearly being positive advocates within this city. Sam referenced that one of her questions is “How do we deepen the relationships with our audiences?” The team is considering this in multiple ways. From additional installation hours for baby play time to creating an enrichment packet for families, Ninth Planet aims to support and consult with the communities they enter to offer intentional and thoughtful programming to caregivers, babies, and families.
Alongside her artistic work, Sam is also on staff of IPAY, International Performing Arts for Youth, where she has worked for six years. She noted that this job opened up her perspective and became more than work, but a place of learning as an artist. The alignment of Ninth Planet’s mission of envisioning imaginative spaces for curious people, weaves together her IPAY administrative roles with her artistic growth. She noted ways that IPAY members deeply invest in their audiences, and how she has learned that the spontaneity of very young humans requires authentic opportunities for response and the deepest investment and collaboration with them. With this consideration in mind, she provides safe spaces for artists to devise openly and without judgment.
One such project is Ninth Planet’s upcoming Honey Honey, currently in its developmental phase. Sam is involved as director/co-producer, and is quick to note it as a giant collaborative process. With co-producers Nia Benjamin and Brandi Burgess, Sam is wrangling a squad of over 13 co-creators. This radical immersive musical experience will premiere in Fall 2020.
Sam and I hit a chord as we talked about what we are learning as artists. Sam commented on the requirement to give work breath. That Honey Honey will be a 4 year project in the making. That her MO (which I relate to) is that pushing projects forward to meet our culture’s need to have product after product has been difficult to combat. She is learning to stop and organize first, referencing Adrienne Maree Brown’s “inch wide mile deep” approach (from her book Emergent Strategy). This approach suggests a depth of knowledge on one thing rather that a toe’s worth of knowledge in many things. This requires intention.
Amidst all of this, the process of Honey Honey focuses on selflessly empowering your collaborators, so they can speak their piece. Sam is invested in dismantling the idea of the “writer behind closed doors.” With Honey Honey she is practicing an inclusion of all collaborators as writers (this includes three composers (!) as co-creators). This is blasting out multiple visions and radical collaboration to their audiences.
If the giant project of Honey Honey isn’t enough, Sam also hinted at Ninth Planet’s next project after that. Called the kitchen table, this piece explores intergenerational relationships of black womxn. Led by Nia Benjamin, it had its first artist development residency at HATCH last year and will continue as a multimedia digital installation.
We also dabbled in talking about her art processes, which is based in consensus. This is unique as the director is generally seen as having a final say. Sam noted her artistic beginnings (like most artists) being based in conventional/ hierarchical theater performance and her current collaborative work is an undoing of this framework. She admitted that there is some real unlearning required. It gets down to asking “what does it mean for making a final decision?” and that it is no longer serving one’s own agenda.
Want to learn more about Ninth Planet? They are hosting a happy hour for Honey Honey this Saturday from 5-8pm at the Art Sanctuary (628 S 16th Street)
On behalf of all Applied Mechanics we are thrilled for Sam’s upcoming artistic adventures and so thankful for the administrative expertise she has offered us for the past two years! Cheers!