This session centered on possibility — what stories we want to tell next, and how we want to tell them.

After check-in, we dove into a conversation about the future of the program. Should we spend extended time developing a piece? Should we adapt a Shakespeare play or perform it as written? The ensemble weighed these questions thoughtfully, drawing from their own experiences to guide the discussion.

Fisher-Grant emphasized the value of working with Shakespeare’s original text — how its consistency can anchor the ensemble and keep everyone moving together. Others imagined new forms: adaptations, hip hop influences, and ways to make the work feel personal and immediate.

As we read through potential plays, the room filled with curiosity and debate. King Lear, The Winter’s Tale, and Romeo and Juliet quickly rose to the top, each offering something different: scale, magic, familiarity, challenge.

“I want to be Romeo,” one participant said, while another was drawn to the richness of roles in King Lear. Others were captivated by the blend of comedy and tragedy in The Winter’s Tale — a story of loss, forgiveness, and transformation.

The conversation moved beyond preference into strategy. What stories will resonate most? What will challenge us? What will allow new members to step in and grow? The ensemble considered not just what they wanted to perform, but why it mattered.

By the end of the night, the vote came down to two: King Lear and The Winter’s Tale. The final decision remains ahead on Tuesday, but the process itself — collaborative, thoughtful, and deeply engaged — is already shaping the future of the work.

We closed by sharing monologues, stepping briefly into these worlds and testing what it feels like to speak their language. It was playful, exploratory, and full of possibility.

We raised the ring, carrying forward not just a decision to be made, but a shared investment in whatever comes next.