Taking Play Seriously
A conversation with Luiza Dale on Theater for Beginners, reading plays in public, and what it means to play seriously together.
For five Tuesday evenings this spring, the first floor of Ours transformed into a circle of readers. Without a stage or memorizing lines, we gathered to share voices and stories together in a space usually devoted to work.
Luiza Dale, a graphic designer and assistant professor at VCU whose work blends theater and design, led the class Theater for Beginners. Her approach draws from a concept she calls Bad Design—a way of working that pushes against old ideas of “good” or “perfect” design, instead welcoming imperfection, risk, and play.
“This was a class that offered the opportunity to subvert a working space (even if a non-traditional one) with play,” Luiza shared, “and in turn take playing seriously together.”
Over five weeks, the group read plays by contemporary experimental writers like Annie Baker and Will Arbery, welcomed playwright Cassie Sheedy for a conversation, and together explored what it means to experience theater not as performers, but as a community reading aloud.
“We met at night, after work hours, which made the class feel like leisure time. Moving tables and arranging chairs in a circle took out any work associations from the space,” Luiza said. The ritual of setting up and clearing away became a “table performance” the group cherished.
Luiza described how everyone started out nervous about reading aloud and “doing good” in class. “We all come with ideas of success, what success means to us. People arrived on the first day with reservations—including myself. I was nervous about failing, not being able to teach the class, having it go horribly, etc. Even if I didn’t really understand what the ‘going horribly’ meant.”
The class began with a collective agreement: to have fun, without judgement or pressure. “If there was no pressure to be good, we could just be ourselves. This helped the group trust each other. We could take chances speaking, asking questions, proposing activities, and voicing concerns when things needed adjustments.”
The process of confronting fear and vulnerability led to a shared breakthrough. One participant wrote, “realizing how unique it is to experience a text reading it/hearing it with others.” The experience of reading aloud together deepened the connection to the text, and to each other.
“Theater can be a tool for any kind of creative work,” Luiza said. “It can be a lens with which to experience the world, its chaos, and uncertainties.”
This spirit of exploration and play is alive throughout Ours, from classes like Theater for Beginners to our bi-monthly Work in Progress gatherings on Sundays (register here). Makers, thinkers, and tinkerers of all kinds come together at Ours to move their projects forward alongside one another.
On Friday, June 27th, join us for Sandbox, an immersive evening of quiet play, scent, and sound featuring tea blends by Liza Pittard Studios and Carytown Tea. Experience a contemplative soundscape and sensory activities designed to activate your imagination. Reserve your spot for Sandbox here.
If you’re inspired to lead your own class or workshop at Ours, we welcome your ideas and creativity. Learn more and submit your proposal here.
Interested in becoming a member of Ours to access our community and space? Find out how here.
You can explore the Theater for Beginners class archive here and learn more about Luiza’s teaching and work at her portal.