MISSION STATEMENT
Dev Doc Theatre is devoted to bringing understanding to the misunderstood by documenting lived experiences, celebrating those who are overcoming or have overcome great challenges and preserving the history of those who wish to share their experiences with their descendants and future generations.
WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO
Dev Doc Theatre celebrates the origin of theatre: STORYTELLING, by embracing the belief that every person on this planet is capable of bringing understanding to the misunderstood.
Dev Doc Theatre wants to be a Universal, Online, Video, Audio and Written-Word Library of People’s Experiences.
Dev Doc Theatre is a LIBRARY in search of books (Your stories). We’re a GARDEN, ready for you to plant your story, and reap from the stories of others. We’re a CLASSROOM where you can share the lessons you’ve learned and learn from the lessons of others. And we’re a HEALTH UNIT, where you can give others hope, by showing them they are not alone.
By telling your story and speaking your truth on something you are experiencing or have experienced, you will be giving all who see it, hear it or read it the best possible reason to learn from it, because you are living it or have lived through it.
We seek to hear from anyone who is overcoming or has overcome a challenging life experience. We seek to hear from anyone who is labeled or has been labeled one thing, while knowing they are so much more. We seek to hear from anyone who knows that they, because of their job, where they live, who they support or what age they are, are not what other people think them to be. And we seek to preserve the history of each and every one of us. Each of us has the power to teach the truth about life, from where we are or where we have been.
WHY WE DO IT
We want to help everyone who visits this website, our YouTube channel, Instagram account and Facebook page, gain a better understanding of the world we live in and the people who live in it.
We want to help everyone who is overcoming a great challenge or being misunderstood know that they are not alone.
And finally, we want to create a documentary theatre library of your stories, your truths, for anyone to create their own devised documentary theatre production.
PLEASE CONSIDER SUBMITTING A VIDEO, VOICEOVER OR YOUR OWN WRITTEN WORD.
OUR CURRENT PROJECT
While Dev Doc Theatre invites EVERYONE to tell their story and speak their truth, we will periodically conduct projects during the year that focus on specific topical, cultural and geographical groups.
THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA (SWLA) EXPERIENCE
In an effort to learn about the PEOPLE and EVENTS of SWLA, Dev Doc Theatre invites anyone who lives or has lived in Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis parish, to share a story from their life that they experienced anywhere on this plant, to share a story or thoughts on their life or occupation in SWLA or their story about an event that is part of the history of SWLA.
Dev Doc wishes to learn about the PEOPLE of SWLA by inviting them to share their stories and speak their truth. Because it’s easy to say that “These people are this way” and “Those people are that way”, until we realize that WE ARE ALL SO MUCH MORE THAN WHAT WE ARE LABELLED.
If you’re interested but not sure how to begin, see the HOW TO GET STARTED section below. Or contact me, Charles McNeely, at our email address: devdoctheatre@gmail.com
HOW TO GET STARTED
If you’re not sure how to get started, ask yourself this question:
IF A PLAY WERE BEING DONE ON (YOUR TOPIC OR EXPERIENCE), WHAT’S THE ONE THING (OR TWO THINGS, OR THREE…OR FIVE) THAT MUST BE INCLUDED IN THAT PLAY?
or
IF A CLASS WAS BEING TAUGHT ABOUT (YOUR TOPIC OR EXPERIENCE), WHAT’S THE ONE THING (OR TWO THINGS, OR THREE…OR FIVE) THAT MUST BE INCLUDED IN THAT CLASS?
Once you have that answer, SHARE YOUR STORY or EXPLAIN WHY this must be a part of the class or play. Help us understand its importance.
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
VIDEO
Using any type of video camera (including your phone), record yourself speaking your truth about living with (your topic or experience).
VOICEOVER
Using any type of voice recorder (or using VIDEO on your phone to record your voice) record yourself speaking your truth about living with (your topic or experience).
WRITTEN WORD
Using a keyboard, record your thoughts on your chosen subject or event. Written word submissions should not be handwritten.
INTERVIEW Contact Charles McNeely at devdoctheatre@gmail.com to set up an interview.
When you’ve completed your video, voiceover or written word, attach it to an email and send it to our email address (devdoctheatre@gmail.com). If your video or voiceover is too large for email, we suggest using One Drive or Google Drive to send its link to us.
PREPARING TO SEND YOUR SUBMISSION
Please put the TOPIC of your submission in the subject line of the email.
In the BODY of the email, please include a DESCRIPTION of yourself. This could be your NAME, AGE, HOMETOWN, STATE OR COUNTRY or any combination of these. Examples include: 63-year-old man from Louisiana; Anna, a 17-year-old high school student from rural Michigan; Funeral Director from Denver or 20-year-old international student from Nepal…
If a person’s name is used in your submission, please include their contact information. We will need to receive their permission before posting. We encourage you to use a generic description of the person, rather than their name if possible.
Once you’ve done this, send your submission to:
You’ll receive an email from us, confirming that we’ve received it and we will keep you updated on the process of getting it posted.
OUR PROCESS
Once we’ve confirmed that we’ve received it, we will gather a group of people together made up of all ages, lifestyles and walks of life, including one or more people who have direct experience with and knowledge of your topic or event. This group of people will watch, listen to or read your submission. And if ONE of these people finds something in your submission BRINGS THEM GREATER UNDERSTANDING or that they find USEFUL, HELPFUL OR EDUCATIONAL, your submission will be posted on this website, our YouTube channel, Instagram account and/or Facebook page.
Please look around our website for more information:
- Our About page describes in more detail who we are and our purpose.
- Our YouTube and Social Media page is full of links to all of our media.
- Our Blog will be updated as we make new media or with news about DevDoc Theatre!