NewForms · In development
Storytelling in the National Parks
A living play, shaped park by park. Led by Mark Sitko, this NewForms project invites visitors to help begin the story, then carries those ideas across the country until the finished work returns to Los Angeles.
How it works
Each stop leaves a mark on the script.
At each national park, Mark Sitko and the ensemble will begin with a prompt rooted in place. Audiences respond, performers test scenes in small amphitheatres and open-air gathering spaces, and the material is revised before the next stop.
A dozen parks. One growing story.
The environmental record
A documentary that lets the parks lead the story.
The documentary is the project’s environmental lens: a way to share the majesty, fragility, and living character of the national parks while following the art made within them. Through each visit, the film will hold the landscape and the creative exchange side by side.
Parks on film
Majestic views, intimate details, and changing conditions across every stop.
People in place
Artists, audiences, rangers, and local voices connecting art to stewardship.
The work unfolding
Rehearsals and performances that reveal how each landscape shapes the play.
The return
After roughly twelve park visits, the accumulated scenes, questions, and characters will become a full original performance. The final NewForms production will bring the journey to Los Angeles, carrying every audience contribution into the room.
Program lead: Mark Sitko
Help greenlight the project
Bring the story from the parks to the stage.
Sponsorship will help greenlight the travel, artists, documentary production, and final NewForms performance in Los Angeles. Gifts of $10,000 or more will receive a dedication in the documentary credits and special thanks at the outset of the final performance.
Sponsor the project