Outlawed Theatre Productions
Atlanta, GA
Audience InteractionThe Buzz Intro Interview
Obie Outlaw, Writer & Director
1. Why should people see your show?
To have fun!! :) Outlawed Theatre Productions is dedicated to producing joyful experiences onstage. This story, St. Elmo's Fire, was written with immense care & skill & in a way that is intended to be a truly joyful and wholesome experience. Inspired by the true story of Oscarville, the city under Lake Lanier, St. Elmo's Fire was first written in 2024. During workshopping, it has been compared to the Odyssey, "but in 10 minutes." You'll laugh, you might cry, you'll get a bit of a history lesson, and hopefully leave with a renewed sense of joy and optimism in the world.
We are also big on treating children and adults as sovereign equals, which you will see viscerally showcased in our story. During such a difficult and dangerous time in our collective lives, we think it necessary to have fun together. The best way to do that is to make everyone feel safe, included, and empowered. Don't get us wrong, there are some perilous moments during our adventure, but we navigate those moments knowing that we're all on the same team together and it's us versus the root problem, not each other.
2. What about festivals intrigues you? And why the Atlanta Fringe?
What we love about festivals is the strong community vibe! A little micro-community pops up during this time with all of the incredible artists included in the festival and it's always such a joy to explore! This is my 4th Fringe Festival in a row & I've made many friends at previous Fringe Festivals. I've have no doubt we will again this year!
3. What inspired you to create this?
A local, experimental theatre show! My good friends at Atlanta Original Works self-produce a production called Show to be Made, and I was lucky enough to be at the inaugural version (as pictured!). During that show, I sat on stage as everyone else in the line-up debuted original works inspired by prompts drawn out of a hat. My job was to write a new show, based on prompts drawn out of a hat, during the show itself. Mine would debut last & I absolutely locked in. What I wrote was the first version of St. Elmo's Fire, only 8 pages long. It was well received and I enjoyed the characters so I continued to develop it with Working Title Playwrights, a local non-profit dedicated to new work. It was once again well received, which was very encouraging. I polished it up, submitted to Fringe, and now here we are!
