HIGHLAND - It is uncommon for artists to engage with audiences at early stages in their work on a new production, and the territory is somewhat uncharted, but in the spirit of exploration befitting a Cultural Laboratory, we invite you to engage with us from multiple points of departure in the creative process.

We’re calling these engagements “FINDINGS” rather than performances or presentations, and they will vary in nature depending on the developmental stage of each project. Some will be traditional full-on previews of productions about to debut, others may be readings, or excerpts, or informal presentations about process. As such, we are inviting you in, not as a member of a traditional “audience,” but as a witness to something unfolding, as a participant in a nascent form of creative exchange, to receive an artist’s or ensemble’s “findings” from their work while in residence. We invite your keen eye, sensitive heart, and curious spirit to enliven these events, and hope you will stay after for a light meal and lively conversation.

North American Cultural Laboratory (NACL) is a non-profit center for research and development in the performing arts, producing original, ensemble-devised productions, and presenting the work of visiting performing artists in theatre, music, spoken word, and dance. NACL is committed to supporting performance practice at all stages in an artist’s development, offering artist residencies, professional development retreats, master classes, and workshops.

2022 marks two coinciding anniversaries for NACL. QUADRANSCENTENNIAL – It’s been 25 years since the company was founded in 1997, and CENTENNIAL – 100 years since the cornerstone was laid for our performance hall (originally St. Bernardine’s Catholic Church) which has served as our cultural laboratory since 1999. We invite all to join us throughout the year as we celebrate the creative impulse and the spirit of perseverance.