The Flying Spot Players

The Company:

We are a small theatrical troupe self-producing a series of short dramatic/comedic films that look at aspects of contemporary society. Our objective is to offer an interpretation of modern life that makes people laugh and think at the same time.

We think of ourselves as a community theatre group that performs on the screen rather than the stage. Our production personnel come from film and television backgrounds rather than live theatre. We each have a desire to contribute some time and talent toward civic-minded non-commercial production.

If we were living in prehistoric times, we'd be making rock art on cave walls; instead, we are using the tools of our day (digital video camera, editing) to interpret what we see around us. We firmly believe that the arts should reflect society back to itself as a means of keeping check on our collective progress.

The Series:  

Our collection of shorts is produced under the series title LIFE AS WE KNOW IT.

Each item looks at a different aspect of contemporary culture such as television violence, advertising, business ethics, noise pollution, overpopulation, suburban sprawl, government bureaucracy, etc.

Like an editorial cartoon, we use visual exaggeration and conceptual metaphors to depict the face of popular culture as a "caricature". This type of creative expression is especially relevant in our increasingly fragmented society because it helps point up the hidden relationships that inter-connect the elements of modern life.