Each August, Bug Pit Collaborative Arts brings a bout of experimental, low cost and original theatre to Washtenaw County.
Written by members of the group, Bug Pit's shows encourage both attendees and actors alike to reimagine what theater can look like. With a backyard as a rehearsal studio, handcrafted puppets as core set pieces and little incentive for profit, Bug Pit aims to create a space for writers, artists and theatergoers who prefer to embrace the abstract and unusual.
Lindsey Brown and Olive Cianciolo act as co-artistic directors for each Bug Pit performance. Their 2026 production, still being written by the members, will take form in three distinct stories, with one of which being a musical, and all will use devising methods to create each story.
"Devised theatre is basically [when you] get a group together, and you might have a concept or might not, and you give them a stimulus packet," Brown said. Stimulus packets can be made up of a variety of items or images, and all represent concepts or ideas meant to inspire the group. Through the packet, the group creates characters, storylines and themes.
For one of this year's three acts, Brown will be leading the devising stage. According to her, much of the influence for the stimulus packet comes from movement. While actors typically roam through the packets and then try to make a story, Brown will instead have the actors explore the production's themes through abstract movement exercises.
"There's nothing wrong with traditional scripted theatre, I also direct traditional scripted theatre, but I enjoy devising because as an ensemble member [and] actor, through the rehearsal process, you get to make choices that influence the final piece, because you're basically writing it together," Brown said. In some cases, the scripts created are more strict, while other instances see them as outlines that the actors can follow, with performances looking slightly different each night.
Brown's experiences in undergraduate studies helped her realize that she wanted to create art collaboratively and to allow for all participants to play a core role in the creation process. The idea of theming the troupe around bugs came after.
"The idea of a bug really gets what we're going for on a gut level," Cianciolo said, who began with Bug Pit as a graphic designer, before becoming a co-artistic director. "You see bugs, they're dirty, small and there's a million of them everywhere. That's a little bit of what we're doing."
Alongside being an experimental outlet for artists, Bug Pit also provides the theatre experience at a low cost. While attendees are encouraged to purchase a ticket to support the troupe, performances can also be viewed for free.
"I think that Bug Pit is important to me because I think it's important to know and practice the fact that you can make art at any financial level," Brown said, "Especially in theater where there are so many barriers to entry ... I think [there's] a lot of joy and a lot of liberation in making cheap art with your neighbors."
According to Cianciolo, the theatre's low cost also played a part in why the troupe named itself "Bug Pit."
"We want people to know that we're scrappy. We're professional, but we're not professionals," Cianciolo said.
For those interested in getting involved in Bug Pit's upcoming production, auditions for the show will take place on May 3, from 2-5 p.m., and will be located in Burns Park, Ypsilanti. Those not looking to act can also stop by the auditions and subsequent rehearsals if they wish to be involved at some level.
To stay up to date with Bug Pit Collaborative Art's upcoming productions, visit the group's Instagram page at bugpitcollab.
