BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:Europe/London X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/London BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6@cassfloresca.com DTSTART:20250515T193000Z DTEND:20250515T195000Z DTSTAMP:20250626T172725Z URL:https://cassfloresca.com/events/no-place-like-home/ SUMMARY:No Place Like Home DESCRIPTION:If Exotic was my beginning and F*cking Feminists was my awakeni ng\, then No Place Like Home was the chapter where I stepped behind the sc enes and into my voice as a director.\n\n \;\n\nAs part of Springboard Festival 2025\, I had the absolute honour of directing No Place Like Home \, a powerful absurdist short play by Birmingham-based playwright Alexandr a Taylor. This was my directorial debut—my first time taking on a role t hat demanded not just creative instinct\, but leadership\, vision\, and tr ust. I approached it not as an expert\, but as someone ready to learn and grow—drawing on my experience as a developing producer and my growing de sire to tell stories that cut deep\, challenge systems\, and echo lived re alities.\n\n \;\n\nSet in a dystopian near future\, the play follows B ettina\, who faces a bureaucratic nightmare at the hands of Adler\, an off icial who forces her to prove her right to belong. The piece is surreal\, sharp\, and darkly satirical—Black Mirror meets Kafka—with themes that struck a chord in me immediately. It’s about borders\, citizenship\, id entity\, and the absurd hoops we’re made to jump through just to feel sa fe\, seen\, and human.\n\n \;\n\nThe relevance of No Place Like Home w ent far beyond the script for me. It connected deeply with my work at the WATCH Charity\, where I support individuals—many of them refugees\, asyl um seekers\, and vulnerable migrants—navigating hostile systems just to survive. I’ve seen firsthand the emotional toll that displacement\, red tape\, and societal exclusion takes on people. This play gave me a chance to channel that reality through art—to direct with purpose\, not just pe rformance.\n\n \;\n\nWorking with a brand-new cast of four actors\, al l new to the Criterion stage\, made the process even more exciting. Togeth er we crafted something sharp\, dynamic\, and emotionally charged. I focus ed on building a space where the actors felt safe to experiment\, to explo re discomfort\, to find truth in the surreal. We leaned into the absurdism while keeping the emotional core intact—because underneath the dark hum our was something painfully real: the question of who gets to belong\, and who decides.\n\n \;\n\nDirecting No Place Like Home was a leap for me —but one I’m so grateful I took. It showed me that directing isn’t a bout having all the answers—it’s about listening deeply\, holding spac e\, and guiding stories that need to be told. It was the next natural step in my journey\, and it affirmed that I don’t just want to write or perf orm—I want to shape theatre that reflects the world as it is\, and dares to ask how it could be different.\n\n \;\n\nAnd with this chapter\, m y Criterion journey continues—messy\, meaningful\, and full of heart.\n\ n \;\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cassfloresca.com/wp-content/uploads/2025 /06/494128345_1232752708854040_4978875346642103717_n.jpg CATEGORIES:Art Showcases END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR