ABOUT KO
KO THEATER WORKS, INC. is dedicated to fostering innovative artistic collaborations in an atmosphere conducive to deep collaboration. We create original pieces that surprise, provoke and inspire our community in the Connecticut River Valley in Western Massachusetts.
THE KO FESTIVAL OF PERFORMANCE, a program of Ko Theater Works, is a festival of ideas — where the only certainty is surprise. Our performances value diversity, authenticity, and are curated to incite curiosity and to provoke compelling conversations with global, national local, and personal resonances. Ko is named for the 49th hexagram of the I CHING, the ancient Chinese Book of Changes. “Ko,” or “Revolution” can be visualized as a shedding of skin, a sloughing off of the old.
THE KO FESTIVAL OF PERFORMANCE has emerged as a theater company unlike any other in the region, attracting both award-winning talent and dedicated audience members hungry to engage in thought-provoking, groundbreaking work.
Each summer we present a season of original work created by the artists who come to Ko. The season is curated on a theme and lively discussions follow the performances and provide opportunities for community dialogue and brainstorming. We offer an Annual Summer Story Slam, and often the METTAWEE RIVER THEATER COMPANY’s all-ages outdoor event with masks, puppets & live music plus:
- A unique array of 6-day workshops
- Facilitated discussions and lobby displays that contextualize the ideas presented in each piece in an effort to engender inter-audience/artist exchange.
- Rehearsal residencies where individual artists or ensembles can develop new work
- Internships for college students and young theater professionals
- We often include an interactive installation so that all may contribute to the thematic thinking.