Converse

An evening of listening, sharing and authenticity

Please join us for what is sure to be an inspiring evening of listening, sharing and authenticity as we focus on the art of conversation. Being developed by Mary Thompson Hunt & Alexander Whittenberg for the 2013 Orlando Fringe Festival, this is a truly unique creative endeavor, unlike anything else. Based on an original concept by Spalding Gray and inspired by the desire for more honest moments of bonding through humanity, this evening is sure to leave you enriched...

As the audience members enter the space, we'll collect a theme from them (love, failure, fear, etc.) and one will be chosen at random, at the top of the show. At this point, Mary, the host, will find three people in the audience with stories of whatever that night's theme may be and the conversation goes on.... it's always so interesting to see an entire evening of authentic storytelling unfold!!

"We all have ideas and stories that spark truths in other people. Some of our experiences and emotions are universal. When we share them it creates a bond for those sharing and those present witnessing the exchange. It's how we connect through our humanity." -Mary Thompson Hunt

Mary Thompson Hunt is an actor and improviser for over 30 years. Her credits include performing somewhere in the ballpark of 15000 improvised shows at The Comedy Warehouse at Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island. She performs at SAK Theatre in Orlando. She has performed on UPN, HBO, Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, and Showtime. Ms. Thompson Hunt is also an Emcee who has co-hosted with Maury Povich and Shaquille O'Neal. She hosted a week of The Girl Scouts National 50th Convention for 15000 troupe leaders and in February of 2011, the HIMSSS Eleven opening sessions for 29000 attendees. She has conducted interviews at Disney's Hollywood Studios with many celebrities including Billy Dee Williams, Leslie Uggams, Diahann Carroll, Aerosmith, John Amos, and Ben Vereen. Ms. Hunt has hosted and or performed in industrials for many organizations including WDW, Chrysler, the US Post Office, Procter and Gamble, Walmart, and Better Homes and Garden, to name a few. For three years she trained and performed with ‘Dramatic Solutions’ at the Eastern Management Development Center (OPM) for numerous departments of the US government. She is also a voice over artist and an improvisational workshop facilitator.

Alexander Whittenberg is a St.Petersburg native, proud graduate of the Pinellas County Center for the Arts and artistic associate of the Studio @ 620. Next month, he'll enter his junior year as a Scenic Designer at the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at SUNY Purchase (in Westchester County, NY). Alex is a co-founder of the PCCA IMPROSE improvisational comedy troupe and was thrilled to have worked with Mary Thompson Hunt previously on developing an Improvisational master class with the troupe. Also having co-founded Masters Theatre Group, he continually looks for fresh ways of bringing traditional concepts to light through unique forms on the stage. Needless to say, he's thrilled to be developing this project with one of the most talented, generous artists and humans that he knows. Previous artistic credits include: Sherlock Holmes, Rock 'N' Roll, Love's Fire, Elephant Man, Shel's Shorts, Knives in Hens, A Long Day's Journey into Night, Vesuvius, Every Christmas Story Ever Told, Picasso at the Lapin Agile and, most recently, the upcoming feature film "Lies I Told My Little Sister".