Thirst quenching

Even over the phone, Arian Moayed's voice was friendly, resonating and clear as a bell. A 2002 IU graduate, Moayed has covered a lot of ground in two years and is still moving ahead. The miles between Bloomington and Moayed's home of New York City could not stifle his excitement as he spoke about a project he has been working on since he came to the IU campus.\nWaterwell Productions, a nonprofit theater production company started by Moayed in Bloomington, is booming in the competitive theater industry of the Big Apple.\nWaterwell, which began at IU in 2000, has grown from three IU students to a group of 17 creators, performers, designers, educators, administrators and producers -- 11 of whom are IU alumni. Many of Waterwell's shows have been sold out. The company's goal is to present new and original forms of theater. Its productions often address tough issues, such as AIDS or the situation in the Middle East in an effort to engage the audience. \n"This is our way of having a voice about these issues," Moayed said. \nIU Assistant Professor of Acting and Directing Murray McGibbon taught Moayed, Nicole Parker and Tom Ridgely, who helped get the company off the ground. McGibbon strongly believes his students can make a difference with their talents in theater and he is extremely proud of what these three students have done with Waterwell, he said.\n"Theater works when the needs of society need to be addressed," McGibbon said. "For example, economics, war, international relations ... things that touch people in the streets, that are close to people's hearts."\nTo its founders, the company's name means a new beginning -- water is the rejuvenating life force, and a well is its source, Moayed said.\nMoayed said the company's mission also aims to educate and give to the community. Waterwell's Educational Outreach Program is designed to provide underprivileged junior high and high school students with acting classes that they normally would not be able to afford. The classes are given at the People's Improv Theatre in New York City. The object of the program is to give students a chance to discover their natural gifts and do things they cannot normally do.\n"A lot of people love to say no," Moayed said. "Parents may say, 'No, my child can't do that.' But we're telling the child they can, that they're gifted, and that they have something to offer. It's hard to have people understand that. Those are the challenges we face, and I'm willing to face these dead on."\nMcGibbon told Moayed, Ridgely and Parker as students they could make a difference by starting their own company.\n"I think it sowed a seed," McGibbon said. "Their outreach is a very necessary thing to do. I strongly believe in the power of the spoken word. Theater is a means of social change." \nNicole Parker, another IU grad who helped in the company's creation process, graduated two years ahead of Moayed and Ridgley. Her involvement, though less extensive, has allowed her to use theater to express herself and to address what is going on in the world. \nShe performed in Full Frontal Comedy as an IU student, then left for Amsterdam after graduation to be a part of Boom Chicago, an improv group performing in Amsterdam, Europe and the United States. After two years, she returned to New York City to help with directing and performing shows at Waterwell.\n"It's a smart and funny group that is able to let loose," Parker said. "They can improvise on an idea and go with it."\nParker is a firm believer in the power of funny. A featured cast member on MAD TV, her current venue is comedy. She said she feels it is one of the strong suits of Waterwell.\n"There is a demand for laughter," Parker said. "It's one of the best ways to grab an audience and it adds an extra edge to the group."\nParker also explained how Waterwell takes old works, some from the 16th and 17th centuries, which have resonating similarities with issues happening today. The company performs the plays in a new and provocative way. \n"I love the sound of it," she said, laughing over the phone. "I love laughing myself ... and it burns calories."\nBesides its success in the Big Apple and its contributions to the community, Waterwell Productions has also been accepted to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland this August. \nThe Fringe Festival, which includes 20,000 performances, is the world's largest art festival. Its Web site boasts it is a "massive explosion of cultural and artistic expression." \n"It's hard to believe just a few years ago we were all in class together," Moayed said. \nBesides Waterwell Productions, all three students have successfully grasped careers of their own. Moayed is a full time teacher at the Professional Performing Arts High School, a renowned school which has graduated such celebrities as Britney Spears and Alicia Keys. \nMoayed has also made appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Sex & the City. \nRidgely is general manager of the People's Improv Theatre, one of the most respected improv theaters in New York City. Parker is currently a featured cast member of MAD TV.\n"I'm still naïve enough to believe all my students can make a difference," McGibbon said. "I tell them to believe in themselves. It sounds trite, but if you don't, you can't do these things. Trust your instincts. Assume confidence, though you may render none. And never take no for an answer."\n-- Contact staff writer Jamie Lusk at jalusk@indiana.edu.