The Ever Expanding Moment

In the spring of 2024, we embarked on a powerful journey with The Ever Expanding Moment, a new play written and directed by Amontaine Aurore. This production was more than just a performance—it was our first full-scale theatrical project at Common Objects, our newly opened space. It brought together a community of artists, performers, and audience members who were ready to engage deeply with a story that examined racial injustice, police violence, and the complexities of the afterlife.

The play follows the lives (and afterlives) of Jamahl King, a young Black man, and Victor Lane, the police officer who took his life. In a shared purgatorial space, they are forced to confront their actions, their beliefs, and each other in a bid for understanding. The story is raw and unflinching, challenging audiences to think critically about justice, redemption, and the ways our society grapples with systemic violence.

But what truly made this project special for us wasn't just the story on stage—it was the impact off stage. From the very beginning, we focused on creating a space where people felt welcome, supported, and heard.

Throughout the run, we had the privilege of connecting with many others who were new to Common Objects, some drawn by the themes of the play and others simply curious about what we were doing in this new space. We were especially moved by the responses from Black audience members who saw parts of their own stories reflected in Jamahl's journey.

As we look back on the incredible conversations and connections sparked by this production, we’re filled with gratitude for everyone who joined us. Whether you came to one performance or all of them, or even if you just followed along from afar, thank you for being part of this journey with us. We’re excited to keep creating together—there’s so much more to come!

Director Amontaine Aurore

Anthony Simmons (Tony) is a Cornish college of the Arts graduate born and raised in San Diego California. Recent credits include Reparations at Sound Theatre Company (2019) and Auntie Val at Freehold Theatre (2020). They were also the Literary Associate for Copious Love Productions (2021-2024). Tony would like to thank their friends and family for all the love and support over the years. 

Daniel Christensen performed in “Albert’s Bridge” for Strawshop’s 2024 Director’s Festival. You might also have seen him in ReAct’s, “Animals Out of Paper,” Copious Love’s, “Bethany Sees the Stars,” or productions with 14/48, Live Girls!, Danse Theatre Surreality, Amador:Stokes, Annex, and Theatre22, among many others. He has also appeared in the movies Mountainside, Cozen, and Shadows and Forms.

Zoë Wolf is an actor, artist, and vocalist from the Salish Sea region. Recent roles include Rita in Bounce (Brown Soul Productions) and Bree in When a Tree Falls (Trial & Error.) They dedicate this performance to those who have suffered violence at the hands of police.

Amontaine Aurore is a storyteller, playwright, actor, director, producer, and performance artist. She is committed to presenting stories that illuminate multiple perspectives and explore human complexity. Amontaine’s plays have been produced in Seattle, New York, Maryland, and abroad. Her solo play, Free Desiree, was named as one of the Best New Plays of the New York Fringe Festival by Indie Theater Now. Don’t Call it a Riot, her play about Seattle activism, was a finalist in the Bay Area Playwright’s Festival and premiered in Seattle in 2018. Amontaine has received artist grants from Artist Trust, 4Culture, the Puffin Foundation, and the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture. She’s been a writer-in-residence at Hedgebrook Writers’ Retreat and the Seattle Public Library. In September 2024, Amontaine’s play, The Ever-Expanding Moment, which received a workshop at ACT Local, will have a 3-week run at CAM Annex in Seattle’s Belltown. Her play, Legacies: A Ghost Story, will receive a public reading at ACT Theater’s New Works Northwest Fesstival in November 2024. Amontaine is a 2024 Jack Straw Writing Fellow, and is currently working on an autobiographical novel.

This work would not be possible without the generous support of these sponsors