BALANCING A SENSIBLE WAY FORWARD:

Weighing the Steps Theatres Can Take vs.

the Steps Theatres Must Take

Imagine my surprise when, upon researching reviews of our latest production, I ran into a June blog from Mike Daisy wondering why I had dropped out of our recent conversation about “how theatre failed America”…or, as I prefer to think of it, “how performance artists shouldn’t pretend to have all the answers when it comes to the challenges of running the theatres that hire them”. On June 7 Daisy wagged:

“I have heard nothing from Mr. Olson. I do not know if his offer was made in bad faith, but it would have been civil of him to at least send a simple email explaining why he has decided to drop the ball so entirely. I’ve taken him entirely seriously; it would have been polite for him to show a similar courtesy. Having given Mr. Olson over 30 days, I am going to assume he’s forfeiting his “challenge” and this exchange will draw to a close. Hopefully the next time Mr. Olson offers the financial data on his institution to someone he has little respect for it will go more successfully for him.”

Silly me, I should have known that a blog posted at 3:25am on Daisy’s website and never forwarded to me constituted direct communication; what was I thinking? Evidently after conversations in the halls of the TCG Conference Mike concluded, “I also don’t think people appreciated how you were speaking about artists”…to which I would simply say if artists read what I wrote they would know my devotion to them, their craft, and that I count myself in their number.

I bet the TCG folks loved Daisy’s past mock, “better to revive another August Wilson play and claim to be speaking about race right now.” But I digress. Continue Reading

From: Oct. 30         Thru: Nov. 28

 American Stage Theatre Company’s “After Hours” Cabaret series continues with five new productions running in October and November. All performances are “Pay-What-You-Can” at the door and $10 in advance.

MANIFESTING SOUL

A Cabaret featuring Poet-singer Erica C. Sutherlin

Friday, October 30 at 9 p.m.

Saturday, October 31 at 9 p.m.

Sunday, November 1 at 5 p.m.

 American Stage audiences will remember Erica from her arresting performance in last summer’s hit play Doubt. Erica now presents a cabaret that will take you through a soul-grabbing journey with ear-caressing melodies and contemplative lyrics searching for love, truth, empowerment and goodness in this world of chaos and confusion. Accompanying Erica are drummer Ryan Copeland, keyboardists Geoffrey Rogers and Josh Neri and singers Trinity Anderson, Jessica Sweet and Cranstan Cumberbatch. Come for an hour of soulful sounds that will set the pace for an electrifying evening of emotional entertainment. Produced by FemWork Productions & Amazncran’s Creative Works production.

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American Stage Theatre Company has never had over 5,000 patrons attend a Mainstage production in its 31 year history…until now.  

The recently closed FENCES, the third production of American Stage’s commitment to perform all ten of August Wilson’s plays, had a total of 5,928 attendance for its five week run.

“The interest and support we have received from audiences in Tampa Bay has been amazing,” said Todd Olson, American Stage’s producing artistic director. “To not only have over 5,000 people come out to enjoy the poetry of August Wilson’s FENCES, but to almost break the 6,000 in attendance mark is an incredible testament to our patrons and their love of live theatre.”

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American Stage Theatre Company was awarded $25,000 from the State of Florida’s Culture Builds Florida Grant program to support its “Write On! Pinellas” educational outreach program. 

 “Write On! Pinellas” is a five-year old program that places American Stage teaching artists in partner schools to guide students in the craft of playwriting during regular class time, all at no cost to them, their families or their school.  When working in schools that do not have a Drama Club program, American Stage facilitates that activity and directly ties it to the playwriting component resulting in plays written and performed by students, for students.

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“We believe strongly that the arts aren’t somehow an ‘extra’ part of our national life, but instead we feel that the arts are at the heart of our national life. It is through our music, our literature, our art, drama and dance that we tell the story of our past and we express our hopes for the future. Our artists challenge our assumptions in ways that many cannot and do not. They expand our understandings, and push us to view our world in new and very unexpected ways.

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Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 

 4 minutes later: 
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.. 

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This is the hardest period I can ever remember for professional theatres. This past week alone 2 more theatres have closed their doors. Milwaukee Shakespeare had to fold after 9 seasons after having lost their funding from a single foundation “due to the current economic situation.” Stamford Theatre Works in Connecticut dissolved mid-way through their 21st season, citing, “severe reductions in corporate and private sponsorships.”

It just so happens that this week we are tallying our latest audience survey. I always try and respond if there are complaints. I have them here on my desk and I stare at them every day. I want to be positive. I really do.

Some complaints this year include missing our Shakespeare in the Park, “a great tradition that you let die.” Another has to do with sound. As a sound designer I try very hard to create an ambiance in the theatre that, from the time they walk through our door, is fully integrated, gearing them toward the live performance. One woman thought my musical selections toward this effort were, “extremely long and terrible…and could drive me crazy.” Someone complained that we have, in the past, done our curtain speeches in English and Spanish. They thought since the word “American” was in our title, our curtain speeches would be in English-only. I will write this woman to clarify that we have done only 3 such multi-lingual curtain speeches in the last 28 productions (ANNA IN THE TROPICS, CASA BLUE, THE LAST MOMENTS IN THE LIFE OF FRIDA KAHLO, and BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON). In 2 of these productions, Cuba was very important. CASA BLUE took place largely in Mexico. So we thought doing the curtain speech in Spanish and English was very much in tune with the performance they were about to see. We did not mean to be un-American at American Stage.

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When I was a student at the American Repertory Theatre conservatory at Harvard, we had the opportunity to take a couple classes with David Mamet. Frankly we were terrified. He’s opinionated, blunt, harsh, direct, and intimidating to work in front of. Actors engaged in scene work as 30 of us watched on, wondering what he would say, who if anyone would get praise, who if anyone would be torn to shreds. He would pepper the room with questions that we felt hesitant to answer: “what are you trying to get done in this scene?” “What is your action after you hear this word?” “What is your ‘as if’?” “Why don’t you change tactics if this one is not working?” “Why can’t you speak up so people can hear you?”

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An excerpt from Producing Artistic Director Todd Olson’s opening remarks at the grand Opening of the Raymond James Theatre, Saturday night, May 30, 2009:

 Welcome to this magic place.
Our theatrical town hall.
Our laboratory.
Our multi-colored black box
Our distant cousin to Shakespeare’s “Wooden O”

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