Scott Nolte’s Weblog

I’m back in rehearsals, in fact tech and dress rehearsals begin tonight for Over the River and Through the Woods! It’s by the same playwright, Joe DiPietro, who wrote I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. (Both shows have been Off-Broadway hits!!!)  Above is an advance press photo: not the real thing (costumes, hair, the table, & set) taken, maybe, the second day of rehearsals?! So the show and characters look a little different. But when you have press and web deadlines you have to do with what you have!

Very fun show. Really heartwarming and hilarious. We alternate between big laughs and grabbing kleenex. Hmm. A concessions item: little packs of kleenex? Or $1.00 a tissue?

As a member of a very large, extended, three generations of family at every Christmas gathering — the play is a beautiful tribute to the love that crosses the generations, and the blessings we receive from our elders. Likewise, what blessings the elders receive from the from the younger ones’ energy and dreams. Really good stuff.

I’m outta here — to rehearsal…

When my production staff and I are choosing a season, we’re very conscious of who our subscribers are, the issues facing them (and us) and even a sense of where we’ll be in a year. No crystal ball or navel gazing - just lots of reading and reflecting on more than scripts and budgets. There’s a real sense of needing to be connected and committed to our patrons’ lives, the community and, in this case, the greater Seattle region.

So it drives me a bit crazy when theatre boards of directors look nationwide for talented artistic directors - with little apparent focus on whether the new artistic director has a heart and vision for being locally-committed. Or whether it’s a revolving door to a better gig. Or a stable gig while working elsewhere too. How do you relate to your community … if it’s not yours? How do you listen to them . . . if you’re not here? Is there a contracted requirement to be a local citizen and participate in the life of your new artistic homeland?

I’m addressing the role of artistic leadership, not the functions of guest directors. The latter are freelancers hired for a particular production, maybe precisely because they’d bring a new perspective to a theatre’s audience, even shake things up. They fly in and out, maybe to work with actors who are also not from the theatre’s home town too.

This isn’t a rag on artistic directors who are moving targets. John Longenbaugh’s article in The Seattle Weekly pays tribute to two ADs and their departures, well at least one of them. The other doesn’t live here. But what’s next for these two theatres? What questions are their boards asking about their theatres’ expectations for artistic leadership and how these leaders are accessible to their constituents?

I’ve tipped my hat, and believe strongly that nearly all arts organizations need to be deeply committed to their city / region. Perhaps in an area with a strong tourist economy (like NYC) you can speak more generically to a broad audience. Otherwise, do you know who you’re talking to? Even as a matter of survival in the present economic strain (!!), we need patrons who know and trust the artistic and management leaders at “their theatre” (or symphony, dance company, etc). The tickets they buy and financial support they send are affirmation that we - theatre and arts leaders - have made their needs primary, and that our missions, visions, budgets and pursuit of vital art are indeed, local.

I’m thankful for people who are subscribers and donors at Taproot Theatre. It’s pretty astounding to have their loyal support, humbling really. There’s not much better than standing in the lobby and chatting with patrons about the show, answering questions, and knowing we play a role in their daily life. And they play a big role in mine too.

I’ve been racing since leaving town for NYC last week — and getting back, going - almost - straight to rehearsals. What a week. So, quickly —

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY. On Broadway now, Steppenwolf’s production is funny, amazing to watch (a 3-story home for the set!) and painful. Reminded me of what I like about a lot of Irish theatre, like being able to enter the dark side of life and confront pain, while laughing too. Brilliant stuff. In some ways, it’s universal if can handle the coarser language: for everyone who’s experienced the joys, hidden motives, lies, hopes and disappointments of being Family.

NATIONAL THEATRE FOR ARTS AND EDUCATION. Our son Peter has been touring with them since September, most recently in a production of “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry“. A very important story (a Newberry Award winner) adapted for the stage concerning racism in the 1930s. I enjoyed Peter’s work and his cast-mates too. Peter was also the troupe’s stage manager (sort of a player/coach model), and did a great job holding the show together - earning the thanks and appreciation of the company’s artistic director.

THREADS PRODUCTIONS. Met up with Kim and Misti to touch base on their efforts to found a theatre in NYC, with similar core values to Taproot Theatre. They remain committed after a year+ of planning, replanning, responding to board directives, reading/debating scripts … and essentially feeling like they’re not making any progress at all. Very sharp people though! They will get through this period, but not without the lessons of building an arts org with divergent views on their aesthetic, business plan, roles of artist/staff vs. board of directors and raising funds.

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS. Rehearsals are going great. Way too fun - we’re barely on schedule given the general mayhem of the comedy and the cast’s ability to distract themselves. Great vibe in the room. It’s just like herding cats though.

DOUBT. Continues to rack up critical acclaim while attendance also continue below our goal (and budget). Very odd. Terrific work by the cast. The designs are excellent. And more than half the audience stays for the post-play Q&As. Can’t decide if we mis-marketed it or if we have a core audience less willing to take on tough plays or if we can’t rally a crossover audience … or a little of “all”. Anyway, we are all proud of the show.

TTC ANNUAL GALA. This weekend, Saturday at The Triple Door, “Light Up the Night” has about 250 guests and a considerable financial goal. Great food from Wild Ginger restaurant. A parody of TV’s “Northwest Backroads” with host Grant Goodeve exploring Washington State and finding TTC performers all over! A vision speech from me (which I need to finalize), and a 14 minute video we commissioned on TTC’s mission and impact. Interviews with actors, staff, supporters, and volunteers. Footage of touring performances, kids performing their play from the Acting Studio, and “As You Like It“. Should be a great night. (please, Lord!)

Tonight is first rehearsal for “Over the River and Through the Woods” by Joe DiPietro. It’s a funny, very funny, comedy about a young man moving from the NYC to Seattle (to work with a high tech company, ya think?), but the scenario revolves around needing to inform, explain and justify it to his four, deeply Italian grandparents. Tengo famiglia! Some key elements of the production - other than the comedy and characters who deeply love each other - Food! Lots thereof! The scenic, props, stage management and costumers are already thinking: what’s prop-food looks like, how much is going to be eaten each show and, most importantly, will it stain?!

I’m looking forward to the show. Very light-weight on the brain, but the heart of the play, it’s affection for Family is tremendous. And its portrayal of the love that criss-crosses through the generations is quite grand! Makes me miss my grandparents who’ve all passed on, but I also place a renewed high-value on the relationship of my parents to our kids. I’ll let you know how funny the first-read-through goes!

Also. Heading east to see our son Peter in Milford CT, and his touring shows with National Theatre for Arts and Education. I’ll see them do “Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry” twice on Friday. And then down to NYC to see a couple of shows: RENT and August Osage County are our picks so far. We’ll see!

I’ll post some photos, as good as I can given that I’m a blog-site novice!

Also the show continues to acquire glowing reviews and very, very engaged audiences who express praise for the show and personal stories. A couple expressed their great appreciation of the play to Pam, and then briefly summarized their own family’s experience with a priest who abused a family member. For them the play was cathartic and redemptive. It’s very humbling and astounding to help people resolve their personal pain.

DOUBT is in its second week and has been a hit with the critics of our two daily newspapers. That’s tremendously affirming for the actors, designers, crew and myself — now to see how audiences respond. And buy tickets. Hmm: why is the box office phone a tad too silent for a critical hit?

It’s amazing to have over half the audience stay for a post-performance Q&A. The hands shoot up fast for questions and comments as rapidly as I point someone out. But why was the theatre only 60% full to start with? (or on that night at least)

Is it a good show?

Will we meet our budget goals?

Therein lies the double-mindedness that artist/producers grapple with: maintaining integrity of artistic mission and keeping an eye on the box office stats. Taproot Theatre Company is no different in this regard: my peers at other Seattle theatres (and those across the country and up in Canada) sweat the details of Art & Dollars or run the peril of being financially kaput and gone. We don’t create in an environment of being entitled with vast financial underwriting. Artistic Risk - which is important to foster new work, nurture young talent and invest in mature talent, respond to a changing world, and to keep the audience’s imagination and spirit lively - is mostly burdened by that last word: RISK.

What’s to be done? Is imaginative, invigorating, “new”, challenging and vital theatre doomed to minuscule audiences (and ticket income)?

My insight, for now, is the need to create a community that will allow for risk: Artistic and Financial. Not irresponsibility or vanity though. Within the context of subscribers and financial donors, we need to strengthen a sense of mutual Trust and Loyalty. Presumably they’ve chose this theatre (i.e. Taproot Theatre Company) with some assumptions about artistic quality, mission, core values, and the performance experience. Have we educated them as to who we are and what we stand for? If we give our audiences our best shots at respect, creativity and quality, I think they’ll allow for the occasional play they didn’t care for - let alone the one(s) we think misfired! - and remain committed subscribers and donors. It’s a different scenario, less transactional and more relational.

In the meantime…you’ll find me at the shows of DOUBT whenever I can make it, talking in the lobby with our patrons, and thanking them for taking a risk on Taproot Theatre Company.

PS: DOUBT is a beauty of a play and the audiences are enjoying the performances and leaving pleased, challenged and chatty!! I’m proud of the cast and crew’s hard work and commitment to serve our audiences.  It’s a night out that proves how powerful and illuminating good theatre really is.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2004317774_zart31doubt.html

Above is the link to the first review; the writer came Saturday night and, although I wasn’t present, I understand it was a solid show. The review is also a good one (whew!) and so we’ll see it translates into box office sales…

I should remark on the audience’s responses…not enough time today, but there are interesting fissures in the crowd as they take sides in the battle between Sister Aloysius and Fr Flynn…and then switch…and then switch and then… That is the brilliant part of the script, that it throws our - the audience’s - assumptions into doubt too.

These are not connected topics by the way.

1. DOUBT had it’s first paid preview performance Wednesday night ( 3/26) and we’re pretty pleased with the first roll-out to an audience. Laughter/chuckles at certain remarks by characters were anticipated and confirmed the audience’s focus on the play as it unfolded. And there were some audible sounds (moments of astonishment and/or shock) at the right times too. We opted for an unscheduled Q&A afterwards too, just to hear how the audience responded to the play and performance. My guess is that a third of audience stayed put - a very, very affirming sign of the audience’s active thinking, and desire to ponder the play’s themes out loud! (Preview #2 tonight - in about 4 1/2 hours actually.)

2. We went to a presentation by the Wallace Foundation on Wednesday morning. Taproot Theatre has been invited to submit a grant to the “Wallace Excellence Awards” program to fund new activities that expand audience participation and engagement. (FYI: the local invitation list is only for arts orgs with budgets of $1 million+, and based inside the Seattle city limits. A pretty exclusive bunch, and includes some of the largest, multi-million dollar budgeted arts orgs in the NW.) One of their goals is to document the results so that “best practices” can be published and duplicated by other arts organizations across the country. Yikes: the grants range from $250,000-$750,000, spread over four years! Who knows whether our proposal is funded, but the process of working on the proposal - increasing audience participation, attendance and engagement - will be very good for us and still “pay off.”

Yesterday’s meeting featured a presentation by Alan Brown of Wolf-Brown (arts consultants) that was fascinating. He’s researched and written a paper on the intrinsic benefits of the performing arts - five categories like:  Imprint of the Arts Experience, Human Interaction, Personal Development, Communal Meaning and Economic & Social Benefits. There’s a progression in the benefits that begins with the individual at the performance and works their way out to a longer term cumulative and community level. I’ve believed strongly that Theatre speaks to audiences one person at a time, but also in the benefit of the communal experience. There was also a great study on the strong link between anticipation (of the play, concert, etc.) and satisfaction (with the play, concert, etc.).  So beyond marketing hyperbole, are we missing the chance to prepare the attendee for the show? Can we offer better information on the play on-line or through a subscriber newsletter? How can we offer more background details, production photos, rehearsal notes or video clips to create a smarter and more excited attendee? Hmm. Stuff to consider…

Now for some quality time. I pre-ordered this with a birthday gift card last October on Amazon, and it arrived - finally - on Wednesday… the day after it was on the shelves at Target, Best Buy, etc. (Why did I pre-order this…)  I think I saved about $0.35.  BSG Season III was quite exciting and compelling, kicking right in with insurgents, suicide bombers, and cooperating with the enemy. Oh yeah — and the cylons are bringing the love of God (they’re monotheistic, and the humans are polytheistic) to humankind as part of their occupation of New Caprica.  Too much detail for you non-BSGers? Time to rent Seasons 1, 2.0 and 2.5 and get with the frackin’ program, nugget.

I’ll be downstairs with the DVDs - after DOUBT’s dress rehearsal today - if anyone needs me.