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• Polite Interview with Austin’s Rude Mechanicals
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APRIL 2009
SubHead
That Won’t Suck
You Dry

Table Of Contents
April 2009
28
10
Features
10 Everyone Is Everything
Austin-based Rude Mechanicals help each
other out across all aspects of theatre.
By Jessica Hird
12 Hit The Road!
How to get the most out of your summer
college visits. By Jacob Coakley
24 Play and Musical
Publishers
Where to go to find the latest plays and
musicals for your theatre.
Special Section:
Community Theatre
16 Design on a Dime
How three top-notch community theatres
impress with less. By Lisa Mulcahy
20 St. Louis Mall Opens
Doors to Theatres
In a merger made in heaven, barren mall
lets arts groups in. By Kevin M. Mitchell
Departments
4 Editor’s Note
What should the N.E.A. do with that extra
$50M? By Jacob Coakley
4 Letters
An expansion about a rigger’s credentials,
and snippets of the conversation at
TheatreFace.com
6 In the Greenroom
The economy tightens its grip, J.R. Clancy
gets tested and more.
8 Tools of the Trade
New gear for a new season.
28 Answer Box
Engineering meets art for a freestanding
staircase in the Guthrie’s production of A
Delicate Balance. By Eric Gebhard
Columns
25 TD Talk
With recession icing the assets, administrations
could start turning up the heat.
By Dave McGinnis
26 Off the Shelf
Books, CDs and DVDs that celebrate musical
theatre. By Stephen Peithman
ON OUR COVER:
The Temecula
Valley Players’
production of
Little Shop of
Horrors
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Jillian Stones

Publisher Terry Lowe
tlowe@stage-directions.com
Editor Jacob Coakley
jcoakley@stage-directions.com
Audio Editor Jason Pritchard
jpritchard@stage-directions.com
Lighting & Staging Editor Richard Cadena
rcadena@plsn.com
New York Editor Bryan Reesman
bryan@stage-directions.com
Editorial Assistant Victoria Laabs
vl@plsn.com
Contributing Writers Eric Gebhard, Jessica Hird,
Dave McGinnis, Kevin M. Mitchell,
Lisa Mulcahy, Stephen Peithman,
Consulting Editor Stephen Peithman
ART
Art Director Garret Petrov
Graphic Designer David Alan
Production
Production Manager Linda Evans
levans@stage-directions.com
WEB
Web Designer Josh Harris
ADVERTISING
Advertising Director Greg Gallardo
gregg@stage-directions.com
National Sales Manager James Leasing
jleasing@stage-directions.com
Audio Advertising Manager Dan Hernandez
dh@stage-directions.com
OPERATIONS
General Manager William Vanyo
wvanyo@stage-directions.com
CIRCULATION
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FAX 702.932.5584
Advisory Board
Joshua Alemany, Rosco; Julie Angelo, American Association of Community
Theatre; Robert Barber, BMI Supply; Ken Billington, Lighting Designer; Roger
claman, Rose Brand; Patrick Finelli, PhD, University of South Florida; Gene
Flaharty, Mehron Inc.; Cathy Hutchison, Acoustic Dimensions; Keith Kankovsky,
Apollo Design; Becky Kaufman, Period Corsets; Keith Kevan, KKO Network; Todd
Koeppl, Chicago Spotlight Inc.; Kimberly Messer, Lillenas Drama Resources; John
Meyer, Meyer Sound; John Muszynski, Theater Director Maine South High School;
Scott C. Parker, Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film; Ron Ranson, Theatre
Arts Video Library; David Rosenberg, I. Weiss & Sons Inc.; Karen Rugerio, Dr.
Phillips High School; Ann Sachs, Sachs Morgan Studio; Bill Sapsis, Sapsis Rigging;
Steve Shelley, Lighting Designer; Richard Silvestro, Franklin Pierce College
Stage Directions (ISSN: 1047-1901) Volume 22, Number 4 Published monthly by Timeless Communications
Corp., 6000 South Eastern Ave., Suite 14J, Las Vegas, NV 89119. It is distributed free
to qualified individuals in the lighting and staging industries in the United States and Canada.
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20
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CELEBRAT
CELEBRATING
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OF SERVICE TO THEATRE

Dan Hernandez
Editor’s Note
We’re Improvising
The future of theatre needs new
ideas from everywhere
Clay Shirky, writer and speaker on the
social and economic impact of the
Internet, as well as author of Here
Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing
Without Organizations, recently wrote a
piece about the vanishing city newspaper.
He relates what the Internet has done to
newspapers and puts it in context with the early-1500s, when
the printing press was new technology, and no one knew how
the new technology would affect how books got made and disseminated,
and what effect it would have on culture. Turns out it
was chaotic. Huge institutions were suddenly incredibly vulnerable
and no one knew what institutions would take their place
(think of a tiny little thing called Protestantism). It was chaotic. In
his article, Shirky makes the point that in chaos, good ideas — a
Venetian’s idea to shrink a book, which made it cheaper, and
therefore more desirable — seem huge in retrospect, but are,
in fact, completely indistinguishable from bad ideas in the
moment. That printer didn’t know he was inventing the silver
bullet that would spread books everywhere, he was just trying
anything to stay afloat.
Shirky is not trying to bash papers or hasten their demise.
He talks about the value journalism adds to a society, and how
society needs journalism in order to function and be healthy.
And then he says this: “When we shift our attention from ‘save
newspapers’ to ‘save society,’ the imperative changes from ‘preserve
the current institutions’ to ‘do whatever works.’ And what
works today isn’t the same as what used to work.”
Nobody knows what will “save” theatre (or even theatre coverage).
The decline of the non-profit audience and government
funding (recent Stim Package not withstanding), coupled with
the current economic crisis, added to a sense from some even
within theatre that regional theatres have become disconnected
from the communities they serve, have created a near-perfect
storm in the theatre world. Theatres were in trouble even before
the economic crisis hit, and now everyone is reeling, and some
are failing. New ideas for funding, new ideas for institutional
direction are vital right now. In this environment theatre needs
ideas from everyone, everywhere. We need as many theatres
as possible to be presenting, experimenting, and searching,
because no one knows what the next good idea is, or where it
will come from.
In this environment, I think it’s pretty criminal that only people
who have already been receiving N.E.A. funding for the past
four years can apply to receive a part of the $50 million stimulus
package. I understand that the idea is to save jobs, and these
larger institutions which have already been receiving grants are
the ones with more jobs—but the theatre needs more than just
jobs saved right now.
Jacob Coakley
Editor
Stage Directions
jcoakley@stage-directions.com
Letters
You Said Check References. . .
I just read the March ‘09 article “Flying
Requires Real Grounding” about flying and
rigging. There's a quote from Tracy Nunnally
that I noticed immediately. Yes, he is a professor,
but did you know that he is also the
President of Hall Associates Flying Effects?
HAFE works all over the world, from
Broadway, to Asia to community theatres,
yet it wasn't mentioned in the article.
Tracy and HAFE are committed to safety. When providing
flying effects, Tracy makes it a priority to make sure both the
flymen and performers are safe and feel comfortable. Tracy
himself recently taught a flying effects workshop at the fall ‘08
Film, Stage and Showbiz Expo in NYC.
Name withheld upon request
via e-mail
We were sorry to have omitted some of Tracy Nunnally’s
credentials, and happy to correct that error here! —ed.
Socializing
Thanks to everyone who made our TheatreFace.com launch
so successful! More than 2,500 of you are now online, meeting
up with other theatre friends, getting immediate answers to
theatre questions, sharing show shots,
and generally having a good time.
If you haven’t gone online to check
it out—why not? Head on over to
TheatreFace.com/join to sign up. Here
are some conversations happening
now:
On Costuming
www.stage-directions.com
• Taking Shrek’s Set for a Spin
• Incorporating Risk at Actors
Theatre of Louisville
“Recently at SETC I discovered ‘I can make wigs’ is the magic
phrase.”
—Rachel Marie Edwards
“Big success (and better-fitting costumes) can be had by
leaving chocolate for the costuming crew in their workspace.”
—Ed Kliman
Marking Cues in the Stage Manager’s Script
“Little warning on the highlighting. Be sure that the color/
quality of the light at the tech table matches the conditions in
the booth or at least that you can re-create it. Some highlighter
colors and some brands in general go black under certain
lights. It can be a real pisser to have that happen right before a
show. Or you spend the time in the office being so careful only
to find you can't read it in the theatre anywhere.”
—Trevor Long
On Choosing the Right Play for Your School
“I think the criteria is the sensibility of your school, parents
and audience in general. More progressive schools regularly
present material that wouldn't be acceptable in other schools
or towns and you don't want to alienate your supporters. I
don't think, in any event, it's appropriate to rewrite a script to
serve your own purposes.”
—Tom Briggs
SubHead
• Flying Performers Safely
4 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

In the Greenroom
theatre buzz
Get the latest news throughout the month by subscribing
Economy Tightens Grip
Over the past month the economy has tightened its grip on
theatres across the country. Madison Rep in Madison, Wisc., closed
its doors in early March, after a failed donation drive. The Wisconsin
State Journal reported that the theatre was at least $500k in debt
to subscribers and vendors. Calls to the Rep went unanswered.
Meanwhile, the Foothills Theatre Company in Worcester, Mass.,
raised close to $100k in a few days in March in order to present
their next show, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
“We made some cutbacks in the theatre and we scaled the
show back a little bit, which helped,” said Foothills Marketing
Director Kristen Fischer. “But we’ve honestly just received
donations from individuals. The outpouring of support was
fantastic.”
But they’re not out of the woods yet. They’re approaching
the remainder of their season on a show-by-show basis, and
holding a fundraising gala on April 11 to raise more money.
They’ve even pushed back accepting early-bird subscriptions
for next season, pending the results of the gala. If successful
they plan to develop new ways to raise money for the theatre
besides ticket sales, but for now it’s all about how well their
shows do.
“We’re very grateful for the people who have helped us,”
said Fischer. “But we still need help and we’re not out of the
woods yet. Just come out to the show and support us!”
Also in the Northeast, Shakespeare & Company had mixed
news. Despite being able to expand its Shakespeare in the
Courts program thanks to a large donation from the Jay
Polonsky Fund as well as a $300k line item in the 2009 Federal
budget, they still had to restructure in order to cut costs and
increase income. S & Co. trimmed $900k from their annual
budget and laid off seven employees. Others were shifted
to part-time or consulting roles, while still others saw their
duties expand. Furthermore, a 10% across-the-board pay cut
took place for year-round employees. The three Founders
of Shakespeare & Company—Artistic Director Tina Packer,
Director of Education Kevin G. Coleman and Director of
Training Dennis Krausnick—will forgo pay entirely for two
months.
“We felt it was the least we could do so that the cutbacks
did not have to be more severe” said Coleman. To help boost
to our RSS feed at www.stage-directions.com
revenue streams, the Company created a single to team to
handle sales for all of the company’s services, including tickets
to performances and workshops as well as space, gear and
costume rentals
In Chicago, the About Face Theatre launched a campaign to
raise $300k to pay off old debt and be able to finish out the season.
The new leadership at About Face had already been working to
clear the institution’s debt when the credit crisis hit in October.
The theatre didn’t have any operating reserves, and About Face
found themselves in a cash flow crisis. They reduced their budget
by over 30%, implementing staff and production cuts while also
postponing their third show of the season, but still more action
was needed. So they began the Face the Future campaign. The
first $100k raised will allow them to finish their current season and
meet payroll and other current expenses. The second $100k will
go to service their old debt. The last $100k will be put into cash
reserves to stabilize the theatre for the future.
“We didn’t want to do a fundraiser that is just going to stop the
bleeding,” said Managing Director Rick Dildine. “We want to have
an organization that’s going to keep going and keep getting better,
not to put it into a place where the cycle can happen again. We
want to stop the cycle.” So far they have raised just over $100k.
Individual artists are also having a tough time of it. The NEA
performed a study on how the current recession has affected
working artists. Their report, Artists in a Year of Recession: Impact on
Jobs in 2008, finds that artists are unemployed at twice the rate of
professional workers.
The NEA study also paints a bleak picture for the recovery of
the arts, predicting that the “job market for artists is unlikely to
improve until long after the U.S. economy starts to recover,” noting
that unemployment for artists because of the 2001 recession
didn’t peak until 2003, two years after the recession had ended for
the rest of the workforce.
Amidst all this there was one bright spot. In Miami, the Adrienne
Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County was
able to pay off a $14 million bank loan seven years early. M. John
Richard, president and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center, made
the announcement on Feb. 17, thanking the Center’s fundraising
support organization, the Performing Arts Center Foundation of
Greater Miami.
2009 Olivier Awards presented
Black Watch and Jersey Boys received Best New Play and Best New Musical awards, respectively, at the 2009 Laurence
Olivier Awards. Black Watch director John Tiffany won the Best Director award, while Sir Alan Ayckbourn received the
Society’s Special Award. The Oliviers are Britain’s top theatre award, roughly analogous to the Tony’s.
Other winners include: Paule Constable for Best Lighting Design for her work on The Chalk Garden at the Donmar
Warehouse; Gareth Fry, Best Sound Design for Black Watch; Tom Piper and Emma Williams won Best Costume Design for
their work on The Histories; Todd Rosenthal took home Best Set Design honors for August: Osage County; Margaret Tyzack
won Best Actress; Derek Jacobi won Best Actor; Elena Roger took home the award for Best Actress in a Musical and Douglas
Hodge for Best Actor in a Musical.
6 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

industry news changing roles
Jan Kallish Appointed
Executive Director
of Victory Gardens
Theater
V i c t o r y
Gardens Theater
has appointed
Jan Kallish as the
company’s new
executive director.
Kallish, formerly
executive director
of Chicago’s
Jan Kallish
Auditorium Theatre, was tapped for Victory
Gardens’ top executive position after a
nationwide search. She steps into the job
previously held by Marcelle McVay, Victory
Gardens’ long-time managing director,
who announced her departure last fall.
Brian Dennehy
Named Member of
Goodman Theatre’s
Artistic Collective
Brian Dennehy,
two-time Tony
and Golden Globe
Award winner and
six-time Emmy
Award nominee,
became the newest
member of Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Brian Dennehy performing in
Goodman Theatre’s Artistic Collective this
March.
A longtime actor of the stage and screen,
Brian Dennehy has been particularly lauded
for understanding and interpreting Eugene
O’Neill in “a way that few others can match”
(Chicago Tribune).
J. R. Clancy PowerLifts
Now ETL Listed
PowerLift, J. R. Clancy’s popular automated
theatre hoist, has been listed as
meeting the UL 1340 Hoist standard
for safety by ETL and and will now
carry the ETL listing mark. A Nationally
Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL),
ETL was originally founded by Thomas
Edison in 1896. There are many standards
intended to make equipment
safer. An NRTL such as ETL or UL is
authorized to list items that the lab has
tested and found to meet the requirements
of a standard. Listing assures
all who use the equipment that the
product is up to the latest published
standard for safety.
Public Theater Names Andrea Nellis General Manager,
Daniel C. Smith Promoted To Director Of Finance
The Public Theater has named Andrea Nellis general manager and Daniel
C. Smith director of finance. Nellis moves to the general management position
after working for 15 months as the Public’s chief financial officer. Smith
has been promoted to director of finance after serving as the Public’s controller
since January 2008.
“Andrea and Daniel have years of experience in managing the administration
and finances of some of New York’s finest non-profits,” said Public
Theater Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson. “We are thrilled to have
them playing such important leadership roles at the Public.”
www.stage-directions.com • April 2009 7

Tools of the Trade
Chauvet COLORado 2
The COLORado 2, an
indoor/outdoor color
wash fixture, extends
the COLORado series
with 48 2-watt to 3-watt
LEDs, RGB plus white, for
precise color temperature
control. The fixture
responds to 3, 4, 5 or 9
channels of DMX control.
Encased in aluminum, the fixture has an IP66 rating and
a 12,350 lux @ 2 meters output. Additional features include
an LED display with password protection. The COLORado 2
is compatible with the COLORado Controller. The luminaire
comes with a 15-degree lens or an optional 30-degree lens.
The COLORado 2 is linkable with up to 10 units at 120V. The
hanging bracket allows for truss mounting and it doubles as a
floor stand. An autosensing feature automatically adjusts the
power to the current provided. www.chauvetlighting.com
Chroma-Q Color Block 2
AC Lighting’s Chroma-Q
Color Block 2 LED fixture
adds new single color
RGBA optics, 530 lumens
output (almost double
the original model) and theatrical grade dimming. With its
increased color palette and CRI of 90, the Color Block 2 fixture
can produce a wide range of colors and hues with built-in
variable color temperature capability. Four LED cells offer
performers less glare and can mix together for single color
output, minimizing color separation shadows. The beam
optics combine a soft asymmetrical quality for uplighting
surfaces and a soft Fresnel-like edge for direct illumination. As
modular as its predecessor but with close to twice the output,
the Color Block 2 fixture can uplight a 6-meter set, and it can
be used for its strobe-like intensity and control, or for theatrical
grade dimming. www.aclighting.com
Elation Design LED 36 Pro
Elation Professional’s Design
LED 36 Pro comes in a diecast case
and features 36 x 3-watt RGB LEDs
(12 red, 12 green and 12 blue).
Using a DMX controller, operators
can custom blend RGB colors. The
DLED 36 Pro can also generate
changing colors as a standalone
unit, since it’s equipped with preprogrammed
color macros and
eight built-in programs that can be called up with or without
a DMX controller. The unit includes a built-in 100V-240V
switching power supply, and Edison power in and out and
8 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

XLR in and out. It also features a gel/frame holder for color
correction/diffusion gels or barn doors (not included). Or
the included frost filter can be inserted to diffuse the unit’s
narrow beam, giving a smooth even color mix. The DLED 36
Pro comes with a standard 15° beam angle, but users can
also purchase optional 25° and 45° lens kits. Other features
include: 0-100% dimming with linear and standard dimming
options; three DMX modes – 3, 4 and 6-channel; and
a versatile dual yoke mounting bracket that can either sit on
the floor or be hung from truss in any safe position. www.
elationlighting.com
Furman F1000-UPS Power Supply/Conditioner
Furman’s F1000-
UPS rack-mount
u n i n t e r r u p t i b l e
power supply/
power conditioner, provides battery backup, power protection,
voltage regulation, and line noise filtration for A/V
equipment. The F1000-UPS provides a 12-A capacity with
1000-VA battery backup. It also features Furman's non-sacrificial
SMP surge/spike protection circuit, Extreme Voltage
Shutdown (EVS), and Linear Filtering Technology (LiFT), the
F1000-UPS provides professional-level protection, filtration,
and backup with several features engineered specifically for
the needs of A/V systems. The F1000-UPS is fully programmable
via RS-232, USB, or LCD front panel interface.
www.furmansound.com
Production Intercom Blazon
The new Blazon
from Production
Intercom addresses
the need to reduce
visibility in an alert
lamp. They have
changed the strobe
to a rectangular 2.8” x 1”, and placed it in an extrusion. By
doing this they have reduced the visibility of the visual cue to
180 degrees. www.beltpack.com
Yamaha IMX644 Rack Mount Digital Mixer
Y a m a h a
Commercial Audio
Systems' IMX644 rack
mount digital mixer
features six Euroblock
mono inputs each with individual +48V phantom power, four
RCA stereo inputs and an additional optical digital input.
Outputs consist of two pair of stereo Euroblock connectors
and two channels of mono outputs. Advanced features can
be accessed from a computer running IMX644 Manager
Software via a USB connection. Software features include
a feedback suppressor and automatic ducking on all mono
inputs, six-band parametric EQ and digital delay and output
balance on all outputs. Complete configurations can be saved
to any one of 16 recalled scenes. www.yamahaca.com
www.stage-directions.com • April 2009 9

Theatre Spotlight
|
By Jessica Hird
Stephen Pruitt
Everyone Is
Everything
Austin-based Rude Mechanicals help
each other out across all aspects of
theatre
The lo-fi video team for Rude Mechanicals’ I’ve Never Been So Happy: (L-R) Christian Stagg, Erin
Meyer, Noel Gaulin
Rude Mechanicals is a theatre ensemble formed in Austin,
Texas, in 1995. They function as a collective, with six
Co-Artistic Directors who make decisions together, and
run a small black box theatre in Austin called The Off Center,
located in a warehouse they’ve converted into a theatre. The
true purpose of the Rude Mechs is developing work as an
ensemble that features the ensemble. As Co-Artistic Director
Lana Lesley said in our interview, “We create new plays from
scratch with each other.”
Their most recent project, I’ve Never Been So Happy (INBSH),
was the beneficiary of an NEA New Play Development Project
grant this year, so SD got a bunch of the production team
on the phone to talk about the process of creating the play,
and even getting that grant. We spoke with three of the
Co-Artistic Directors—Lana Lesley (co-director of INBSH), Kirk
Lynn (writing book and lyrics for INBSH) and Thomas Graves
“It was really low-fi, but really
beautiful.” — Thomas Graves
(co-director of INBSH)—and Peter Stopschinski, who’s not a
full member of the Mechs, but is composing the music for
the INBSH.
The full conversation can be downloaded as the first in a
series of Theatre Spotlight Podcasts from Stage Directions on
TheatreFace.com. Point your browser to www.theatreface.
com/podcasts to download, and find out all about the Rude
Mechs plan to perform on the Senate floor.
Stage Directions: So why don’t you tell me how I’ve Never
Been So Happy started?
Peter: Two years ago Kirk approached me with a very
rough outline of a script for an opera actually.
Kirk: Tell the truth, Peter. I said we should do something
together, and then I sent him an eight-page monologue—
And he was like “How am I supposed to set music to this? A
20-minute solo song?”
Peter: So we ended up developing from there, mostly by
making audio recordings with just Kirk and I performing all
the parts and singing all the songs and playing all the music
and stuff as our rough sketch. And we would kind of just get
together once a month or even less frequently and developed
it that way, and slowly it developed into a musical. But
the whole idea of a carnival and stuff came into fruition when
we brought it up to the Rude Mechs and Lana and Thomas
started having input on it.
Thomas: We wanted find a way for our company to be
more involved in the development process. On our last play
that we worked on and is currently in rehearsal right now—
The Method Gun—we had these things called “Lab Night,”
where every person that was involved with the project could
host a different Lab Night. So we wanted to kind of continue
in that vein of really opening up to our company.
I understand in the workshop process the sound and
the video are being developed simultaneously with the
other production aspects. I was wondering if you could
talk about how that works, how that actually happens in
rehearsal.
Lana: Well, I think it’s going to change as we evolve. We’ve
actually only had a very brief workshop time with everyone.
Kirk and Peter have been working together on the book and
lyrics kind of casually for a couple years, and we decided
to finally ramp this project up when we got the NEA NPDP
award. We had done a workshop of it way back in January of
2008 and we had originally asked Erin Meyer and Noel Gaulin,
who are the two video designers, for puppets and they came
in with this extraordinary design for overhead projectors—so
they were silhouette puppets, but they are actually full-color
puppets.
Thomas: It was really low-fi, but really beautiful.
Lana: Yeah, their design was the inspiration for the aesthetic
for the whole piece. And continues to be that way.
Because they came in with that so early, back in January of
2008, when Thomas and I came onboard that was something
that we really wanted to stay true to, what Erin and Noel had
created. Like, a virtuosic DIY aesthetic for this piece. It works
really well.
10 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

A touch of the surreal in Rude Mechs’ The Method Gun
Can you talk about how being a collective changes the
grant application process?
Kirk: In addition to writing plays, I am the development
director, and usually sort of lead the grant-writing attacks.
The main thing I’ve noticed is that this is where it really helps
to be in a collective. Having at least six, sometimes seven
or eight—depending on if we have interns or company
members who are hanging around the office—sets of eyes
who can sort of work on different aspects of the grants, give
critiques and re-draft it is very helpful. The hard work of asking
the questions of “Why do you say this about this?”, or “I
don’t understand this,” or “I don’t think people will people
understand this,” or “It was more interesting last night at
the bar than it is here in this grant. Say it that way,” is a part
of the process. And it really helps to have so many eyes and
so many people working together. I mean, it’s true of the
artwork, but it’s also true of the office work. When things are
working it really helps to have a lot of people. If I had set out
alone to write the story of I’ve Never Been So Happy, it never
would have happened, and so having Peter has been just
everything. And then the same way with grants. Being in a
collective or collaborating is good.
Lana: Most of what we’re going to do is just develop it
until we run out of money and then stop, until we make
a little more money. We’re pretty much gonna run out of
money this September. I think that’s our last workshop, and
then it’s game over until somebody gives us more money to
work on it—hint, hint.
Bret Brookshire
Paul Soileau in a moment from I’ve Never Been So Happy
“If I had set out alone to write
the story of I’ve Never Been
so Happy, it never would
have happened.” — Kirk Lynn
Left to right: Thomas Graves, Hannah Kenah, Robert Pierson and Lana Lesley in I’ve Never Been So Happy
Stephen Pruitt Stephen Pruitt
www.stage-directions.com • April 2009 11

Feature
|
By Jacob Coakley
Hit the
Road
Getting the most out of your
Boston University Photo Services
summer college tour
It’s a paradox of our education system that students have the
most time to check out colleges when school is out of session.
Still, it has to be done, as you want to get the most info you can
about a college before you commit to spending four years and tens
of thousands of dollars on a school. We talked to professors and
admissions counselors at schools to find out the best ways to maximize
your summer college tour, learn the most about programs
that aren’t in full swing, and even picked up a few tactics other than
just a tour to get a better look at what a program is really like.
Preparation
Like everything else involving school, there’s homework.
Everyone we spoke to—everyone, repeatedly—said that if you’re
taking the time to visit a school, take some time before you hit the
road to hit the Web. Do research to find out about what type of program
the school offers. Is it a conservatory or liberal arts education?
Paolo S. DiFabio, assistant director of the School of Theatre
at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, considers it his duty
to make sure students know the right questions to ask: “What sort
of academic supplement to their training will a student receive?”
he rattles off. “Does the school have a cut system? Does the school
have any professional affiliations?”
“Students have really got to research the curriculum on the Web
site,” says Kelly Maxner, faculty member at the University of North
Carolina School of the Arts and director of their Summer School
Program. “They need to be prepared to ask questions of the person
that they meet when they’re on campus.”
The next step is fairly obvious.
“The first thing you do is call the admissions office and find out
if there are tours of the campus,” says Patricia Decker, director of
recruitment at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts “The second thing is
to find out through the admissions office who you should call to get
a tour of the theatre department.”
A cohort of students at the 2008 Boston University Summer Theatre Institute
All that research you did earlier will also help you directly contact
someone in the Theatre Department to see if they will be around on
the day of your visit to give you a more in-depth look at the department.
Don’t be shy about contacting faculty in the field you’re
interested in, but don’t be rude either. Maintain a professional
demeanor, and contact them as far in advance of your trip as possible
to give them the most time to accommodate you.
“Faculty can give very specialized answers to specific questions
about our program that other people might not be able to do,” says
David Boevers, an associate professor of drama at Carnegie Mellon
University and TD at their Purnell Center For The Arts. But faculty
members need time to prepare, and you may have to massage your
schedule to fit with a professor’s. Still, Boevers thinks that if you do
the extra legwork to talk to people in the theatre department, they
should be welcoming. “If they have enough time to plan, and they’ll
be available, they’ll come in to meet with a student. That student
has made the effort to come all the way to campus, so it’s only fair
that we’d come in and meet them and do what we can for them.”
While On Campus
Schools may not be operating in full swing during the summer,
but there are a few things you can look at that will give you
a good idea about what the school would be like when it’s going
full throttle.
First off, not only should you talk to faculty, you should also talk
to any students who are currently enrolled in the theatre department.
When setting up a time to meet with a faculty member, try to
set up an appointment to talk to a current student, too.
“Just spend 10 or 15 minutes in the hallway and ask someone
what’s it like to be here? And what are you learning? What are
the challenges and what are the positives and what are the negatives?”
advises Don Wadsworth, professor of voice and speech
Courtesy of UNCSA
David Boevers
An actress rehearses in the University of North Carolina School of the Arts’ Summer Session
Design and production students at Carnegie Mellon’s Summer Study Program work on a dinosaur set piece.
12 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

Feature
and dialects at Carnegie Mellon and
point person for Carnegie Mellon’s Pre-
College Drama program. “You’ll always
get straight information from students.”
Boevers echoes this, and also recommends
applying a student’s eye to the
theatre deparment’s facilities.
“I would look for dedicated student
space of any kind. Studio space that belongs
to the students for them to do work while
they’re there, and dedicated teaching spaces
for any discipline,” Boevers says. “A big
problem for conservatory drama students
is they’re kept very busy. If they have to
run home to do work and come back, as
opposed to having a space at the shcool
where they can work, that’s a big difference
to a student that’s looking.”
For technical students, Boevers assigns
even more homework, telling them to make
lists of what type of gear they’re interested
in learning to use or work with. That way
they’ll know what questions to ask regarding
lighting inventory, for instance, and will
be able to understand the answers.
For acting students gear may not be
such a priority, but they’ll still want to pay
attention to the spaces. Musical theatre
students will want to know how many
dance studios there are, and how big they
are. Kelly Maxner, director of the University
of North Carolina School of the Arts’ School
of Drama High School Program and artistic
director of the Drama Summer Session,
also thinks students should pay attention
to campuses. “There are different types of
campuses,” Maxner says. “NYU is scattered
all over the city while UNCSA is very compact.
So I think looking at how the campus
is organized, is important.” But he also
warns against judging a campus strictly on
buildings and equipment.
“You can’t judge the quality of the
teaching by a school’s theatre,” Maxner
says. “You have to actually spend time in
the classroom in order to actually get that.”
Summer Study Opportunities
More and more schools are offering
summer study programs for rising
seniors to give them exactly that type of
interaction with their faculty.
“If they’ve got a program like we
have, designed for rising seniors, that’s
an excellent way for them to get some
idea about what a regular school year
would be like,” says Carnegie Mellon’s
Don Wadsworth. Their program is
taught mainly be regular, year-round
14 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

faculty, and they’re not alone in that.
“The instructors for BU’s summer program
are either faculty members, guest
artists or graudate students in our MFA
program,” says DiFabio. “Through that,
you naturally have a huge amount of
resources to get a sense of the program.”
And even if you don’t enroll in a
school’s summer study program, you
may be able to attend a class taking
place for one during your visit and meet
students and faculty that way.
“The teachers that are on our summer
school program are the actual faculty
members that teach during the year,”
says Maxner. “So I would ask if there
was a way they could spend time in a
classroom.”
If you can’t do that, Boevers urges
students to try and find some overlap in
summer and school schedules.
“If there’s any way that our academic
schedule doesn’t overlap with the high
school academic schedule, either we go
a little bit longer, or we start a little bit
earlier, and you can get here while we’re
in session, it really helps,” Boever’s says.
And if you need more time, Decker
recommends starting touring schools
even earlier—like your freshman year.
“If students happen to be in a town
where there’s a university, take the
tour. Get used to what kinds of questions
are being asked,” advises Decker.
“And start with your own area—you
never know what’s literally going to
be in your own back yard. You might
end up finding out that there’s this
wonderful program or this inspiring
teacher right around you and it might
be much less expensive than you were
expecting.”
Everyone we spoke with emphasized
the inability of reports or rankings to tell
whether a school would be right for you,
hence the necessity of getting to know a
school in person.
“What really matters is the match for
the student,” says Decker.
Echoing that, Maxner advises: “You
want an institution that pays attention
to the whole person. Allow yourself
to open yourself to as many different
experiences as you can.”
So dig into the Web, but then get
behind the Web, and visit in person
with the schools of your choice.
By taking summer courses, high school students have a chance to interact with faculty members like Elizabeth Duck (right) at UNC School of
the Arts on a deeper level than can be experienced through a tour.
Courtesy of UNCSA
www.stage-directions.com • April 2009 15

Special Section: Community Theatre
Courtesy of Jillian Stones
Design on a Dime
How three top-notch community theatres produce spectacular-looking shows
By Lisa Mulcahy
A moment from the Temecula Valley Players’
production of Little Shop of Horrors
Today's tough economy is presenting financial challenges
for theatre companies everywhere—especially
community theatre groups. When money's tight,
lighting, sets and SFX are often the first production elements
community organizations scrimp on. Sure, it seems
logical to cut corners, but a cheaply executed look can
drag down your entire show—and your reputation—in a
flash. Here are three highly respected community theatres
who use imagination and ingenuity when it comes to inexpensive
design. Their end result: striking, critically praised
productions that draw big audiences over and over again.
Low-Cost Lighting
When it comes to stretching any show's design dollars,
a smart lighting design can be invaluable. The
proper preparation is crucial, however. At the Old
Temecula Community Theatre in Temecula, Calif., lighting
designer/technical director Bill Strawn uses a combination
of strong experience and sound planning, saving
his company critical capital. Old Temecula Community
Theatre itself is a joint effort between the city and its
local theatre foundation; three local playmaking groups
rotate productions within the venue. Strawn supervises
an economical in-house crew of a master electrician, a
tech assistant and six stagehands.
“I encourage cross-training,” Strawn says. “We're a
non-union house with no department heads, if I need
people to move to specific and diverse positions on a
production, they should be able to do it.”
Strawn says building a highly versatile equipment
set-up saves money in the long run as well. “My primary
lighting system is ETC; front of house control, an
Expression 2 with Emphasis,” he details. “I have a pretty
decent inventory of Source Fours as well, and about
30 Strand 1k Fresnels. As far as FX goes, I've got about
26 color changers, and about a dozen Rosco I-Cues for
moving lights. Pretty much anything everybody would
need is there.”
Building these components into your facility, one by
one, will save money; each time you purchase a new
piece, take the time to experiment and integrate it with
what you’ve already got. Strawn also believes that the
best and cheapest lighting end results are directly due
to good, detailed planning.
“I've encouraged as much as our local company personnel
to have as much as their paperwork done, as
much as their design on paper as possible, before we get
to the process of working on a show,” he stresses. “That
way, from the beginning we can minimize labor. Having
been on the road for close to 20 years previous to this
job, I'm very well-versed in the concept of ‘get it in, get
it up, and get it going.’ Typically in community theatre,
people don't really think in terms of economy—a lot of
people are volunteers, and they take their time doing
things—they're less concerned with really banging it
in. When you actually have a labor bill at the end of the
run, though, the cost can be very substantial. I encourage
people to be as prepared as possible—hand me a
real lighting plot! When I open the dock door, we should
know how we're going to attack each load in.”
Strawn is pleased to report that the local companies
he works with have learned this lesson well. “It's been a
very positive evolution—over the past three years, these
companies have become very organized and look at the
productions they do in terms of show business,” he says.
“In today's economy, everyone is pinching pennies. The
right approach gives you extra bang for your buck, and
a much better end-product onstage.”
16 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

For a production of The Hobbit, the Backstage Theatre built a dragon head from muslin-covered flex foam which was painted with sparkly
gold glue paint to suggest armored scales.
“I have a tendency to go down into my theatre’s
basement and look around before I
spend money on anything.” —Steve Dupry
Set Strategies
When it comes to creating a fantastic
set for less, never underestimate the
power of ingenuity. “I have a tendency
to go down into my theatre’s basement
and look around before I spend
money on anything,” says Steve Dupry,
director of numerous productions for
the critically acclaimed Geneva Theatre
Guild and their 1500-seat house in
Geneva, New York. Sometimes, the
most common hardware can solve the
most challenging set issues.
“When planning our production of
Sweeney Todd, I wanted to be able
to clear the stage completely at specific
points in the show,” Dupry recalls.
“I achieved this effect inexpensively
by simply mounting every piece on
wheels, so that the entire 16-foot-by-
16-foot set could be rolled off and on.”
Dupry has found over time that
sightlines play a crucial role in making
sure a low-budget set strategy works.
“My advice is, of course, to always consider
the distance between the front
row and the stage when considering
equipment you have and may use in
a different way, to make sure your
adjusted effect will play fine visually.”
With Sweeney Todd, for example,
Dupry was stumped as to how to build
a properly sinister-looking oven without
spending a lot of money. “I was
searching for metal doors that would
read well, and in our office shop suddenly
came upon a plain old shelving
unit,” he recalls. “We took it apart,
cut, pasted and painted each shelf,
and it looked completely authentic!
The point is, imagination can save you
money, if you try to look at a common
object in a new way.”
SFX for Lots, Lots Less
When your group is running low
on funds, elaborate SFX no doubt
seem completely out of the question.
According to Christopher Willard,
artistic director of the highly-respected
Backstage Theatre in Breckenridge,
Colo., though, top talent can make
it happen. “Our recent production of
The Hobbit employed the talents of
master puppet-maker Cory Gilstrap,”
says Willard. “Cory was given the task
of bringing to life three humungous
trolls, a giant spider, and a 50-foot
dragon, all on a stage that measures
22 feet by 18 feet, with an offstage
wing space of only 5 feet from curtain
line to offstage wall!”
Despite these significant challenges,
Gilstrap exercised incredible
budget smarts. “Cory loves to build
with PVC pipe, bike brakes and foam
rubber,” marvels Willard. “Foam was
shaped, glued and air-brushed with
www.stage-directions.com • April 2009 17

Special Section: Community Theatre
Steve Dupry used wheels on his set for Sweeney Todd in order to
clear a large set.
paint; textured burlap was used to
clothe the trolls, and ‘ogre hands’,
bought at a Halloween store sell-off,
were employed. The spider was built
out of PVC, styro balls, fabric and fake
fur, all purchased on discount. The
dragon head was built from muslincovered
flex foam which was painted
with sparkly gold glue paint to suggest
armored scales.”
The theatre was also able to secure
a local grant to buy a small fogger, to
use in conjunction with the dragon
costume, as well as a hazer to use
throughout various scenes, for just
$1,500. It’s a great idea to reach out
to your community—audiences, local
arts organizations, state agencies—
for similar funding help.
“If a project is exciting enough,
you’ll be surprised where financial
support can come from,” Willard says.
“It doesn't happen all the time, and
theatres working very close to their
budget lines might not think they
would be able to support shows like
this. Still, quite a bit can be achieved
with very little.”
Bottom line?
“Let the imagination of your audience
and sponsors do the work, and
you're halfway there!”
18 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

Special Section: Community Theatre
The Avalon Theatre storefront inside the
Crestwood mall
Kevin M. Mitchell
Larry Mabrey, co-founder
and artistic director of
Avalon Theatre, and Erin
Kelley, co-founder and
managing director
St. Louis Mall Opens
Doors to Theatres
In a merger made in heaven, barren mall lets arts groups in
By Kevin M. Mitchell
Just a few years ago, Laura Ackermann was that typical suburban
Mom who would drop her daughter Ali off at the bustling
Crestwood Mall so the teenager could do the “mall rat” thing.
Ackermann would shop and then eat dinner with her later.
Today the long time beloved St. Louis actress goes to the
Crestwood Mall for a very different reason: To rehearse for The
Subject Was Roses at Avalon Theatre’s new home—a former Men’s
Alive retail clothing store. In a first-ever move, a mall in serious
decline has opened up its increasing empty retail spaces to the
arts, with Avalon being the first to stake a claim.
“It was such a pity for all those empty spaces to just sit there,”
Ackermann says. “Now the mall has taken on a different flavor.”
What is happening at this archetypal place redefines the
phrase “win-win.” You have a mall hemorrhaging stores, becoming
a disheartening ghost town that is increasingly unappealing
to shoppers, which leads still more retailers to leave. Then you
have all these smaller theatres in typical less-than-ideal places in
often questionable neighborhoods (“I’ve played places where
you’re lucky your car is still there when you come out at night!”
Ackermann not-so-jokes).
So the 51-year-old Crestwood Mall is inviting those theatres,
and other arts groups, into their space, bringing new life to its
barren corridors. Avalon is taking advantage of the low rent (as
low as $50 a month), 24-hour security, and plenty of free covered
parking. Larry Mabrey, co-founder and artistic director, and Erin
Kelley, co-founder and managing director, are absolutely ecstatic
to be there.
“We applied for the space in November, signed the lease
December 12, and will have our first show up in February,” Mabrey
says. “It’s good for us, and is a way to revitalize the mall.”
Nine Theatres Moving In
Leisa Son, Marketing Manager for the Jones Lang LaSalle
Company, which owns the mall, says this idea sprang from one of
the owners, Sol Barket, an arts-lover with a son at Juilliard. Faced
with increasing vacancies, he asked if there was something they
could do for the arts. “I couldn’t come up with angle, so I called
the St. Louis Regional Arts Commission,” Son says. They more than
helped get the word out.
“I thought I’d get five or 10 applications, and we received more
than 100,” notes Son.
With everything, there is a catch: the mall owners estimate the
economy will turn around so they are only committing to the arts’
group for two years (though many insiders think that could last
up to five).
“The brothers were raised in St. Louis and they are driven to
create something new and exciting,” says Son. “Our audience
for this project is small theatre and dance companies, and artists.
We’re business people and we want to make money, but our goal
is much greater than just that.”
Son is pleased that Avalon was able to get up and running so
fast. “They are amazing people to work with, very professional,”
she says. “They are very creative and we’re delighted to have
them be part of this project. I’m going to quickly become a theatre
buff!” Currently eight other theatre organizations are slated to join
Avalon. Some will set up their entire home there, while others will
use it for classes, rehearsal, and/or storage.
And the global commercial real estate services company is
already being rewarded for their altruism. Theatres moving in
have not only excited retailers still in the mall, but Son says it’s
already fueled interest in other retailers moving in. This is certainly
a welcomed development—just in the past year two of the three
big anchors, Dillard’s and Macy’s, have left.
The Road for Avalon
Mabrey hails from San Diego where he started singing and
dancing at age four. While working on his BFA at Columbia
College in Chicago, he met Erin Kelley. They were cast as husband
and wife in I Do, I Do and later would marry for real. Kelley grew up
in Nashville, and like Mabrey, performed in Chicago and New York
before the two moved to St. Louis.
Kelley notes while the town had a decent theatre scene, the
20 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

Steve Krieckhaus
Laura Ackermann & Whit Reichert in The Subject Was Roses
“usual suspects” were seen over and over again. “We decided
equity actors needed another opportunity.” They founded
Avalon as a not-for-profit equity theatre in 2004, with their first
show going up on the boards in 2005.
And about those “boards.” As is so typical of young theatres,
they took what they could get, and in this case that meant relying
on the generosity of their United Methodist church. While grateful
to be in their basement, it was less than ideal. “It was acoustically
poor, had concrete floors, low ceiling, no wing space, a small
stage, and we were always competing with card games, potlucks
and other church social events,” Kelley sighs. “Technically it was a
challenge, and we did the lighting by math — because if we used
too much power, it would blow fuses.”
“But we did good work with that we had, and we’re proud,”
Mabrey adds.
What resources they have they put into
their people. “A lot of theatres put the
space first, but we’ve founded Avalon on
the belief that we should put people first,”
Kelley says. This means choosing plays
with smaller casts so they can pay the performers
as well as designers and directors.
And now they have a space more worthy
of their work. High ceilings will allow
for plenty of lighting. The backstage area,
formerly a mini warehouse for the retailer,
is perfect for storing and building sets and
comes with an office. A second floor loft is
perfect for costumes. It even comes with
three dressing rooms.
Kelley says that they are able to unplug
the existing store lighting and put in dimmer
packs. At their old church digs, they
only had 16 lighting instruments. “We don’t
have big throws and don’t need big bright
lights, but now we’ll have three lighting
positions,” she says. “We’ll be increasing
our equipment.”
Avalon will be responsible for utility
www.stage-directions.com • April 2009 21

Special Section: Community Theatre
bills, which they say will be higher than they are used to. They also
have to jump through some hoops to get the necessary permits.
As for the two-year lease, Mabrey isn’t worried.
“Some people say, ‘but you’ll have to take everything away
in two years,’ and I say, we’ve been taking everything away after
every show where we were! Our sets were kept in the garage and
our costumes kept in our basement. We used to move every stick
of the theatre ourselves all the time, so this is much better.”
And they are dealing with one unusual problem: people keep
walking in their front door to ask about the theatre.
“Here we’re around the public everyday, the mall walkers and
the shoppers,” Mabrey says. “We’re meeting people, getting to
tell them about our theatre and our productions, and the people
are thrilled.”
And so are Mabrey and Kelley, and the professionals they
employ.
“It’s so easy to come here—no one has to work at getting to
the theatre,” Ackermann says. “And we’re already selling tickets
really well, and that’s encouraging.”
In cities across the country there are aging malls in similar
straights surrounded by theatres ravenous for the amenities
such a place could offer—could this be a trend?
Kevin M. Mitchell
The set of The Subject Was Roses in a former men’s garment store
22 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

In Join the Us Backstage Greenroom
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where you can follow everything and
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changing roles
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TheatreFace.com is a hub for everyone involved in theatre
to get instant info on what’s happening
in the theatre world, because it’s populated by the
people who are making theatre: YOU.
To join, point your browser to:
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And join the conversation
0 March 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

Plays & Musicals
AmericanPlaywrights,
Inc.
P.O. Box 577676
Chicago, IL 60657
P: 773-404-8016
F: 773-446-1602
W: www.americanplay
wrights.com
Anchorage Press
Plays
617 Baxter Ave
Louisville, KY 40204
P: 502-583-2288
F: 502-583-2288
W: www.applays.com
Aran Press
1036 S 5th St
Louisville, KY 40203
P: 502-568-6622
F: 502-561-1124
W: www.aye.
net/~aranpres
Artage Publications;
The Senior Theatre
Resource Center
P.O. Box 19955
Portland, OR 97280
P: 800-858-4998
F: 503-246-3006
W: www.seniortheatre.
com
Baker’s Plays
45 W. 25th Street
New York, NY 10010
P: 212-255-8085
F: 212-627-7753
W: www.bakersplays.
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Bower North
Productions, Inc
4938 Southwood Ave
Ft. Wayne, IN 46807
P: 260-745-0557
F: 260-745-0557
W: www.bowernorth.
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Broadway Onstage
Live Theatre
21517 Kelly Rd
Eastpointe, MI 48021
P: 586-771-6333
W: www.broadwayon
stage.com
Broadway Play
Publishing Inc
56 E 81st St
New York, NY 10028
P: 212-772-8334
F: 212-772-8358
W: www.broadway
playpubl.com
Brooklyn Publishers
1841 Cord St
Odessa, TX 79762
P: 888-473-8521
F: 432-368-0340
W: www.brookpub.
com
Centerstage Press
P.O. Box 36688
Phoenix, AZ 85067
P: 602-242-1123
F: 602-242-1123
W: www.cstage.com/
press
Centerstage
Productions
21 Hunt St
Norwalk, CT 06853
P: 203-899-0319
W: www.centerstage
-musicals.com
Classics On Stage!
P.O. Box 25365
Chicago, IL 60625
P: 773-989-0532
W: www.classicson
stage.com
Crystal Theatre
Publishing
12 June Ave
Norwalk, CT 06850
P: 203-847-4850
W: www.crystaltheatre
publishing.com
Dramashare Christian
Drama Resources
82 St. Lawrence
Crescent
Saskatoon, SK S7K 1G5
P: 877-363-7262
F: 306-653-0653
W: www.dramashare.
org
Dramatic Publishing
311 Washington St
Woodstock, IL 60098
P: 800-448-7469
F: 800-334-5302
W: www.dramaticpub
lishing.com
Dramatists Play
Service, Inc
440 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016
P: 212-683-8960
F: 212-213-1539
W: www.dramatists.
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Eldridge Publishing
Eldridge Christian Plays
And Musicals
P.O. Box 14367
Tallahassee, FL 32317
P: 850-385-2463
W: www.95church.com
Empire Publishing
Service/ Players Press
P.O. Box 1132
Studio City, CA 91614
P: 818-789-4980
F: 818-990-2477
W: www.ppeps.com
Encore Performance
Publishing
P.O. Box 14367
Tallahassee, FL 32317
P: 850-385-2463
W: www.encoreplay.com
Hank Beebe Music
Library
4 Shep Road
Springfield, ME 04487
P: 207-738-2143
W: www.hankbeebe.
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Hatful-Breindel
Productions
78790 W Harland Dr
La Quinta, CA 92253
P: 760-345-2573
W: http://hometown.
aol.com/hatfulsnow
Heinemann Drama
P.O. Box 6926
Portsmouth, NH 03802
P: 800-225-5800
F: 877-231-6980
W: www.heinemann.
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Heuer Publishing Llc
P.O. Box 248
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
P: 800-950-7529
F: 319-368-8011
W: www.hitplays.com
I.E. Clark Publications
P.O. Box 246
Schulenburg, TX 78956
P: 979-743-3232
F: 979-743-4765
W: www.ieclark.com
J. Gordon Shillingford
Publishing & Scirocco
Drama
Box 86
Rpo Corydon Ave
Winnipeg, MB R3M 3S3
P: 204-779-6967
F: 204-779-6970
W: www.jgshillingford.
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Josef Weinberger, Ltd.
12-14 Mortimer St
London W1T 3JJ
P: 442075802827
F: 442074369616
W: www.josef-weinberg
er.com
KMR Scripts
P.O. Box 220
Valley Center, KS
67147-0220
P: 316-425-2556
W: www.kmrscripts.com
Lillenas Christian
Drama Resources
P.O. Box 419527
Kansas City, MO 64141
P: 816-931-1900
F: 816-412-8390
W: www.lillenasdrama.
com
LTI Musical Theater
Education
50 Culpeper St
Warrenton, VA 20186
P: 540-347-0055
F: 540-349-3169
W: www.takeiteasy.org
Maverick Musicals
89 Bergann Rd
Maleny, QLD 04552
P: +61 61-7-5494-4007
F: +61 61-7-5494-4007
W: www.mavmuse.com
MC2 Entertainment
3004 French St
Erie, PA 16504
P: 814-459-7098
W: www.mc2entertain
ment.com
Meriwether Publishing
Ltd./ Contemporary
Drama Service
885 Elkton Dr
Colorado Springs, CO
80907
P: 800-937-5297
F: 888-594-4436
W: www.contempo
rarydrama.com
Music Theatre
International
421 West 54th Street
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10019
P: 212-541-4684
F: 212-397-4684
W: www.mtishows.com
Mysteries By
Moushey, Inc
P.O. Box 3593
Kent, OH 44240
P: 330-678-3893
F: 330-434-9376
W: www.mysteriesby
moushey.com
Newplays For
Children
P: 434-823-7555
W: www.new
playsforchildren.com
One Way Productions,
Inc
2269 S University Dr,
#330
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
33324
P: 954-680-9095
F: 954-337-6167
W: www.biblicalactor.
com
Onstage Publishing
190 Lime Quarry Road,
Suite 106J
Madison, AL 35758
P: 256-461-0661
F: 256-308-9712
W: www.onstagebooks.
com
Original Works
Publishing
4611 1/2 Ambrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
W: www.originalwork
sonline.com
Pioneer Drama
Service, Inc.
P.O. Box 4267
Englewood, CO 80155
P: 800-333-7262
F: 303-779-4315
W: www.pioneerdrama.
com
Plays And Musicals
Lantern House
84 Littlehaven Ln
Horsham, West Sussex
RH12 4JB
P: +44 44-700-593-
8842
F: +44 44-700-593-8843
W: www.playsandmusi
cals.co.uk
Playscripts, Inc
325 W 38th St, Ste 305
New York, NY 10018
P: 866-639-7529
F: 888-203-4519
W: www.playscripts.
com
Playwrights Canada
Press
215 Spadina Ave
Ste 230
Toronto, ON M5T 2C7
P: 416-703-0013
F: 416-408-3402
W: www.playwright
scanada.com
Popular Play Service
P.O. Box 3365
Bluffton, SC 29910
P: 843-705-7981
W: www.poppplays.
com
Samuel French, Inc
45 W 25th St
2nd Fl
New York, NY 10010
P: 212-206-8990
F: 212-206-1429
W: www.samuelfrench.
com
Select Entertainment
Productions, Llc
23 Sugar Maple Ln
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
P: 732-741-8832
F: 732-741-1409
W: www.select-shows.
com
Smith And Kraus
Publishers, Inc.
400 Bedford Street,
Suite 322
Manchester, NH 03101
P: 603-669-7032
F: 603-669-7945
W: www.smithand
kraus.com
Spotlight Musicals
97 Massapoag Ave.
Easton, MA 02356
P: 877-406-3064
F: 508-238-0923
W: www.spotlightmusi
cals.com
Tams-Witmark Music
Library, Inc
560 Lexington Ave
New York, NY 10022
P: 212-688-9191
F: 212-688-5656
W: www.tamswitmark.
com
The Drama Book
Shop, Inc
250 W 40th St
New York, NY 10018
P: 212-944-0595
F: 212-730-8739
W: www.dramabook
shop.com
The Freelance Press
670 Centre Street,
Suite 8
Jamaica Plain, MA
02130
P: 617-524-7045
W: www.freelanceplay
ers.org
The Rodgers &
Hammerstein
Organization
229 West 28th St. 11th
Floor
New York, NY 10001
P: 212-541-6600
W: www.rnhtheatricals.
com
Theatre Maximus
1650 Broadway, Ste 601
New York, NY 10019
P: 212-765-5913
F: 212-265-0207
W: www.godspellthemusical.com
Theatrefolk
P.O. Box 1064
Crystal Beach, ON L0S
1B0
P: 866-245-9138
W: www.theatrefolk.
com
Theatrical Rights
Worldwide
1359 Broadway Suite
914
New York, NY 10018
P: 866-378-9758
F: 212-643-1322
W: www.theatrical
rights.com
Watson-Guptill Publications
& Back Stage
Books
770 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
P: 800-278-8477
F: 646-654-5487
W: www.watsonguptill.
com
24 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

Right Before the Fall
By Dave McGinnis
|
With recession icing the assets, administrations could start turning up the heat.
TD Talk
The recession has fallen upon us, and anyone who attempts
to deny that we’ll all soon shiver in its icy grip will learn the
awful truth soon enough. In theatre, we face a battle that
we can win, but that will force us uphill for some time to come.
As a result, jobs that have long enjoyed both security and mobility—TDs—might
soon see darker days. This scenario has divided
my colleagues—the ones with whom I speak anyways—into
two distinct camps, and I feel it incumbent upon me to put these
notions forth so that you—the TD in the trench—can decide for
yourself.
The “Go-On-the-Cheapers”
One friend of mine put it to me this way: “Theatres that can’t
make back what they spend, close; and closed theatres employ
nobody.”
The theory here implies that we should decrease our expenditures
in every possible way to decrease the amount of revenue
the theatre must take in to “make its nut,” so to speak. In some
ways, this idea makes sense. If a theatre spends less, it doesn’t
have to take in as much revenue to keep itself in operation.
On the negative side, though, this also means that gear purchases
could virtually halt, and that would send a shockwave
throughout the industry from the theatres themselves down to
the very manufacturers. In addition, we all know what happens
once a shop learns to live with less. People in ties start wondering
how much less we could get by on.
assuming they make it out of the tough times at all. While time
may cause me to change my tune, based on how general economics
and various “stimulus packages”—whatever that means
when you get home—play into my shop, I’ve opted for door
number two. In fact, I’ve agreed to the biggest build since I first
came to work here, which will have been built, used and torn
down before you ever read this.
So before the memos and messengers invade the shops of
the world insisting on doing “more with less”—which makes as
much sense as beating oneself to death over a dropped screw—
I will provide the theatres of the world with three options from
TDs everywhere. No matter how tight belts may get, there will
always be three, and only three, options where show builds and
hangs are concerned:
The build done cheap
The build done right
The build done fast
Pick two. You get all three in the afterlife…if you were VERY,
VERY good.
Tell Dave what option you chose at dmcginnis@stage-directions.com
The “It-Takes-Money-to-Make-Money” Crowd
In the opposite corner, wearing thick green trunks, stand the
folk who subscribe to the theory that a decrease in expenditures
at every pothole eventually translates into a decrease in overall
quality, which decreases theatre revenues over an extended
period of time. These people maintain, as best as I can tell, that to
cave and decrease spending simply “out of fear,” as I often hear
it, immediately sends the technical quality of productions into a
downward spiral from which it can be difficult to save it.
Ultimately, this could send potential patrons away forever. I
admit that I have seen this effect before.
Two Outta Three
As for me, I understand the kneejerk reaction to try to cut
expenditures, but how many companies have cut expenditures
to show short-term profits, only to lose their shirts a year later
when those very cuts led to miserable product quality? In addition,
using simple budget cuts to increase available revenues
can eventually lead to cuts in current staffing. I can think of no
way to reduce quality faster than to start cutting jobs. In addition,
and on a purely philosophical note, I’ll discuss reductions in
materials budgets, and I’ll even discuss reductions of job-ins, but
my crew’s jobs rely on MY estimation of their importance. I’m
not about to see any of my full-timers’ jobs cut because of mistakes
made in the front office. I’ll make reductions in purchases,
and I’ll reduce the number of job-ins I hire, but my in-house staff
are safe as long as they do their jobs. Period. That is never up for
negotiation. We close before they go on unemployment.
I will say that keeping quality up in tough times seems to
determine who’s the strongest when the good times return—
www.stage-directions.com • April 2009 25

Off the Shelf
|
By Stephen Peithman
Musical Stages
Books, CDs and DVDs
that celebrate musical theatre
Reports of a downturn of interest in the Broadway musical
seem to be greatly exaggerated, considering the continuing
release of musical theatre books, CDs and DVDs. This
month we provide a sampling of some of the most recent of
these.
Broadway Musicals, Show by Show, is the sixth edition of the
classic reference by Stanley Green, updated for the first time in
12 years by his widow, Kay Green. Not every Broadway musical is
listed—only those that ran more than 500 performances, with a
high-quality score and “general acceptance as a significant work
in the field.” That still adds up to 300 shows in the book, and
ones most likely to be sought out. Included are photos, cast lists,
a brief but informative commentary on each show and several
detailed indexes. [$18.99, Applause Books]
In The Great American Book Musical: A Manifesto, A
Monograph, A Manual, author Denny Martin Flinn defines what
he believes made the greatest of Broadway musicals great—first
by tracing the developing integration of musical techniques,
and then by examining the contributions of libretto, music, lyrics
and staging to the most successful musicals. He singles out
shows from Oklahoma! to A Chorus Line, from West Side Story
to Dreamgirls, with an obvious affection for his subject. Some
fact-checking would have been helpful before this book went
to press, but one finishes it having a better sense of what makes
musicals work well, and what future musical writers might do to
achieve success, as well. [$19.95 Limelight Editions]
Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz,
by Carol de Giere, comes just after Schwartz’s latest show,
Wicked, celebrated its fifth anniversary on Broadway. With
Schwartz’s help—as well the help of his family, friends and colleagues—de
Giere provides an extensive biography of the composer
and of the development of the Broadway musical over
the past three decades. Schwartz’s best-known shows (aside
from Wicked) are Godspell and Pippin, but his less familiar shows
like Working, The Magic Show and The Baker’s Wife also marked
intriguing developments in the musical form. Unfortunately, the
second half of the book focuses almost entirely on Wicked, which
tends to throw the book out of balance as a survey of Schwartz’s
entire oeuvre. On the positive side are “Creativity Notes,” separate
commentaries in which Schwartz offers insights, humor or
lessons from his experience in getting a musical to the stage.
[$34.95, Applause Books]
Fifty years before Schwartz, Rudolf Friml was the composer
of some of the greatest hits of his day—all operettas—including
Rose Marie, The Vagabond King, and The Three Musketeers. His was
a European perspective and style, and it’s no wonder that he was
so skillful at evoking far-away places and eras. Friml wrote many
other kinds of music as well, but it’s his operettas that define his
career—and, when public interest in operetta declined at the
end of the 20s, so did his career. In Rudolf Friml, author William
Everett provides the first scholarly account of the composer’s life
and output, positioning it in the context of the times in which
Friml lived. It’s good to have this well-researched and written
reminder of his importance to the development of American
musical theatre. [$35, University of Illinois Press]
Rodgers & Hammerstein's follow-up to Oklahoma! and
Carousel was Allegro in 1947. It told the story of a doctor's life
from birth to re-birth, when he leaves a big-city hospital and
returns to practice in the small town where he was born. A new
two-CD release from Sony is the show’s first complete recording,
beautifully capturing the interweaving dialogue and song
that was cutting edge in 1947. It’s beautifully done, although
it also makes clear why Allegro didn't win an audience—and
how it inspired the experiments of Stephen Sondheim (who
was a gofer on the original production). The ensemble includes
Audra McDonald, Norbert Leo Butz, Liz Callaway and Marni
Nixon. Songs include “A Fellow Needs a Girl,” “You Are Never
Away,” and “The Gentleman Is a Dope,” and a handsome
booklet provides extensive notes. [$24.98, Sony Masterworks
Broadway]
A far cry from Allegro is Frankenstein, the 2007 Off-Broadway
musical adapted from Mary Shelley's novel. It was neither an
artistic nor financial success, but it spawned a recently released
recording, which makes clear that it’s the lyrics by Jeffrey Jackson
that make the show, not the derivative pop tunes by Mark Baron
that frame them. The original production’s imaginative staging
is, of course, not visible—not even in the photos in the accompanying
booklet—so what you hear is what you get. The result is
interesting, but not as gripping as you’d expect from the subject
matter. [$14.99, Ghostlight Records]
Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway captures the final performance
of the hit musical’s 12-year run, both from the audience’s
perspective and from the stage and wings. The show, by
Jonathan Larson, is well served by this recording—although,
of course, it can’t possibly capture the excitement of a live
performance. Besides the full-length musical, the DVD and
Blu-Ray discs include a retrospective documentary featuring
cast and crew, the final curtain call, and several short features.
The Blu-Ray disc also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the
New York theatre that was transformed into Rent’s home, plus
a feature on the casting of the show. [$24.95 DVD, $38.96 Blu-
Ray, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]
26 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com

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Operations Manager
Michigan State University - Breslin Center
Closing Date 04/10/2009
Requires a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management, Public Assembly
Facility Management, Theatrical Design with coursework in technical
direction, engineering, or a related field; three to five years of related
and progressively more responsible experience in management of public
assembly facility such as an arena, performing arts theater or convention
center. Experience in budget management, supervision and preventive
maintenance. Prefer experience with technical riders for major touring
performance companies, stage management of major artists and Auto-
CAD. To apply for this position, visit our website at www.jobs.msu.edu
or visit us at 1407 Harrison, Room 110 Nisbet, East Lansing, MI. Refer to
posting #3099 MSU is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

Answer Box
|
By Eric Gebhard
A Delicate Staircase
Engineering meets art for a freestanding staircase in the
Guthrie’s production of A Delicate Balance
Engineering
for
the stage
always has its
challenges and
the staircase
for A Delicate
Balance is no
exception. The
task set before
our technical
team was
to construct a
helical staircase.
To further
complicate the
challenge, we
were required
to leave most Braces hold strips of pine for the staircase’s handrail in place.
of the staircase unsupported to the stage floor. This
was to allow for the main dining table of the lavish
upper class residence and became an actor entrance to
and from other parts of the home.
After designing and drafting the staircase, and doing
the calculations to be sure it would strong enough to
support more than enough weight on it, I provided the
carpenters with full-size printouts of the stair treads
and the height of the steps. They took the prints and
applied them to pieces of 3 / 4 ” plywood and cut out the
shapes.
Next, the carpenters cut 1” tube steel (TS) to fit the
plywood cutouts and welded frames the cutouts would
sit on. Then they welded TS cut to the height of the
steps minus the upper and lower frame thickness under
the front edge of the tread frame. This created the 90
degree corner of the front step. This process was repeated
and steps were built on to previous ones. Temporary
support legs were added as the staircase became taller.
The finished staircase
After the staircase
reached its
final height we
then bent four
pieces of TS to the
fit the underside
of the steps. We
tack-welded these
four support ribs,
evenly spaced
from each other,
across the width
of the steps. The
ribs became the
hypotenuse of
the triangle created
by the step
frames.
After the plywood
for the front of each step was added the steel
was covered with ¼” lauan and the treads got a ¼”
masonite top. The last step was to add the decorative
balustrades and a handrail. In order to get the
handrail to follow the multiple curves we decided to
laminate thin strips of pine. The interior pieces had
a dado added to fit around the balustrades and the
top was finished with a one inch round over for actor
comfort and decoration. The final step was to add a
fluted groove to the downstage edge of the railing.
To complete this we took a 3 / 8 ” bowl bit with a router
guide set to the correct depth and followed the curve
of the railing.
With everything complete we sent the unit to the
paint department for a few coats and the finishing
touches.
Eric Gebhard is the Asst. Technical Director at the Guthrie
Theater
Michal Daniel
Carpenters tack-weld structural steel to build a helical staircase for the Guthrie Theater’s production of
A Delicate Balance.
Raye Birk (Tobias) and Candy Buckley (Claire) in the Guthrie production of Edward Albee’s
A Delicate Balance
28 April 2009 • www.stage-directions.com