The Heart Of American Theatre Beating In Actors Theatre Of Louisville

My interest in the theatre dates back to				productions.
my secondary school days at the Prince				It moved over to a new complex in the
of Wales in Freetown when I was greatly				old Bank of Louisville building and the
fascinated and intrigued at the				adjacent Myers-Thompson Display Building
theatre's almost magical capacity at				in downtown Main Street. The
simulating life in its diversity on				Chicago-based firm Harry Weese and
stage at annual prize-giving ceremonies				Associates melded the two diverse
which were in themselves very colorful				structures into one and constructed at
occasions. Then whilst awaiting my				their rear the 637-seat Pamela Brown
G.C.E. results I got myself into acting				Auditorium, with a thrust stage. The
alongside a number of T.V personalities				159-seat Victor Jory Theatre, was opened
as well as theatre veterans managing to				a year later, in 1973.
hold the role of Mark Antony which I				The theater provides insights into the
played creditably to rousing				human experience through live theatre
appreciation from the audiences at the				that invigorates minds and emotions. It
British Council. At Fourah Bay College,				also strives to correct social ills and
I followed that through by acting in				point the way forward for society. It
Leeds University Drama Workshop				leads the American theater in creating
productions of Shakespeare's The Taming				new plays and in innovatively
of the Shrew and Ola Rotimi's The Gods				re-imagining fresh dramatic renditions
are not to Blame. Back at the Prince of				of the classics.
Wales school, as a teacher I led and				To keep itself alive and fresh to
directed a number of ground breaking				reflect a dynamic and fastly changing
productions and improvisations. Now as a				world it is constantly remodeling,
lecturer of American literature I have				refurbishing and restructuring as well
been concerned amongst other aspects in				as expanding its facilities. A 12.5
the development of American theatre				million dollar expansion and renovation
which had a later start than the other				project in 1994 built a new 318-seat
genres because of the greater				Bingham theatre, a flexible arena
intolerance directed at it by the				theatre, and a revolutionized staging
Puritans				technology. Pamela Brown Auditorium and
The advent of David Belasco and Eugene				Victor Jory Theatre stages were enlarged
O'Neill in the 1920's it was that				and enhanced. Patron amenities were also
started establishing an authentic				improved. It is impressive to see the
American theatrical tradition breaking				harmonious blending of historic Main
away from the earlier imitations and				Street architecture of the past with
reproductions of British and European				modern, state-of -the-art facilities.
drama. But then before 1959-60 American				Four years later in 1998, restoration of
theatre meant production on Broadway in				the theatre's main Sara Shallenberger
New York City with frontal staging in a				Brown lobby refurbished the original
building designed exclusively for				colors and gold leaf accents of the
theatrical performance, with the curtain				décor and allowed new lighting
representing the fourth wall thus				arrangements.
establishing an illusion of reality. The				Actors Theatre, Louisville, relies on
audience was carefully separated from				generous support from individuals,
the plays, and the dramas performed				corporations as well as foundations such
comprised of light comedy, musicals and				as the Humana Foundation which supports
serious plays dealing in social				consistently the Humana Festival which
criticism or psychological exploration				the Los Angeles Times describes as the
Besides O'Neill, American theatre				Kentucky Derby of the American Theatre.
produced important dramatists like				This internationally celebrated Festival
Arthur Miller, Lorraine Hansbery and				of New American plays started in 1976 by
Edward Albee. The radical intellectual				Jory from 1979 to now have been
and cultural currents following the				underwritten by the Humana Foundation
Second World War ushered in changes				with each Festival uniquely testing the
which were also reflected in theatrical				boundaries of theatre in different ways
activities. Off Broadway which had begun				to reveal the wonders of the stage and
in New York in 1915 with the				the power of live drama. Over 300 Humana
anti-commercial revolt of the Washington				Festival plays representing the work of
Square Players in New York and of the				more than 200 playwrights have been
Provincetown Theatre on Cape Cod began				produced with over three-fourths of them
to blossom with new companies, new				published in 17 anthologies as well as
talents in acting and directing and				individual acting editions thus
playwriting and new ideas. The Circle in				increasing the permanent canon of
the Square began to come together in				American dramatic literature. Through
1950. The Living Theater opened its				its Ten-Minute Play Contest that evolved
doors in a loft on Upper Broadway in				from its National One-Act-Contest nearly
1951, and the Phoenix Theatre began to				100 new short plays and new playwrights
operate in 1953. The Circle in the				were introduced to American audiences.
Square gave legitimacy to the whole				Shorts thus became a growingly popular
enterprise with its production of				form of the theatre's festival of
Tennessee Willliams' Summer and Smoke				premieres.
(1952). The power and professionalism of				Actors' Humana Festival has been
that highly successful Quinterro				integral also in bringing the
production attracted an attentive				drastically changing political as well
audience. When Carmen Capalbo's				as social landscape in America to the
production of Brecht's Three Penny Opera				stage in Louisville and beyond. What
with Kurt Weill's Widow, began a long				begins here often goes on to full
run at the Theater des Lys in 1954, the				houses, award ceremonies, film
weight and gravity of theater Off				adaptations and varied audiences in
Broadway was established beyond doubt.				America and throughout the world.
Off Broadway thus became a thriving				Actors have come a long way indeed. In
enterprise henceforth.				March 1979 they won the Margo Jones
In 1953 Joseph Papp began his New York				Award, for the encouragement of new
Shakespeare Festival, an enterprise				playwrights. In May 1979 they received
which by 1970 employed more actors than				the Schubert Foundation's James N
any other theatrical enterprise in the				Vaughan Memorial Award for Exceptional
U.S. Papp moved from free SHAKESPEARE in				Achievement and contribution to the
Central Park to the presentation of				Development of Professional Theatre.
radical new works and the introduction				Then in June 1980 it earned a Special
of such new playwrights as David Rabe,				Tony Award as an outstanding non-profit
Ed Bullins and David Mamet.				resident theatre. In September of 1980,
Meanwhile, theater across the country				it became a major international company
was growing and changing. No more were				when started a tour to Yugoslavia,
only a few cities to be privileged with				Ireland and Israel. Since then it has
'Little Theaters' whilst most other				had more than 1,500 invitational
cities remained mere road stops for				performances in over 29 cities in 15
touring Broadway attractions. From now				foreign countries.
on regional theater expanded at a great				Jon Jory built a solid base for Actor's
pace. Seattle and Houston and Washington				which attracted an equally competent man
were, for example, establishing theaters				Marc Masterson to succeed him, follow
like Seattle Repertoire Company, Alley				his tracks and build further on that
Theater and the Arena Stage				base. Jory's legacy here is immortal
respectively. These later joined by				with immense influence on many people.
others like the Playhouse in Cincinnati,				And his legacy continues along with the
performed the classics mainly but were				wonderful energy of entertainment
also engaged in encouraging new writers				flowing from its stage. Appointed
and trying out new methods of acting and				artistic Director in 2000 Marc Masterson
staging.				forms the foundation for a vision of
Within a few years with the				Actors future which he describes as 'a
establishment of Joe Cino's Café and				place where artists thrive and
the Café La Mama in 1960 the new venue				continually enrich us, where our work
of Off- Off Broadway was born. Then the				elevates the role of the theatre in
avant-garde theater also began to take				contemporary society by redefining the
shape. Café Cino, a coffee house,				way that an arts organization relates to
introduced the work of Lanford Wilson				its community, and where pluralistic
and La Mama. Another gave playing space				values inherent in our art form become a
to such writers as Wilson, Paul Foster,				celebration of the diversity and
Jean-Claude Van Italie, Sam Shepard and				richness of our cultures.'
Ross Alexander. Theaters sprang up in				Under Marc Masterson's leadership, the
churches. Theater Genesis, which				theatre presents a diverse range of
produced Sam Shepard's first plays was				classical and contemporary works in over
in the basement of the ancient St Mark's				699 performances during a 40-week
-in-the- Bowerie. The American Place				season. It retains 150 top theatre
Theatre of New York began in St Clements				professionals attracting to its stages
Church in 1964.				many of the world's most talented
By 1963 Joseph Chakin's Open Theater was				theatre artists. Normally it presents up
giving performances in Sheridan Square,				to 24 performances a week in its
and the Free Southern Theater of John				three-theatre complex.
O'Neal and Gilbert Moses was presenting				Its internship program helps recent
Waiting for Godot to black audiences in				college graduates to move from academic
the Mississippi Delta. The Guthrie in				to professional theatre thus providing
Minneapolis, the American Conservatory				excellent employment placement for many.
Theater in San Francisco, and the				Through its community outreach it holds
Seattle Repertory Company all started up				student matinees, free children's
in 1963. Then a year later the				theatre productions, free apprentice
revolutionary African American Amiri				showcase productions, described
Baraka's powerful and influential play				performances for low vision patrons,
Dutchman was first staged. That same				performances interpreted in American
year, 1964, the Actor's Theater of				Sign Language and previews in which
Louisville, which I will be giving much				value priced performances are given
more attention to in the rest of this				before a productions' official opening.
article, took the first steps forward				This program also provides teacher study
into the field. By then the trauma of				guides, in-service training, public
Vietnam was inaugurating a decade-long				seminars and workshops and pre- and
theatrical response in the form of				post-performance discussions.
street and guerrilla theater. The				The biennial Bingham Signature
urgencies of the civil rights movement				Shakespeare launched in May 1989
was also motivating black theater across				produces Shakespeare without compromise.
the Country.				This and more has made me so much
Actors Theater of Louisville, now widely				fascinated by the huge presence
acknowledged as the most successful				Shakespeare maintains in the U.S. that I
regional theater, like the Living				am persuaded to giving that a separate
Theater earlier mentioned, opened its				article later.
doors on a loft in 1964. From then it				Avant-garde solo and small ensemble
has had a rapid growth and development				performances were part of the theatre's
in stature. Ten years after its start it				repertoire from 1993 to 1997 as part of
became designated the State Theater of				the unique Flying Solo and Friends
Kentucky. Further more it has emerged as				Festival. Actors' versatility is further
one of America's most consistently				demonstrated through the Brown-Forman
innovative non-profit professional				Classics in Context Festival
theatre companies, for over four decades				[1985-1997]. Through this ingenious
remaining a major force in revitalizing				multi-disciplinary arts and cultural
American playwriting. Its approach to				event, it elucidates dramatic
the presentation of classical dramatic				literature's masterpieces for today's
repertoire is unique. It has won for				audiences by examining the social,
itself some of the most prestigious				political and aesthetic influences
theatrical awards and earning as well				surrounding the creation of the plays
worldwide recognition for excellence in				through lectures, panel discussions,
its productions.				exhibits, film and video.
Actors Theatre was born out of the				The works of Moliere, Luigi Pirandello,
merger of Actors, Inc and Theatre				John Steinbeck, Thornton Wilder and
Louisville and started operations from a				modern American director Anne Bogart as
tiny loft at South Fourth Street.				well as Restoration Comedy of Manners,
Quickly outgrowing its 100-seat capacity				Commedia Dell'Arte, the Moscow Art
it moved over to an abandoned Illinois				Theatre, the theatre during the Romantic
Central Railroad station at Seventh				and the Victorian periods and the
Street and the Ohio River quickly				Roaring Twenties have amongst others
converting it into a 359-seat theatre				been featured in past festivals.
whilst preserving most of its interior				How much I regret my inability to have a
structure.				first hand view of plays produced live
Jon Jory, just appointed producing				onstage by Actors Theatre of Louisville
director gave it a renaissance with his				whilst in that cultural Mecca of a city.
directing of Dylan Thomas's play Under				Our tight program gave very little
Milk Wood. The final production before				space for that. It was at San Francisco
the station was demolished to make way				we had the chance of seeing a play, at a
for the construction of a connector				church, Death and the King's Maiden. But
highway was the moving presentation of				I long so much for a longer opportunity
Arthur Miller's classic drama Death of a				to better explore the immense cultural
Saleswman in May 1972. Audiences sadly				as well as artistic treasures in
recalled the joyous moments there and				LOUISVILLE.
the rapid growth of subscribers and

1 A B C D 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110

Your ultimate opera resource

The Heart Of American Theatre Beating In Actors Theatre Of Louisville