GOOD NEWS FOR THEATRE
May 18, 2020 What a day.
I've
been lobbying the Library Arts and Culture Department in Glendale to
find a way to deliver art to the masses. Well. to folks in Glendale. I
learned that libraries in Newport Beach and in Colorado are
accommodating patrons by taking orders on line and leaving bags with
materials outside the door of the library for pick up. If burger joints
can deliver curb side, why can't the library do the same?
And
to ART.. This press release is pretty exciting. In Los Angeles, small
theatre (usually 99 Seats or fewer) is the heart of what theatre is
supposed to do.. They deliver a panoply of shows that feed the spirit,
entertain, rouse the innards, provoke, evoke and stoke the fires of
society.
This
press release is good news. As we figure out next steps for patrons
(and theatre critics), these artists are collaborating to get actors
back on stage and bums in the seats..so to speak.
Please
take a look at the press release below. If you attend any of these
theatre companies and want to help, please send a donation or contact
them to pre-pay a ticket or a season. We have a thriving stage
community here and the sooner we al breathe the same air and share the
art, the better!
This from Judith Borne (Borne Identities PR for the Stage)..
Los Angeles Intimate Theatres Release
a Message of Hope and Solidarity for Their Future
Los
Angeles, CA (May 14, 2020) – Artistic Directors of 44 Intimate (aka
99-Seat) non-profit theatres have created a roundtable to discuss the
post COVID-19 re-emergence of theatre in Los Angeles. Today the group
released the following statement:
“Like
Los Angeles, our theatre community has always been at the forefront of
innovation. As an integral part of the cultural conversation, a group of
44 artistic directors from LA's intimate theatres came together two
months ago to discuss how we can move through the current COVID crisis
and come out stronger. We are committed to raising the bar and pushing
the boundaries of professional theatre. At weekly virtual roundtables,
we continue to remind each other that theatre is a collaborative art
form, in every sense of the word. We are stronger together as one
community regardless of company size.
While
the doors to our theatres may be shut, our artists continue to innovate
and utilize new technology to serve Los Angeles and promote the
importance of theatre. Our creative work has never been limited to our
stages, and the boundless creativity of Los Angeles theatre artists will
ensure that our theatres will reopen with a renewed sense of purpose.
Los Angeles is one of the cultural capitals of the world, and together
we make sure that #LALivesOnStage.”
This statement was signed by the following intimate theatres:
24th
Street Theatre, Actors Co-op, After Hours Theatre Company, Ammunition
Theatre Company, Antaeus Theatre Company, Boston Court Pasadena,
Celebration Theatre, Chance Theater, Company of Angels, Coeurage Theater
Company, Echo Theater Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA, Fountain
Theatre, Ghost Road Theatre Company, Greenway Arts Alliance, IAMA
Theatre Company, Impro Theatre, Latino Theatre Company, Lower Depth
Theatre Ensemble, Matrix Theatre Company, Moving Arts, Odyssey Theatre
Ensemble, Open Fist Theatre Company, Ophelia's Jump Productions,
Playwrights’ Arena, Pacific Resident Theatre, Rogue Machine Theatre,
Ruskin Group Theatre, Sacred Fools Theater Company, Sierra Madre
Playhouse, Skylight Theatre Company, Son of Semele, Theatre of NOTE, The
6th Act, The Group Rep Theatre, The Inkwell Theater, The New American
Theatre, The Road Theatre Company, The Robey Theatre Company, The
Victory, United Stages, VS. Theatre Company, Theatre West, and Whitefire
Theatre
The
group is taking this opportunity of a pause in their programming to
consider some of the bigger issues facing Los Angeles intimate theatres.
Most importantly, they have implemented action committees for creating
collaborative strategies in health and safety protocols for audiences,
staff, and artists. Other areas of focus include marketing, and planning
an online Intimate Theatre Festival, with a Live LA Theatre Festival in
the works once everyone is able to gather again. Partnering with LA
Stage Alliance/onStage.LA, the group is aiming to establish a central hub for all Los Angeles theatre activities.