MCT's Commitment to New Works
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Playwright Gwendolyn Rice recently interviewed MCT staff
members C. Michael Wright (Producing Artistic Director) and Jacque
Troy (Education Director/Literary Manager) for an upcoming story
about A THOUSAND WORDS. We thought our readers would enjoy what
Michael & Jacque shared…
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre has nurtured new works through
world premieres and staged readings in the past. Why do you think
that's an important part of your programming?
C. Michael Wright (CMW): Since its inception 37 years
ago, MCT has been committed to producing great literature on the
stage and a key element of our current mission is nurturing local
theatre artists. So it seems only fitting that we should be
supporting the development of playwrights and their work. When one
of our co-founders, Monty Davis, passed away, we decided to honor
him by naming our new works program after him and solidifying our
commitment to Wisconsin writers. Each season, as part of our
Montgomery Davis Play Development Series (MDPDS), MCT features free
staged readings of two new scripts written by playwrights with ties
to Wisconsin, offering them the chance to develop and revise their
work for possible production and giving our audience an inside look
at the intricate process of play development.
Jacque Troy (JT): One of the things that really
intrigued me about this position when I took it six years ago was
Michael's commitment to discovering what's new and exciting in the
world of theatre. He's always been dedicated to nurturing new
plays, emerging theatre artists and younger audiences. With new
plays, initially presented through either our MDPDS as staged
readings or in our Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) for high-school
writers, there are fantastic opportunities to provide real exposure
and experience for all these emerging talents both on and off the
stage.
Describe the challenges of taking a new play from
reading to production.
CMW: Theatre is by nature a collaborative art. The act
of bringing together a number of strong, creative voices for each
project can be its greatest asset, as well as its greatest
challenge. I suppose the trickiest issue, when working on an
original script, is the addition of not only one more collaborator
to the process, but the originator of the work. A certain degree of
sensitivity, understanding and diplomacy is necessary.
JT: From my perspective as literary manager, I love the
creative give and take that can happen with a playwright when
developing their work. The only challenge comes when I encounter
playwrights who are less interested in collaborating than we'd
like. Fortunately, I've never had that problem with an adult
playwright. But sometimes the student writers involved in the YPF
are so busy with other adolescent responsibilities that it's hard
to get them to commit to working on their piece once it's past the
"due date."
What struck you about A THOUSAND WORDS when you were
first considering doing it as a reading?
CMW: What intrigued me most about this script was its
exploration of art and artists from different perspectives and
dramatically different times. As the artistic director of a
non-profit theatre company, I immediately identified with the
inherent struggle to get the public to respect art in its purest
form and not as a mere commodity. I also found the characters,
situations and dialogue true and thoroughly engaging.
JT: I first encountered A THOUSAND WORDS as a member of
the final reading panel for Wisconsin Wrights. Nothing is revealed
about the playwright until after the finalists' work has been read
and we meet in Madison to discuss our responses. A THOUSAND WORDS
immediately grabbed me. The story possessed all the elements that
usually captivate me in the theatre: it was firmly grounded in
events from the real world and had obviously been carefully
researched, it possessed a social conscious, and unmistakable
heart. I cared about all of the characters and what would happen to
them. I thought the mixing of the past and the present created
fascinating tension and resonance. I also admired the tight but
evocative dialogue.
How do MCT audiences typically react to new
work?
CMW: I think it's worth noting that two of our most
popular shows in recent years were new works, DICKENS IN AMERICA by
James DeVita and THE DALY NEWS by Jonathan Gillard Daly. A large
portion of our audience is already incredibly open to and curious
about original works. Others are starting to follow suit. One of
our goals has been to enlighten our patrons by including them more
and more in the creative process, so we've been offering a number
of programs to encourage this. Over the past few years, the
majority of our audience has begun to genuinely appreciate learning
about play development, understanding the workshop process and
watching a new work come to life.
JT: I've had a front row seat to audience response when
it comes to our MDPDS and our YPF showcase, as I serve as principal
facilitator for both. It's been amazing to see how devoted our
audiences are to not only attending but responding to these new
work venues. Attendance at our MDPDS readings has been consistently
impressive and nearly every person who watches the reading wants to
stay after and discuss the experience. They often provide some
wonderful insights that influence future drafts of the work. After
the first year of presenting YPF, it became clear that the audience
was eager to talk to the young playwrights responsible for our
three winning one-acts. Wanting to encourage this interest in new
work, we decided it was important to provide a talkback after every
performance so the audience could share their excitement and
questions with the playwrights.
How does A THOUSAND WORDS fit into MCT's
season?
CMW: When choosing a season, I try to find a nice
balance of contemporary classics from the past 75 years, literary
adaptations and newer works. I also enjoy embracing an overarching
theme for each season. This year our theme is "Heroes,
survivors…and people like us." With its depiction of the
indomitable people of the Great Depression and its study of the
survival of art, A THOUSAND WORDS fits in quite perfectly.
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