Six months ago I wrote about Levi Kaplan, the 27-year-old Miami native and graduate of the master's program in directing at Chicago's DePaul University, who, together with Walt Disney World lighting designer Stefan De Wilde, was planning to start a major regional theater in Tampa, to be called the Acorn Theatre. At that time, Kaplan was negotiating for a 400-seat former vaudeville house just north of downtown Tampa, projecting a six-to-eight play season beginning in autumn 2004, and conferring with potential corporate donors about funding for this new Tampa stage.Bringing a new theater to birth is notoriously difficult; so I decided to ask Kaplan how things were progressing. He told me he's still utterly committed to starting the theater, but not at the site to which he was originally attracted. Further, the first season may include no more than three plays, and corporate funding is still being negotiated. The vicissitudes of starting a new theater haven't deterred him, though: He and his wife have just moved into a house in north Tampa (they were Chicago residents six months ago), the theater has a new business and stage manager, and the Acorn board of directors already boasts six members. And as for enthusiasm — in that regard, Kaplan hasn't changed a bit. "A lot of things that were in theory three, four, five months ago are coming into practice now," he said, "which is really exciting."
First, about the venue. As it worked out, Kaplan says, the vaudeville building's seller wanted two to three times the appraised value of the site, based on his projections of eventual development in downtown Tampa. "That was actually kind of a heartbreaker, to be honest," said Kaplan. "'Cause we were really excited about that building. It was what we thought of as the ideal building."
But just as the purchase of the downtown location was falling through, Kaplan was contacted by a member of Ybor City's Cuban Club (formerly home to The Playmakers), who had read about Kaplan in the Weekly Planet, and who told the producer, "We've got this space that's really underused. … You're looking for a space, and we're looking to bring more people to the Cuban Club."
So talks began — and continue — on the subject of Acorn becoming the Cuban Club's resident company. And although Kaplan's optimistic about an agreement being reached, he's still looking at other options, particularly at a warehouse in Tampa's Channel District that has a lower floor that could be transformed into a theater. But that's Plan B: "I really am hoping that we can work this with the Cuban Club," said Kaplan. "I think it would be a great partnership for both of us, honestly."
If the deal with the 350-seat Cuban Club does materialize, Kaplan is thinking about beginning with a three-play season this autumn. The three shows will likely include a musical, as well as "something in the vein of Tennessee Williams or Sam Shepard," and perhaps also something by Tom Stoppard or Eugene Ionesco (but the third show "is really up for grabs right now"). All three will probably be directed by Kaplan himself. And he still holds out the hope that the "official" season might be preceded by a couple of productions this spring and summer, one of them specifically for children. Still, he admits that the theater doesn't yet have enough money to fund even a small production. "We could definitely use donations to make this first one happen."
Which raises the key question: How will the Acorn — which has nonprofit status — be financed? Kaplan says that he's been in touch with Bank of America and Raymond James, and is waiting to hear their response to his corporate sponsorship proposals. Acorn is also planning a summer fundraiser, a "silent auction gala." And the theater is looking to expand its current six-member board to as many as 15 by the time the new theater season begins. Board members, Kaplan notes, are crucial to the theater's success: He's still looking for several who can donate or raise money for the company, or who can provide professional skills (legal acumen, for example) that can "enhance the board's ability to do its job." Finally, Kaplan notes that he and De Wilde are putting a lot of their own cash and their families' cash into the startup: "All I can say is that it's something we believe in, and we're putting everything we've got into it."
Other changes: Acorn now has a business manager in Jeyben Castro of Lakeland, and a stage manager in Jamie Beasley; they join artistic director Kaplan and managing director De Wilde. And Kaplan's putting out a call for volunteers: "If you want to have any part of working with us, we would love to hear from you. Whether it be you always wanted to volunteer as an usher, or you wanted to learn to paint sets, or you are an artist and want to come work, we're looking for a broad cross section of all the kinds of people that a theater is made up of."
A final note: Readers of this column know that I've several times regretted that a city Tampa's size doesn't have a sizable regional theater. Now someone is trying to redress that absence; and not surprisingly, he's running into obstacles as he goes along. So, setting aside any pretense of impartiality, I want to say outright: I hope Levi Kaplan succeeds. I can't say in advance how I'll feel about his productions, but I can say that this area needs him, his energy and his optimism. I hope he solves every problem and gets his new theater up and running.
Anyway, he assures me that the difficulties he's faced haven't altered his faith in Tampa. "It's still absolutely my number one choice," he said. "I don't regret at all choosing Tampa. I'm still very excited and I still feel that this is the perfect city to make it happen."
A meeting for people interested in working for or volunteering at the Acorn Theatre is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Feb 29 in the auditorium of the John F. Germany Library in Tampa.
Contact Levi Kaplan at acorntheatre@yahoo.com.
Elsa Returns. Dance aficionados will want to come to the Hillsborough Community College Performing Arts Building in Ybor City this weekend when local favorite (and Moving Current co-founder) Elsa Valbuena and her dance company Gaudere Danza present Sin Fin, a program of three new dances. On the program — all choreographed by Valbuena — are "Marbelized Movement," with video by Tomiyo Sasaki and Ernest Gusella, "Untitled" and "Sin Fin." Two of the three dances were presented to general acclaim at the Merce Cunningham Studio in New York last October.
Performers in the Tampa concert include Brian Fidalgo, Josianne Fleming, Christine Lockhart, Melissa Pasut and Valbuena herself. Original music for two of the pieces is by Dee Moses, and "Untitled" features music by Edvard Grieg from the Peer Gynt Suite. Valbuena hasn't performed in this area in a year, so this is a welcome opportunity to enjoy her considerable talent once again.
The HCC Performing Arts Buildings is located at the corner of 15th Street and Palm Avenue in Ybor City. Performances are at 8 p.m. Jan. 30 and at 2 and 8 p.m. Jan. 31. Tickets are $15, $8 students and seniors. Call 813-237-2101.
Performance Critic Mark E. Leib can be reached at mark.leib@weeklyplanet.com or 813-248-8888 ext. 305.
This article appears in Jan 28 – Feb 3, 2004.