Once upon a time, I fell in love with American Stage. I remember the night clearly: It was 1990 and they mounted a production of Twelfth Night set in New Orleans. At 17, I’d dabbled in theater but, in truth, my high school did not have a robust drama program. American Stage showed me what theater could be, and what it should be. I went to college in Orlando and used that inspiration to work tech, where I fell in love harder.
Years later, the same theater company with which I fell in love broke my heart. With every show announcement (save August Wilson’s Century Cycle), I groaned. How many times, after all, can one watch Santaland Diaries? I turned my back on American Stage, because other theaters (I’m looking at you, freeFall) seemed more willing to take risks, to trust that audiences would rise to the level of the production.
Forgive me, but American Stage, in turn, became something I didn’t want to do. It wasn’t fun to go there anymore. Nothing surprised me. Nothing I saw on stage made me feel the way I felt when I was 17 watching Shakespeare in the Park.
Here’s hoping that’s about to change.
With the change in leadership — Stephanie Gularte in her first full season as the new artistic director and Jim Sorenson (one of freeFall’s founders) now onboard as managing director — comes a new season.
The season, the company promises, will bring “an exciting exploration of the American experience with powerful stories full of ideas, humor, and heart.”
After previewing a rehearsal of Good People, I’m ready to open my heart to American Stage again. At first blush, it seems little more than a play about Southie angst, but the play hints at other themes — racism, classism, feminism which play a big part in Southie angst. Gularte, who left the theater company she founded in Sacramento to join American Stage — has directed the show before.
Look, it’s not Mr. Burns. We don’t need every theater in town to be the same. We do need every theater to bring their A-game. We need every theater to take risks, to push the envelope. I hope American Stage is about to do that once again.
Here’s hoping for a great season from American Stage. Good luck, Ms. Gularte and Mr. Sorenson.
This article appears in Sep 8-15, 2016.
