Staged Right Theatre
By February of 2015, I had more than 20 years of teaching, directing, stage managing, and leading theatres and theatre programs under my belt. Knowing my experience and my passion for community theatre, a friend reached out to me and connected me with a young local actor/director named Robyn Summerour, who had a vision for a community theatre named Staged Right, and who was looking for people to help make it a reality. After meeting Robyn, I could see that their enthusiasm was indomitable; they just didn’t have the experience to start something from the ground up. Having done the ground-up thing before with Coup de Theatre Atlanta in Little Five Points, I was all too aware of the time, energy, and stress that went into building a community theatre in the right way. I was happy to advise, but cautious about getting too involved.
Over time, Robyn’s passion and enthusiasm was infectious, and convinced me that they were looking to build something that honored the "community" part of community. Before long, I found myself moving from role of advisor to accepting the position as Artistic Director. I helped them build a strong board of local theatre and business people, and I worked on recruiting other staff members.
While building our board, we simultaneously explored Gwinnett County for a place to put down roots. We had no intention of being a community theatre in name only – we intended to fully root ourselves in a community that wanted, needed, and welcomed a theatre. We wanted to be part of the community in every way possible. After exploring a few options, it became clear that Lilburn, GA was that community. We participated in several local events over the course of a few months, speaking with residents about the possibility of a community theatre. The responses were overwhelmingly enthusiastic.
We found that not only were the residents of Lilburn seeking to fill the void left by the closing of Arcado Community Theatre, they were seeking the kind of theatre we wanted to create. They would not be satisfied with a diet consisting solely of community theatre staples; they wanted to be introduced to theatre that was new and different. They wanted theatre that would stimulate them, and they wanted it to be quality theatre. We were excited to fill that need.
The mission of Staged Right Theatre was to bring theatre to the community and to bring the community to theatre. Our purpose was to develop and nurture diverse talent in a safe environment while performing community outreach through quality theatre and service to the community. We achieved this by not only making sure the community was involved in our shows, but by participating in local community events, offering workshops, and holding an annual fundraiser, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS), where attendees had the opportunity to eat, peruse local artwork, and view various theatre demonstrations. Then they were treated to a full-length play on an outdoor stage, with the sunset serving as the curtain rising.
Under my leadership as Artistic Director, Staged Right Theatre produced the following shows:
Mark Twain’s The Diaries of Adam and Eve, adapted by David Birney (TUTS)
Angel Street, by Patrick Hamilton
Every Brilliant Thing, by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe
Matt & Ben, by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers
A Round-Heeled Woman, by Jane Juska, adapted by Jane Prowse
Constellations by Nick Payne (TUTS)
Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson
Bug by Tracey Letts
Old Love by Norm Foster
Visitors by Barney Norris
'night, Mother by Marsha Norman
Talley's Folly by Lanford Wilson (TUTS)
Wait! by Julie Jensen
Almost, Maine by John Cariani
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Act A Lady by Jordan Harrison
Jerry Finnegan's Sister by Jack Neary (TUTS)
Over time, Robyn’s passion and enthusiasm was infectious, and convinced me that they were looking to build something that honored the "community" part of community. Before long, I found myself moving from role of advisor to accepting the position as Artistic Director. I helped them build a strong board of local theatre and business people, and I worked on recruiting other staff members.
While building our board, we simultaneously explored Gwinnett County for a place to put down roots. We had no intention of being a community theatre in name only – we intended to fully root ourselves in a community that wanted, needed, and welcomed a theatre. We wanted to be part of the community in every way possible. After exploring a few options, it became clear that Lilburn, GA was that community. We participated in several local events over the course of a few months, speaking with residents about the possibility of a community theatre. The responses were overwhelmingly enthusiastic.
We found that not only were the residents of Lilburn seeking to fill the void left by the closing of Arcado Community Theatre, they were seeking the kind of theatre we wanted to create. They would not be satisfied with a diet consisting solely of community theatre staples; they wanted to be introduced to theatre that was new and different. They wanted theatre that would stimulate them, and they wanted it to be quality theatre. We were excited to fill that need.
The mission of Staged Right Theatre was to bring theatre to the community and to bring the community to theatre. Our purpose was to develop and nurture diverse talent in a safe environment while performing community outreach through quality theatre and service to the community. We achieved this by not only making sure the community was involved in our shows, but by participating in local community events, offering workshops, and holding an annual fundraiser, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS), where attendees had the opportunity to eat, peruse local artwork, and view various theatre demonstrations. Then they were treated to a full-length play on an outdoor stage, with the sunset serving as the curtain rising.
Under my leadership as Artistic Director, Staged Right Theatre produced the following shows:
Mark Twain’s The Diaries of Adam and Eve, adapted by David Birney (TUTS)
Angel Street, by Patrick Hamilton
Every Brilliant Thing, by Duncan Macmillan, with Jonny Donahoe
Matt & Ben, by Mindy Kaling and Brenda Withers
A Round-Heeled Woman, by Jane Juska, adapted by Jane Prowse
Constellations by Nick Payne (TUTS)
Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson
Bug by Tracey Letts
Old Love by Norm Foster
Visitors by Barney Norris
'night, Mother by Marsha Norman
Talley's Folly by Lanford Wilson (TUTS)
Wait! by Julie Jensen
Almost, Maine by John Cariani
A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
Act A Lady by Jordan Harrison
Jerry Finnegan's Sister by Jack Neary (TUTS)
BGCBC Performing Arts
In January of 2007, I packed up my life and moved down to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where I had accepted a position as Artistic Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County's (BGCBC) Performing Arts Center. BGCBC had established their performing arts center in 1993 to draw in kids who were not caught up in the sports programs, and give them a viable alternative to the streets. I absolutely loved that idea, and I had already developed a real affinity for working with teen actors through some of the shows I had directed at County Seat Players. I was fascinated with the way the teens I worked with opened themselves up in ways adults did not. I was completely taken with the process of watching them grow as actors over the course of one production. In all my theatre career, I had always got a special enjoyment out of bringing things out of my actors that they didn't know were there - whether it was taking someone who didn't consider herself an actor at all and showing her what she could do on stage, or taking someone who already knew he was an actor and showing him how much more he could do. What better slate to start with than kids and teens?
As Artistic Director with BGCBC, it was my job to oversee the annual Original Spring Musical, the Holiday Showcase, and the drama outreach program. I worked closely with Michelle White, my supervisor who quickly became my mentor, on these programs. I worked to hire the best drama teachers available for our drama outreach program, which consisted of sending teachers out to the 12 different clubs in Broward County to teach drama classes to members from the age of 7 to 18.
As Artistic Director of the performing arts program, I oversaw the creation and production of the following musicals:
Two Worlds, One Love
The Mystery of Gachet
The Beats, the Birds, and the Book
As Artistic Director with BGCBC, it was my job to oversee the annual Original Spring Musical, the Holiday Showcase, and the drama outreach program. I worked closely with Michelle White, my supervisor who quickly became my mentor, on these programs. I worked to hire the best drama teachers available for our drama outreach program, which consisted of sending teachers out to the 12 different clubs in Broward County to teach drama classes to members from the age of 7 to 18.
As Artistic Director of the performing arts program, I oversaw the creation and production of the following musicals:
Two Worlds, One Love
The Mystery of Gachet
The Beats, the Birds, and the Book
Coup de Theatre Atlanta
In late 2006, a dear friend of mine opened a restaurant in Little Five Points, dubbed "Grandma Luke's Bakery & Cafe". I had met Carl and developed a friendship with him when he joined the cast of "Breaking Legs" at County Seat Players, which I was directing. An amazing chef first and foremost, Carl also had theatre strongly in his blood, and wanted to bring dinner theatre to his intimate restaurant. He and I spoke about my bringing a show to Little Five Points, but what Carl really wanted was for dinner theatre to be a regular part of Grandma Luke's offerings. He had gone so far as to build a small stage in the back corner of the restaurant. It didn't take much on my part to jump at the opportunity to start my own theatre group in Little Five Points!
With mixed feelings, I wrote to the board of County Seat Players and tendered my resignation as Artistic Director. It was definitely a bittersweet moment, but I really felt it was the best thing for all. I then spoke to Sally Adair (Sally Cone at the time), whom I had worked with on "John Lennon and Me". I had been impressed by her dedication to the show, and her enthusiasm for contributing more than just her stellar acting skills to the production. She had been instrumental in making several things happen with that show, and I knew she was studying Theatre Management at school. She seemed the ideal choice to partner with as Managing Director, and she quickly came onboard. Over several meetings, we struggled with the trips and pitfalls of starting your own group, from the seemingly simple task of naming the group, to filing the legal paperwork. It wasn't easy, but we got things done, and eventually settled on the moniker "Coup de Theatre Atlanta". I had come across the term "coup de theatre", meaning "a sudden or unexpected event in a play", and we were absolutely drawn to the concept of pulling our group out of the norm and doing unexpected things with it. Appending "Atlanta" to the title staked our territory, and we were ready to go.
Our first show was "The Complete History of America (Abridged)", a show that is not common community theatre fare. We found three actors, held rehearsals in Sally's office, teched at Grandma Luke's, and opened to a captivated audience in December, 2006. Between Carl's cooking and our performance, the show was considered a success by all who attended, and Coup de Theatre Atlanta had officially arrived on the theatre scene. Sally focused on the financial side of things, keeping us financially accountable and on budget, while I focused on developing a season that would draw the audience out. The two of us worked together on fundraising and publicity ideas, and in late 2007 brought on two more board members, Jesse Weintraub and Elissa Brown.
My vision for Coup de Theatre Atlanta was, as evidenced in the name, to do unexpected things in the community theatre scene. I've never been a fan of creating theatre purely for shock value, so that was not the direction in which I moved. Instead, I strove to seek out shows that were not commonly seen in community theatre, while keeping a strict standard of artistic value. I had no intention of producing a show that was "different" if it wasn't also "quality". To that end, it was always my goal to move into producing at least half of our season with entirely original scripts, although our first year was spent with established, published scripts to get our footing financially and to establish a reputation of artistically sound productions that any playwright would feel comfortable in our hands. I opened up our website to submissions from playwrights, and was privileged to receive a number of submissions that I was excited to one day produce.
Unfortunately, life never happens as planned. Before we were able to produce any original plays, Coup de Theatre Atlanta itself ran into a few roadblocks, one being that despite rave internet reviews and amazing food, Grandma Luke's was not able to draw the business it needed, and closed its doors in late 2007. Sally and I quickly got to work finding another venue, which Sally discovered in the form of Relapse Theatre. An improv and stand-up theatre in downtown Atlanta, they were willing to partner with Coup de Theatre Atlanta and give us a new home.
As this was happening, however, I was offered a job in Fort Lauderdale, running the performing arts program for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, and at a board meeting to discuss the future of Coup de Theatre Atlanta, I announced my resignation. Sally took on my role as Artistic Director, Elissa stepped up as Managing Director, and Jesse became the newly appointed Marketing Director. Those three amazing women took Coup de Theatre Atlanta to Relapse Theatre as I took myself down to a whole new path in Florida.
Under my leadership as Artistic Director, Coup de Theatre Atlanta produced the following shows:
The Complete History of America {Abridged} by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor
The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
Wait! by Julie Jensen
Closer by Patrick Marber
With mixed feelings, I wrote to the board of County Seat Players and tendered my resignation as Artistic Director. It was definitely a bittersweet moment, but I really felt it was the best thing for all. I then spoke to Sally Adair (Sally Cone at the time), whom I had worked with on "John Lennon and Me". I had been impressed by her dedication to the show, and her enthusiasm for contributing more than just her stellar acting skills to the production. She had been instrumental in making several things happen with that show, and I knew she was studying Theatre Management at school. She seemed the ideal choice to partner with as Managing Director, and she quickly came onboard. Over several meetings, we struggled with the trips and pitfalls of starting your own group, from the seemingly simple task of naming the group, to filing the legal paperwork. It wasn't easy, but we got things done, and eventually settled on the moniker "Coup de Theatre Atlanta". I had come across the term "coup de theatre", meaning "a sudden or unexpected event in a play", and we were absolutely drawn to the concept of pulling our group out of the norm and doing unexpected things with it. Appending "Atlanta" to the title staked our territory, and we were ready to go.
Our first show was "The Complete History of America (Abridged)", a show that is not common community theatre fare. We found three actors, held rehearsals in Sally's office, teched at Grandma Luke's, and opened to a captivated audience in December, 2006. Between Carl's cooking and our performance, the show was considered a success by all who attended, and Coup de Theatre Atlanta had officially arrived on the theatre scene. Sally focused on the financial side of things, keeping us financially accountable and on budget, while I focused on developing a season that would draw the audience out. The two of us worked together on fundraising and publicity ideas, and in late 2007 brought on two more board members, Jesse Weintraub and Elissa Brown.
My vision for Coup de Theatre Atlanta was, as evidenced in the name, to do unexpected things in the community theatre scene. I've never been a fan of creating theatre purely for shock value, so that was not the direction in which I moved. Instead, I strove to seek out shows that were not commonly seen in community theatre, while keeping a strict standard of artistic value. I had no intention of producing a show that was "different" if it wasn't also "quality". To that end, it was always my goal to move into producing at least half of our season with entirely original scripts, although our first year was spent with established, published scripts to get our footing financially and to establish a reputation of artistically sound productions that any playwright would feel comfortable in our hands. I opened up our website to submissions from playwrights, and was privileged to receive a number of submissions that I was excited to one day produce.
Unfortunately, life never happens as planned. Before we were able to produce any original plays, Coup de Theatre Atlanta itself ran into a few roadblocks, one being that despite rave internet reviews and amazing food, Grandma Luke's was not able to draw the business it needed, and closed its doors in late 2007. Sally and I quickly got to work finding another venue, which Sally discovered in the form of Relapse Theatre. An improv and stand-up theatre in downtown Atlanta, they were willing to partner with Coup de Theatre Atlanta and give us a new home.
As this was happening, however, I was offered a job in Fort Lauderdale, running the performing arts program for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. It was an opportunity I couldn't pass up, and at a board meeting to discuss the future of Coup de Theatre Atlanta, I announced my resignation. Sally took on my role as Artistic Director, Elissa stepped up as Managing Director, and Jesse became the newly appointed Marketing Director. Those three amazing women took Coup de Theatre Atlanta to Relapse Theatre as I took myself down to a whole new path in Florida.
Under my leadership as Artistic Director, Coup de Theatre Atlanta produced the following shows:
The Complete History of America {Abridged} by Adam Long, Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor
The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler
Wait! by Julie Jensen
Closer by Patrick Marber
County Seat Players
In February of 2004, having somewhat recently moved to the Atlanta area, I ran across a community theatre group on the web called County Seat Players. At the time, it carried the distinction of being one of the oldest community theatre groups in Gwinnett County, and I was intrigued. I contacted them to see about volunteering with their organization, and was quickly drawn into their production of “Buy Me Blue Ribbons” (Sumner Locke Elliott). They were rehearsing at a church, painting sets in someone’s basement, and performing at a local high school – all in all, reminiscent of the found-space theatre I loved. I served as stage manager for that production, and soon after was invited to sit on the board.
Thrilled at the invitation, I sat on the board for six months, before being elected Artistic Director of County Seat Players in August of 2004. As Artistic Director, I strove to update CSP’s repertoire to appeal to a wider range of audiences, mixing classic favorites with less common fare, and even bringing in an original script by a local playwright and actor*. During my tenure, I am proud to say I was a strong part of the team that brought County Seat Players two of the most successful seasons they had enjoyed in years. I developed relationships in the community, and coordinated County Seat Players' participation in several local downtown festivals and events. I approved plays for the season, and in addition to directing several of the productions, I worked with other community directors who directed shows for County Seat Players. I coordinated between directors, publicity, set design, lighting design and anything else they needed. I always made sure to attend several rehearsals to keep the lines of communication open. As County Seat Players was a theatre without a home, I negotiated with outside venues and coordinated load-ins, tech rehearsals, and load-outs. I was also in charge of the design and layout of our programs and fliers for the shows. And, as with all CSP members, I enjoyed filling in spots where needed, selling tickets, running lights/sound, working stage crew, building sets, etc.
My slightly more than two years as Artistic Director for County Seat Players was one of the best experiences of my life. I was privileged to work with some of the most talented people I’ve met in my career, as well as some of the most dedicated and passionate. When I tendered my resignation as Artistic Director in October of 2004, it was not an easy decision for me to make. Prompted by the opportunity to start a new group in Little Five Points, I felt it was time for a change of pace for both myself and for County Seat Players. I continued to support County Seat Players as a board member until December of 2007, when I moved to Florida.
While I was Artistic Director, County Seat Players produced the following shows:
Gas and Candles by David Henry Wilson
Breaking Legs by Tom Dulack
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare {Abridged} by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit adapted by Brainerd Duffield
Jerry Finnegan's Sister by Jack Neary
The Complete Works of Charles Dickens (Condensed) by Steven Miller*
The Women by Clare Boothe Luce
John Lennon & Me by Cherie Bennett
Knock 'Em Dead by Tom Oldendick and Will Robertson
Thrilled at the invitation, I sat on the board for six months, before being elected Artistic Director of County Seat Players in August of 2004. As Artistic Director, I strove to update CSP’s repertoire to appeal to a wider range of audiences, mixing classic favorites with less common fare, and even bringing in an original script by a local playwright and actor*. During my tenure, I am proud to say I was a strong part of the team that brought County Seat Players two of the most successful seasons they had enjoyed in years. I developed relationships in the community, and coordinated County Seat Players' participation in several local downtown festivals and events. I approved plays for the season, and in addition to directing several of the productions, I worked with other community directors who directed shows for County Seat Players. I coordinated between directors, publicity, set design, lighting design and anything else they needed. I always made sure to attend several rehearsals to keep the lines of communication open. As County Seat Players was a theatre without a home, I negotiated with outside venues and coordinated load-ins, tech rehearsals, and load-outs. I was also in charge of the design and layout of our programs and fliers for the shows. And, as with all CSP members, I enjoyed filling in spots where needed, selling tickets, running lights/sound, working stage crew, building sets, etc.
My slightly more than two years as Artistic Director for County Seat Players was one of the best experiences of my life. I was privileged to work with some of the most talented people I’ve met in my career, as well as some of the most dedicated and passionate. When I tendered my resignation as Artistic Director in October of 2004, it was not an easy decision for me to make. Prompted by the opportunity to start a new group in Little Five Points, I felt it was time for a change of pace for both myself and for County Seat Players. I continued to support County Seat Players as a board member until December of 2007, when I moved to Florida.
While I was Artistic Director, County Seat Players produced the following shows:
Gas and Candles by David Henry Wilson
Breaking Legs by Tom Dulack
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare {Abridged} by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit adapted by Brainerd Duffield
Jerry Finnegan's Sister by Jack Neary
The Complete Works of Charles Dickens (Condensed) by Steven Miller*
The Women by Clare Boothe Luce
John Lennon & Me by Cherie Bennett
Knock 'Em Dead by Tom Oldendick and Will Robertson
