As an audience member, it’s up to you if you see a show again. As a crew person in the booth, I’ve signed on for the entire run of the show. I have to see every performance. When Over the Tavern ends on June 13^th, I will have seen it 36 times. True I’ve probably seen the films King Solomon’s Mines or All About Eve that many times, but that’s over a lifetime. I did see The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center 15 times, but that was over about 14 months. Over the Tavern I will have seen at least 36 times in about 6 weeks. That’s a lot.

Other than the fact that I have to be there, what makes it possible to watch a play so many times? It’s never the same twice. The actors will occasionally try something a little differently…a line faster or slower. Or an actor will mess up a line and have to recover, or a prop isn’t where it’s supposed to be. But mostly, the audience changes the show. Some audiences are quiet. Some are raucous. Some you can almost hear them listening. It’s fascinating, actually. You can feel the mood of the people as they enter the theater. Their individual personalities, or electricity, or vibe, combining and forming An Audience. I would say all of our audiences have enjoyed the play. Sometimes they are very quiet, not laughing where an audience was hysterical the night before yet jumping to their feet at the curtain call. I, of course, love the audiences that buzz…not with alcohol or anything, but with an openness, an eagerness, an “I’m ready to take this journey with you.”

Some nights I love the show. It’s always moving, funny, well-written, but sometimes it’s sloooooooow and sometimes it flies by, even though the running time varies only by a few minutes. On the slow days I daydream, or write, in the booth. I pay attention when I need to. Don’t want to miss a cue!

What the audience doesn’t see (I hope) is the small network behind the scenes. The production stage manager (PSM), the house manager, the assistant stage manager (ASM), lights/sound board operator (me!) are on headsets, chatting and getting ready to put on a show. The house manager tells the PSM that everyone is or isn’t seated. The PSM asks the ASM to get the actors in their places, ready to go on after Joe Brancato—Penguin’s founder, Artistic Director, fearless leader, father/uncle/brother, soul, and warm-up act all rolled into one—does or doesn’t make his speech. The PSM tells the rest of us what to do and when. It’s a tough job: kind of like being the brain of an octopus but with no control over your arms. I’m two of her arms. She’ll say “Stand by lights 1 through 5, house to half, house out, sound 300 to 303” and I get ready. When she says “Go,” I do it. We all work really well together, the machine behind the brave actors who actually go on stage and become the people the playwright wrote.

When something goes wrong, it’s slightly horrifying. When it all goes well, it’s exciting. My first show, I messed up a sound cue. Badly. AWFULLY. I told Joe, thinking it was better coming from me, rather than someone else telling him. “I messed up, Joe,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t yell or fire me. He said, “GREAT! It’s live theater!” Amen to that.

ME:  Now I lay me down to sleep.  I pray the Lord to… to… to make me a successful playwright!!

JESUS: Who goes there?

ME:  It’s me, dear Jesus, having just arrived in the Big Apple and wanting success so bad I can taste it!

JESUS:  Last time I heard from you, you wanted to be the King of Buffalo Dinner Theatre.  That wasn’t enough?

ME:  Well, the thing is, I was just a kid then.  I’m really focused now and I can tell you exactly what I want in great detail!  What I want now is my own artistic home.  A theatre that will take me to its bosom and produce my plays.  An artistic director so colorful and bombastic he should be a play character all by himself.  A fellow who, with every play idea I mention, will giddily respond, “We’re sittin’ on gold!”

JESUS:  I think I’ve got the guy.  Loves Sophia Loren and Siamese Twins.

ME:  Fine.  But this theatre, it shouldn’t be in the noisy, smelly city.  It should be in the country where the cow manure roams free.  It should be a theatre in graceful, bucolic surroundings.  Perhaps housed in an old wooden, an old wooden – well, you’ll think of something.  And there should be trees for me to sleep under while I’m pretending to rewrite.  And if I ever get married (to a Christian, thank you very much!) they should feel sorry for my wife and let her run the lights and sound for my shows.  And since this idyllic country theatre will be set in an Upstate New York farm setting, could it please be named after some sort of arctic bird?

JESUS:  It’s a tall order…

ME:  Jeepers!  If I had all this I’d be so happy, and I’d write plays about you!

JESUS:  Granted!

ME: What?

JESUS:  You heard me.

ME: My wish?  All of it?

JESUS:  Ask and ye shall receive.

ME:  Jesus, you’re the best!

JESUS:  I know, right?  I’ll see you upstate in thirty years.

ME:  (Spit take!) Cough-sputter—What?!  Thirty years?  But I want it all now!

JESUS:  Then maybe you should have bothered to sit your sorry ass in church once in a while.

TOM:  But I –

JESUS: Thank you.  Next.

This reading also inaugurated my position as the new Literary Manager here. I knew I was excited to take on the role, but after meeting our audience, and sharing in how you all engaged in such spirited conversation about this new work, I couldn’t feel more grateful to be welcomed into such a warm home.

It is inspiring to be amongst debate about a new play. Plays have the privilege, I believe, of being social animals. Starting from the playwright’s process, even writing a play is a social experience. Writing a play requires the playwright to build a world for her characters, and to live in that world with them. While writing, the playwright must talk to her characters, and allow those characters to talk to each other. The experience of seeing a play is just as social— how many times have we gone to the theatre and felt the play was speaking right to us? We know those people on stage; they know us too. As the audience, we share our time-space continuum with that of the piece on stage. In best case scenario, the two blur and intertwine.

So to be able to then discuss that, to me, completes the social circle and experience of going to the theatre. The opportunity to acknowledge how a play has stirred us, to even argue with each other about those emotions and intellectual musings, is so satisfying. Especially in the case of developing a new play with a playwright, conversation is key to recognizing the experience we all just had. And conversation helps the playwright to imagine how to improve our collective, and individual, experiences of the work.

Monday night’s talk-back was just a glimpse for me into the vibrant minds and strong hearts in our Penguin audience. I can’t wait until the next reading on June 21st, and to get to know you all better through this wonderful world of theatre.

Play On,

Samantha

I am the Penguin Rep house manager, a job I take great pride in. My responibility is to ensure that the show starts on time. To coordinate with our volunteers, making certain that we are fully staffed, and to keep everything and everyone organized; ensuring that everyone is comfortable while attending our performances. With the start of our 2010 season only days away, and a busy week ahead with previews, opening, and our first read playing next Monday. I am rewarded with that thrill I experenced long ago, that same rush in anticipation in knowing that I still get to work in the same field I’d loved growing up.

My job is fueled by our amazing staff  and our dedicated volunteers. Whom continue to show such amazing passion not only for this theatre, but for the arts in general. I am proud that I get the chance to work along side such amazing talents and wonderful human beings, and call each and everyone of you my friends. As I continue to embark on my journey, I am remained as to why I venture on this path. Humbled at every opptunatity that Joe and Andrew has given me. For the wonderful friends I have made. The knowledge I have acquired. Lastly, the many miles that I have traveled, and will continue to travel along this journey. Lets us have another amazing year at Penguin, and I will see you all at the theatre!

Matthew Hill

and as we artists often take the most coincidental events as seminal moments (Why not? That is how we convey and create dreams), just yesterday I had the pleasure of Marshall Mason’s company as I attended the Bdway revival of LEND ME A TENOR as his guest. As student and young director, Mr Mason and his now legendary Circle Rep Company in Greenwich Village, was my greatest source for inspiration and strength to begin my own efforts in converting the barn and creating Penguin Rep. Observing his impeccable taste and intelligence in staging was the bar I had to set for myself. I don’t know if I have achieved my goal but certainly I still call his talent to mind in many a rehearsal hall.

Seeing TENOR with him after not seeing him for many years (he now lives in Mexico) was combining the sublime with the ridiculous. The dinner theatre feel of the production must have been offensive to my mentor’s sensibility but his smart, gentle manner was at all times gracious; perhaps another lesson I can learn (naah!)
Dinner went on for hours as we spoke of great actors and writers he had worked with and he told me of his new book which will document all the great productions and his plans to return to Bdway next season with TALLEY’S FOLLY staring Mr Schiff from West Wing fame and Robin Wright Penn.

Today we have finalized the casting for FREED opening in NYC at 59E59thSt Theatre on June 13: Emma O’Donnell, Sheldon Best and Cristopher McCann rounds out the cast!

Link to TheaterMania article