Thursday, June 18, 2009
Notes from Patrick
David,My post:I'll try to answer the three questions together by saying I've beenmissing AKAtheatre these days. Not so much any particular plays in mind, more so theapproach to theatre they had, rough around the edges, moody, often dark, etc.They provided something that rounded out (probably the wrong metaphor sincethey were rough around the edges) our theatre possibilities and would be niceto attend again . . . as a corollary/contrast to the fine possibilitieswe have(and which I am grateful for . . . ) There was something about duckinginto thatdark space and really not knowing what you were about to get that wasneat. Itbrings to mind that there are many many memorable theatre experiences(the timeI laughed SO HARD with my students at an ATC production of "Art", the time ISOBBED UNCONTROLLABLY after seeing Sappo and Cindy Meier in "Cat in a Hot TinRoof," (there are many more) and the time I thrilled at seeing a very amateurproduction of O'Neill's "Mourning Becomes Electra" (which I'd dutifully readbefore attending) as performed by a "first time acting" troupe performing insome church space on the East Side . . . and what was most thrilling about itwas the fact that I walked in late and had the feeling that . . . well, it'shard to describe . . . here were these actors performing in some out ofthe wayplace to a small handful of spectators, doing this huge play, and it was alittle chilly outside, and a little cramped inside, and for all the world'sconcern nobody knew the play was on, except the actors, that smallhandful, andmyself, and the ducking into that space was like finding a hole in someroof asa kid and crawling into the attic, to disappear for a while, to see theinsides, to maybe find something to take away, or maybe not. I guess, in away, AKA was like that . . . you "ducked" inside, you had to, the entrance waslow (or is this just in my recollection of it . . . ) yes, and now I don'tremember the third (or was it the second) question . . .Patrick
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Thank you Patrick. Yes, my gosh, a.k.a. theatre existed on a one play per month schedule, and Meg and co weren't afraid to try anything. The company grew out of a group at the UA at the time called student repertory theatre I believe. They were an independent group, meaning not part of the theatre department. When they eventually organized as a.k.a. and moved into that space on congress, my dad went down and helped Web build the original stage in the place. Web was always very kind and enthusiastic in telling me later about tricks of the trade in carpentry he learned in those few days working with my dad. When I came back to town and directed a show there once, the first thing I said was the stage has to go - so we ripped it up in ceremonial fashion late one night.
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