I would guess that everyone has noticed the absolute explosion of theatrical activity in Tucson in the last two - three years. Its fantastic! There are your standard productions, seasonal or not, by several companies, old and new. There are "late night" productions, lunch time drama productions, new play reading series, open stage nights, classes of all kind and probably other stuff I'm not hip to. As well as new groups and works in the planning stages. (And let's not forget those upcoming Stanislavsky presentations).
Its reminiscent of the early nineties when aka theatre, Tucson Art Theatre, One in Ten Theatre, Bloodhut Productions, Shanike Theatre, Barbea Williams Performance Company, Catalina Players, Old Pueblo Playwrights and others teamed with Arizona Theatre Company, Invisible Theatre, Borderlands Theatre and still others to form the Tucson Theatre Alliance. The Alliance began as a somewhat informal monthly gathering of theatre artists to discuss and/or take action on common ground, problems and successes. Later on it became a formal entity and continued a couple of years until the idea and desire came forth to "merge" with the State Alliance. After that I personally lost track. The existence of the Tucson Theatre Alliance at that time though is indicative of the activity that was happening then - exciting and diverse in its intent and format.
The current explosion of activity is a combination of theatre artists who have worked here in Tucson a long time, younger students and recent "immigrants from abroad." In the nineties we fretted over not having the proper space in which to perform. This group just says hey, if I can't have it at eight PM, I'll take it at eleven PM or noontime, or Monday night for that matter. I like that attitude! (Personally I can't act in the daylight or after 9pm hardly. Thats why I was always good in the first acts and not so good in second acts, terrible in matinees). There are actors and directors at work as we speak readying a work for production somewhere, somehow.
One thing I would personally love to see is more outdoor or street activity, festivals, parades, and bartered performances. I'm not talking about "happenings" or something like that. I mean a well rehearsed, produced and carried out event - could be improvisational or not, but should be just plain interesting. Day of the Dead Festival approaches this - is this - on a good scale. Hopefully it won't become too comercialized. I want to see people on giant stilts walking around, in big costumes, or commedia players in the courtyard at the Temple of Music and Art. I want to see The Cherry Orchard performed in the courtyard of the Tucson Museum of Art (think metaphorically of the Cherry Orchard as our local historic barrios - but don't set the play like it takes place in Tucson please). I want to see a new play festival produced all in "found" spaces, all within short walking distance of one another. I want a Stanislavsky Conference. I want an international exchange conference. I want plays in multiple languages or made up languages. I want performers strolling down the Rillito while spectators stand along the banks. I want the Southside Players, whoever and wherever they are, to emerge with some dynamic and aggressive performances - on the southside of Town! Is this too much to ask?
Those longings aside, it is indeed a great time to be a spectator in Tucson!
Its reminiscent of the early nineties when aka theatre, Tucson Art Theatre, One in Ten Theatre, Bloodhut Productions, Shanike Theatre, Barbea Williams Performance Company, Catalina Players, Old Pueblo Playwrights and others teamed with Arizona Theatre Company, Invisible Theatre, Borderlands Theatre and still others to form the Tucson Theatre Alliance. The Alliance began as a somewhat informal monthly gathering of theatre artists to discuss and/or take action on common ground, problems and successes. Later on it became a formal entity and continued a couple of years until the idea and desire came forth to "merge" with the State Alliance. After that I personally lost track. The existence of the Tucson Theatre Alliance at that time though is indicative of the activity that was happening then - exciting and diverse in its intent and format.
The current explosion of activity is a combination of theatre artists who have worked here in Tucson a long time, younger students and recent "immigrants from abroad." In the nineties we fretted over not having the proper space in which to perform. This group just says hey, if I can't have it at eight PM, I'll take it at eleven PM or noontime, or Monday night for that matter. I like that attitude! (Personally I can't act in the daylight or after 9pm hardly. Thats why I was always good in the first acts and not so good in second acts, terrible in matinees). There are actors and directors at work as we speak readying a work for production somewhere, somehow.
One thing I would personally love to see is more outdoor or street activity, festivals, parades, and bartered performances. I'm not talking about "happenings" or something like that. I mean a well rehearsed, produced and carried out event - could be improvisational or not, but should be just plain interesting. Day of the Dead Festival approaches this - is this - on a good scale. Hopefully it won't become too comercialized. I want to see people on giant stilts walking around, in big costumes, or commedia players in the courtyard at the Temple of Music and Art. I want to see The Cherry Orchard performed in the courtyard of the Tucson Museum of Art (think metaphorically of the Cherry Orchard as our local historic barrios - but don't set the play like it takes place in Tucson please). I want to see a new play festival produced all in "found" spaces, all within short walking distance of one another. I want a Stanislavsky Conference. I want an international exchange conference. I want plays in multiple languages or made up languages. I want performers strolling down the Rillito while spectators stand along the banks. I want the Southside Players, whoever and wherever they are, to emerge with some dynamic and aggressive performances - on the southside of Town! Is this too much to ask?
Those longings aside, it is indeed a great time to be a spectator in Tucson!
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