"Blithe Spirit was the first play I remember seeing. ​I have no idea how old I was, my mother and I went, she played Mrs. Bradman in the 60s at the Green Ram Theatre. As soon as Elvira entered I was enthralled. The actress looked like she as having so much fun. I wanted to have that much fun too! I laughed at these British people talking for 2 1/2 hours.

​When Dan told me he was directing this show with Strollers I was thrilled. I couldn't wait to audition! Then when the casting came out and I saw all of the wonderful humans I would get to play with I was thrilled again. It has been a really fun experience getting to work with some people for the first time and some again. And I'm eternally grateful that I've gotten to spend the last few months working with my talented husband/director."

Jessica Jane Witham as Elvira
​Photo by Dan Myers

​"I know that taking on the role of Ruth would be a challenge, but that is what every actor loves. Ruth is such an interesting character, and while I do see some similarities between us, she is unlike any character I have played before. Plus, the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of people either for the first time or again is always a treat.

​Blithe Spirit has definitely been an unexpected journey, but I am glad to be along for the ride."

Alicia McCanna as Ruth
​with Jessica Jane Witham
​Photo by Dan Myers

"I seem to keep getting cast in roles as an old man (very old) with a young love interest (very young) – always a beautiful young woman. What’s up with that? I haven’t the slightest idea, but perhaps it’s best not to look this gift horse too closely in the mouth, so to speak. That I happen to be gay is neither here nor there. I’m an actor, so I love whomever my director tells me to love.

In Blithe Spirit, Dan Myers tells me to love Stephanie Frank. Okay. I’m good with that. I just hope she is. She is smoking hot. She’s also a terrific actor. It doesn’t get any better than that."

Coleman
​Photo by Dan Myers​

"I first saw "Blithe Spirit" preformed at American Players Theater, and it lit a fire in me to return to the stage after a ten year hiatus. There I was, on the edge of my seat, laughing and relating to characters from a play written over 70 years ago—that’s incredible! It reminded me how magical theater can be, and that I needed it in my life. Now, 5 years later, I have been given the opportunity to pay homage to the show that reignited my passion. On top of that, the talent of this cast and crew leaves me speechless after every rehearsal. Could I be any luckier?

​Edith has been a delightful character to play and we have a lot in common—both of us don’t always know what’s going on and occasionally miss social cues. In addition, Edith is teaching me some quality lessons—always try your best, don’t take life too seriously, and find the joy in running! (The last part isn’t sinking in.)"

Carrie Sweet
​Photo by Dan Myers

​From Wikipedia:
 
A community is a social unit of any size that shares common values, or that is situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a village or town). It is a group of people who are connected by durable relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties, and who usually define that relationship as important to their social identity and practice.
 
Why do we come together to create this art we call theatre?
                The easy answer is that we couldn’t do it alone, but I think there is more to it than that.
 
When I look back at the experiences I have had in the many productions I have been a part of over the last 25 years, there is a pretty clear delineation between those I would call successful and those I would put in the category of “learning experiences”. It has almost nothing to do with how many tickets were sold or what the critics thought of it.

It really comes down to this:
a)       Did I enjoy the process?
b)       Was my involvement with the production valued?
c)       Did I feel connected to my fellow cast/crew members?
 
 For the productions I can answer yes to all 3 of those questions, I would place all of them at the top of my list for the best shows I have ever been a part of and they are associated with the most fond memories. There are people from these productions that I have not seen in over a decade (though some I still interact with on social media) who I would still consider very close friends and I would jump at the chance to work with them again.
 
This is what I hope Strollers volunteers will take away from all of our productions. Is that a lofty goal? Yes. Will there still be times when we don’t live up to it? Probably, but we can always improve. The key here is not to achieve perfection, but to identify exactly what success looks like for us so we can focus our efforts and development strategies to give us the best possible chance to achieve that success.
 
How will success in this one area help the company continue to grow and thrive as a non-profit business in the Madison arts community?
 
As we have learned, for the company to survive, we need to succeed in these key areas:
a)       As a membership organization, we need regular and enthusiastic participation from our membership/volunteers.
b)       The number of members needs to be maintained, and hopefully grow over the years.
c)       We need to provide a quality theatrical experience that will keep our audiences coming back and growing to include new and expanded demographics.
d)       We need to recruit strong, experienced leadership for the board and provide them with the tools and support necessary to maintain and grow the business side of our organization.
e)       We need to solicit and collect charitable donations to help meet our budgetary needs while keeping our ticket prices as affordable as possible.
 
 I am in no way suggesting that providing a sense of community within each of our productions will be the silver bullet that will guarantee success in all of these areas, but I do believe that without it, no amount of hard work and dedication by the core volunteers we now have will ever be enough to sustain us for another 60 years. What Community does provide is a baseline of good will, and volunteers and members come away with a feeling of inclusion in a worthwhile enterprise. It also improves individual productions by creating a working environment where actors and designers feel safe enough to explore and take risks, knowing their cast mates and crew are supporting them.
 
Next time:  What steps can we take right now to help promote this sense of community in each of our productions, and within our organization as a whole?

​contributed by Matt Korda

"I was initially super surprised to be cast as Mrs. Bradman. When I read Blithe Spirit, I noticed the stage directions described her as “fair and faded”. So I imagined her as this flighty, apologetic, and colorless woman in her 50s. Instead, Dan had envisioned Mrs. Bradman as a gossip-hungry, gold-digging trophy wife. Which character sounds more interesting? I was instantly sold on the idea and couldn’t wait to get to work. If I do my job right, people are going to hate Mrs. Bradman. Which I LOVE. Being a sort of villain is a total blast!"

Stephanie Frank as Mrs. Bradman
​Photo by Dan Myers​

"I have loved this script since I played Dr. Bradman in a (maybe not-so-great) High School production, approximately XXX years ago. For years, my parents would talk about how much they laughed and enjoyed the show, and I love...d their support. Now, years later, when I had a chance to help build the current Strollers season, I was excited to pitch the idea to the rest of the board. Even though my memory of the characters was quite fond, I was surprised to find how comically unlikable the characters can be. As an actor, it is important to like your character and not to judge them, to find a reason for their actions and play their reality. So, this has been a fun process of creating Charles' character. The rest of the cast is a dream to work with, and I look forward to sharing Blithe Spirit with an audience. Cheers!"

Scott Bennett (with Jessica Jane Witham)
​Photo by Dan Meyers

"Why did I want to do Blithe Spirit? Two words: Noël Coward. He wrote Private Lives (my favorite play of all time) and the play on which Brief Encounter, my favorite movie of all time, is based (Still Life). Nobody did those, so here I am.

Also, Madame Arcati – like there isn’t an actress alive who wouldn’t love to play her. I’m so glad I’m the right age at the right time. Seriously – that’s trickier than you think. This whole thing is a such a gift. I hope I do it justice."

​Submitted by Rebecca Raether
​Photo by Dan Meyers of Rebecca Raether and Jessica Jane Witham

​

​Just over a week ago, we (Strollers Theatre LTD) closed a wonderful production of George Bernard Shaw’s Misalliance. I was the co-producer for this production, and as Vice-president of the board of directors for Strollers Theatre LTD, I was heavily invested in the success of this production, and I mean “success” on many levels. I can confidently say that we succeeded on most of those levels to a very high degree, and even where we fell short of our goals, we did not miss by much.
 
The number one goal I had for this production was to ensure that those involved were getting something from it that has inspired me to put so much of my personal time, money and heart into every production I am involved with; A sense of community.
 
We succeeded in that beyond my wildest expectations.
 
I have had gigs in what is referred to as “Professional Theater”, and almost all of them were fantastic experiences. But my heart belongs to Community Theater, and here, I will attempt to explain why.
 
Many people don’t even like the term “Community Theater”. They say it carries a negative stigma. To them, it somehow diminishes the product, and maybe on the purely commercial/commodity level it does. But theater, in my opinion, should never be confused with a commodity. Yes, we must sell tickets in order to produce it on any level above back yard players, and there is a need to attend to the business side of any theater company (something too often overlooked), but Theater as an art, is not the same thing as theater business. Community Theater can exist in many forms, and inhabits many levels of production quality. From the casual back yard players all the way to Off-Off Broadway productions with relatively large budgets. What is at the heart of it though, and what I can’t ever see myself doing theater without, is “community”. To call it “Non-professional theater”, or “Amateur Theater” literally rips the heart out of it for me. Many “Professional Theaters” have some aspect of community to them, and in my experience, it makes them stronger from a business standpoint and also improves the quality of the art they produce.
 
Theater is a collaborative art. A strong sense of community improves collaboration between the artists involved in creating the art of the theater, and gives everyone ownership of the business of producing and presenting that art to an audience. And yes, the audience can play a very important role in that community as well.
 
The sense of community we built within this production was strong, and will last well past the point where I placed the ghost light on the stage and locked the doors. It is the kind of experience I hope will continue to define what it is to be a part of Strollers Theatre for many years to come.
 
Roughly a quarter century ago, I had my first legitimate role in a small community theater production in Denver, Colorado. The part was non-speaking, and I wore a mask the entire time I was on stage. There was no glamour, no pay, no adoring fans, but I did get my name in the program:  Guard 1 – Matthew Korda
 
It felt more “right” than just about anything I had done in my life. Thus began my career in community theater.
 
It wasn’t until about 2 years later that I got my next on-stage roll, but I was heavily involved with many productions in the interim. I have not gone an entire season without some involvement in theater since that first production, and I plan to keep that up until the day I die… Maybe longer.
 
Next time:
How do we promote this sense of community in our productions, and what do we expect to accomplish?

​- Matthew Korda