A theatrical renaissance A theatrical renaissance (January 28, 2005)

TheatreWorks celebrates 35th anniversary with a renewed commitment to quality

By Robyn Israel

One glance at the guest list for TheatreWorks' 35th anniversary party is proof positive of how far the Peninsula-based company has come.

Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein ("The Sisters Rosensweig," "The Heidi Chronicles") the gala event on Jan. 31 will also feature new work by Academy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz ("Wicked," "Godspell") and Andrew Lippa ("The Wild Party," "A Little Princess"). Not bad for a regional company whose first season included just one production: the world premiere of "Popcorn."

Thirty-five years later, TheatreWorks boasts an annual budget of $5.3 million, presenting eight productions each year -- a total of 253 performances. It has been home to 44 world premieres and 94 regional premieres.

"Thirty-five: It seems like a big number when I look at it on the page," said founder and artistic director Robert Kelley. "But when I think about the experience, it seems like a couple years. Although we've grown tremendously, the spirit of the company seems the same. The process of making theater, of getting large groups of people together, each skilled at a certain aspect of the arts, is very similar to what it was with our first play."

And Kelley is still creative, directing several productions each season. He is currently overseeing "Shakespeare in Hollywood," which opens on Saturday at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

Founded in 1970, TheatreWorks has grown from a small, local company to one that now carries a national reputation. It is that pedigree that has attracted music-theater icons like Schwartz, who teamed with his son, director Scott Schwartz ("Golda's Balcony") last year in the production of "My Antonia," a world premiere.

"It was exciting. It made for great theater," Kelley said. "The caliber of these people has taken TheatreWorks to a higher level."

TheatreWorks now stages at least one world premiere each year, Kelley said -- sometimes even two. Case in point: "A Little Princess," which was staged last August and featured music by Lippa, "America's next great musical composer," according to Kelley.

"I think Theatreworks' success has to do with a couple things," Lippa said. "First, they place a premium on playwrights and composers. New works get attention, and the relationships they've nurtured keep top writers coming back. I can't think of any other theater in the country that is more devoted to developing new musicals."

Another success was "Memphis," a world premiere that featured two major players in the world of theater and music: playwright Joe DiPietro ("I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change") and composer David Bryan, keyboardist for Bon Jovi.

According to Kelley, the "substantial growth" in the last five years has not occurred by chance.

"That period of time parallels a decision to commit the company to the development of new works for the American theater -- especially musical theater. It has attracted fascinating artists, and that has helped us attract more people to the company. It's encouraged people to support us."

Though TheatreWorks has a lengthy history, it did not really gain national prominence until six years ago, when Kelley decided to stage "Side Show," a piece about performing twin sisters joined at the hip. Written by Bill Russell (book and lyrics) and composer Henry Krieger, the show had not been a success on Broadway, but Kelley saw tremendous potential and forged ahead.

"Our show had a little more joy to it. It wasn't as dark an interpretation. And I think it had more comedy than the original production. It's intangible -- we really believed in it," Kelley said.

That, in turn, led to the world premiere in 2000 of "Everything's Ducky," by the same team that created "Side Show" (this time joined by co-writer Jeffrey Hatcher).

That started the ball rolling, in terms of attracting nationally known artists, Kelley said.

"And I believe we'll continue to see some of America's great writers bringing works to TheatreWorks with increasing frequency. Of course it's a tremendous financial challenge to do a new work of any kind -- it's three times harder (than a work that's already established). When it's a musical it's 10 times harder."

Another challenge, Kelley acknowledged, is keeping people interested in live theater, at a time when so many forms of entertainment vie for their attention.

"We're telling a story every year afresh, trying to essentially maintain an art form that's anything but a mass art form -- there's a limited number of seats and a limited number of people who can attend each night. It's keeping that idea afloat, at a time when so much out there is mass entertainment -- you can get it on Comcast without leaving your couch. I do feel we're an art form that needs to keep introducing itself to more and more people."

Another challenge has been the company's peripatetic productions, which alternate between the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. TheatreWorks also has rehearsal space in Mountain View, and office and workshop space in Menlo Park. There was talk several years ago of building a permanent home for the company, but the project never materialized.

"(It was more of a reality) when the boom was going on," Kelley said. "But when the economy stopped in its tracks, that project stopped in its tracks."

Undeterred, Kelley still finds his creative juices flowing at TheatreWorks after 35 years.

"I'm not looking for another job. I obviously love TheatreWorks," he said. "I love making theater and the collaboration it demands. It just takes so many different people." Kelley added that he gets re-inspired by working with people such as Gerry Hiken, who stars as director Max Reinhardt in "Shakespeare in Hollywood," TheatreWorks' current production.

"He's one of the great mature actors in this area," Kelley said of the Palo Alto-based actor. "He's been at it 50 years, so I feel like I'm just starting. I see the joy of making theater still burning bright in him. It's a wonderful experience."

Still, the day will come when a new director takes the helm at TheatreWorks.

When asked what qualities he would like his successor to have, Kelley replied:

"I think someone who values diversity would be key, a person who sees music and drama as natural partners, someone with a great deal of joy, who loves the process of collaboration. And someone who thinks the world can be better, can change -- those are all qualities I admire. Someone who's an innovate, creative director."

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