LOOKING FORWARD: ANTAEUS THEATRE

LOOKING FORWARD: THE FUTURE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS IN L.A.

INTERVIEW: BILL BROCHTRUP & KITTY SWINK

Co-Artistic Directors Antaeus Theatre Co.

BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO

Now almost a year into the ongoing pandemic our fond memories of live entertainment seem to be waning—and too much so for my liking. Just like that rare blue moon we saw this Halloween, the ancient ritual of live theatre is now deemed rare and magical—an artifact of the “before times”. Even so, if we take a moment and tune out the din of social media, the news, our own inner anxieties and frustrations, I know we can recall, maybe even find hope in, our memories from the “before times”. The feeling of eagerly sitting in a full theatre as the lights begin to dim. The sound of an orchestra tuning moments before they play a majestic downbeat. The smell of popcorn wafting around a movie theatre like tasty electricity. The restless anticipation of waiting in the wings before making your first entrance on stage. The sound of applause that roars in a venue like thunder that means no harm. You see these memories are not dreams—they were real. And whenever these memories start to get fuzzy all we need to do is take the time to summon them, thus reminding ourselves that they will return.

In the spirit of looking forward, what’s next for live entertainment? Broadway has announced its return for June 2021—well what about L.A. and the rest of the world? When will we be able to appreciate the performing arts in person again? That date remains to be seen. Accordingly, what have performing arts organization been doing since the shutdown? How has this impacted them both now and in the future? In the next couple of weeks, I will be publishing interviews with artistic directors of various performing arts organizations in L.A. and they will answer these questions and many more. In this Tin Pan L.A. exclusive Bill Brochtrup and Kitty Swink, Co-Artistic Directors of Antaeus Theatre Company, tell us about the future of theatre for their organization and the steps they are taking to keep it alive.  

What was your fondest memory of live theatre by your organization before the pandemic?

Bill Brochtrup: At Antaeus we’ve done many shows of which I’m terribly proud and very fond but there’s one that will always stay in my mind when I think of this time — and that’s a show we never got to actually do — William Saroyan’s The Time Of Your Life.  We were literally on our final day of call backs for the show with our director Jennifer Chang on the day we had to shut down the building.  At the time we thought it might be for only a few weeks — obviously that didn’t happen.  We eventually had to let go of the actors we were in the midst of hiring and release the rights to the show.  That production was going to be amazing, but we had to let it go.  I’ll always remember that one, the one that got away.

How can audience communities best support its theatre companies during and after this pandemic? 

Kitty Swink: First of all, engage with them: watch and listen to whatever they are producing, whether it is readings, discussions, classes, streaming of previously produced work, interact on social media and introduce them to your friends.  As importantly, support them financially if you can, in small ways or large ones.

Even with the ongoing pandemic and its unforeseeable end, what excites your organization most about the return live theatre/events?

Kitty Swink: Being together again.  We talk a lot about Antaeus being a community of artists and audiences. Our space is intimate and part of what makes the art exciting is its immediacy and that the same artists you see on screen or America’s great stages you are likely to hang out in the lobby chatting with after the show.

What kind of work and activities is your theatre company doing right now to keep theatre alive?

Kitty Swink: We are very excited by The Zip Code Plays which are six audio plays coming out November 12th on all the major podcast platforms and on our website. It is a chance to explore LA’s diverse neighborhoods aurally. Our Academy continues a regular slate of classes, plus one-off master classes that you can take from anywhere in the world. Plus many other chances to come join the family.

Theatre in NYC is said to open in June 2021. Do you think this date is the same for theatre in Los Angeles? 

Kitty Swink: I hope that the Broadway show league is right about this timeline, but I worry that it is optimistic, for them and for us.

Is virtual theatre a tool that is more of the moment or will it stick around for a while? Is this something your organization is utilizing? If so, what are some of its advantages and disadvantages?

Bill Brochtrup: I don’t think we can tell yet whether or not virtual performance will have an ongoing place in Theatre’s future.  At the moment we all spend a lot of time in Zoom meetings and at the end of the day I’m often not eager to spend more time watching shows on a screen.  At Antaeus we’ve produced The Zip Code Plays, which are audio dramas released as a podcast.  There are some great advantages here — they are free, people can listen to them as they cook or exercise or clean the house, at any time and from any location.  That breaks down many of the barriers that might keep people from attending live theatre.  That’s a good thing.

What does the notion of equitable theatre mean to your organization? How is this idea reflected in your organization’s mission or programming?

Bill Brochtrup: One positive thing that has happened during this shut down due to Covid-19 is that we’ve been allowed the time to reflect on our mission.  One of our stated core values is “inclusivity,” but we often have not lived up to its value.  We are taking a look at every aspect of our company and our programming through an anti-racist lens. 

THE ZIP CODE PLAYS: LOS ANGELES

NOW PODCASTING: The Zip Code Plays: Los Angeles

PODCASTING: Available on demand

PODCASTING TICKET: Free

WEBSITE: www.antaeus.org or wherever you get your podcasts

OTHER LOOKING FORWARD INTERVIEWS:

caryn desai, Artistic Director/Producer of International City Theatre

Armina LaManna, Founding Artistic Director Imagine Theatre

Doug Haverty Artistic Director The Group Rep