The Magnificent Arlene Duncan with Michael Levine in the company's highly praised and rewarded Caroline, or Change of last season. Now on to the next season.
An Artistic Director reveals the ideas behind planning a season
by Mitchell Marcus
Programming a theatre company's season is a complicated job. Most people assume (and in many ways correctly) that it’s the most enjoyable task for an Artistic Director, as he or she gets to delve into possibilities and extract a comprehensive slate of exciting stories to tell onstage. However, creating a season can also be challenging and demanding. How do you balance building on past success while avoiding predictability? How do you find the right mix of programming that strengthens connections with audiences, artists, granting bodies and sponsors? And then, how do you tie this all together in a neat, digestible package?
At Acting Up Stage Company, we were blessed with a 2011-2012 season where all of the elements magically came together. All of our public presentations (Ride The Cyclone, Caroline, or Change and The Long and Winding Road) received critical and audience acclaim, and we had the good fortune of selling out each production and garnering some wonderful accolades during award season. Where do we go from here? Topping our 2011-2012 year at first seemed an impossible task. But I started where I assume most Artistic Directors must: I began to revisit pieces which had affected me; I attended performances which had received good word of mouth; and, I began to daydream about initiatives which could complement a season's worth of shows. Throughout all this, I tried to determine, as I always do, a driving theme or agenda to unite our 2012-2013 slate.
