The Art of Successful Stage Production – Insights that Apply Beyond the Theater

Whether a play, musical, or movie is successful largely depends on the director’s ability to tell a story and have it resonate with the audience. The process is complex and includes proper casting, staging, lighting, sound, historical and costuming details as well as wrestling with the budget. But even with all these factors well in place and hard work done by all, the production may very well not be appreciated by audiences. Think of all the big star movie productions that are dead on arrival. This ability to launch a successful production, whether on stage or in one’s own business, brings me to interview Linda Whitney, artistic director for Harlequin Productions.Linda has directed over 30 productions, designed over 40 and written over a dozen original works which, along with her husband Scot as managing artistic director, have propelled Harlequin Productions to solid subscriber support and nationally recognized prominence. Loaded with insight for successful “project management” in any venue, here is my interview with Linda:

Dan: Harlequin has produced over 100 shows since its inception in 1991. There is a proven strong and passionate connection with your audience. In your experience as an artistic director, what are your key success factors?

Linda: Quickly, it is Commitment, Common sense, Collaboration, and Communication. Add to that high production and performance values, Ingenuity, inventiveness and a willingness to take risks, eclectic programming, our own home and full-time staff.

I have a deep commitment to the art form, a common sense approach to budgets and a deep conviction that our organization should provide an environment where performers, designers and production staff openly collaborate and allow everyone to shine. Mutual respect is an important component. We are also recognized for consistently high production values and we firmly believe that it is of primary importance that performers deserve to be given all the best production support we can offer so that they, in turn, can bring their best to the stage.

Each individual, from the actor/musician/dancer to the follow spot operator, to the administrative and box office staff, plays a role in bringing the event to life. Audiences have responded to this from the beginning because these factors imbue every project we take on with excitement and personal investment. The capacity to communicate the story we have chosen to share is profoundly enriched by the understanding that we are all part of that story.

Dan: I noticed you referred to the State Theater as your “home” rather than just the theater. This apparently is just not a place to go to work everyday.

Linda: Owning our own theater has given us a solid footing and allowed us to control our own schedule and effectively manage a seven show season. We’ve been a professional company with a full time staff and contracted performers, designers and technicians for over ten years. It’s a big responsibility and challenge, but to produce at this level and on this schedule, we need full time people doing the work. To have a real estate footprint is to have an established identity and presence and a clear sign of our investment in the community.

In turn, the community has been very responsive to our fund-raising efforts and loyal as audience members. A strong and committed board of directors has also been an important asset. The Harlequin family is a great place to come home to!

Dan: What are your expectations from an audience?

Linda: That they be at least moderately civilized, not unbecomingly inebriated and that they turn off their cell phones. A sense of humor helps and wakefulness during the quiet bits is a bonus. I’m joking!!

But truly, no one needs to pass a test to come to the theater. We have built an extremely bright and responsive core audience that cuts across social, economic and age distinctions. I think, in part, that’s due to our eclectic programming and to low cost ticket alternatives that allow for a wider circle of attendees. With the appeal of theatrical variety and ready accessibility for anyone who wants to be there, we expect an audience that will enjoy a challenge and be awake to possibility. An open mind is the best asset in experiencing theater and in experiencing life.

Dan: Are some audiences too demanding or impatient?

Linda: If the audience is uncomfortable to the extent of making demands or expressing impatience, it’s probably our fault–but I don’t think we’ve ever had an outright insurrection! Audiences are collections of people with varied perceptions and sensibilities and you do what you can to communicate with all of them at least a little and you hope to make a profound connection with a few.
However, there is a tiny subset of the audiences who do make demands and express impatience, often with no more provocation than the discomfort of a hangnail or a case of indigestion: “reviewers”.

Dan: What part do reviewers play in the theater and theater-going community?

Linda: Inconsequential but annoying, like a fly in the kitchen. The entire arena of print arts criticism is devolving. Publications are folding and the money that might attract qualified writers dried up a long time ago. In our distant shire, far from metropolitan arts coverage, the production either carries itself with the audience or not. Local reviewers don’t have the traction to make or break a show. In terms of comprehension, the audience is usually out in front of such reviewer’s largely unimaginative responses.

While area writers are undoubtedly overtaxed because there is so much going on, and may even want to be supportive, they also seem to be willfully misinformed, with no sense of context, evidence of insight or recognition of theater as more than an isolated recreational event. They’re content to paddle around in the shallows, outline the plot or song sequence, describe facial expressions, and then fussily fold in some “shoulds” and “should nots” to give the impression of authority.

By knowing and advocating for the art form and not shilling for mediocrity, a clear and well versed writer can help hold the arts scene together, melding it to the community in a balanced and meaningful way. Dumbed down commentary depreciates all of us and denotes only one more biased opinion. There are 6.7 billion of those on earth at last count. And look! Now I get mine published as well — a review of reviewers!

Dan: Well, that is a pretty straightforward way of saying one can critique but please do it in an informed, constructive way. No different that a supervisor’s proper critique of an employee in my mind. Let’s move on. Not all shows are successful as sometimes the production is edgy, risky, little known and/or under appreciated and a large audience connection is not made. How do you approach such a production with the understanding that it could be a tough connection with the audience?

Linda: Some of our biggest successes have been “edgy, risky, little known…” The Weir, The Love List, and most recently, Sins of the Mother are examples of unheard of shows that exceeded expectations. I can also cite a few big name shows that didn’t cut it. There are no guaranteed successes. After years of doing this, we can make a fairly educated guess as to what kind of draw a given production will have and we budget accordingly. We then bring as much intelligence and insight as we can to the thing and work to empower the cast and staff to bring it to life. And, truly, even the shows that would seem to be dying on the vine will bring the individual love notes that say things like “this meant so much to me…” and “Thank you for being brave enough to do this…” I must also add that we’ve never had a show actually lose money–only fall short of its projections.

Dan: Many of us go to youth productions sponsored either through the schools or theatre youth programs. As an audience member (and not just a relative there simply for enthusiastic support) what should I be watching for to further appreciate the production?

Linda: Are the young people all involved and having a good time? Are you? Is the story being told? Are you moved?

Dan: Any final comments on the art of successful stage production?

Linda: Actually, good business practices and procedures and elbow grease might be 85% of what it takes. Leave 10% for calm and courtesy, 3% for raw talent, and the remaining 2% for sheer serendipitous magical inspiration!

The audiences have enthusiastically responded: Harlequin’s production of “Sixties Chicks” has been extended through August 1. Check their website at harlequinproductions.org for more information.

Dan Weiss is a continuing student of live theatre having served on several boards of local live performance groups and attended over 100 live theatre productions from Olympia to Broadway with Ashland in between. Dan also is founding member and current president of the Arts Alliance of Downtown Olympia which promotes the downtown Olympia theatre district. In this process Dan has learned not to be intimidated by Shakespeare and marvels at the genius of it all.