Oakland’s Joki to start his own theater company

By MILAN PAURICH

entertainment@vindy.com

The area’s bustling community theater scene is about to get even more hectic.

In June, The Rust Belt Theater Company will join the Youngstown Playhouse, the Oakland Center for the Arts, Top Hat Productions, the Victorian Players, et al, as the latest entry in an already crowded field. The brainchild of Oakland director-actor-playwright Robert Dennick Joki, Rust Belt will work primarily out of the Calvin Center at 755 Mahoning Ave., just a few blocks from downtown Youngstown.

According to Joki, Rust Belt will be dedicated to producing “challenging, alternative, experimental live theater, empowering arts and promoting social change in the greater Youngstown area.”

Joki’s track record includes edgy, blockbuster-type fare at the Oakland (“Reefer Madness,” “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” and “Bat Boy: The Musical” among others).

For Joki, Rust Belt is the realization of a lifetime dream. “I’ve been wanting to start my own company for a long time,” Joki said in a recent interview. “Our area is blessed to have many local theaters, but for directors, there is only so much work to go around. I’ll serve as executive director for the new company, making all artistic decisions as well as handling the business side of things. My hope is to eventually bring in new directors and designers.”

Rust Belt officially kicks off June 4 with “Fundraising is a DRAG!,” a benefit for the company’s summer series that begins July 9 with a modernized version of Greek drama “Electra” starring Terri Labedz and the scrap-metal sculptures of artist Daniel Home.

Joki adapted the script himself from English translations of both the Sophocles and Euripedes versions, as well as from the original myth. “I plan to follow ‘Electra’ with modern versions of ‘Medea’ and ‘Antigone.’ Each will be designed in different styles and eras, featuring the talents of local performers juxtaposed with the work of local artists,” he explained.

Plans call for equally adventurous fare in Rust Belt’s upcoming season, including new pieces and locally written scripts.

One of the things about the Calvin Center space that most excites Joki is its unconventional layout. “I plan on doing some arena-style shows, which is something that doesn’t happen locally outside of the university setting,” he said.

Joki said that Rust Belt’s first year will include five shows and that he’s hoping to produce the first musical in October. “I’ve already set the dates and am currently involved in the play -selection process. I have also gone to great lengths to avoid opening-night conflicts with other area theaters,” he said.

Besides his Rust Belt duties, Joki has already committed to directing two musicals at the Oakland next season. And fans of Joki’s Yultetide perennial, “How the Drag Queen Stole Christmas,” will be relieved to learn that it’s still very much a “go” for December.

When asked whether he had any concerns about possibly spreading himself too thin, the unflappable multi-hyphenate seemed remarkably sanguine.

“It’s really not much more work than what I did at the Oakland alone this past year,” he said with a chuckle.

“The only real difference is that I’ll be working at a variety of venues instead of just one. It’s going to be a great year!”