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Playhouse to offer edgier fare in new theater space
By MILAN PAURICH
This November, the Youngstown Playhouse will inaugurate a series of shows — many of them local premieres — in their currently dormant downstairs theater space.
With its much smaller seating capacity, the Griffith-Adler Room will provide an ideal venue for the sort of provocative, grown-up fare that wouldn’t be economically feasible as a Main Stage production.
During a recent joint interview, Playhouse Executive Director Mary Ruth Lynn and board member Dr. John Cox discussed the season ahead, and what it means to the future of a newly reinvigorated Youngstown Playhouse.
Q. Who spearheaded the Griffith-Adler project and selected the shows?
Lynn: Finding a space for a more intimate theater was initially proposed by (Dr. John) Cox. Many of us have longed for something to restore the original Actors Arena. John proposed turning the space into a “black box”-type theater where we could broaden our offerings to include shows with stronger language and more mature content. Our Main Stage season is more mainstream which limits the types of plays we can produce. The plays were selected by the board’s selection committee, and I think we have a very strong season ahead. The name of the series was chosen to recognize John and Rennie Griffith, both of whom gave many hours and dollars to support the Playhouse over the years, and the Adler family/Adler Trust for their financial support.
I also see the new series as an opportunity for some newer directors to try their hand at theater without all of the technical complexities of directing on the Main Stage. It will allow directors to focus on the play, the characters and telling the story.
Cox: By using a second stage, we can keep the Playhouse doors open more weekends a year, and offer a different theatrical experience for our patrons. I’m also hoping to incorporate Improv and stand-up events, which would be a great way to find new talent as well as provide much-needed additional income for the Playhouse. Of course, these events would be inserted into the Main Stage calendar to complement the season for our annual ticketholders, as well as the general public.
Q. What type of seating capacity will there be, and how is the auditorium designed?
Lynn: Although there are future plans for a more permanent staging area, next season the space will be more flexible. I anticipate a variety of (staging) designs for our upcoming shows. “Pillowman” — which I’m directing next January — might work very nicely as “theater-in-the- round.” Our present seating capacity will be 50-60, depending upon how many chairs we have left after last year’s auction (laughs).
Q. Will Griffith-Adler shows run concurrently with Main Stage productions?
Lynn: We’re not planning to run shows simultaneously next season. Since this is a new venture, we first have to see how the series is received. Even though it will be a fairly “bare bones” operation to start, we’ll still need to provide set design, lighting and sound for each show. Our schedule for the upcoming season has an average of one production each month. If the series is successful, the possibility of performing two different shows at the same time is definitely something we’ve discussed.
Q. What type of audience are you hoping to attract? Playhouse regulars or a younger demographic (some of whom may have never been to the Playhouse before)?
Lynn: The Playhouse is very appreciative of our longtime patrons who have continued to support our Main Stage productions over the years. They’re our lifeblood, and we continue to choose works that reflect their preferences for more family-oriented shows. However, we need to appeal to a younger demographic that isn’t offended by the sort of adult language and themes found in some of the greatest plays. For example, I recently saw “August: Osage County” and was absolutely blown away by it. But that show could never be put on our Main Stage due to the language. The Griffith-Adler Series will allow us to bring in a play like “My First Time” and pair it with director Rob Joki, for whom the piece is a good fit. It’s also the type of work that should attract the twenty- and thirtysomething crowd. We’ll be tracking the demographics of the series to see whether its comprised of season ticketholders or — as we’re hoping — people who are new to the Playhouse. However, we’re discovering that a large number of our longtime patrons are extremely excited about the new series, and have been buying tickets for the “Spotlight Package,” which is all 11 of our upcoming shows.
Q. As both an actor and director, what are your thoughts on the Griffith-Adler line-up, John? And what direction would you like to see the series eventually take?
Cox: I’ve been wanting to do Martin MacDonaugh’s “Pillowman” for a long time, and “That Championship Season” should be a blast. Rob (Joki) directing “My First Time” is also very cool. I like to think of the Playhouse as a creative think tank which promotes and nurtures art in every sense. Getting the best of the best is what we should all be aiming for, and I’d like to keep pushing things in that direction. I’d love it if things could be more “liquid” — for example, if a show suddenly became available that excites everyone, we should jump on it. Regional premieres are extremely important since they can pull in audiences from larger outlying cities. We go to Cleveland and Pittsburgh for their shows, why can’t they come here?