by Kirby Lindsay, posted 30 September 2013
Among Fremont firsts, October 4th – 26th our community hosts the inaugural production of Theatre22. This new theater company will bring Lanford Wilson’s ‘The 5th Of July’, directed by Julie Beckman, to our black box theater West of Lenin.
Starting a theater company is an ambitious undertaking, but to launch one with a play of such scope, and a sizeable cast, shows dramatic confidence. Meet Corey McDaniel, and it becomes understandable why he plus Corey Bell (the Company Manager,) and Alber Sucupira (Casting Director) think this just might work.
‘High Standards’
“I’ve worked with production companies of all sizes,” ‘5th of July’ director Beckman said. Size doesn’t matter, and in this case, “Corey was not an unknown quality. I directed him in his first play here,” she revealed. “He not only has an artistic vision, he has the understanding to inspire, to fundraise, to connect with people. On top of all of that, he’s a nice guy.”
“There are places you are excited to work,” Beckman explained, “and places where it is a burden. [Theatre22] are committed to creating a place where you want to work, where you want to collaborate.”
McDaniel sees the medium of theater as a singular form of expression. “It’s a craft. It’s a discipline. It’s a small pocket of people,” he observed, “who can produce.” He feels a responsibility held by those who can create quality to share with audiences, and he wants to fulfill that responsibility.
As McDaniel acknowledged, with Theatre22, “we do have very high standards.”
From The Stack
The choice of ‘The 5th Of July’ makes quality and collaboration necessary. “I like to go big,” McDaniel agreed.
Written by the late Wilson, and set in 1977, the story lays in the long shadow of the Vietnam War and the longer shadows of family history. ‘5th Of July’ shows, “the baggage you carry with you,” Beckman said.
According to the director, Wilson provides his players with people to fully inhabit. “His characters are very well fleshed out,” Beckman observed, “each has a very clear backstory.” With these richly written characters, it almost feels as if Wilson created several different stories that weave together to form a single play.
In the search for the perfect opening, McDaniel said he “started with a stack of plays a foot tall.” Beckman also reviewed a similar stack, and McDaniel was thrilled when ‘The 5th Of July’ appeared on both lists. “The script changed my life,” he said. Also, as the inaugural for Theatre22, Wilson’s story, “does represent the kind of work we want to do,” McDaniel said.
Yet, the ambition and will to ‘go big’ extends further than ‘5th Of July’. Theatre22 already has a season planned. Next spring, McDaniel will direct ‘The Hours of Life’ by local playwright Paul Lewis, and as part of a summer PRIDE series, Gerald B. Browning will direct ‘The Lisbon Traviata’ by Terence McNally for June 2014.
Starting Organized
Theatre22 will provide audiences, and actors, with more theater. It also fulfills a personal goal for McDaniel. “The goal has always been to have a company that I am running, all my adult life,” McDaniel explained, and as of January 2013, he’s finally taken the step. As he reported, “all the signals from the universe were saying, ‘now’s the time!’”
“I enjoy creating,” McDaniel explained, “That is what I enjoy most.” With a broad-base of experience in theatre, and an extended network of contacts (he approached West of Lenin through his contact with owner A.J. Epstein,) he knows he can find quality people to achieve his goals. Yet, it won’t be easy. “I direct, and I teach, when I have time,” he said. He also works full-time, in addition to Theatre22, as an event planner, project manager, fundraiser, and virtual assistant. “It’s a puzzle, and takes master scheduling,” admitted McDaniel.
Although, as Beckman pointed out, “I have seen a lot of companies, and I have never seen one started in such an organized way.”
‘A Powerful Collaboration’
“We’re not here for us,” McDaniel said of Theatre22, and the cast and crew charged with bringing ‘The 5th Of July’ to West of Lenin, “we’re a resource for the community. Without them, we don’t exist.”
“It’s such a powerful collaboration,” acknowledged Beckman. “To work on a production is a magical thing,” she said, but the magic is only complete with an audience. The magic of live theater, both Beckman and McDaniel agreed, when the people fill the seats, and the room, with oohs and aahs, gasps and groans, laughter and tears.
To be a part of the magic, and experience the idealism, of ‘The 5th of July,’ (and Theatre22) purchase tickets through Brown Paper Tickets today. The show runs through October 26th, with shows already selling out, so guarantee your seat at West of Lenin today!
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©2013 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.