Welcome to WFHR's Directors Cut for this April 14th, 2024, Session 44.
Our host and program director, James J, joined my partner in our head of production, Seth
Habagger.
Hey, we're back.
We're back.
We had a little hiatus there.
We had a bit of a hiatus.
No, we had a schedule change.
And now we are rare and to go.
We're ready.
Part of our big block here on Sundays, stick around for Seth Faces to music and unlabeled,
coming up a little bit later.
But right now we want to welcome to the WFHR stage, one of our favorite people, one of our
great friends, Wisconsin Ravis Community Theatre, executive director, local talent, amazing
writer, director, and friend, Gretchen Powers.
Hi, everyone.
Hey, Gretchen.
It's good to have you with us, Gretchen.
Thanks so much for being here.
I want to get into so many of the cool things that are going on with HOPO and the kids'
productions.
Before we do, I'm curious of the 23, 24 season, how do you guys feel, things went.
We've got rumors still going on as work filming or recording this, but a solid season I would
think.
Well, I didn't burn the place down.
I always rule number one, don't burn the place down.
It's my very first season, and I feel like if I could make it through my first season,
I could make it through anything, and I think we did it.
They're just finishing up the set for rumors, and we put on three really good shows so
far.
Definitely learned what works and what doesn't work, and how I'll do things differently
next year.
And I think that we've got a really killer season for next year's song.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, I agree.
One of the things, and this isn't just coming from me, so you can't ignore it, I'm just
being nice.
This from a lot of the people I've talked to in the community and people I don't even
know that well, just people that I've talked to.
What they've really appreciated about your approach is not just kind of just doing what
you want or just coming in and kind of doing the status quo or any of that, but adjusting,
and making little tinkering with things here and there and adding some things.
A lot has been said about the studio theater and what's been going on with that.
There's been a lot of excitement with the conversations and different things going
on there.
You're doing some really good work.
You and the team and the board.
And then there's the hobo productions, and what we've got going on with this, where
in years past, we're very fortunate to have a production for kids, like one solid production.
Am I seeing this probably a three different kids productions coming up?
Yes.
Well, children's theater has always kind of been my baby, even from before I was on the
board, and definitely before I got into this position.
And I just feel, I don't want to say that our theater is underutilized, but our theater
is underutilized.
We did our four main stage shows, and then we were lucky if we got a children's production
and our silver foxes' productions.
But now, I actually have it set so that we have three children's productions.
In the current works, and then I'm not limiting it to summer, but that's for the, for after
I've been talking about these three.
So what I'm doing is we have room in our budget for director showcases.
That's something that was created, and we've been doing them in our studio theater for
about the last two years.
But we've never done a children's one before, and so I said, why don't we take that budget
and do a children's show?
But I'm like, well, why am I limiting it to the studio theater?
I want to do something crazy, because that's what I like to do.
So I got in touch with the chamber and arranged for us to have a lunch by the river session
that actually has a performance.
Like, I know we've been invited to do lunch by the river, and we provided an entertainment
and like the previous people had DJ and stuff, but there was never a show that was done,
because you have to pay royalties when you do a show regardless of your, if you have
a paying audience or, or not.
So like, well, why don't we draw that from the director's showcase budget?
And then it's, it's going to come out of my pocket for like costumes or the cast people's
costumes, like they have to provide their own.
And I won't have a budget as far as that goes, but I was able to use the director's showcase
budget to pay for royalties, to do a workshop, and so what better way to do an outdoor theater
thing by like I introducing Shakespeare into children's lives.
I love it.
Yeah, love it.
This is something that we love around here, these combinations of nonprofits, and we're
better together, stronger together kind of thing, working with the chamber.
And it's interesting.
I was just talking with Lacey this morning, had her on Midday magazine off, off air, we
were talking and she's so excited about this, and they're really being blunt about it.
They're so happy to be working with you guys, and you guys, you know, to have this combination,
let alone what you guys are going to do.
It's a really fun thing.
I want this to be said when it comes to all of these productions and we're talking about
kids.
Some of these kids may go on to be entertainers, but the majority of them, very similar
to high school sports and everything, the majority of them are not going to go on to
do this professionally.
But what they will go on to do is things that they need confidence in, things that they
need reps in public speaking in.
There's very few, there's nothing that you do in your life, whatever career you do,
that you're not going to have to do some public speaking, whether it's with two people
or a hundred people.
The more reps we give kids with these things, the more experiences they have, the better
they're going to be suited for this stuff.
So I think that if a parent is out there listening, a kid is out there listening.
Being a part of these things, it's fun, it's entertaining, it's also a future self-building.
That's something that's pretty cool too.
When we combined with the chamber or something like this, it has the added benefit of putting
into the community, entertaining the community.
There's a lot of layers to it, that's pretty cool.
What made you decide Shakespeare?
I've always loved Shakespeare and I feel like it's not everybody's cup of tea, but I found
a script that helps it be a little bit more user-friendly.
It's called mid-summer-ish, and so it's not mid-summer-night's dream, but it's the
same story, same characters, you got the C.S. in Hippolyta and Hermia, all the names
that you can't probably pronounce James.
It's the same story, but they make it more modern.
They even use a cell phone while they walk through the forest and there's no service, but
then by the time they get out of the door, oh, I got a bunch of messages from my dad and
he re-thought our relationship and we can be together.
And so it's like, I could see a lot of my children's actors playing those parts, and so those
that signed up, we didn't even host an audition.
A lot of our director's showcases are pre-cast, and it's whoever signs up gets a part and
so I had to obviously put a cap on it and eventually, when I had enough kids, I said we're
done casting it, but I found my people, and we're actually going to have a read through,
well, this week, it's going to be, it's going to be, it's going to finally come to fruition
and hear them for the first time, and it's really exciting.
I have a mixture of high school kids, little kids, the little kids are all playing the fairies
and my son, who's a little kid, he's going into third grade next year, he'll even be
one of the fairies, and he's more than excited to be there.
Awesome, very awesome.
As a side note, I couldn't imagine being on a text string with Hamlet, I can't imagine
that be a lot of fun.
I can't, I mean, you know, a great character, I'd love to play the part, but a speech
to text.
No, yeah, yeah.
Forever.
It would never be very, it's very drawn out, like long text, but now that I'm saying
this, a little like texting with me, so, a little, now that I say, think about it.
Probably fewer emojis than texting with you though.
Mid-Summer-ish is a wonderful play adapted by Daniel Welch, and it does a nice job with
these kind of things, really, no sort of stuff.
Gretchen, with this one, you said you already have your cast, do we have dates yet for this?
You mentioned that.
You will be performing it lunch by the river on July 18th, so that's like the date that's
like set in stone.
If this goes well and we're like, man, this was really cool, we're going to try to come
up with another weekend where the city will let us do it in the park for another one
or two performances, but it really depends on the summer kids' schedules and stuff.
Right, right.
Yeah.
I'm sorry, I was trying to get the date back in there again, I know, we had the date set
and looking forward to it.
We're going to be talking about that and hyping it up on our morning shows and making
sure that we get a good turnout for something like that.
Also one of the takes some time to focus on the other production that you're directing.
It's not busy enough.
Disney's Newsy's Jr.
Can we talk about this?
Well, we can talk about this.
It's the very first time that the theater has ever done a children's musical.
We have never done that before and about time, but I'm sure that my ancestors are probably
rolling over in their graves again, what has she got herself into, but I'm very excited.
It's not just me who's going to be directing, my partner is going to be Sue Becker and
she's done a lot with the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools, not plays musicals.
So I'm not alone and I'm not with an inexperienced person, so I'm really excited to have a musical
person with me.
What made you want to throw something like this in there that's different?
I think that the people did.
I feel like we haven't done a musical in 10 years period, WRCT hasn't, and I feel like
it's been asked for, in fact, to have a volunteer say, well, call me when you're doing a musical
or come find me when you're doing a musical, and I see the playhouse theater in Polver and
Marshfield, they do something with the college every summer where they put out a musical,
and I'm like, I feel like we could do that.
Why are we doing that?
Let's do that.
And I love the showed newsies, it hits right where it needs to, and songs are all stuck
in my head, but it's got a good meaning, and it teaches a good lesson, and it can fit
a lot of children, which is important.
You and my wife, oh, she is a diehard newsies fan, throw my gosh to that too.
The only reason I know the movie is for my sister, just loving it, and really singing along
to it, I can hear her right now.
It's also one of those things that, it's not time-sensitive, it still hits.
The meaning, the message behind it and everything, I think that that's parts that's really
unique about the script as well.
The biggest thing is, as that children can make a difference, is the whole point of newsies,
kind of shows what they did back in the late 1800s when they weren't being treated fairly.
There were a lot of child workers that they weren't living good quality lives because
they were responsible for working for their family, and I think it makes people put different
things into perspective.
We could still be there if that never happened.
Yeah, very true.
Very true.
Absolutely.
And in a dystopian future, we do not need, we do not want.
Do, do, do.
It's something to think about, though, it's interesting.
The audition dates for this coming up April 29th in the 30th from five date over the
Wisconsin Tributes Community Theater.
If you are a parent, a kid, you have never auditioned before, and especially maybe you have
an audition for a musical before, what are some of the things that you should keep in
mind?
I want them to be as relaxed as possible.
It does not need to be perfect.
I do not need them coming with a polished song.
I don't need them to have the scenes memorized or a dance number figured out.
If come, come with a song.
It could be happy birthday.
I want to hear where you're at singing.
If you don't want a singing part, just hum a little ditty for me.
That's not going to, it's how confident you are in getting up there and show, like that's
really the most important thing.
If you don't know the show, you'll get to know the show.
Right.
Right.
And then we're going to have a little dance that we're going to come up with and teach
it to you there so that you can see, like so we can see how quickly you pick up dance
steps.
But again, if you're not a dancer, that does not mean you're not going to get a part.
It's just what I want.
I'm going to see where you're at.
Yeah.
Right.
And then everybody will be doing cold reads.
That's where you read for the very first time there.
And it's just like if you feel like you're messed up and you want to read it again, sick
and I read that again.
And I'll say, yeah.
Okay.
That's fine.
Actually, I'll be very much like, yeah.
Of course.
Yeah.
Right.
And Gretchen, what about when it comes to rehearsal time and some of those things?
So the first month of rehearsal will be strictly music.
So like we're doing our, this is one thing you might note is that we're doing it differently.
Normally we do our auditions after school is done and then we work really hard for about
a month and a half.
We are starting in May because we've got music to learn.
So May will be the time after school where we learn the music and you won't be at every
single one of those rehearsals.
It'll be based on what scenes you're in.
And so just we'll figure out that which based on what character you are.
So a couple of nights a week after school and then if you can't make it, we'll try to
arrange another time for you to work with me and Sue on the music.
And then June and July will be practicing in the afternoons at the theater in small groups
and large groups.
And so it'll kind of be based on what character and then towards the last two weeks or so
will have like more technical related rehearsals that last a little bit longer but you'll get
a calendar.
Well, it's certainly there's things to learn, there's things to focus and do and everything.
I think that it's also noteworthy to parents, to kids out there that rehearsals can be
a little like recess.
They're a little like that in a sense of just you're having fun with friends and that
and enjoying yourself while also doing something.
I would say that that's what the majority of my childhood was filled with.
I mean, I wanted to be at rehearsal.
It wasn't work for me.
I met the majority of my friends through children's theater and there's still some of my best
friends today.
It's a great note.
Yeah.
Yes.
When it comes to two people who have never done anything like this too, we're always
encouraging people to be a part of these productions.
And yeah, we're talking about kids when it comes to these productions, but adults, you're
not skating past this either.
We've got a whole new season coming up real soon and I can always use more adults with
our productions, more people auditioning, and certainly volunteers and people working
behind the scenes.
And that could be for any of these, the whether it's holpo shows or it's the main stage.
Yeah, but mall is looking for painters and set builders and people who want to help
out with supervising children backstage.
That's very, very important.
Yes.
We're speaking with Gretchen Powers, executive director of our Wisconsin-Rabbs community
theater.
We're going to take quick time out, check in with our partners and we come back.
Oh, well, as some more directors could for you right here at WFHR.
Welcome back to director's cut here at WFHR, locally grown radio.
Seth and James taking you through this show and we are joined by our great friend, Gretchen
Powers, executive director of our Wisconsin-Rabbs community theater.
Gretchen, I wanted to get into another production coming up.
It's a madhouse.
This is going to be directed by another good friend of ours, Stephanie, who of course has
a long history with our theater and with you, of course.
Can we tell people about this in a little bit about if the structure is different than
newsies or anything?
Yeah.
So, Stephanie, Herth is directing.
It's a madhouse and it's what is considered our Hopo production.
And for those of you who have never heard or known the difference, we've always had this
will not always.
For the last about 11 years, we've had a company called Hopo with WRCT presents Hopo.
And that was created when Stephanie, or it's spelled HOE, so herit's pronounced Herth
like Herth and so I always mess it up and I call her Herth, but it's Horth, but it's
not how you pronounce it.
You notice how I always call her Stephanie?
I never mentioned her last name.
There's a reason.
So, Herth last name starts with HOE and my last name starts with HOE and what used to
happen is we used to have a traveling theater company come from Minnesota called Prairie
for Children's Theater and we would audition Monday and we'd be performing by Friday.
And we loved that and then eventually the Arts Council or whoever, it stopped being a
thing at the library.
And so we're like, what's create a company like that?
But we were nicer and we made it out of two weeks and so that's what Hopo is when you're
sitting and listening, what is Hopo, that's what that is.
So yes, it is a more fast paced situation where you're probably going to have longer rehearsals
and it's going to be crazy chaos, but in a fun way.
So she will be doing her auditions on July 15th and performing August 3rd and 4th.
So same place at the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theater after newsies is wrapped, she'll
have her auditions the Monday after you'll get your scripts and then start some pretty intense
rehearsals.
I'm not sure if they're doing morning or afternoon, that's her stuff and you decide.
But keep an eye out for that information and she does awesome, the kids lover, she's
very organized and it never disappoints, she always makes it fun.
She's a really good director and really good with kids.
I've known quite a few kids over the years that have been in productions with her and they
come out of it just so excited, so happy and so many of them come out of it.
I don't want to say change but more confident, stronger if lack of a better word because
not only organically these things just happen as kids have these experiences but it's also
something that Stephanie's particular approach and the way she directs.
I think she really does make everybody feel important, make everybody feel whether you
have one line or 20, you're going to feel the same as your fellow castmates.
I've always, and she directed me when I was a kid that's that's how old I am.
And she used to basically, she'd find something in almost, she'd find humor in almost
every little, little bit and she'd be able to pull more and more out of it.
That's one thing I always really admired about her.
I tried taking some of that when I when I started directing myself and I don't know that
I could ever do it justice the way she always did and so, but it's always fun to see
what she'll come up with.
She even does that with our adults.
She started directing our main stage shows last year and she did fantastic with curious
savage.
She took it and made it her own and you can definitely see it, but right up to the song
she chooses for scene change, like she's very particular and it shows and she just she
gets a love watching her think because she's really funny because when she starts laughing
and organic laugh, it's just like, oh, she's got a thought.
Yeah, yeah.
That's really cool.
The structure for this one, as you mentioned, is a little bit different.
If these were, if it was an adult show with adults acting in and everything, I'd think
of it as guerrilla theater.
It's a little similar to that to me and some of the productions I've done like that.
The difference of that being the intenseness is while it may be a bit chaotic, like you
touched on and everything, with Stephanie at the helm and with the kids involved, it may
be hectic, but it's fun.
There's more energy.
There's more.
It's an exciting feeling.
It's a good feeling that's going on, a good energy.
They've all got the same common goals to put on the best show ever.
So whether you're a little ten-year-old girl or a 18-year-old boy, your goal is to put
that show on the best that it can be, and they have fun doing it, and it goes on with
them.
Some of those kids are graduating this year, and it's just wonderful to see how confident
they all are, and I like watching on Facebook what their plans are going off to do next
year, and I'm like, wow, I bet you theater really helped them gain that confidence to go
do that.
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Putting a pause there for a second, because I didn't want to put you on the spot.
I wanted to ask you if we could describe the play a little bit.
I believe that it's a very kid-appropriate and murder mystery type of thing, and I'm
just going to touch on it.
Kind of like Clue.
I didn't actually personally read the script.
That was probably something I should have done, but I know that one step, she probably
previewed like five or six different scripts, which is like this is the one, and that.
Give me a self-amwork.
So, yeah.
We'll pick right here up, and I'm just going to ask you a little bit.
Oh, okay.
No, it's cool too.
Gretchen, I'm wondering if we could maybe give a little synopsis, a little clip notes version
of what the play is about.
So I haven't read the script, but Stephanie has described it as like a murder mystery that's
appropriate for kids, it's supposed to be very funny.
She's done a similar one in the past a couple years ago, and then there was none or something
like that.
And it's got that same type of vibe, and you know, she's very good at those with a lot
kind of like slapstick humor, and the, you know, the stressfulness of a murder mystery
and a who did it, and, gosh, I would have read it, wish I would have read this script
beforehand.
But that just means that it's going to be more of a surprise for you.
That's right.
That's right.
Good point.
One of the fun things that Steph does is finding those, you know, so like Pixar, Disney, they're
really good at incorporating a little bit of adult humor in the kid stuff and everything.
Steph does almost the opposite, where she has kind of like, it was a really good job
with adult themes and making very kid-like and kid-friendly and stuff.
Yeah, and she knows not to push it with like, there are never any new windows with her.
Yeah.
It's all very kid-friendly, and she, so her script, it comes from Pioneer Drama, if you want
to look up the synopsis, it has a little bit more information on there.
And when it comes to the, you know, I always like, especially when we're talking about auditioning
for the main stage shows and that I always like to get into what kind of people we're
looking for.
Well, with something like this, we're looking for everybody.
Like there's no kid that couldn't have fun at the show like this.
Yeah, it doesn't matter if you're 8 or 18, there's parts for all ages, it's not just for
the teenagers.
And keep in mind you can find out more about this at wrctheater.org, wrctheater.org.
We'll be talking about, of course, on our morning shows and spreading the word about this
when we get closer to auditions.
Again, auditions are July 15th, 5-7, over at the Wisconsin-Rabbs Community Theatre, production
dates will be August 3rd and 4th.
Things to keep in mind if summer can get busy for some people.
So that's something to keep in mind, but not to deter you from it.
Oftentimes, if your schedule is workable, you know, Stephanie or Gretchen or anybody
with a director will work with people, you know, so that to tear anybody from doing anything,
but to keep in mind.
Yeah, just let us know when you come to auditions that you have conflicts.
I know Newsies is a lot more flexible because there's a giant timeframe from May to July
that we can work around baseball games, summer camps, things like that.
Yeah.
Gretchen, if you don't mind, I would like to, because we have a little more time to play
with here than we realize, I want to get into the next season with you a little bit,
but I mentioned earlier some of the excitement in the community about some of the things
that you've been doing, some of the things that have been added from you and the board
and all that.
One of the things is really taking, making use of that studio theater and having more things
there.
There was recently some karaoke there.
I heard good things about that.
I did not show up because I wanted it to be successful.
No, I'm just kidding, but I will be there one time.
Just if anything, just because I just need, don't want to sing.
It's fun to watch, even if you're not a singer.
Yeah.
A really cool thing about it is that everybody supports each other.
So even if you're only bombing your song, which no one really did, people are there
to sing back up for you or just cheer you on and clap at the end.
With that and some other things that I've seen that you have in store, are you looking
to do more with that theater going forward?
I would like to see something, even if it were every weekend.
I don't mind working weekends.
It doesn't feel like work to me.
It just feels like we're having a show.
So yeah, whether you want to do a director's showcase, that's where you pick your own
play and direct it with a small cast, trying to keep it under like a one-act or hour-and-a-half
to keep it so that people aren't sitting for three hours.
But something creative, something that maybe the main stage will never see.
Wait, let me write something down.
Director's showcase.
Got to pick him.
Okay.
All right.
We're going to lose.
I'd like to host like open mic nights where people want to come and even if it's not
theater-related, want to come and read a poem they wrote or try and stand back that they
just started working on a good way to just like showcase what you're doing and you know
or if you just want to sing some songs.
We kind of did that with the cast party that we had for Glass-Manager as a matter of
fact.
We actually held it in the studio theater and we had someone brought a guitar and so
yeah, people would go up there, just play a song if they, you know, if you needed a
accompaniment they would play it for you or play it with you and sing.
Actually, it was a lot of fun.
I have to say and that was very informal.
So yeah, something like that would actually I think be very welcome in this area.
Yep, it's a nice little intimate space where we're hosting the improv night this weekend
well on Friday.
Never let me do an event on trivia week and never again.
Yes.
I forgot about trivia.
You could ask me about that a lot fair.
I can't only imagine that.
Whoops.
Anyway, but yeah, something different every month, like a murder mystery, Beth and I were
to your wife and I were talking about that stuff.
Yes, yes.
We're all about that.
That's very cool.
Yeah.
And I think that's really a great idea.
We've seen things like this be successful in other spots and other areas and I don't see
why it couldn't be here.
I think it's just a lack of just, you know, not doing it.
Just simply, I think that more of this, the improv night is a great idea that the karaoke
stuff.
These are all things that I think are really fun stuff for the community and it reminds
them and gives them an opportunity to be more comfortable at the theater, come into
the theater.
Maybe they feel more comfortable auditioning.
Maybe that experience on stage doing karaoke or jumping in on an improv sketch gives them,
you know, lights that spark and gets them auditioning and that kind of thing.
So it's a really smart move as well to kind of build maybe a little bit more of a body
of people to, you know, to dip pull from.
And another thing that we're going to be doing and it's actually not going to be in the
studio theater, it's going to be on the main stage is I'm going to start doing fundraisers
for nonprofits.
Wow.
So the very first one is going to be May 18th and we're doing an improv show.
I'm working with Mark for that too and it's going to be, it's called Laughter is the
best medicine.
It's an hour workshop before the show and then a two hour show to follow and then half
those proceeds will go to three bridges recovery for mental health awareness.
Yes.
Very cool.
Going to do something similar.
I'm hoping to do something like something with domestic violence in October because that's
just looking for some nonprofits that might want to partner with me.
I do a fundraiser and provide some really good entertainment for that night.
That's right.
Wonderful.
And the theater for as long as WRCT has been around, it's put it into the community.
Not just entertaining the community but working with the community.
It's nice to hear more and more of those things in mind and going forward as I said earlier
and we've all noted in this community.
We are stronger together and especially when our nonprofits work together.
That's only going to benefit everybody.
It's really cool to hear.
We will take our final time out unless you had something that I just cut you off from.
We'll take one last time out.
We'll come back and have some more fun with Gretchen Powers from Wisconsin Rept's Community
Theater here on Directors Cut.
Welcome back to Directors Cut everybody.
We thank you for joining us and supporting the show so much.
In supporting our friends at Wisconsin Rept's Community Theater who we're talking to today,
we have Gretchen Powers with us, EP over there, ED over there, executive director, EP,
ED, a whole different thing.
I have an idea.
What am I doing?
I don't know my title either.
Just go by the boss.
Yeah, I like that.
We're going to get your business card so you remember that.
Gretchen, one of the things that we wanted to get into was the 24-25 season and touch
on that a little bit and certainly gives some notes to rumors that is coming up and
encourage people to buy tickets and get ready for that.
But along with all of that is we're always looking for good directors and we happen to have
a good director with us right now.
Actually two of them.
I can speak to how good a director she is.
So can I as a matter of fact?
Right.
Right.
I wanted to put you on the spot.
I mean, talk to you, Seth.
A little bit about your directing experience.
You just got done a little while ago, wrapping up, doing the glass menagerie to people out there
that are thinking about directing and maybe if they've done it before, it's been a while
or maybe they've never done it before.
Kind of given them a little bit of a taste of what it was like for you because you were
a first-time director.
Exactly.
And that's kind of why I wanted to talk about it a little bit, especially working with
WRCT.
Specifically, of course, that was, not just me, it was me and Beth, my wife.
We co-directed a glass menagerie together.
And I'm sure as people remember me, I was talking about it a lot when we were getting ready
to do it.
It was a multimedia fair, which meant that we had video involved.
We had recorded voiceover, other kinds of just to mix it up a little bit.
It's a venerable placement around for a long time.
Exactly.
So, I wanted to thank them for not only allowing, you know, giving me the chance, the shot,
giving us the shot to direct the show, but also to do all the extra stuff that we did
with it.
It was a risk in a lot of ways because there was always chance of technical issues and
stuff, you know, things that coming on.
We had very intricate scene changes where we had to move like a big screen off and then
we had a platform that spun and that kind of stuff.
So, it wasn't an overly elaborate stage, but there were certain things that, you know,
if they didn't go quite right, it would look kind of, oops, you know, kind of things.
So, not only was all the people that we worked with, they were so wonderful.
The cast, the crew, everybody from Asan down, it was absolutely fabulous.
And I want to speak to how the executive director and the rest of the board and everyone
helped out behind the scene stuff, they could not have made it easier.
I mean, we had our production manager, Jim Rinker, who was fabulous.
In fact, it was the first time he'd done that before.
So, it was a lot of first-timers on this as well.
So we were all in it together, you know, and we were all helping each other and trying
to lift each other up.
We had a couple of, you know, an actor who had an act in since high school, had to bring,
you know, help him up and everything.
We had the old veterans there as well.
It was just a fabulous mix of the old and the new.
And we couldn't have been happier with how it turned out, but because we had the support,
we had the background people, we had everything we needed in order to succeed.
And that's why I think we did succeed.
And one of the things that stands out when you're talking about that Seth is how long
long before, you know, really any of us were kind of doing things with this company.
They've been here doing this.
And there's something that's been established there and a foundation, a blueprint, for sure,
and everything.
And while things change and they get adapted over the years, the consistency and the structure
doesn't really change.
And having something like that, Gretchen, if you are a first-time director, has got to
be very comforting with all the chaos that can happen in moving parts.
I would say the biggest thing to keep in mind when you're debating whether or not you want
to become a director is that you're not in it alone, and you don't have to think of
where your set is going to come from or how things are going to come to be.
That's why we have a team with production manager and a set builder and your light designers
and sound designers.
It all comes together.
We all work together for that one common goal.
And, you know, leaning on Seth and his recent experience, it also reminds me you've had
some experience with this too as a director and a first-time director.
I had quite the first show, you know, with, you know, certainly stuff that we have all
talked about a little bit here and there, but things you plan and then things that just
happen and being able to adapt with those things.
I imagine that not only having the people that you had with you and everything, but also
having a company that was supportive really went a long way with that production.
I did and being able to go bring any concerns or questions to the board or the staff there.
It was nice to be able to feel supported like you weren't alone and everything.
I do want to put one point out one other thing that makes WRCT a little bit different from
a lot of community theater groups.
You guys have infrastructure.
You guys have the stage.
You have a place for all your props.
You have a place for all this setting stuff that you do.
You have a workshop.
I've been a part of several community theaters and there's very few that can say they have
that.
Just being able to have that makes it that much easier in order to maybe a director because
you can find stuff.
You can build stuff.
It's all right there and it does, I think, I'd say a hundred times easier.
It's definitely very efficient to be able to have our own space and like you said, it's
a rarity.
It is for a community theater.
More than most, and I say this as a creative, more than most creatives need policing with
themselves sometimes.
It's true.
Need help with themselves sometimes.
We have ideas.
We have thoughts.
We just want to run with them and it helps to have some structure.
It helps to have some foundation like a WRCT to kind of support those dreams and those
great imaginative ideas while also like, you know, that's not going to happen, you know
that, right?
You know, there's an understanding and finding that balance of that.
Like, okay, that's a great idea that is literally, I don't even think they could do in Hollywood.
But don't lose the idea, let's see if we can work with it and figure it out and you
look at something like what Seth pulled off with the multimedia aspect.
It looks great on paper.
It seems like it'd be a cool idea.
It's another thing to pull it off and it's another thing for a production company like
WRCT to support it.
So that's noteworthy there.
Gretchen with what you did with it's a wonderful life.
You had a different approach to that show than others have done and not everybody would
be okay with that.
You had a company that supported it.
I think those are noteworthy things as well when it comes to people looking into directing.
Yeah.
And it's kind of cool how we're almost, we're excited to take risks because we know we've
got like clouds to land on instead of just falling in falling in falling.
Oh, that's for sure.
Yes.
Yeah.
There's room for error and got a team of people who help fix things when there are things
that go around which is really cool.
Well, Seth.
And it's important to keep in mind because if you have ever never directed before,
if you're looking to direct and continue to direct or get down more into it, you can
find out more at wrctheater.org.
There's a great section for it at directing with WRCT.
And as Seth mentioned, there are workshops and there are different things that they're
just not going to throw you out there.
I do want to add that this year we're doing something that we've never done before, even
for directors who have directed before, is that I'm going to have, after we've chosen
the directors and before we get going with the new season, I'm going to have something
called director Saturday where all four directors get to come in and we all get to talk about
our plans for the shows and have lunch together and kind of like, okay, well, do you know
who you want on your team?
What do you want for your team so that it's not just what are we doing in scrambling and
having a production meeting right before so that I know what people are wanting from
the beginning.
And then also if there's a new director who's never done it before, kind of show them
of, you know, they have the opportunity to talk with the other directors and stuff so
that's kind of neat.
It's really a great idea.
Yeah, it's really smart and support that can only go, only help anybody going forward
with that.
Very cool.
You mentioned something that I think is really interesting, Gretchen, not only about
your position but about community theaters in general and the balance of, we want to
entertain, we want to keep the lights on as well and in having that balance of figuring
out a community of what they want to see and what they want to take in.
And so with that, you know, we have, of course, script reading and a script committee that
helps decide what productions and what plays we're going to do in the next season.
And I want to get into the, just kind of touch on the 2024 season with you.
You will probably have to come back and really get into it with us sometime, I apologize.
But with that in mind, the season has that mix, I feel, of some new fun stuff.
And some traditional stuff, I think it's a really nice balance of that.
It kicks off in the fall of 2024 with drinking habits.
The auditions for that will be August 12th and the 13th with productions in September,
end of September.
This is a fun one.
And this is one of those ones that kind of blurs lines a little bit as far as like the
nunnery and in some of that.
I'm trying not to reference nonsense.
I'm really trying not to, I can't help it though, it's hard not to.
You tell people it's drinking and nuns all in one.
You're like, okay, yep, I'm coming to that.
Kind of a good synopsis actually, basically not.
This has one thing I do when it is a farce and it has three men and five women a part
of it.
We are always looking for people to audition, man or woman, but I do want to remind the
men out there of the challenge that I have put out there.
I am challenging all men in this community to audition every one of you.
It can't just be me and Seth every time.
We want more and more of you guys out there and I am telling you, if you are looking,
there's so many of us, men especially Seth in a round our age range that still want
to have that sports experience or that feeling or that competitiveness or something.
That is theater.
I am telling you, that is theater theater.
It is not about competition as far as school, it is about the challenge and balance of
yourself in working those things and not only memorizing your lines and your blocking,
but working with others.
These are all things that you do in sports just as well.
It is.
It is.
It is.
It is very much in that kind of exhilarating feeling when you are on stage and you
perform well and that sort of thing.
That is very similar feeling to when you score the winning basket, kick the field goal
kind of thing.
It is one of those things you experience and you will know exactly what we are talking
about.
I like the people that you are working with.
That is kind of like the number one thing.
You are going to make some friends that are going to live with you for the rest of your
life.
I am going to say I owe a lot to theater.
I really do.
I met my wife at theater.
I met James which led to me getting this job into theater.
I am telling you.
Yes.
It is good stuff.
It really is.
It really is.
And with the holiday production, which is always a blast in a well attended one, white
Christmas was the choice this year.
On Ditions, October 7th and 8th.
A musical.
So yeah.
Yeah.
We had a very brave place election committee this year and we are taking the leap of faith.
And we have got a musical director who is interested in being, because you need to have
a director and an artistic director and a musical director.
So we can't make any official announcements yet, but we have had some people come forth
as a musical director, but we still need an artistic director.
So.
Very cool.
This is going to have feature four men, six women.
It's an ensemble show.
Yep.
So more than just the four.
So it will be like the four men, six women lead characters, but still an ensemble world.
I know that there's hope to accept some kids in the ensemble.
Oh, that'd be great.
Even if it's just, you know, let them be in a couple of musical numbers.
So we aren't going to be turning away kids just because people don't think that kids
are part of white Christmas.
Oh, no.
We can make it happen.
So you're dancing shoes and you're singing voice.
And like anything with Irving Berlin attached some great songs.
Oh, absolutely.
Classic songs that you just know and love.
Oh, I'm dream.
I'm just summer auditioning out there.
I'm saying the same thing.
Oh, sorry.
Basically, you got the part.
That's a fun production.
It's one of those ones too that that time of year to be a part of something like that.
I can actually speak to this.
It really brings out the spirit in you of Christmas.
It really does.
It's a fun show to be a part of too.
Yeah.
Again, the audition dates for that are October 7th and 8th.
Production dates will be in the beginning of September or December, sorry, would make
no sense to have it in September or Christmas.
And in winter of 2025, arsenic and old lace auditions are December 16th and 70th.
Production dates will be at the end of February into March.
I have talked about this show actually a lot on the air.
It's based on the movie, which is one of my all-time favorite movies.
It's top five movies of all time for me.
That's how much I love that movie.
It's a fun, amazing show.
It's a big cast.
We're going to need you to come out, everybody.
And it's exciting because this is the first time in a long time that we've done a comedy
in that time slot.
Yes.
I feel like the majority of those have been dramas lately.
And as much as they do a really awesome job with those dramas, they don't pull people
out of their houses in the cold winter months.
For some reason, this is kind of my strategy to try to get people to come and see the show.
I love that.
When it comes to taking chances, I think you always have to look at what is my floor and
what is my ceiling.
And if the ceiling extends, the ceiling is a limit you can't see.
Why not go for it?
This is going to be well-attended.
If you're going to do this, doing it with a show that's well-known and we know is usually
does well, that's a smart move, too.
So that's another part to this, and I noticed strategically it was a really good idea.
And it's cool, because we've done it twice already, and the last, this is our 50th season.
That's another thing that's important to know that it's our 50th anniversary season.
Nice.
Yes.
It's going to be a good idea to put a tip at the top, whenever you're given an ode to
that previous lifetime, where in the 90s or 80s we did those shows and so on.
Excellent.
We're not here without them.
We're not here without those early productions without all of that.
So it's a great idea to give a tip of the hat to that.
That's the phrase.
And it's a cool way of doing it, too, because it's a show, being honest with the audience
and everything.
I have four years been asking, hey, you guys ever going to do this?
Hey, you guys ever going to do our second-old lace in Linda and everybody would tell,
oh, we already done it.
We've done it too much.
We've done it too much.
The idea of bringing it back, now this is the time to do it, a 50th anniversary, as you
said, a kind of thank you to the past and all of that, while also bringing in obviously
a new cast and a new way of doing it.
That's going to be a fun show, looking forward to that one.
And we wrap up the 25 season with the spring show Noises Off, another great comedy classic.
It's a classic, yeah.
Auditions will be March 10th at 11th with production dates in May.
Now when you said earlier about this being an ambitious kind of season that the play
of the selection committee chose, I agree with you 100% no more than with this
prediction of production.
Noises Off is a classic, but it is a big production.
It's not just with the cast and everything, but the set design is intense.
I love the challenge with this.
This is a really good idea.
If I wasn't so focused on our syncing old lace, I'd be focused on this.
I've had some people make some comments like, how are you going to do that set?
And we do have a couple ideas, I was looking for an expert to say, how about you try this?
Got any ideas now?
Will be the time to give me a call.
One of the things that you do kind of tees up for there is when we're talking to people
about being a part of these productions, but also coming to these shows, one of the things
that has always been know where they're with WRCT and we all know this is the great stages
that they create.
But man, in the last couple of years, it has been above and beyond.
It is really remarkable, yeah.
I, as somebody who eats leaps and breathes this stuff, I have to focus sometimes on,
oh my gosh, they're talking.
I get so focused on the stage and looking at little things and all the details that are
put into it.
So, if we're going to do a show like this, I feel pretty confident with the team we have.
Certainly reach out to Gretchen and everybody over there with ideas.
I don't want to keep anybody from that, but this is a good time to do a show like this.
Yep.
And if you want to just be an extra pair of hands, I've also always loved taking on a
new people who are willing to, they might not have the idea, but they want to help, we
will take it.
When it comes to, you know, anybody out there who hasn't been a part of things with WRCT
before, it's a nice reminder that we've kind of done subconsciously, if you will, the
three of us talking about this is how inviting the area is, how.
You come down and you never leave, you know, you really don't, you, whether it's Gretchen
and when she was a kid making friends that she still has or Seth telling you about his
experiences, when you're a part of things at WRCT, you really are a part of a family, you
really are a part of a team.
Right.
Well, and that's part, that's what I like about it so much, they actually put community
first.
Yeah, it's great to put on great shows and have great, I mean, that's all fabulous.
But at the end of the day, it's a community theater and you want to be able to be open
to the community to help, to enjoy, to come, whatever it is you want to do, however you
want to get involved.
That's what it's there for.
That we're here for you, everyone, so looking for directors, looking for more people.
Of course, you can find out more at wrctheater.org and Gretchen, did we cover everything?
Did we get it all?
I think we did.
I do want to make a little note that if you go on our website, we've made some updates.
I shouldn't say I made the updates.
My friend Linda Garski helps me with the website and she's figuring out some really
cool things.
She even put a volunteer form on there so that if you don't feel like calling me, you
can just fill out the volunteer form and it's really cool.
There's also a pre-registration form on there for newsies that if you fill that out ahead
of time, I'll know you're coming and then I won't panic so much when I see that there
are 50 kids auditioning.
I'll just know ahead of time so if you get the chance, fill that out before you come.
Nice.
Keep in mind again that auditions for newsies is April 29th and 30th from 5 to 8 over
the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre.
For the production of It's a Mad House, auditions will be July 15th with productions being
on August 3rd and 4th and keep in mind all of this.
You can find out more at www.wrctheater.org and be sure to follow them on social media.
It is a great follow by local support, local support, the arts, everybody.
Gretchen, thank you so much for the time.
Thank you for having me.
And Seth and I will talk to you soon and later right here on Directors Cut, WFHR.
