One of the fascinating things about the Covid pandemic is watching how performing arts organizations around the world reacted to the pandemic. Some made much quicker decisions than others to postpone their seasons (see Kristy Edmunds at CAPUCLA). Others had vast archived resources to stream (see the Metropolitan Opera). Even though the Pasadena Playhouse is 103 years old, Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman did not rely strictly on archives to continue their dialogue with theatergoers. Nor did he delay in making the decision about how the official state theatre of California would move forward.
“We looked around and really started understanding we’re not going to be back in a while,” he told me during a recent phone call. “We studied the data and knew fairly early on life would not be normal. At the same time we discussed is this the time to hibernate or should we innovate. The mission here is to enrich the lives of our community and we don’t have to be in the building to do that.”
Feldman and his team decided in April to create newly-filmed programming and give birth to PlayhouseLive. They also re-purposed some existing materials and dug into their archives (including the discovery of some never-before-seen film of the Playhouse from 1932.)
PlayhouseLive launched two weeks ago with several shows: Still. by poetry-slam champion Javon Johnson and The Circus from Bob Baker’s Marionette Theatre – two theatre on demand offerings. Intermission with Hashtag Booked (an interview show with Alfred Molina as the first guest) is available with membership to Playhouse Live. All were filmed specifically by and for PlayhouseLive. There is also free programming including Page to Stage which currently goes behind-the-scenes with their 2019 production of Little Shop of Horrors.
“From the beginning we saw Zoom play readings and I participated in it and enjoyed it, but there was a disconnect between the work at Pasadena Playhouse and Zoom. We work really hard to deliver world class theatre and we wanted to match the quality of the filming and the work itself to stand out.”
Finding the right balance of material was of paramount importance to everyone involved. Some might be surprised that PlayhouseLive launched with a provocative piece like Still. in which Johnson employs intense descriptions of Black lives and profanity. Feldman sees Still. as part of the Playhouse’s on-going mission and the direction he’s been taking the theatre since joining in 2017.
“For those who have been following what we’re doing a show like Still. is not a surprise. We did Bordertown Now with an all Latinx cast and creative team that dealt with issues of immigration. We did Ragtime. We don’t shy away from hot-button issues. That’s the role of the arts and of theatre, to provoke conversation. We like to provide the widest tent possible. Whether you like a musical, a straight play, there’s something for everyone. My job is to make sure we serve different groups.”
Upcoming announced future programming at PlayhouseLive include Iceboy! (which will star Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman and Adam Devine), a celebration of composer Jerry Herman and a collaboration with the Ojai Playwrights Conference.
What future PlayhouseLive and in-person productions will be weighs heavily on Feldman. It isn’t just the pandemic, but issues of civil rights – not just in the public-at-large, but also within the theatre community – and a divided country are amongst his considerations today.
“We had not announced what we are doing next year or what we were going to do. What I was looking at doesn’t quite make sense now. While our audience was on the rise, there were questions about the viability of the field as well as race and inequity in the theatre. I’m doing some deep-dive thinking with our board and staff.”
It’s hard to know how or when theatres can re-open. This another challenge for the Pasadena Playhouse and every other arts organization.
“You can look at it as doom and gloom. I don’t. We stopped making firm plans. Now we’re looking at a series of scenarios that show different timetables of coming back and different kinds of returns. It’ll be a long time before you see a Ragtime here. We usually plan a year in advance. This is a tough lesson of being flexible and nimble and we will be ready to return as soon as it is safe to do so for our patrons, artists, crews and production teams.”
When Feldman first joined the Pasadena Playhouse he told the Los Angeles Times he wanted “to be like Hal Prince.” (Prince was a 21-time Tony Award winning producer and director.) Prince’s philosophy of working in theatre is perhaps best summed up in this quote:
“The idea is to work and experiment. Some things will be creatively successful. Some things will succeed at the box office. And some things will only, which is the biggest only, teach you things that see the future. And they’re probably as valuable as any of your successes.”
Feldman pauses for a minute before discussing how he feels his idol’s comments reflect on the challenges he is facing today.
“The future is a question mark because we aren’t sure when we’ll be back on stage. We know it will be a rolling effort and not a light switch. I’ve learned that the way we were doing it before is not the answer in basically every respect. What I’m working on now is giving our organization enough resources to navigate through this so we can re-envision and build on what we’ve learned. If we were coming back anew, what would that be? I hope it results in transformative change.”
Photo: Danny Feldman (Courtesy Pasadena Playhouse)
Update: This post has been updated to include a period – “.” at the end of the title of the show. Still. is the show’s complete title.