Guys & Dolls Juneau Audition – Singing and Dancing Call

JamesUncategorized

 

Guys and Dolls – Juneau Singing and Dancing Call

  • Monday, September 17
  • 6:00pm to 10:00 pm

Please prepare 16 bars of music. Send sheet music before audition to enrique@ptalaska.org

Wear clothes that allow you to dance.

Below are the links to see the dance routine that everyone will do at the audition. We will have some time to review it that night.

Guys – Crapshoot Ballet #1
Guys – Crapshoot Ballet #2
Dolls – Take Back Your Mink

Any questions or concerns please contact Enrique Bravo at 364-2421 xt239 or email him.

Irene Bedard to star in OUR TOWN at Perseverance Theatre

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Perseverance Theatre’s 40th Season opener now in rehearsal:

Irene Bedard will play the Stage Manager in an all-Alaskan Our Town for a new generation

JUNEAU, Alaska – Irene Bedard, the Anchorage-born actor of Native descent who gave voice to Pocahontas in the Disney animated films, among other groundbreaking roles, will play the Stage Manager in Perseverance Theatre’s 40th season opener, Our Town. The iconic American drama by Thornton Wilder, featuring an all-Alaskan cast directed by Art Rotch, will play Oct. 5-Nov. 3 at the theatre in Juneau, and Nov. 9-25 at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts in Anchorage.

Bedard will also take on a leading role in Whale Song, the world-premiere play by Cathy Taganak Rexford (Inupiaq) that will perform through the month of February in Juneau, and March 8-17 in Anchorage.

An alumna of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she studied theatre on a full scholarship, Bedard has ancestral ties to the Inupiaq, Yupik, and Métis Cree nations, and she has family connections to Perseverance: her brother Joe Bedard is the board president, and her sister-in-law Vera Starbard (Tlingit/Denaina) is a playwright-in-residence. Joining the Perseverance ensemble has been a long-held wish, Bedard said, though a busy film and television career—from the trailblazing 1998 indie hit Smoke Signals to recent appearances on Westworld and The Mist—always prevented it. (She also has a 15-year-old son.)

Now, Bedard is taking the Perseverance stage for the first time, in a part historically associated with white leading men: Henry Fonda, Hal Holbrook, Paul Newman and Spalding Gray, to name a few famous interpreters. In recent years, more women and people of color have claimed the presiding role, as well as Our Town itself. A Pulitzer Prize-winner from 1938, and still one of the most-performed plays on American stages, Our Town has outgrown its unfair reputation as a quaint Norman Rockwell painting come to life.

“This is a play about being a human being,” Bedard said. “It’s about the human spirit, it’s about life and death and birth and loss and grief and forgiveness and family and togetherness. So of all the plays where I could circle back and be on stage in Alaska—I think it’s wonderful that it’s this play.”

Director Art Rotch said Alaskan audiences will see themselves clearly in the play’s three straightforward acts, which center on daily life, love and marriage, and death—and in the play’s characters, the flawed but endearing parents, children, town leaders, gossips, and ne’er-do-wells who make up the tight-knit Grover’s Corners community.

“You’ll know these people,” Rotch said. “Thornton Wilder’s writing is so iconic and so relatable—everybody gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night, everybody knows the intimacy of those family relationships and those love relationships. And we’re all mortal.”

In addition to the nontraditional casting of the Stage Manager role, the director pointed out, all the couples in the play are interracially cast. Two young Juneau actors, Ty Yamaoka and Ashleigh Watt, play George and Emily, the high school sweethearts at the center of the story. The Perseverance ensemble also includes artist-in-residence Enrique Bravo as Dr. Gibbs, Shadow Meienberg (Cherokee) as Mrs. Gibbs, Brian Wescott (Yupik) as Mr. Webb, Valorie Kissel as Mrs. Webb, Caleb Bourgeois as Simon Stimson, and Diane Fleeks as Mrs. Soames.

Reflecting on her own role, Bedard said, “The Stage Manager is sort of like God’s conductor, some sort of angel,” similar to the Northwest Coast Native persona of Fog Woman, whom Bedard recently portrayed in a cultural showcase at the Alaska State Fair. “She’s like the first woman, the woman of all women,” Bedard explained. “So if I’m imagining a Native woman Stage Manager in 1918, is she a clan mother? Is she a medicine woman?”

These are some of the questions Bedard, Rotch, and the rest of the Our Town company are delving into this week, as Our Town begins rehearsal at the little storefront theatre in Douglas.

“Perseverance has become a place where we can gather as artists and explore what it means to be Alaskan artists,” Rotch said, addressing the cast at the first table-reading of the play Wednesday night (Aug. 29). “Our Town is a perfect piece to do that with.”

Perseverance’s first staging of the play was in 1982, just three years into founding director Molly Smith’s bold endeavor to bring serious theatre to the Juneau community. This new production, with Bedard as the leading storyteller, Rotch said, might be a chance for longtime audiences to reflect on the company’s evolution since then, and to embrace Perseverance’s future as Alaska’s professional regional theatre.

“I’m really grateful to Irene for playing this role,” Rotch added. “To do this play in Alaska today… the first voice we hear should be a Native voice.”

Showtimes and ticket information

Our Town will have previews at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 and 4, at Perseverance Theatre, 914 Third St. in Douglas. Regular performances run Oct. 5-Nov. 3, with curtain times at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and at 4 p.m. Sundays, plus a 7:30 p.m. performance Wednesday, Oct. 24 (half-price Juneau Arts Night). Oct. 7 and 11 shows are Pay-What-You-Can. Regular single tickets are $28-$44 for adults, $19-$27 for students, and are available at www.ptalaska.org or by calling 907-463-TIXS (8497).

In Anchorage, Our Town will have a Pay-What-You-Can preview at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 in the Sydney Laurence Theatre, Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, 621 W. 6th St. Single tickets are $48-$60 for adults, $25-$37 for students and military, and are available at www.centertix.com, or by calling 907-263-ARTS (2787). Rush tickets are available for $15 for every performance, starting a half hour before curtain at the Centertix box office.

Meet (and help) our new backstage MVPs

Julie CoppensUncategorized

Cameron Thorp and the old company van. Lending or donating vehicles is a great way to support Perseverance!

Shelly Wright already has given the Perseverance costume shop an extreme makeover.

Our cast of characters is growing! In addition to announcing our new managing director Joshua Midgett, this month we welcome a new company manager, Cameron Thorp, and a new costume shop manager, Shelly Wright, to the Juneau staff. In Anchorage, Alexis Sheeder has joined the team as an outreach and development associate.

“I feel like after 35 years in this community, costuming for all the great arts organizations, I am finally home,” says Shelly, a designer and administrator familiar to many on the Juneau scene. “I am looking forward to my first year with Perseverance.”

Alexis, too, has lent her energy and creativity to a number of Anchorage companies, including Cyrano’s and Alaska Junior Theatre.

Cameron was an intern for Perseverance’s 2014-15 season, taking on a wide range of duties as a production assistant under Kathleen Harper. He’s returned since then to stage manage, breaking in his new Equity card on William, Inc. and becoming a friend to everyone here—so when Kathleen departed this summer to take on a new role at the JAHC/Centennial Hall, Cameron got the call.

“It’s an all-in-the-family thing,” Cameron says, laughing. “Having worked alongside Kathleen—she trained me for this job even before I knew I was going to do it. It’s nice that she trusts me.”

Cameron grew up in a community-theatre-loving family in Michigan and attended Saginaw Valley State University, earning a degree in theatre and gender studies. He discovered a passion for backstage work—prop design, in particular—when he auditioned for a campus production of Sam Shepherd’s Buried Child and didn’t get a part. “I offered to help with props… and I spent two months building a dead baby. I got a little too into it,” he recalls with an shudder—but the piece took top honors at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

After graduation, Cameron says, he started doing more backstage work, finding more satisfaction and pride in that than he ever had as an actor. “Working on monologues, headshots—that stuff wasn’t fun anymore,” he says. Searching for job opportunities one day, he Googled “professional theatres in…” and went alphabetically by state. “I didn’t get past A. I saw Perseverance Theatre, and I thought, this can’t be real—there can’t be a professional theatre in Alaska! That’s so cool.”

Many shows, strange props, and flying plates of spaghetti later (yes, he survived The Odd Couple)—and after stints at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Houston Ballet, and elsewhere—Cameron is back at Perseverance in his first permanent, full-time job. As our company manager, he books travel, arranges housing and generally takes care of all our visiting artists; he’ll stage manage Whale Song, among all the other random and essential tasks that Kathleen managed so cheerfully.

You can help! Cameron is seeking donations of vehicles, airline miles, guest artist housing, and other assistance for the coming seasons in Juneau and Anchorage. Shelly could use a handyperson’s help with some shop set-up tasks; she’ll also be hiring part-time stitchers, launderers and others as we head into production this fall.

There are many ways to support the artists here at Perseverance—and friends who step up receive complimentary tickets and other perks, along with our undying gratitude. Please contact Cameron or Shelly directly if you can help: cameront@ptalaska.org, shellyw@ptalaska.org.

And consider working here yourself. Perseverance is currently recruiting a new Technical Director, Assistant Technical Director, experienced stage managers and other crew positions for the coming season, as well as a professional bookkeeper, full- or part-time. For details:

https://www.ptalaska.org/employment-opportunities/

 

 

Perseverance Theatre welcomes new managing director Joshua Midgett

Julie CoppensFeatured

Perseverance Theatre, Alaska’s professional regional theatre company, has hired Joshua Midgett as its next managing director. Midgett will join the company’s leadership team this fall as Perseverance launches its 40th season, reporting to the Board of Directors alongside Art Rotch, who’s transitioning from his longtime role as executive artistic director to that of artistic director.

“I can’t imagine one person doing both of those jobs, as wonderful and as capable as Art is,” Midgett said. “I’m looking forward to working with Art as a partner, so that both sides of that coin”—the business and the art of running a theatre company— “can get the attention they deserve.”

A dynamic up-and-comer in the field of nonprofit theatre administration, with childhood ties to Juneau, Midgett has been general manager of the Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherd University, in Shepherdstown, W.V., since 2015. In 2014 he earned his M.A. in arts management and a certificate in international arts management from American University in Washington, D.C.—where, not coincidentally, one of his faculty mentors was former Perseverance Theatre manager Jeffrey Hermann. Midgett completed a study program in international business, tourism management, and theatre at Victoria University in New Zealand in 2013, and earned his B.A. from Keene State College in New Hampshire, double-majoring in theatre and economics. He’s worked in production and company management for a wide range of regional theatres, including Utah Shakespeare Festival, Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, N.Y., and GALA Hispanic Theatre in Washington, D.C.

At CATF, an organization with an annual budget in the same ballpark as Perseverance ($1.8 million), Midgett has mastered most of the tasks he’ll tackle here: hiring and managing staff, overseeing daily operations, staying on top of industry-wide trends and challenges, and turning budget shortfalls into surpluses.
Midgett will visit next week, meeting with Perseverance staff, board, artists, and other stakeholders in Anchorage and Juneau, and working out the details of his transition to full-time work in Juneau by mid-October. It will be a homecoming of sorts: Midgett’s father was in the Coast Guard, and was stationed in Juneau for five years in the 1990s. Midgett attended Mendenhall River Elementary and Floyd Dryden Middle School, and remembers learning Tlingit language and culture as part of his classroom Raven clan. Having returned to Alaska twice as an adult, Midgett said, “there’s kind of an overwhelming nostalgia that I really don’t feel anyplace else.”

Back in graduate school, after his professor Jeff Hermann mentioned his own experience working at Perseverance Theatre, “we talked about how much I miss (Juneau) and wanted to get back there,” Midgett recalled. “I never thought I would.” But he had spoken with Rotch and others connected with Perseverance over the years; in 2016, both CATF and Perseverance were part of the National New Play Network’s rolling world premiere of Not Medea, by Allison Gregory.

“He’s been on our radar for a while,” Rotch said. Then this summer, as Perseverance was staging its financial comeback and the board was seeking managing director candidates, friends at the Rasmuson Foundation and the executive search firm m/Oppenheim Associates (which has helped Alaska Public Media, the Anchorage Museum and others find leaders) suggested a familiar name: Joshua Midgett.

“I’m excited to be a part of an organization that is truly integrated into the community,” Midgett said, comparing Perseverance’s year-round presence in Alaska to CATF, a seasonal destination in a tiny university town. And he’s looking forward to working not just in service of new plays—CATF’s domain—but also time-honored classics, musicals, explorations of Native culture, and other kinds of works. Perseverance’s 40th anniversary season, opening Oct. 5 in Juneau and Nov. 9 in Anchorage, will feature Our Town, by Thornton Wilder; the world-premiere plays Franklin, by Samantha Noble, and Whale Song, by Cathy Tagnak Rexford; the musical Guys and Dolls, by Frank Loesser, Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows; and Steve Martin’s comedy The Underpants. In addition, Anchorage will enjoy A Christmas Carol at holiday time, and several smaller Alaska communities will play host to Perseverance’s touring production of The Winter Bear.

The recapitalization package that has made this season possible includes major gifts from investor/philanthropists Robert Ziff and John Rubini, Judy Rasmuson, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and others, as well as a $100,000 challenge to individual donors, and a $50,000 challenge to business and corporate sponsors. The “Persevere With Us!” challenge already has generated some $45,000 in new contributions since its June 29 launch, according to development director Erika Stone; the deadline for individual donors is Sept. 30.

“The community can see that Perseverance is moving in the right direction,” Stone said. “Having such a strong managing director coming on board should give donors even more confidence that the company will be good stewards of these funds. It’s great news for us.”

Additional new hires

In addition to Midgett’s position, the company is hiring in other critical areas: local theatre veteran Shelly Wright has joined the staff as costume shop manager, and Cameron Thorp, one of many successful alumni of Perseverance’s internship program, is the new company manager. Perseverance is also recruiting a technical director, assistant technical director, and bookkeeper.

The staffing changes are just part of the ever-shifting landscape in Alaska nonprofit theatre. With a lingering statewide recession straining everyone’s budgets, and a new generation staking its claim on the Alaska economy and culture, the artists at Perseverance will have to hustle harder than ever to meet the rising costs of production while building its audience and achieving its goals, both organizational and creative.

“This is a really tricky time,” Rotch said, reflecting on the significance of Midgett’s hiring at this 40-year milestone. “It’s going to be important to have someone as talented as he is, and as capable as he is. Someone needs to come into work every day focused on supporting the people in the trenches. He’s a really high-energy dude, and this”—managing a nonprofit, professional theatre in a unique position on the American stage—“is what he wants to do.”

‘It was a dream’: Applause and thanks to departing staff

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This month we bid a fond farewell to two company stalwarts: director of operations Kathleen Harper, who’s accepted a new position with the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council as house manager for Centennial Hall; and finance and office manager Bryan Crowder, who’s moving to Los Angeles this fall to build his acting career.

It’s impossible to overstate Kathleen’s contributions over her fifteen years on staff; in so many ways, large and small, she kept Perseverance running.

“I first worked with Kathleen on Moby Dick, a new play that was as wild a ride to stage manage as they come,” Art Rotch recalled. “But when she explained that she came here by way of the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre; knew the founder, Bruce Rogers, and had lived at the camp in the birch trees up there—and had loved it, and was going back next year—I knew she was a theatre person. Since then she has crafted dozens of memorable props, including an authentic Victorian-era vibrator; housed countless actors, directors, and more than the occasional family member and pet; and put in more late nights than I can count, all while staying pleasant and friendly. I will miss having her here every day, but am thrilled she is staying in Juneau and in the performing arts. See you at the theatre, Kathleen!”

We asked Kathleen to share some reflections on her time at Perseverance. Here’s some of what she had to say:

“Though I wasn’t born in Alaska, I grew up here and have always loved this crazy state we call home—from Dillingham to Kenai, and finally here in Juneau. I went out of state for college to get a degree in theatre and studio art, but always knew I wanted to come back to Alaska. Working summers during college with the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre introduced me to some of the people who worked at Perseverance at the time, including Jake Waid, Jeffrey Herrmann, and Sarah Waisenan. Right out of college I was able to come to Juneau and start work at Perseverance Theatre myself—how lucky to find work in my chosen field, in my home state!

“I started as a stage manager and props master and worked various jobs as I could. I was never officially an intern, but there were years when it sort of felt like that; to make up the difference in income I substitute-taught and eventually got a part-time job at United Fishermen of Alaska as the office assistant, where I was trained in QuickBooks along with other office basics. When the finance person at Perseverance left back in 2007, I told the managers at the time, “I can fill in until you find a permanent person.” Three years later… At times I was both finance and box office, then moved to finance and production manager, then production and company manager, and finally became director of operations.

“I love this theatre—obviously, since I’ve stuck around for so long. I’ve worked under three different artistic directors, and with countless staff and board members. I’ve seen this place grow from a grass-roots Juneau community theatre with big ambitions to a grass-roots Alaska regional theatre with nationwide reach and reputation. I’ve always felt like the staff here was just as much a part of my family as those related to me by blood. This past year I jokingly told some fellow staff members that I have spent more time in the theatre building than I have spent in any home I’ve ever lived in. The space is layered in ghosts of the past and promises for the future for me.

“I spend a lot of time talking with the actors who come in and the people who volunteer and even patrons on the phone, and I think we can all agree that this place has a special magic that is hard to define. Some of that is because Juneau is just such a special city, and some of that is because Perseverance is rooted in this place—Alaska—and embodies so much of what that means for the people who live here. It’s about pioneering spirit, about not being afraid to wear many hats and try new things, it’s about honoring our traditions and creating new ones, making something quality out of nothing, having the hard conversations but also just a really good time together, and the idea that we as a community together make a stronger whole than the sum of our parts.

“I’ll keep on supporting Perseverance and its people, but I’m ready for a new adventure, joining the JAHC as they take over managing the Centennial Hall facility. I’m excited to work with the community to continue to make Juneau a vibrant place we can all be very proud to call home.”

Kathleen, from all of us at Perseverance, thank you.

Bryan Crowder, our uber-capable, ever-cheerful finance and office manager, has also graced the Perseverance stage as an actor in a wide range of roles. (We’ll never forget his loincloth-clad caveman in Madeleine George’s sex comedy Seven Homeless Mammoths Wander New England.)

“My first contact with Perseverance Theatre came through an acting class at the University of Alaska Southeast that was being offered in the fall of 2011,” Bryan recalled. “I got bit by the bug, and I ultimately decided to major in theatre. Over the next seven years I completed three internships, appeared in six shows (five Main Stage and one Black Box), and worked as a staff member for three years. The skills and experience gained through my time at Perseverance have been invaluable, and I will strive to use the knowledge accumulated here to pursue my acting aspirations in Los Angeles beginning this fall. Everyone involved with Perseverance has a great love for theatre and this community. It was a dream to be part of a team with so many creative and talented people who make professional theatre a reality in Juneau.”

We sure hate to lose these MVPs, but we are ready to applaud their next big acts! We’re also excited to welcome several new staff members in August and September; stay tuned for those announcements.

Job Opening – Technical Director

joshuaJob Openings

Perseverance Theatre (PT) in Juneau, Alaska seeks a Technical Director to work a full-time, year-round season. The position is open and ready to be filled. Start dates are flexible.

The Technical Director must be hands-on and have a passion for managing and completing the mainstage scenic builds in coordination with the Scene Shop Forman. Candidates must have excellent skills in managing people and time. Enthusiasm for collaborating with designers and directors from diverse backgrounds in order to realize their plans and concepts within the constraints of our space and budget is a vital asset to working at Perseverance. You would be working with SDC Directors as well as local talent, and are often returning artists. Designers include the Artistic Director, USA 829 members, and Alaska based designers of various backgrounds. Seasonal staff hired per production include scenic artists, props masters, production interns, master electricians, carpenters. Part of your duties will be to serve as a mentor and advisor to their future growth as theatre artists. Exceptional skills in carpentry, rigging, welding, and an emphasis on safety are required. Additional experience with electrics, sound, paints, properties, maintaining facilities, and willingness to develop Alaskan grit will enhance any application.

PT produces 5 mainstage shows, an annual holiday project in Anchorage, plus occasional special projects, an annual Rural Alaskan Tour, educational and outreach programming, on a $2 million dollar operating budget. PT operates on a transitional AEA Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors Equity.

Perseverance Theatre is committed to enhancing the diversity of its staff and guest artists. Applications from Alaska Natives, women, people of color, and members of the LGBT+ community are encouraged. Applications will be reviewed beginning September, and continue until the position is filled.  Salary mid 40s DOE, with health and paid leave, some relocation assistance is available.  To apply, send a resume, cover letter and three references to Perseverance Theatre at 914 Third Street, Douglas, AK 99824, (907) 364-2421, or e-mail to art@ptalaska.org.

ABOUT PERSEVERANCE THEATRE

Perseverance Theatre (PT) is creates theatre by and for Alaskans. We value community engagement, professional rigor, cross cultural collaboration, and regional voice.

Perseverance was founded in 1979 in Juneau, Alaska’s state capital and a community 32,000 that is only accessible by plane or boat.  Thirty Nine years later, Perseverance is the state’s largest professional theatre, serving over 25,000 Alaskan artists, students and audiences annually with classical, world premiere, and contemporary productions on our Juneau and Anchorage stages; providing extensive education programs for adults and youths; an annual rural tour of The Winter Bear by Anne Hanley; and collaborating with groups ranging from Dark Winter Productions in Anchorage, to Sealaska Heritage Institute and Hoonah Indian Association in Southeast Alaska.

We are a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with an annual budget that has nearly doubled over the past 6 years to 1.9 million.  In December 2002, we were one of just seven theatres nationwide to have been awarded a $500,000 endowment challenge grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation in New York, through their Leading National Theatres Program.  We completed the challenge in 2005 and now possess a $1 million endowment fund.

In 39 seasons under Artistic Directors Molly Smith (now the Artistic Director of the Arena Stage in Washington D.C.), Peter DuBois (Artistic Director at the Huntington Theatre Company), and PJ Paparelli (formerly Artistic Director of the American Theatre Company in Chicago), we’ve premiered over 70 new plays by Alaskan and national playwrights.  Among them are The Long Season (2005), a World Premiere musical about the Filipino Alaskan experience, and columbinus (2005), a World Premiere exploration of adolescence and the phenomenon of school shootings.  Both productions received coverage in American Theater magazine and on National Public Radio.  The Long Season was subsequently presented at New Jersey’s George Street Playhouse; meanwhile, columbinus was produced off-Broadway in May 2006 at New York Theatre Workshop.  Paula Vogel’s 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning play How I Learned to Drive was also written and developed at PT.

Perseverance’s presence in Anchorage began with a tour of Pure Gold in 1979, and deepened in 2012 with our first subscription season presented at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts (ACPA). Perseverance’s current strategic plan sets a goal of boosting the total population served in order to raise ticket sales and annual donations from patrons to a sustainable percentage of the total budget, based primarily on reaching audiences living in the Anchorage area and attending performances at ACPA. Completed in 1988, ACPA was envisioned as an anchor for the performing arts in Anchorage and Alaska that would be home to Alaska’s most prominent performing arts organizations, including the Anchorage Opera, Anchorage Symphony, Anchorage Concert Association, and Alaska Repertory Theatre. The closure of the Rep in the 1980s, which also led to a growth cycle for Perseverance, left ACPA without a theatre in residence for most of the years between 1988 and 2012, when Perseverance became the resident theatre. Our seasons are built on productions that originate in Juneau, are built nd rehearsed in our home, runf for a local audience, and then relocated to Anchorage for a limited engagement. At present, about 60% of total attendance is Anchorage residents, and 40% Juneau residents. Growth potential exists in both places, especially in Anchorage.

PT maintains a special emphasis on working with Alaskan artists.  We support an actor in residence program and a writer in residence, and training and development opportunities are an essential element of all our artistic operations.  We are also committed to engaging artistic work that speaks directly to the Alaskan experience.  Moby Dick (2001) was a World Premiere fusion of Melville with the whaling traditions of the Iñupiat Eskimos.  Performed by a multi-ethnic cast of Alaskan performers, this production later toured to Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Barrow, the northernmost settlement in North America.  Meanwhile, Macbeth (2004) was set in the context of Southeast Alaska’s indigenous Tlingit culture and was performed by an all-Alaska Native cast.  This piece later toured the state and, in March 2007, was remounted a third time for performances at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.

For more information, please visit our website at www.ptalaska.org.

 

THE FACILITIES

In Juneau, Perseverance owns and operates two buildings. Before it became Perseverance Theatre, the 47-year-old building at 914 Third Street in Douglas was home to the Taku Bar, widely acknowledged for having the best pool tables in town.  When the theatre opened in 1979, performances were held in the reconfigured barroom for capacity crowds of 70, but it wasn’t long before more room was needed.  In 1983, volunteers from across the community built an addition for are 161-seat Mainstage theatre (a 55’ x 45’ flexible modified thrust).  This space was inaugurated with a production of Patrick Meyer’s K2, performed on the same scaffolding that had just been used to raise the roof.   Meanwhile, the former space was converted into the “Phoenix,” a rehearsal room/Second Stage (a 22’ x 50’ flexible black box with a seating capacity of 49).  The upstairs of the building currently contains administrative offices and two rental apartments, while the basement contains dressing rooms and storage.  We continue to pay down a mortgage on this building and we rent a space right next door as a costume shop.  In 1994, the state approved a grant enabling us to purchase a 6300 square foot lot directly adjacent to our facility and a 24’ x 24’ storage unit currently rests on this land.  In 1999, PT embarked on a $1.1 million facility renovation and expansion campaign. Last spring we completed construction of a brand new annex building about a ten-minute drive away, which houses a rehearsal hall, set shop, and artists housing.  We own this land and the building outright.

In Anchorage, Perseverance uses the Sydney Laurence and Discovery Theatres at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, which is located in the downtown Anchorage core area. ACPA (or the PAC as locals call it) has four theatres, three of them proscenium and one a studio type space. The Sydney Laurence theatre seats 330 with a small mezzanine, with a full height fly house, modes apron, and an asymmetrical house some interesting side stage boxes. The Discovery Theatre seats 710 with a deep stage, spacious wings, a full height fly tower, traps which are seldom used, and a symmetrical house with 250 seats in a mezzanine and the rest in a very wide wrapped orchestra level. Discovery has a large orchestra pit, but not pit lift. Both spaces have excellent loading access from a dock as would be expected of a true road house. In Anchorage, Perseverance maintains a small office in the Spenard neighborhood for the General manager and staff from Juneau when visiting for projects. The PAC is an IATSE house, and Perseverance is party to the collective bargaining agreement with local 918. Production staff based in Juneau can be expected to make a few trips to Anchorage annually for load ins and techs, and the occasional strike as needed.

ABOUT JUNEAU

The Tlingit and Haida people were the first settlers of what is now known as Southeast Alaska and they fished the rich salmon routes here for centuries.  Russian fur traders joined them in the late 1800’s. Once Joe Juneau discovered gold in 1880, Juneau boomed into a gold rush town.  That pioneer spirit, Alaska Native, and Russian cultures, still inform life here in vital ways.

Today, Juneau is Alaska’s state capital and third largest city.  Like Alaska, Juneau is full of contrasts: a sophisticated cosmopolitan city located in the lush heart of the Tongass National Forest.  Downtown Juneau sits at sea level, nestled at the base of Mount Juneau (elev. 3,576 feet) and Mount Roberts (elev. 3,819 feet).  Douglas Island—home to PT—sits across Gastineau Channel from downtown Juneau and is connected to the mainland by a single bridge.  The stunning physical environment features glaciers, snow-capped mountains, and waterfalls and is home to abundant wildlife, including whales, bears, and bald eagles.

The current population of Juneau numbers just over 30,000 and, is 75% White, 11% Native American, 5% Asian, 3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Black, and 0.4% Pacific Islander.  The economy is based on state, local, and Federal government, tourism, mining, fishing, and logging.

The rainforest keeps the climate mild and wet year-round.  The mean annual temperature is 55°F. Winter temperatures seldom drop below 20°F and summer temperatures seldom exceed 65°F. The abundant rainfall grows very large Sitka spruce and Western hemlock in the forests and abundant fish in local waters.  Snowfall is heavy in most winters, averaging 101 inches.

Juneau does not have the “midnight sun” experienced further north in Alaska, but day length is much longer in the summer and much shorter in the winter than in the “Lower 48.”  On the summer solstice, we receive more than 18 hours of sunlight, while, on the winter solstice, we receive just six.

Juneau offers unparalleled outdoor recreational activities, including kayaking, rafting, fishing, and hiking in the summer and snowboarding and skiing in the winter.  The area also supports 35 churches, a high school, two middle schools, several elementary schools, and the University of Alaska Southeast campus at Auke Lake.

 

ABOUT ANCHORAGE

The Denaina Athabaskan people were the first settlers of what is now the Anchorage Bowl and surrounding areas. Anchorage is the population and economic center of the state, and was founded during the construction of the Alaska Railroad, recently celebrating its centennial year. and

Black Box casting call for ‘Oleanna’

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Announcing an open casting call for a summer studio production of David Mamet’s 1992 drama Oleanna. Performances will be August 23-26 in the Phoenix Theatre, part of the Black Box series at Perseverance.

Auditions will be by appointment: 1-5 p.m. Friday, July 27 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, July 29. To audition, contact Enrique Bravo: 907-364-2421 ext. 239, or email enrique@ptalaska.org.

In the first scene of Mamet’s controversial play, college student Carol drops by her professor’s office, seeking help to do better in class. John, the professor, in the midst of buying a house to celebrate his nomination for tenure, at first seems distant. The two discuss the nature of understanding and judgment in society, as well as their very own natures and places in our society. It seems as if a bond has formed, but later we find that a report has been filed to the tenure committee: Carol has joined a “group” and claimed that John sexually harassed her. Their second meeting dissects the first; every word, every nuance of the first meeting has been twisted into something else. Or has it? John’s attempts to convince Carol to retract her accusation escalate to a dangerous level. The third meeting, one the court officers warned against, climaxes violently, leaving John and Carol both physically and emotionally devastated.

“I chose [Oleanna] for a variety of reasons,” said director Enrique Bravo, actor-in-residence at Perseverance. “The fact that it’s a strong two-hander with one set throughout the entire piece was helpful, given the logistics of the Black Box, but I also feel that this play has a lot to say in our current climate. Twenty-five-plus years since Oleanna was first produced, and these power dynamics between men and women are really just starting to be examined,” Bravo added, pointing to the #METOO movement and other examples.

“My hope is to provoke thought and keep that conversation going,” the director said. “That is one of the things I have always loved about theatre: its ability to serve as a platform for difficult conversations.”

Black Box at Perseverance Theatre is an ongoing studio series housed in our second space, the Phoenix (adjacent to our lobby at 914 Third Street in Douglas). Curated by Perseverance-affiliated artists, and open to participation by everyone, Black Box hopes to foster emerging local talents—writers, actors, directors, technicians, and more—by providing opportunities apart from our mainstage productions. It’s also a place to push our audiences a little bit, too. Got an idea for a future Black Box project? Talk to us!

STAR: We brake for Shakespeare!

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At a community meeting last week, our friends at the Douglas Island Neighbors Association and the Juneau Police Department discussed the issue of increased speeding around town–something we’ve noticed, too. The JPD can install temporary “speed vans” (portable radar signs telling drivers how fast they’re going) and try to patrol problem streets more often, but their resources are limited; we thought a friendly reminder to motorists might help, too. So we tapped a few of our STAR actors from As You Like It to deliver this public-safety message in Shakespearean style. Listen, share, and if you’re ever running late for a show, please don’t try to beat the curtain by speeding. Nights at the theatre are dramatic enough! Thanks.

Stage set, funds in place for Perseverance Theatre’s 40th season

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Art Rotch and crew in rehearsal for “To Kill a Mockingbird,” March 2017. Rotch has led Perseverance for eight seasons, dividing his time between executive responsibilities and the artistic work of curating seasons, directing, designing and producing. The theatre is recruiting a new managing director to take over operations, allowing Rotch, as artistic director, to focus on productions. Major philanthropic contributions this summer are supporting these and other steps forward for the company, now in its 40th year.

Stage set, funds in place for Perseverance Theatre’s 40th season
Supporters give Alaska’s professional regional company a new lease on life

 

JUNEAU, Alaska – Perseverance Theatre, Alaska’s professional regional theatre company, is staging a comeback this summer thanks to some visionary donors, while putting final touches on a lineup of American classics, captivating contemporary works, and Alaska originals.

The company’s 40th anniversary season will feature Our Town, by Thornton Wilder; the world-premiere plays Franklin, by Samantha Noble, and Whale Song, by Cathy Tagnak Rexford; the musical Guys and Dolls, by Frank Loesser, Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows; and Steve Martin’s bawdy comedy The Underpants. In addition, Juneau will see at least two Young Company productions performed by students, Anchorage will enjoy A Christmas Carol at holiday time, and several smaller Alaska communities will play host to Perseverance’s acclaimed touring production of The Winter Bear.

See below for Juneau and Anchorage main stage season dates, and please refer to our website, www.ptalaska.org, for show descriptions, subscription prices, and other details.

Of particular note: At a time when many American regional theatres are still striving to achieve gender equity and diversity in their hiring, Perseverance’s creative teams this season are widely inclusive and predominantly female. Alaska audiences will see these titles interpreted by directors Madeline Sayet (of Mohegan tribal ancestry, a TED Fellow and White House Champion of Change Award recipient), Hannah Wolf (Juneau-bred, a 2018 O’Neill Center National Directing Fellow), Shona Osterhout (director of Chicago and other past Perseverance hits), and Theresa K. Pond (artistic director of Cyrano’s Theatre Company in Anchorage, she staged Peter and the Starcatcher for us in 2016); Alaska playwright Arlitia Jones (Christmas Carol’s adapter, a member of the Perseverance Playwrights’ Circle); set designer Akiko Nishijima Rotch (whose scenic painting is part of the magic of Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child); costume designers Elizabeth Rocha and E.B. Brooks; sound designer Lucy Peckham (who made The Arsonists and To Kill a Mockingbird sing), and indie songwriter Marian Call. Among the men, Perseverance welcomes the return of veteran director Michael Evan Haney (A Christmas Carol) and Guys and Dolls musical director Rob Cohen (Chicago), while Asa Benally, a New York-based costume designer raised on the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona, will make his Perseverance debut with Whale Song.

“Perseverance does its best work when we bring together artists from Alaska and guest artists who have something to share with Alaskan colleagues,” said Art Rotch, the company’s executive artistic director for the past eight seasons. “The number of talented directors and designers returning to work with us again this season is exciting, and it’s really thrilling to welcome Madeline Sayet, Marian Call, and Asa Benally to our company.”

Growing the subscriber base in Anchorage—a metro area with almost ten times Juneau’s population—will be a particular priority for the company this year, according to Perseverance’s general manager in Anchorage, Joshua Lowman.

“Our Anchorage audience is going to love these plays,” Lowman said. “It’s taken a few seasons here, but people know who we are, and the level of our work. Attendance is increasing as more and more people recognize that Perseverance means quality theatre, made by Alaska artists, and a fun night out. This season we hope more of our patrons subscribe so they can enjoy everything we do.”

Meanwhile, Perseverance will continue to foster the next generation of artists and audiences through its popular drama camps, STAR (three summer youth productions, running July 20-29), and other educational programming, as well as through creative partnerships with local organizations such as Sealaska Heritage Institute, Juneau Public Libraries, and Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM). The company will team up with the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council to welcome hundreds of local students to its productions of Our Town and Whale Song, providing low-cost matinees and classroom resources in support of the Kennedy Center-sponsored Any Given Child Initiative. And the Perseverance Playwright’s Circle, convening this week in Anchorage, will help five gifted writers with Alaska and/or Native roots bring to the stage new stories and voices that historically have gone unheard.

“The Playwright’s Circle has been such a tremendous opportunity for me to grow as a playwright and theatre artist,” says Frank Henry Kaash Katasse (Tlingit), author of They Don’t Talk Back, which premiered in 2017 at Perseverance, Native Voices at the Autry, and LaJolla Playhouse. Other Playwright’s Circle members working on Perseverance-sponsored commissions are: Larissa FastHorse (Lakota), Arlitia Jones, Richard Perry (Yup’ik), and Cathy Tagnak Rexford (Inupiaq). The writers will present excerpts at a free play reading event, 2 p.m. this Sunday, July 14, at Writer’s Block Bookstore & Café, 3956 Spenard Road in Anchorage.

“Writing can feel isolating at times,” Katasse admits. “Having a collection of fellow writers to bounce ideas and scripts off of has been unbelievably helpful, encouraging and motivating.”

 

Philanthropy in the spotlight

Earlier this summer, though, it appeared as though all this theatre activity might be in jeopardy: substantial budget shortfalls from past seasons were weighing heavily enough on current finances to force a cancellation of Alaska performances of the new musical Snow Child, a much-anticipated co-production with Arena Stage. To reserve cash in the wake of the cancellation, Perseverance cut working hours for nonessential employees; a few staff members were furloughed for several weeks. This news led to fears that the theatre might not reach its fortieth birthday.

But behind the scenes, executive artistic director Art Rotch was working with the Perseverance board of directors, advisors from the Rasmuson Foundation, and a small circle of longtime supporters to shore up the company’s finances. Several donors responded with major gifts. On June 29, the theatre announced a six-figure recapitalization package, including $200,000 each from investor/philanthropists Robert Ziff of New York City and John Rubini of Anchorage; a $100,000 pledge from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; $50,000 from Judy Rasmuson, and $100,000 from another current donor who wished to remain anonymous. “Obviously we can’t thank these donors enough,” Rotch said. “As one of them told me, after going over the company’s financials and seeing where we’ve fallen short in the past: ‘The theatre isn’t broken; it’s just broke.’ These are people who understand how nonprofit arts organizations work, and they think we’re a smart investment. That says a lot.”

“My reasons for supporting Perseverance at this time are twofold,” said Robert Ziff, who has a personal connection to the theatre: he and Rotch were roommates at Harvard College, back in the late 1980s, and have been friends ever since. “First, I believe in Art and in what he does. The other reason is, very simply, if people don’t support the theatre, it won’t exist. Perseverance is the only resident, fully professional theatre company in the entire state of Alaska,” Ziff added. “They produce plays that are culturally relevant. If the community wants to have live theatre as an option, as part of its culture, the community has to support this theatre with their contributions, and also with their attendance.”

Another part of the recapitalization package is a $100,000 challenge to individual donors, with a fundraising deadline of September 30, and an additional $50,000 challenge to business and corporate sponsors through the end of this year. The major gifts from Ziff and the others represent almost a three-to-one match of this $150,000 goal. The “Persevere With Us!” challenge already has generated $30,000 in new contributions since its June 29 launch, according to development director Erika Stone. “We’re grateful for the outpouring of love and support from the community,” Stone said. “We’re happy to know that Perseverance means a lot, to a lot of people.”

Diane Kaplan, president and CEO of Rasmuson Foundation, pointed out that Perseverance Theatre is not alone among Alaska organizations in navigating a challenging, changing economic climate for the arts in our state. “We believe in arts and culture as a vital part of the quality of life for Alaskans,” Kaplan said. “We commend Perseverance for taking necessary steps to improve their financial circumstances and appreciate the many individuals and organizations who believe in having homegrown professional Alaska theatre in our state long into the future.”

 

All hands on deck

The new funds already are bringing Perseverance, which operates on a total annual budget of about $2 million, back up to speed, finalizing artist contracts for the coming season and making significant new hires: veteran theatre artist and journalist Julie York Coppens has joined the staff as director of outreach and communications, and the theatre is actively recruiting a new managing director to take over operations, freeing up Rotch to focus on productions as artistic director. (In the interim, Rotch will continue to serve as executive artistic director.) Cameron Thorpe, one of many Perseverance internship alumni now building successful careers in the field, will be the new company stage manager, and other key positions including technical director and costume shop manager will soon be filled.

“Because the company has been working so close to the bone financially, putting all is energy into maintaining quality on-stage, Perseverance has fallen behind on certain offstage functions that are just as important—things like staff development, audience-building, fostering relationships with other arts and culture organizations in town, and simply telling our own story,” Coppens said. “The sad cancellation of Snow Child and other developments this year left people, especially our longtime supporters in Juneau, with a lot of questions. They don’t understand how past-season deficits led to the present crisis, and they don’t have a clear sense of our goals and strategies going forward.”

A new FAQ page on the Perseverance website addresses some of those issues; others will have to wait, Rotch said, until the new managing director comes on board.

“We don’t want to hamstring that person with too many pre-set conclusions and objectives,” Rotch explained. “But we are going to do a deeper dive into Perseverance Theatre’s business model, including the Anchorage expansion. We’ll look at other ways we might be able to continue operating as a professional theatre in a city of 32,000 people—which,” he added drily, “is actually impossible. Nowhere else today does this formula work, not even close.” Rotch said the company’s leadership team will be supported in this strategic analysis, again thanks to this summer’s fundraising, by independent consultants who specialize in cultural nonprofits.

“I see this as a proof year,” said Perseverance board member James Bibb, principal architect and partner at NorthWind Architects in Juneau. “We have to be successful, at all costs. We owe it to a lot of people.” As tough as the past few months have been, Bibb added, the crisis has energized the board and improved its working relationship with the staff: “The board is more aware than ever of its responsibility, and we’re in a position to make real change now.”

Bibb said the community, too, has a role to play at this important 40-year milestone for the theatre. Members of the Perseverance staff will host a table at the next three Friday evening Block Parties (July 13, 20, and 27), 5:30-7 p.m. at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center, to get the conversation started; similar opportunities will follow in Anchorage. “I hope folks will come talk to us, share their observations and concerns, and help us envision a more sustainable future for professional theatre here in Juneau and across Alaska,” Coppens said.

Come October, when the iconic American drama Our Town opens, with an Alaska cast, at the little storefront theatre in Douglas, that vision will begin to play out on stage. Some Perseverance fans might feel a bit like Emily Webb in the last act, renewed in their appreciation for what was almost lost: “Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it—every, every minute?”

“Through all these ups and downs we’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘I just can’t imagine Juneau without Perseverance Theatre.’ Well, neither can we,” said Stone, who is also an actor with the company. “It’s going to be a very special season, for the artists and for our audiences.”

Subscriptions for both cities’ lineups are now on sale at www.ptalaska.org or by calling 907-463-TIXS (8497). Perseverance is extending Early Bird pricing (approximately 10 percent off the already discounted regular subscription prices) through July 31. Subscribers may “Pick a Pack” of three or four plays, or become “Super Subscribers,” enjoying the entire season with even more perks including a “Return for free” benefit: if you really love a show you can see it again, space available. Single tickets for the fall shows will go on sale August 6.

 

 

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Perseverance Theatre’s 2018-19 Juneau Season:

 

Our Town, by Thornton Wilder

Art Rotch, director

October 5 – November 4, 2018

 

Franklin, by Samantha Noble

Hannah Wolf, director

November 30 – December 16, 2018

 

Whale Song, by Cathy Tagnak Rexford

Madeline Sayet, director

February 1 – 24, 2019

 

Guys and Dolls, Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, Book by Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows

Shona Osterhaut, director; Rob Cohen, musical director; Ricci Adan, choreographer

March 15 – April 13, 2019

 

The Underpants, by Steve Martin, adapted from the play Die Hose by Carl Sternheim

Teresa K. Pond, director

May 17 – June 16, 2019

 

Perseverance Theatre’s 2018-19 Anchorage Season:

 

Our Town, by Thornton Wilder

Art Rotch, director

November 9 – 25, 2018

 

A Christmas Carol, by Arlitia Jones and Michael Evan Haney, based on the book by Charles Dickens

Michael Evan Haney, director

December 14 – 29, 2018

 

Franklin, by Samantha Noble

Hannah Wolf, director

January 11 – 20, 2019

 

Whale Song, by Cathy Tagnak Rexford

Madeline Sayet, director

March 8 – 17, 2019

 

Guys and Dolls, Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, Book by Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows

Shona Osterhaut, director; Rob Cohen, musical director; Ricci Adan, choreographer

May 3 – 12, 2019

 

STAR Performances Begin July 20

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Young actors sing, dance, mime, and perform Shakespeare on the Main Stage at Perseverance

 JUNEAU, AK– Summer Theatre Arts Rendezvous (STAR), Perseverance Theatre’s five-week youth acting program, provides theatrical training and performance opportunities to students aged 10-18 who are excited about theatre. In addition to rehearsals, STAR participants take daily workshops on voice, movement and acting technique, culminating in three fully produced shows that are perfect summer entertainment for the whole family: Once on This Island Jr, As You Like It, and an original piece, Extreme Theatre! Performances run between July 20 and July 29.

The Plays:

Once on This Island Jr.

Book & Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens

Music by Stephen Flaherty

This irresistible Caribbean fable inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid is about growing up and staying true to yourself. When peasant girl Ti Moune falls in love with a boy from the wealthy side of her island, the gods send her on a journey that will test the strength of love against the powerful forces of prejudice, hatred, and even death. Come dance and sing to the beat of the human heart, in a show whose full-length version on Broadway just won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

Performances:

July 20 at 7:30 p.m.

July 22 at 2:00 p.m.

July 27 at 7:30 p.m.

July 29 at 2:00 p.m.

As You Like It

By William Shakespeare, abridged by Donnie Gott

It’s a classic story of boy meets girl meets boy who is actually girl who teaches boy to woo girl while masquerading as a boy. It’s a tale full of wrestling, banishment, adventure, unrequited (and requited) love, sibling rivalry, music, and lions! This hilarious comedy travels from the court to the forest with beautiful and witty banter, including Jaques’ immortal “all the world’s a stage” speech, along with cases of mistaken identity that have characters scratching their heads and exposing their hearts to fantastic and wonderful ends.

Performances:

July 21 at 2:00 p.m.

July 25 at 7:30 p.m.

July 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Extreme Theatre!

Back by popular demand, visionary Seattle theatre artist K. Brian Neel returns to STAR to direct another actor-devised variety show. Improvisation, physical theatre, and scene-writing combine with youthful sensibilities to create a bold, comedic, and exciting performance unlike anything you’ve seen.

Performances:

July 21 at 7:30 p.m.

July 26 at 7:30 p.m.

July 28 at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets are $5 for students, $12 general admission, and available online at ptalaska.org/education/star-program or by calling the Perseverance box office at (907) 463-8497. Our theatre is located at 914 Third Street in Douglas.