A Message from the President

By Jim Petsche
Posted: May 10, 2011

The contemporary Curtain Players

After more than 30 years engaged in community theatre — the recent two seasons as Curtain Players president — I always expect a spirited debate regarding programming. It is certainly the case when parsing the possibilities for what is on stage at the Harlem Road playhouse.

We look forward in June to Dinner with Friends, the 2000 Pulitzer Prize-winner by Donald Margulies that examines modern-day marriage and friendships in the wake of a broken union. This production follows a highly regarded staging in April of Boy Gets Girl, in which a professional woman’s blind date irrevocably upsets her life as he stalks her.

These are contemporary plays with subject matter that stirs discussion among audiences. These titles prompted conversation, too, while various Curtain committees considered them for presentation this season. Some do question whether our players and our audiences will embrace edgier fare with the occasional frank language and modern-day approach to issues difficult and uncomfortable to face or once kept private.

Choosing plays is a tug-of-war of sorts. On one end of the rope: contemporary scripts and innovative stagings. On the other end: familiar and proven titles and relatable themes that bring comfort and joy. Can the selection of plays for any given season challenge creative types and attract new/retain loyal ticket buyers? Of course it can.

I love how New York Time critic Ben Brantley turned this phrase regarding this year’s Tony Award nominees for Best Play, ”A full slate of real, original plays – and I mean plays, like mom and dad used to dress up for and would talk about over martinis afterward.”

I like to think Curtain Players is regarded as a venue for that sort of presentation and discussion.

Contemporary plays by their nature resonate with and are relevant to today’s lifestyles. As such, they are important to produce at the community level. The classics earned their status often by being cultural touch points at the times when they were new to the stage.

Good theatre is good storytelling done well, prompting meaningful discussion and reflection of the human condition. Curtain Players has the right alchemy for creativity, entertainment, engagement, and quality. Curtain last year was recognized by the Central Ohio Theatre Roundtable with its Outstanding Production Award for a classic, the century-old chestnut Charley’s Aunt. This year, Curtain claimed the same honor for the contemporary suspense play Mauritius, a script that had its Broadway premiere less than five years ago.

Curtain’s success with contemporary fare hopefully will attract more Central Ohio players and patrons to the playhouse, as well as burnish the artistic reputation of our “community in theatre.”

I was pleased that in recent theatrevault.com reviews for Curtain’s production of Boy Gets Girl, the writers took note of play choice as much as the performances and staging (which they favored, I note).

“Curtain Players has been taking more risks with their season choices, and this play definitely falls under the risk category,” wrote Krista Threadgill in her review. “Adult language and situations aside, this is a scary play — mainly because it’s so easy to see it happening in real life. The recent tragedy in Logan, Ohio, is case in point… .”

Bob Weesner wrote of Boy Gets Girl, “I admire the fact that, even a few years ago, this theatre would have never considered producing a play like this. It would have been considered too unknown and controversial to attract the audiences on which they depend. But relevance is now hand-in-hand with security, the theatre has moved into at least the latter part of the 20th century, and if for no other reason than this, Curtain Players deserves your patronage.”

I couldn’t have stated it any better myself.

Signature of Jim Petsche