Center Theatre Group News & Blogs

Kirk Douglas celebrates 98th birthday with new book of poetry

Tue, 30 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0800

Kirk Douglas celebrates 98th birthday with new book of poetry

by Center Theatre Group | Posted on December 30, 2014

On his 98th birthday, Dec. 9, 2014, Kirk Douglas published his 11th book, a charming volume of poetry and anecdotes called Life Could Be Verse: Reflections on Love, Loss, and What Really Matters.

Playing tenderly on the Yiddish accents of his Russian immigrant parents in Life Could Be Verse — not "worse" — Kirk Douglas, born Issur Danielovitch and once known as Izzy Demsky, takes us on a candid, nostalgic journey through old Hollywood. Douglas reveals the timeless lessons he has learned in life and love through poems, prose and photos, including never-before-seen pictures of Marlene Dietrich, Lauren Bacall, Brigitte Bardot and his most cherished leading lady, Anne Buydens, his wife of 60 years.

This slender volume does not omit the legendary star's 17-year struggle with the effects of a stroke or the pain of his son's passing in 2004, but it doesn't dwell on sadness. Life Could Be Verse is uncomplicated yet revealing, poignant and playful. It's the life and the lines of Spartacus, an uplifting reminder that the story of our lives is often the most entertaining script of all.

An Interview With Kirk Douglas

What motivated you to write this book?

I spoke Yiddish with my parents, which is a very colorful hybrid language, and so is English. I started writing poems by the age of nine because I loved how words fit together with rhythms and rhymes. Poetry is a condensed way to express feelings, not always easy for men, and it became my private outlet for exploring my strongest emotions such as love, loss, fear and wonder. I also enjoy jotting down lines that make me smile and using puns, such as my title Life Could Be Verse. Now that I'm closer to 100 than 90, I wanted a last chance to look back at the poems I've enjoyed as well as those I created at different moments of my journey.

You have written 10 books before this. What makes Life Could Be Verse different from your earlier memoirs?

I have always tried to be honest, but each of my books was written at a different stage of my experiences. In Life Could Be Verse, I am the sum of all these parts. I look back at the child I was, the man I became, and the man I evolved into as a husband, father, actor and writer. And I hope I have learned to be better at all of them.

You have dedicated this book to your wife, Anne, who has been at your side for 60 years. You seem even more in love now than in your early years together.

I fell in love with Anne because she understood me too well, and I had to work hard to impress her. I loved her because she was beautiful and elegant and smarter than me. I loved her sense of humor and her awareness of the world. I loved her because she made for me the home and family life that gave me stability in the crazy world in which I made my living. But now that it's just the two of us at home, and I am no longer rushing off to film sets, we spend such wonderful hours together, some of which I express in my poem, "Romance Begins at 80." It's our private world of sharing and caring for each other and the many charities that touch our hearts. I think I'm finally the romantic fellow I always wanted to be for her. At least I hope she sees it that way.

When you celebrated your anniversary in May, you wrote an essay in the Los Angeles Times about meeting Anne and how she has saved your life on many occasions.

Yes, I said I write her love poems, and she gives me tough love. I wouldn't have fought off my depression after suffering my stroke 17 years ago without her making me get out of bed and insisting I work with a speech therapist. And if I hadn't trusted her uncanny sixth sense, even when it made me angry, I would have been on Mike Todd's plane that crashed and made Elizabeth Taylor a widow a half-century ago.

This book is filled with stories of beautiful women who have had an impact on you and your career, like Mae West, Marlene Dietrich and Brigitte Bardot. They are fun to read, and there are probably many more you left out of the book. Why did you want to include these stories?

Ah, women. From the first I was surrounded by them — my mother, Bryna; my six sisters; my high school English teacher Mrs. Livingston. As an actor, I met some of the most fascinating and glamorous leading ladies of stage and screen. They say actors tend to play to an audience of one. I always imaged the "one" to be a beautiful woman.

On another subject, you have included poems about nature and your relationship to God. You seem to be very spiritual.

Well, when I survived the helicopter crash that killed two young men, I began to question why I was still here. In my book Climbing the Mountain, I wrote about my quest and why I began to study the Bible and Judaism. By the way, the Good Book is a great manual for a writer. You can learn a lot about storytelling by reading it. It explores all of the emotions that make us human, lower than the angels: love, lust, jealousy, war, sacrifice, redemption, fear, even incest. I believe most religions share the same principles, and I despair when bigots and fanatics insist that theirs is the only path to paradise.

We have to ask: Do you have any secrets to your longevity?

Yes. Live with someone you love and admire. Try to play with children whenever possible. Stay involved in the world around you, so you are not bored with yourself and don't bore others. Let the past inform your future, and try to do something special and meaningful each day. Be realistic about your diminished energies, and be grateful for those who make your life easier and happier. And, finally, don't buy any green banana

Give the gift of art this holiday season

Thu, 11 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0800

Give the gift of art this holiday season

With so many worthy organizations asking for support this season, writers offer their reasons for giving to the arts; plus The GRID shares gift ideas for the theatre lovers in your life.

Holiday Philanthropy

1. Giving: Arts and Culture by Tim McClimon [Blog.ArtsUSA.org]
December 9, 2013

"There are lots of good reasons to support arts and culture organizations in your community: encouraging creativity, fostering innovation, enhancing the quality of life, beautifying our parks and public spaces, educating young people and audiences, and just for pure enjoyment ... "

2. Why we love the arts: holiday cookies, concerts—and better grades [Search-Institute.org]
November 20, 2013

"In her book, Keeping The Arts Alive: Creating and Sustaining Youth Programs that Matter, author Kristin Rapp reminds us that, “the arts are what bring life to life,” and they need to be cultivated and appreciated all year long. ... "

3. Support the arts! It matters in real estate! by Rodney Camren [PartnershipMovement.org]
November 27, 2013

"When communities invest in the arts they are fueling economic growth, creating jobs, increasing property values and making their communities more attractive to young professionals who want to start a career or business, a family and home environment ... "

Gifts for Theatre Lovers

4. Gifts They'll Applaud [CenterTheatreGroup.org]

For the holidays, show your love with a show they'll love.

5. Holiday Gifts for Theatre Lovers [TDF.org]

"If you’re looking to buy gifts for theatre lovers, then you can’t go wrong with a great theatre book. Whether they’re behind-the-scenes photo collections or collections of beloved scripts, theatre books can be permanent mementos of the performing arts. ... "

The world premiere of a controversial play on the centennial of playwright Arthur Miller

Wed, 10 Dec 2014 00:00:00 -0800

The world premiere of a controversial play on the centennial of playwright Arthur Miller

In June 2015, the Royal and Derngate Theatre in the United Kingdom will premiere Arthur Miller’s never-before-seen play, The Hook.

Originally written as a screenplay in 1951, The Hook will celebrate Miller’s centennial and stage a story that once was seen as unfit in the age of McCarthyism.

Set in the Red Hook docks of Brooklyn, The Hook surrounds dockworker and protagonist Marty Ferrara in his quest to overturn the corrupt power held by both gangsters and officials alike. Written during a time of mistrust, The Hook unearths not only Miller’s struggle with the U.S government during the height of the Red scare but also his relationship to director Elia Kazan.

While Miller and Kazan collaborated with Columbia Pictures to have the script filmed in the early 1950s, the project became a source of contention once political tensions rose to the surface. Pressured by Columbia president Harry Cohn to change the villains of the play from mobsters to communists, Miller ended the project with his refusal.

Even though the short-lived development of The Hook came to an end, Miller and Kazan’s confrontation with anticommunist sentiments resurfaced and severed their friendship. While Kazan acquiesced to "name names" under the demands of the House Un-American Activities Committee, Miller refused to cooperate.

In wake of The Hook’s failure, Miller’s play A View From the Bridge and Kazan’s film On the Waterfront both once again explored the world of the The Hook. It is even theorized that central themes of Miller’s A View From the Bridge and The Crucible were directed toward Kazan while Kazan's On the Waterfront was a defense of his decision.

As we approach Miller’s centennial here at CTG with Miller's rarely staged The Price, it is true that we no longer live in a time of communist witch hunts or shady New York waterfronts. Even so, director James Dacre of The Hook finds that elements of Miller’s plays still ring true in our contemporary world.

"What fascinates me about the piece is that Miller clearly had a sense that so many of its themes would endure today," Dacre said.

The Price will play at Center Theatre Group’s Mark Taper Forum Theatre from February 11 through March 22, 2015.

The Shop celebrates a successful pilot year

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0800

The Shop celebrates a successful pilot year

In its first year, Center Theatre Group’s The Shop initiative demonstrated how bringing the craft of theatre to local residents can make a positive impact in the community.

Having resided in the East Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights since 2005, CTG expanded its prop and costume workspace in 2013 to encompass the creative needs of the local community. By partnering with nearby libraries, arts organizations and community organizations, CTG, through its new program The Shop, shared the craft of theatre with the neighboring residents of Boyle Heights. From organizing a literary tour that brought renowned playwright Luis Alfaro to a local library, to offering workshops that range from costume design to stenciling, the CTG staff members who ran The Shop had much to say about their year of engagement. Program Manager of Community Partnerships Jesus A. Reyes and Director of Institutional Support Jean Kling are CTG staff members who were instrumental in the development of The Shop Project. Read more about their personal experiences working on the initiative.

Research provides evidence that live theatre is vital to student learning

Mon, 17 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0800

Research provides evidence that live theatre is vital to student learning

Should attending the theatre be as much a priority as improving math and reading scores in our schools? Do students emerge from the theatre more empathetic and tolerant of other peoples?

To address these questions, educational researchers conducted the first randomized study of its kind in collaboration with Theatre Squared in Arkansas. The study reaffirmed that students who see live theatre emerge with an enhanced capacity to not only understand plays but also tolerate other viewpoints and better read the emotions of others.

The study divided groups of students in grades 7-12 into two different sets of groups based on a lottery.

While the controlled groups would not see a live performance, the groups selected from the lottery would view either Hamlet or A Christmas Carol. After these performances, both sets of groups were tested through a number of novel methods that managed to quantify results outside the system of standardized testing. One such method, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, measured how much a student could comprehend the feelings of another.

"The version of RMET we employed was developed for use with adolescents and has 28 photographs cropped to show only people’s eyes. Subjects are asked to pick one of four words that best describes what the photographed person is thinking or feeling," said four project collaborators.

The RMET and other techniques showed students who attended live productions like A Christmas Carol or Hamlet increased their knowledge of plot and vocabulary, scored higher tolerance levels and were ultimately better able to comprehend the emotions of others in comparison to students who did not attend a performance.

Even though students may have already read A Christmas Carol or Hamlet or seen filmed versions before viewing the plays, the experiment also demonstrated that live theatre provides additional benefits for students.

"And adding controls for reading or watching films of these works did not substantially change the estimated effect of seeing the live performances. The intensity and immediacy of live performance appears to have conveyed this ability to recognize what other people are thinking and feeling in a way that watching a movie or reading a text could not."

By providing evidence that theatre-going is an educational resource that produces measurable benefits for students, the experiment reinforces that “not all learning occurs most effectively within the walls of a school building.” The walls of a theatre, too, can be a space of learning.

Encuentro 2014: One fellowship to rule them all

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0800

Encuentro 2014: One fellowship to rule them all

Encuentro 2014, a Latina/o theatre festival held at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, brought together 19 theatre companies and more than 150 theatre artists to perform 17 plays in a month. In addition, The Los Angeles Theatre Center partnered with The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to provide fellowships for emerging arts leaders to take part in Encuentro 2014. Sylvia Blush was one such fellow.

When I first heard about the Mellon Artistic Leaders Fellowship, I couldn’t help but think of a famous line from Lord of the Rings, ‘one ring to rule them all’. The comparison was not far off: this experience is EPIC!

I witnessed the Los Angeles Theatre Center successfully auction a glass of water for $2,000 at their 8th Annual Gala; I met Edward James Olmos (the granddaddy of everything Latino), Elisa Quintana (discovered Kepler), Sonia Nazario (Pulitzer Prize Author) and Magdalena Gomez (self-proclaimed sin vergüenza...look it up); I’ve watched eleven plays, met over 100 theatre artists from across the country, participated in new work devising sessions with ten incredible giving artists, including Rosalba Rolón (look her up); got a private tour of Placita Olvera, which included the history of painter David Alfaro Siquieros’ América Tropical; danced long and hard more times than my muscles care to count; took a panoramic view of Los Angeles from atop the 26th floor of City Hall after the council proclaimed October as Encuentro 2014 month! Can someone tell me if any of this is the norm? Better yet, don’t.

The work hours have been long, the tasks are never-ending and sometimes you have to put out a few fires. Yet, I’d do it again in a heartbeat because art is happening here. Families are bonding here. Life lessons are happening here in theatre with multi-generational Latino theatre artists. Even if it is the norm, I will need my own trilogy to encapsulate all the lessons I have learned and yet to learn.

Encuentro 2014: Gathering of Latina/o artists makes impact in LA

Tue, 11 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0800

Encuentro 2014: Gathering of Latina/o artists makes impact in LA

Whether the recollection of a violent murder expressed through spoken word or dance, a dialogue exchanged inan online recovery community, or a creative response to our nation’s understanding of the illegal “alien,” Encuentro 2014 celebrated Latina/o narratives and exposed audiences to their experiences through theatre.

Encuentro, a month-long Latina/o theatre festival that ran from October 12 - November 10, drew from a vast number of artists both within and outside the United States. With over 19 theatre companies, 150 artists from the U.S. and Puerto Rico and 19 works, the festival was the first of its kind.

The realization of a festival like Encuentro was ultimately due to figures like Jose Luis Valenzuela, founder and artistic director of the Latino Theater Company, and his efforts to create a Los Angeles theatre scene that better encompasses and reflects the diversity of its inhabitants.

"This city will define theatre for the 21st century because of its diversity," said Valenzuela.

The majority of Encuentro, with the exception of two performances, took place at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, which is operated by the Latino Theater Company. With a mission to be a “laboratory where both tradition and innovation are honored and honed; a place where the convergence of people, cultures and ideas contribute to the future,” the Los Angeles Theatre Center remains a location where a multifaceted range of peoples can ideally come together, perform and expose audiences to a vaster range of experiences. Such a goal is still a working effort for the Latina/o community.

“We are still somehow the invisible people. … In the entertainment mainstream, we do not exist,” said Valenzuela.

He hopes that Encuentro instigated a legacy of dynamic and creative Latina/o theatre.

"It's quite an exciting moment to begin building those bridges for future generations, said Kinan Valdez, one of the ten fellows chosen to work on Encuentro. "The demographics in the country are changing and audiences are changing. Part of this is to place Latino theatre into the larger context of American theatre."

Read reflections about this historic event from Encuentro Fellows:

Encuentro 2014: Reflecting upon a month of Latina/o theatre

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0800

Encuentro 2014: Reflecting upon a month of Latina/o theatre

Encuentro 2014, a Latina/o theatre festival held at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, brought together 19 theatre companies and more than 150 theatre artists to perform 19 plays in a month. Alexandra Meda, the executive producing director for Teatro Luna, is one such artist.

She said: “So What Are We Going To Do To Infiltrate The American Theatre,” and suddenly a potent and energy filled quiet fell over the 90+ artists that sat around in a circle around Evelina Fernandez. Questions of this magnitude have filled our heads for 30 days relentlessly.

I couldn’t help but want to stand up and shout. I wanted to say we are doing exactly the thing that will empower people all over the country to pick up the baton from the two generations that have been fighting for an expanded notion of who the American Theatre belongs to, the expansion of stories reflected, and a desire to keep the fire for equity and social justice lit in the hearts of artists everywhere.

This Encuentro has been life-changing. Presenting our productions has been in fact, the smallest (but hugely valuable) aspect of this endeavor. As artists, we have been tasked to present our work, view each other’s work, and make new work with artists we have never worked with before. This is how we are expected to encounter both audience, artists, and ourselves. And so yes, Evelina’s question has been sitting with me all month. What is my role in moving our Latina/o Theatre movement forward? Am I working towards a polycultural norm in the American Theatre? What will I inherit and take forward from the generations that came before me and what will I change and leave behind for those that come after?

All I know is that this festival is a symbol, a catalyst-- not an end-game. I encourage you to come and participate in this incredible moment in history that will launch many more moments of inspiration and hopefully social change.

About the Author: Alexandra is the Executive Producing Director for Teatro Luna- America’s only all-female all-women of color organization producing a full season of original work. She is a deviser, director, producer, and in general a really big bossy pants slash know-it-all. She is addicted to coffee, gossip, bad pop music, and currently lives on the road touring with Luna in what she calls - a #rebelwoman manner-- (which is a nice way of saying she almost never does laundry). She believes in the power of theatre as a tool for social change.

A Latina perspective: My encounters with Encuentro 2014

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0800

A Latina perspective: My encounters with Encuentro 2014

Encuentro 2014, a Latina/o theatre festival held at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, brought together 19 theatre companies and more than 150 theatre artists to perform 17 plays in a month. In addition, The Los Angeles Theatre Center partnered with The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to provide fellowships for emerging arts leaders to take part in Encuentro 2014. Adriana Gaviria was one such fellow.

Today, I celebrate my grandmother’s birthday and remember her by placing a photograph of her on the beautiful Día de los Muertos altar inside the Los Angeles Theatre Center lobby created by one of the artists of Encuentro 2014.

This is just one of the many special moments I have experienced during the festival. Nineteen theatre companies and over 150 artists have converged at the Los Angeles Theatre Center to share their work and collaborate with each other. From the late-night lounges to the free panel discussions between shows, and from the post-show discussions to the shows themselves, each experience has left me invigorated. Even at this very moment, I am sitting in awe watching the many talented artists perform during open-mic at one of our late-night lounges. There has been no shortage of inspiration and creativity pulsing through the different spaces of this building throughout the last three weeks. The national theatre festival is now entering its final week, and I am already feeling nostalgic.

Not only have I been viscerally moved by the plays themselves and by the way the different companies incorporate different elements in telling their stories but also by the conversations that I have had with the theatre patrons, members of the community and other artists. Being challenged on a daily basis with my LATC Mellon Fellow duties and being a part of such a historic event has been such a unique opportunity that I find myself trying to soak in as much as I can. This creative space...this community that has been created during this festival, is something that I will miss.

Last week, at hearing the news of the loss of one of the company’s musicians back home, we gathered together in one of the theatres and formed a circle, holding hands with one another. We stood in silence, and after a few minutes, we sang a song celebrating the life that was lost, some of us having met each other only a week ago. But in that moment, as I looked around the room, we were there not only as collaborating artists but also as family, sharing the grief and supporting each other.

And for me, that’s what this festival is about and what I will take away with me. It’s about community and connecting with each other on a human level.

BIO

Adriana Gaviria, LATC Mellon Foundation Artistic Leader Fellow, is an actress of theatre, television and film with an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. She hopes to somehow blend both her artistic and business minds into a creative money-making slurpee. And most importantly, she had her first gordita ever at the Grand Central Market.

Remembering Phyllis Frelich at the Mark Taper Forum memorial service

Wed, 05 Nov 2014 00:00:00 -0800

Remembering Phyllis Frelich at the Mark Taper Forum memorial service

Phyllis Frelich, who earned a Tony Award for her portrayal of Sarah Norman in Children of a Lesser God, has remained a landmark figure, especially within the deaf theatre community. On Monday, October 20, the Deaf West Theatre honored this legendary woman by hosting a memorial service at the Mark Taper Forum, the location where Children of a Lesser God was originally developed and had its world premiere.

The memorial featured numerous speakers from the original play and the deaf theatre community. These included playwright Mark Medoff, Frelich’s co-star, John Rubinstein, the artistic director of Deaf West Theatre, Ed Waterstreet, and a key figure in the creation of the National Theatre of the Deaf, Bernard Bragg.

Frelich passed in April from progressive supranuclear palsy at the age of 70. She was the oldest of nine deaf children born to deaf parents. While at Gallaudet University in Washington, Frelich studied library science but remained active in theatre. She later met her future husband, Robert Steinberg, at the National Theatre of the Deaf where he worked as a scenic and lighting designer. This relationship, between a deaf woman and a hearing man, inspired Medoff to write the Tony Award-winning play, Children of a Lesser God.

“I was the first deaf person he had known," Frelich told The Associated Press in 1988. "I told him there were no roles for deaf actresses. He said, 'OK, I'll write a play for you.' He did. He went home and wrote Children of a Lesser God. He wanted to write a good play. He was interested in me as an actress and he wasn't trying to write a message play."

“She was so animated and vivid, she made me immediately want to be able to converse with her,” Medoff said. “I was swept away. Within 20 minutes I told her I was going to write her a play.”

Children of a Lesser God, which centers on the relationship between a speech teacher and his deaf student, was originally directed by the Taper’s former artistic director, Gordon Davidson. When it made its Broadway debut, the Taper earned three Tony’s — for Frelich, her costar John Rubinstein and the play. The play was also later made into an Oscar-winning film.

In addition to Children of a Lesser God, Frelich went on to appear and star in numerous other roles on stage and television including _In the Hands of its Enem_y, also written by Medoff.

But if anyone can best attest to Frelich’s talent and impact, it’s the man who also inspired the creation of Children of a Lesser God.

“She was extraordinary, the finest sign language actress there ever was," Steinberg said. "We were married for 46 years. I would have been happy with 46 more."