Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor —

Asked if she planned to take a vacation after grueling months of figuring out how to keep the Classic Theater alive in the time of COVID-19, Kelly Roush asked us to repeat the question. We did. “Oh, that’s why I didn’t get it,” she said. “I don’t understand the word ‘vacation.’”

It’s a joke, of course, but it also reflects the truth. For months, Roush, who is the executive and artistic director of the Classic Theater of San Antonio, has worked hard with her team to find a way to continue presenting the great classic plays the company is known for under the new circumstances created by the pandemic. Since the Classic’s performance space seats only 100 people, social distancing was never a viable option either financially or artistically since it would have reduced the audience to about 10 people. Who wants to perform in front of a nearly empty theater?!

So, Roush had an idea: How about staging the plays outdoors? It seemed like the most logical strategy given San Antonio’s weather and the current rules of social distancing. And it’s not unusual at all. Ancient Greeks staged their tragedies and comedies in outdoor amphitheaters, as did the English back in Shakespeare’s time. Today, numerous summer festivals hold performances on outdoor stages both in the U.S. and in Europe.

To make it happen, the Classic reached out to a number of outdoor venues around town and eventually settled on the San Antonio Botanical Garden and the ESPEE downtown, previously known as Sunset Station. Each show will start with two weekends of performances at the Garden, followed by another two weekends at the ESPEE.

“I am living the dream!” quipped Roush at the start of our conversation. “It’s been many months of stressing. Now, I am excited that we have a plan for moving forward but I am still very aware of all the pieces that need to come together to make it go smoothly. So, yes, it’s a relief but we are aware that we are still in a very tenuous time. I am hopeful that things will improve.”

She has already experienced the unpredictability of the current situation. “I was literally within a day of announcing the opening of “Our Town” in September when the surge hit in July,” she said. “So, there may be another surge. We are ready to be flexible and adaptable.”

The season – the Classic’s 13^th – was reduced from five to three plays but they are strong plays we haven’t seen around here for a while, including a Greek classic, a Shakespearean tragedy and the enduring American drama “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder. They are grouped under the season’s theme “We Are the Choices We Make.”

The season will open Oct.2-25 with “Macbeth,” the Bard’s disturbing tale of blind ambition that follows the brave Scottish warrior, Macbeth, whose desire to be king pushes him to commit horrible acts of violence and to eventually become a tyrannical monster. It’s a story of what happens when a person surrenders his conscience to ambition. (Alternate performance dates in March 2021)

“Our Town,” scheduled for Feb. 5-28, 2021, focuses on the citizens of a fictional American small town of Grover’s Corners in the early years of the 20^th century. The characters talk about their lives, dreams, choices and relationships.

The final show is “Antigone” by Sophocles (April 8-May 2, 2021). The epic tragedy deals with another family of ambitious kings and princes. Antigone’s two brothers are among them, fighting for the kingship of Thebes. But they both die in battle. Their uncle and successor, Creon, decrees that one brother will be buried while the other will be left where he fell on the battle ground because he was disloyal to Thebes. However, Antigone disobeys the new king and buries both brothers because she feels it’s the right thing to do. The obvious theme here is the conflict between conscience and societal rules, but there’s a lot more to this multifaceted story, that remains relevant 24 centuries after it premiered in ancient Greece.

Roush said Antigone was one of her favorite plays, so it’s no surprise that she will be directing it. “Macbeth” and “Our Town” will be directed by Joe Goscinski and Mark Stringham, respectively.

Doing these famous works outdoor “is such a positive,” said the artistic director. “People really need to be in nature at this time.” The Botanical Garden’s amphitheater can accommodate several hundred people under normal circumstances but COVID-adapted arrangements call for approximately 33 “socially distant pods,” meaning family groups of 3 to 4 people. The total number allowed will be close to the number of patrons the Classic’s indoor space accommodates. The Garden will make picnic-type meals available for purchase before each show.  

She is equally enthusiastic about the ESPEE location which has a convenient outdoor pavilion and nearby parking. About a year ago, the complex known as Sunset Station, was acquired by new owners who wanted to turn it into a vibrant popular music destination. The name is related to the Southern Pacific Railroad which was often referred to as “the SP” or “Espee.” The covered pavilion can easily accommodate a substantial number of socially distant theatergoers.

As for that vacation, Roush said she was hoping “to start off tonight and take the time to read a book. “My hope is to take a vacation but people are already asking about auditions for ‘Antigone.’ For the last five months things were changing so quickly every day that it’s going to take me a little time to key down.”  
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Performances will take place Friday-Sunday at 7:30 p.m. There will be no season subscription option for the 13th season. Instead flex passes representing 3 tickets will allow patrons to choose what to see and when. The price is $100 and they are on sale now as well as individual tickets. Go to www.classictheatre.org or call 210-589-8450.