Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor

We have come to know the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts as an arts-presenting organization but are some new developments over there that have the San Antonio theater community excited and there curious. Long time theater artist and currently director of Resident Company and Community Engagement at the Tobin, Rick Frederick, has new ideas about engagement. He wants his employer to produce new theatrical shows, largely using local actors, directors and other theater professionals.

“I started the conversation with Mike Fresher (Tobin’s CEO) and our team here about our community engagement and educational programs. We are not presenting in these instances; we are actually producing those events,” said Frederick in a recent interview. “It’s different from presenting. So, we talked about what it takes to do that – producing.

“And then the pandemic happened and suddenly there was nothing for us to present. Even resident companies had closed down. If Mike wanted us to reopen soon, we had to come up with new ideas. So, we started with presenting more community engagement events such as film screenings outside, yoga and salsa sessions, holiday markets, etc. That situation brought home to us that we are kind of lost without producing content ourselves. And maybe we should consider that.”

The result of that “considering” looks very promising indeed. In addition to presenting, the Tobin will become a producer of theatrical shows.

“We want to add to the conversation that’s already happening in the theater community in San Antonio,” noted Frederick. “We have the San Pedro Playhouse, and we have the Overtime Theater and the children’s theater, the Classic…”

San Antonio audiences love musicals, but the new Tobin program will not produce them.

“We are not going to do musicals because there are other companies in town that do them well,” noted Frederick. The Tobin program, named 100A, will be focusing on well-established contemporary plays that will receive full productions. The mission statement says: “100A is dedicated to crafting well-told, relevant, and compelling stories with a focus on innovation and diversity, and an aim to achieve connective experiences.”

The Tobin statement continues with Core Values, which are:
– Transparent processes that encourage participation and mutual growth
– Clean, clear, efficient productions centered on excellence
– Strong focus on diversity and representation of the community integrated into every offering
– Focus on entertaining and discovery of fresh perspectives.

In addition to production, the theater program will also organize Industry Night Readings on Monday nights when theater artists are not likely to have rehearsals and shows. The first one coming up is “A Dog’s House” by Micah Schraft, on July 31. It is hoped that constructive ideas will emerge from those readings and discussions.

“I am both excited and intrigued by 100A,” said well-known local director and theater professor, Tim Hedgepeth. “The group promises to listen to our theater-going community as well as to give voice to our actors and other theater artists. I admire the fact that this new company is seeking its own identity, much like Teatro Audaz. There’s no competition or copycatting with other theaters in town. Its first season – a great mix of readings and full productions, is a smart way to introduce itself to San Antonio.”

Only two plays are scheduled at this point: the farcical comedy “39 Steps” which will open on Aug. 31, and Beth Henley’s famous “Crimes of the Heart” which is scheduled for the spring of 2024.
The first show will be directed by David Connelly, the director of the theater program at the Northeast School for the Arts. The madcap comedy is based on the eponymous British film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, itself based on the 1915 novel “The Thirty-Nine Steps” by John Buchan. The play follows the misadventures of a Canadian citizen in London who becomes embroiled in the operation to steal British military secrets.

In the 100A version only four actors will portray all the characters, which means they must be able to adapt at neck-breaking speed, and sometimes portray more than one character in a single scene. They are: Brad Adam, Nathan Thurman, Gloria Sanchez and Julia Diaz Blair. Sam Carter serves as the dialect coach.

As for Frederick, he is “thrilled!

“It’s an exciting time, a dream come true – building a company and talking about it,” he said.
And as far as he knows from conversations he had in the community, his thespian colleagues in the city share the excitement. “The energy is palpable,” he added.
——————————————————————————————————————–All shows and readings take place in the Alvarez Studio Theater.  You can buy season tickets that include everything for $97.50. Both subscriptions and single tickets are available now by phone at 210-223-8624, and in person at the box office, 100 Auditorium Circle, 78205; For more info go to: https://www.tobincenter.org