The first time I attended a
performance at Music Theatre of Connecticut in Westport , more commonly referred to as MTC
Mainstage, I got lost. Following hand-written directions, I turned down a side
street, missed the driveway onto which I was supposed to take a left, and drove
merrily off into the dark. Doubling back, and re-reading the directions, I
drove up a driveway and turned left into a parking lot at the rear of an office
building. This can’t be right, I thought. But it was.
There was no neon signage, no
marquee, nothing to tell me that I had arrived at my destination other than a
sandwich board announcing the night’s production and confirming that, yes, I
had arrived at MTC Mainstage. I was less than overjoyed.
I approached the single, rear door
with a bit of trepidation. What had I gotten myself into? I walked in and
entered a corridor that immediately reminded me of my first day in third grade
back in the 1950s – there were hooks for coats, a low rack for shoes, and a
sign that urged me to remove my shoes – Lord help me, I did. I thought this
just might be a Zen approach to theater – maybe we would all sit cross-legged
on cushions for the performance and perhaps achieve satori. The corridor was lit
in a pale, somewhat sulfurous light that did little to dispel the feeling that
I was going to be asked to sit up straight, do sums and write an essay about my
summer vacation, with the possibility that I might be hit in the back of my
head by a spitball.
Feeling a bit like dead man walking
in socks, I made my way down the corridor, noting the pictures of past
productions on the walls, and then took a left into a foyer that reminded me of
the entrance to some type of high school fair, something thrown together on the
quick to hide the institutional decor. There was no glitz, no glamour – just an
entrance area that evoked little excitement and less expectation. I picked up
my press ticket and packet, explained why I was shoeless, was told that the
sign was for some type of kids’ class down the hall (I was suitably
embarrassed) and passed into the theater proper…and stopped.
I suddenly felt like a sardine
being enticed into the can – what I saw was a limited staging area, a
pseudo-thrust stage of sorts defined by three rows of seats house left, right
and center. If I had been claustrophobic I would have bolted. I was guided to
my seat, where I sat, attempting to hide my shoeless feet. I looked at the
scenery, such as it was. I looked at curtains that seemed to drape possible
entrances and exits for the cast, I looked at the tiny area fronted by a piano
that I sensed was where the orchestra – band – combo – whatever – would soon
appear. I mentally measured the distance from my seat to the back of the stage
area – maybe 10 or 12 feet at best. Then I told myself – be objective – don’t
pre-judge – good things often come in small packages. Yeah, right. I was
already writing my review in my mind, trying to be as kind as possible, knowing
that I would do a one-shot and never come back, because what could be done with
such limited space in what was essentially the basement of an office building?
I tucked my feet under my chair and thought: let’s get this over with so I can get
my shoes and go home.
I have been back to MTC many times
since then, often to be enchanted and delighted. The theater’s intimacy and the
quality of its productions have been infectious. Of recent note: “Cabaret,”
which was revelatory – “Master Class,” which was riveting – and “The
Fantastiks,” which was engaging. Initial trepidation had morphed into eager
anticipation of the theater’s next efforts, so I was of two minds when it was
announced that the theater would be moving to new quarters – I had come to appreciate
the somewhat ramshackle, intimate venue, and yet, this creative/production
team, headed by Kevin Connors and Jim Schilling (co-founders of MTC) had proven
it could do marvels in minuscule space and therefore deserved to stretch its
wings, and stretch its wings it has.
MTC's foyer
MTC’s 2014 – 2015 season, which
begins on November 7 with “The World Goes ‘Round,” a salute to the song-writing
prowess of the Kander and Ebb team (“Chicago,” “Cabaret,” etc.), will be at the
new digs, which, at 509 Westport Ave. in Norwalk, is just a few miles south of
its old location. Nested behind Nine West and Jones New York , the theater no longer hides its
presence, for above the entrance is a bright orange awning and to its left a
sign proudly proclaiming that this is the home of MTC Mainstage.
No longer will playgoers get the
eerie sense they are entering the stygian depths when they attend an MTC
production, for the lobby, bright and airy, feeds directly into the Melissa
& Doug Theater
(so named in honor of the Wilton
toy company greatly responsible for providing the financial wherewithal for the
new theater). Inside the 108-seat theater, the audience will still enjoy the
intimacy for which MTC has been famous, for the thrust stage is bordered on
three sides by just four rows of seats. “At the old theater,” Connors said, “we
emphasized experimental rather than presentational theater – that philosophy
moved with us to the new theater.” Thankfully, the soul of MTC has been
preserved.
MTC's thrust stage
MTC’s management had been
contemplating a move for many years, but as Connors explained, it took quite
some time to find just the right building, and when it was found, Connors
didn’t want to start the formal fundraising process until he was sure they had
gained municipal approval for what was planned.
Here's where MTC's scenery will be crafted
Basically, what MTC purchased was
four walls. The interior of the building was gutted and remodeled to meet MTC’s
needs. As work commenced on the renovation of the building, which David
Heuvelman, the man responsible for most things technical at MTC, described as a
“giant open nothing,” consideration was given to possibly renting the lighting
and sound equipment but, as Connors noted, renting would have cost about 75% as
much as simply buying all new equipment – so that’s what they did, and it’s all
state-of-the-art, to the tune of $250,000.
MTC's new control booth
Although, given the nature of a
“box’ theater, there is no fly space (i.e., space above the stage proper where
scenery can be raised and lowered), the ceiling is 11 feet, five inches above
the floor, which has allowed MTC to install a professional lighting grid (controlled
from a booth that now actually looks out onto the stage rather than the old
area that was tucked into a corner house left). There is, however, room in the
wings to allow for entrances and exits and the shifting of scenery. Connors is
especially pleased that he now doesn’t have to worry about the “dead” space
stage left that the old theater presented – when actors were blocked into the
area there was nowhere for them to go, no “out.” To escape, their only option was to execute a
cross stage right.
One of MTC's rehearsal rooms
Another limitation the old theater
presented was the number of people who could be cast for any show. Connors
noted that the most the old stage could handle was, at best, eight actors; the
new stage can easily accommodate 12 or more actors – “And,” Joe Landry, MTC’s marketing
director noted, “you can do choreography.” But MTC’s new digs mean much more
than new lighting or enhanced cast size. As Connors explained, although they
knew they were presenting quality productions, MTC, given its somewhat hidden
location, lack of signage, and the overall “afterthought” feel to the physical
plant, was not providing the total theater experience that audiences look for
or, as Connors put it, it wasn’t “a true destination.” It was a night out, but
was it a “night out at the theater”? MTC knew that it needed to offer its
patrons the complete theatrical gestalt. “We had to do something,’ Connors
said, “if we were going to grow.”
And do something they have done.
Besides the new staging area, on the first floor there’s a large construction
area located through a door stage left and executive offices, plus – and this
Connors takes great pride in – modern, spacious rest rooms for patrons. The
second floor hosts several rehearsal studios, dressing rooms, two rooms devoted
to props and costumes and a green room (basically a holding area for actors
waiting to go on) with a sound feed, which means the actors will be able to
hear what is occurring on-stage.
MTC's costume room
There’s an electricity that seems
to run through the new building that has nothing to do with wiring or amperage.
Everyone involved with MTC simply can’t wait to start playing with all the new
toys – and the new space – that this move has provided, but there’s something
more, something perhaps intangible but palpable, and it has to do with MTC’s
connection with and commitment to its loyal audience. The folks at MTC just
can’t wait to share what they have wrought with the folks who, year after year,
walked down the dingy hall, took a left into the somewhat shabby foyer and sat
in a theater whose dimensions were those of a bomb shelter. In other words, MTC
can’t wait to say: “Welcome. Thanks for staying with us all these years. We’ve
done this for you. Enjoy.”
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