1:39pm | Under the leadership of caryn desai, the International City Theatre is celebrating more than a quarter century of theatrical excellence. At its long time home in the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center’s intimate 825 seat Center Theater, they’ve been producing Broadway hits and old favorites for a dedicated and enthusiastic audience.
Even though caryn is new in her role as Artistic Director, she’s been involved behind the scenes for a very long time. She’s created a new season, which starts tonight with the Tony Award winning play, God of Carnage, that’s designed to appeal to seasoned theater enthusiasts, and to those who’ve been interested in dipping their toes into the live theater experience. I asked her what this new role has been like.
caryn: I have been with the company more than 20 years and have to say I am very excited about taking on this position. It is what I most want to do. It is a huge responsibility on many levels, and I take it very seriously. I had the pleasure, privilege and daunting task to select this year’s season.
I have had wonderful feedback about the new season and know that delivering quality productions is what it is all about. How has it been so far? It takes a village. And I could not do this without the exceptional Board of Directors who are so committed to our work — whether it is main stage productions or our many educational outreach programs.
Sander: Institutions have, in recent years, been challenged by the economy. How has ICT worked to overcome this?
caryn: Running a professional theatre is always challenging! But, yes, of course, recent years have been more difficult. ICT has a reputation for fiscal responsibility, running in the black 22 out of 25 years.
I am working with the Board currently on some fund development ideas because we need to build our reserves. Sometimes I think the economy becomes an excuse to not do anything but that is not going to move us forward.
I don’t want to tread water and stay afloat. That is exhausting and it doesn’t excite me. I have much more I want to do with ICT and with our artistic product. I know how important theatre is to our community, to society. I believe in the power of theatre – human to human communication.
Sander: What are theater’s unique artistic qualities, beyond the obvious?
caryn: It creates understanding and helps us better understand our lives and how we think. I want to make a difference. And I want to work with people who feel the same way.
I have been involved in the arts for as long as I remember, even as a child, without the benefit of money to pay for it. I would be writing, drawing or making something in the corner because it made me happy. I was fortunate to go to school when art and music were part of your education.
That is so very important, and current studies prove it. But to answer your question about the unique qualities of theatre, it is what made me choose theatre as my major focus. It involves all the art forms: Painting, writing, singing, dancing, music, etc. I have done all these things but it was theatre that beckoned.
It is also the most human form of art. It is people to people, sharing a unique experience together that can never be replicated. That is so exciting. And finding writers who have something to say that makes you think or better understand yourself and others – those words and thoughts stay with you for a lifetime!
Sander: Is it difficult to choose between lesser known new works and older classics?
caryn: It is not difficult to choose when you find a play that resonates. It is not enough to do a play because it is new. That’s a mistake. There is something special about doing that new play that does excite you.
But I would say there are plays that might be ten or so years old that were great when they were new. That doesn’t mean everyone saw them, so maybe they still speak to our society. And I find it just as interesting and exciting when a classic still is speaking to us. It makes you wonder about human nature. But a good play is a good play.
It is important for us to support new writers, especially when they have a commitment to write for the theatre. They need to be supported and developed. That’s where play development comes in, and I hope to do more.
You asked about audience development and that is something ICT is addressing. We were just talking about development of new works. THE FIX is a new musical we are producing this season – a West Coast premiere – a rock musical about politics! It is a political year. I am hoping to attract a younger audience with this piece.
I also think it will resonate with all of us. It is entertaining but it certainly makes you think about how candidates are groomed and what they say to be elected. It can certainly start a dialog about the process. It is a great show for political science classes!
Sander: How did you come to find The Fix?
caryn: A musical director I respect and have worked with a lot talked to me about it, many times! So I decided to do a reading of it last year to hear it on its feet and see how it played (the purpose of play readings). I liked it and shared my thoughts and some concerns about it with the director and music director. They agreed and are very capable of addressing those thoughts. Then I had to get the rights for it from NY, and ICT will be presenting the West Coast premiere of it late April.
Sander: What role do subscribers play in ICTs ongoing efforts?
caryn: Subscribers provide a base of support for a season of productions, not just one show. This means a theatre isn’t forced to count on single ticket sales only for each production. A subscriber allows ICT to take some risk with new plays, whether by established writers or new writers. So maybe a particular play isn’t as well known but it is meaningful and has something to say. [It is] an important voice to be heard.
If we were to lose the base of support subscribers provide, it would be extremely difficult to take that risk. Subscribers allow the development of the art form! Artistic Directors select a season of plays to provide a varied experience for audiences.
Within the season, there may be a show that a subscriber is less attracted to but, if you don’t subscribe, you don’t take the full journey. And sometimes the play that you thought you might not like is the one you like the best! I have experienced those responses from audience members personally.
Also, because ICT is here as a professional regional theatre, we have a responsibility to serve our region, our communities, which we do through our seven Educational Outreach Programs. They provide access, education and training.
Sander: How are subscribers created? How do you convert a casual attendee to someone committed to a season of theater?
caryn: It is a challenge. First, you have to provide quality work and offer them the best experience possible. Then you have to get them to repeat that experience. It takes time to cultivate. They cannot judge a theatre from one experience. It may be a play they absolutely love, or not. We try to reach out and get new audiences to come again. Then we must keep educating them about the role they play in the big picture of this art form.
Our outreach programs are crucial to developing future audiences, future artists and future donors. But those are an investment, a necessary investment in the future, especially given the cutbacks in arts education.
Subscribers make up about 40% of our ticket sales. Of course, that number can change based on the popularity of some shows. But I would love to get to at least 60%. The theatre we are in has so much potential! I would love to see ICT bring national attention to our community. I would like to someday be able to commission a new work, provide greater support to artists, not worry about the size of a cast, or production costs all the time. Of course, you always have to balance, but I am excited about doing more!
Sander: What specific initiatives have you developed to reach that target?
caryn: I am working with the Board right now to address our future. These have been challenging years for many including ICT. I am fortunate to have some very capable, caring Board members who understand the role of theatre in society and, more particularly, in our community. Although I am not ready to discuss specifically what we are looking to do right now, I can tell you that we are looking ahead. I am excited by the possibilities! And since I love what I do, it doesn’t bother me to work 7 days a week to make something happen! But that is where community support, and subscribers, do make a difference! If you are talking about specific initiatives regarding audience development, the season was selected with that in mind.
Sander: What about development? Is fundraising outside of subscriptions and ticket sales a significant part of your budget?
caryn: Development is crucial. ICT has to raise about 60% of its budget through grants, donations and fundraising. I would like to reverse that someday soon – through increased earned revenue! It is a burden, and certainly not the way you want to spend your time as an artist, but you can’t ignore the reality of it.
God bless those who really understand, value and support the arts. I wish our nation as a whole was more in tune. It is our soul, and it is what is valued and remembered about each particular society throughout history: Great plays, great art, great music! Artists we still hold dear, who still speak to us! What will future generations say about our contributions to art?
Sander: How does ICT create positive experiences for kids and young adults?
caryn: We have programs that reach every demographic and age from 4 to 104. Our Free Saturday Family Theatre Series provides a 45 minute to 1 hour show that is age appropriate for elementary and middle school children. Our Students to Stage program provides opportunities for middle and high school and college students to see age appropriate main stage productions. Our Summer Conservatory trains children ages 7 through 15 for 6 weeks in acting, singing and dancing where they often write their own material for their final performance in the theatre. No auditions for this. We train them all.
Our third grade program is curriculum based and goes into the schools with a formal study guide for 3 weeks in each classroom. Students learn vocabulary, the role of a critic, they write a play and perform it.
Our internship program is our longest running one, and we train backstage for serious high school and college students who can earn union points. We have given union cards to at least a dozen over the years and then hired them back as professionals. We also have internships at the office if arts administration, marketing or development are your interests.
Our senior program reaches out to low income seniors and provides tickets and transportation to keep this ever growing segment of our population socially engaged and mentally active. For our litle staff at ICT, we do a lot!!! It is all important! We want to make a difference!
Sander: What are some of the opportunities you see for the City’s arts presence in Downtown?
caryn: One thing I think that should be done is to market the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, and all the organizations and events that take place there, to the community. That is something I have discussed and tried to make happen for years. The Cerritos Center does a good job with that and so does the Carpenter Center. The Long Beach Performing Arts Center should have a presence in the community. It is good for the city, the artists and the residents.
With all the development going on downtown, and to continue its growth, the Long Beach Performing Arts Center has a lot to offer the downtown. It creates vibrancy. It feeds local businesses and restaurants. A vibrant, flourishing downtown is good for the entire city.
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ICT’s new season is about adults behaving badly. It starts tonight, with their production of the 2009 Tony Award winning God Of Carnage, a comedy about the perils of modern parenting. It runs through February 19th.
Tickets, and information about the rest of the season, can be found at ICTLongBeach.org.