A Bloggerview: Jarred Clowes

Jarred Clowes is the technical director for the Spotlight Theatre Company in Bakersfield and is heading up their Spotlight Series of blackbox-contemporary plays.  Having just closed The Pillowman, Jarred is plugging along working through musicals, dramas, and educational theatre.  In its 9th Season, the Spotlight Theatre is well on its way to becoming a LORT-d house (probably the first one in the San Joaquin Valley) within its next five seasons. 

MWA:  What's happenin' in your theatrical world?

JC: Well, I've learned that in order to make a living off theatre... you have to do a lot of it(a lot a lot).  So, "what's happenin'"? is kind of a loaded question. 

One thing I'm really excited about at the moment though is something we're calling The Spotlight Series... taking place, of course, at The Spotlight Theatre (Bakersfield).  For anyone not familiar with The Spotlight, it's a 99 seat proscenium style theatre in downtown Bakersfield. The theatre itself has been around for about 9 years.  In this last year though we've grown significantly (in terms of donor and administrative support).  Our normal season is composed of eight shows, usually a mix of musicals and popular dramas along with a wild card or two per season.  The upcoming season includes, Noises Off, High Fidelity the musical, It's a Wonderful Life, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Albee's The Goat, Carousel, Simon's Proposals and our summer rock and roll revue...
Yeah it's pretty sell-out except for probably The Goat, but we're growing and trying to give ourselves every opportunity to stretch our artistic muscles. 

The Spotlight Series is part of that goal: four shows spread out over the course of the year and squeezed into one of our three week breaks.  The idea was that rather than letting the theatre sit dark, we could utilize the space, assuming the technical requirements for the following show were light, to put on a much smaller and more intimate production.  And of course, this production would be edgier than our normal fare and something we could never put into the normal season, based on our need to continue growing a reliable audience base.  So as of this writing we've just closed our second show of this type, The Pillowman.  The Pillowman, along with Onionheads, the first show of this series, turned out to be rather well attended. Both shows netted in the area of about $2000 each, which anyone in a local theatre scene knows is pretty good... especially considering that it's pure gravy.  With the gravy on top of the gravy being that we get to put up these amazing shows with the support of a real theatre, with real lights etc...

Sorry if that answer turned into a thesis paper but these shows really excite me.

Seen any good work lately?

Apart from my own shows, where all of the actors were amazing of course, I can certainly recall one performance that gave me pause: Kat Brinkley in Little Women (yeah she's my girlfriend...so what? she's awesome!)

How would you describe the present condition of the bakersfield theatre scene?

ouch.  You're trying to get me in trouble aren't you? 

Well...Stars has most of the money but none of the talent, which boils down to second tier community actors on rented sets. The Empty Space has most of the talented actors but no money or organization. BCT has...well...they are [one of] the longest running community theatre in the state. The Melodrama is The Melodrama (I don't know if they even really count as a theatre in the sense of a theatre being a place where plays are put on). The two colleges are struggling to rebuild their programs after several trying years, and The Spotlight, where I do most of my work, has some of the money and some of the actors and is on a general upswing which I hope will continue. 

That being said... I am constantly amazed that from top to bottom Bakersfield Theatre is as good as it is.  Short of the big houses in LA (the Mark Taper, The Geffen), going to a random show in Bakersfield is far more likely to yield a good experience than showing up to a random theatre in LA.  No joke, Bakersfield has way more theatre than you would think, and a lot of it is very worthwhile.  Though, if you'd like a prognostication, I would make a guess that in the next twelve to twenty-four months two of the theatres listed above will fold or move...you heard it here first.

What advice do local theatres need to hear?

Working together will help everyone.  It will.  Even you Stars.

What quality in other artists/designers do you most dislike when you see it?

Bad hygiene.  Just because you're a techie doesn't mean that you can't take a shower...come on man.  Oh and self-delusion...I'll just let that hang out there.

What qualities do you look for in other artists/designers?

What I love are people that love to argue but who also have the ability to be convinced.  There's nothing better than to have your mind changed, because that is the only time that you will ever learn anything. So...opinionated but not stubborn is what I'm looking for.  I'll let you know when I find him/her.

What are your top three theatre reads?

It seems that I only have time to read plays these days...so I'm sure your site will be number one with a bullet!

Where do you think Spotlight Theatre is headed in the next few years?

Funny you should ask because we just finished submitting a new five year plan to our board.  Some of the plans that we're laying the groundwork for include opening up a second space in the next couple years...a space intended to be a home for our Spotlight Series shows.  Our big plan though is to gradually fulfill the requirements that would allow The Spotlight to become a lort-D designated equity theatre.  If we are successful The Spotlight would be the only equity theatre in the central valley (that I know of...drop me a line if you know of another, we'd probably have some questions).

What ideas do you have to keep theatre vital and interesting in the community?

As it stands now, a lot of us do theatre for ourselves, because WE love it.  That's ok...I mean, we'd better love it right?  Not a lot of us get paid for it...  So what we really need to focus on finding is a better way to bring the community back... hopefully as participants yes, but more importantly we need to project that Theatre is vital and that it is a place where they, the people, should be spending their time.  ...I guess that didn't really answer the question... in fact, I think all I did was say something that the question assumed was true in the first place...huh.  Then I guess... ...maybe a bobblehead night?  I don't know, I got nothin' 

What's coming up for you?

Next I'll be designing A Chorus Line and You Can't Take it With You at The Spotlight, and Two Sisters and a Piano at Bakersfield College.  I wont be directing another show until Noises Off in September so I'm happy that, to an extent, I will be on somewhat of a break.

Comments

[Helen]

Obviously, Jarred has never seen a production at Stars or BMT – and, considering a lot of Stars and BMT's new talent has come from Spotlight, The Empty Space, BMT, the Melodrama, and local colleges and high schools, it makes one beg the question; who exactly are his disparaging remarks aimed towards? Without thinking, he has slandered his own performers and besmirched the hard work of local talent throughout the community.

Having earned my Equity points at 16, and having shared the stage with some of the best-of-the-best in the industry; Christian Hoff, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Casey Nicholaw to name just a few, I feel I am a decent judge of talent. As a local performer, I am extremely proud to support many different venues of local theatre; college, high school, BMT, and yes, Spotlight as well, and can honestly say that I am always in awe of the talent here in Bakersfield.

If Stars/BMT has the most untalented, then I can say that I am proud (and privileged) to share the stage with some of the "most non-talented" in Bakersfield.

[Lilly]

I was hoping to go see A Chorus Line when it opens next week, but since it has some of those "second tier community actors" in it maybe I better avoid it...but at least the sets won't be rented! That's important!

[MWAHeather]

I know nothing of the politics and sensibilities of Bakersfield theatre, which is why I conduct these bloggerviews-- to hear the viewpoints of those within them. Mr. Clowes' opinion is but one. . . The opinions and discernment of individuals within any community are, of course, colored by their own experiences.

In defense of Mr. Clowes, it seems as if he were simply stating his own impressions of other companies in his area. Those impressions, although perhaps colored by his own preferences, do not exist in a vacuum.

Criticism at all levels of theatrical endeavor is integral to its growth. From what I've heard from Mr. Clowes, he wishes to see work that reaches out and challenges itself. Isn't it worth the question to ask yourself how much of his perception MIGHT be true instead? If you decide his opinion is untrue, what harm is done? But if it is possible that some measure of his perception might be valid AND might be corrected. . . isn't it a good thing to hear his voice?

And, what's worse. . . a member of a theatre community giving some candid remarks about how it might be improved? Or other members of that community withholding the support of an entire cast of players in order to punish a technical director for his public opinions?

The cheerleading tendency-- without critical discernment-- of small artistic communities is exactly what causes their ingrown nature.

I'm glad you have taken the time to post here, though. This sort of public discourse regarding the real feelings and ideas within the artistic communities is absolutely integral to our coming to the table and reasoning with one another-- and to make terrific art and entertainment for the future.

So, please. . . don't be too hard on the man for having an idea of what is successful and what isn't. . . nor for it being different than your own.

Just go out and prove him wrong!

PS-- I, personally, want to commend Mr. Clowes. In my review of "Little Women" at Spotlight, I actually criticized his lighting design. While he may have been momentarily affronted, he obviously took it in stride, decided how much of my perception was valid and how much wasn't and moved on with professionalism. It's that sort of commitment to hearing both the good and bad of one's work that really impresses.

[Jarred Clowes]

I like the passion people keep it up! To clarify a few points for the responders though... I think it's important to remember that these kinds of articles and postings are often jazzed up with the delicious hyperbole of an absolute. You can certainly take things literally and only so, if you choose. But... for instance I say that The Empty Space has no organization... obviously it HAS organization it's a functioning non-profit that provides FREE theatre...AND it's been doing it for over five years. I happen to know that the people on the board there work very very hard; I should know I was a member of the board for a year. The problem is that TES doesn't have a board that can spend the great amount of time required to concern themselves with the survival and advancement of the theatre beyond just putting up show after show, like Stars and The Spotlight do. ...So do I think that Stars has NO talent? Of course not... It's impossible not to share actors in a town like Bakersfield, so yes Stars has used actors that have been in other shows around town, and The Spotlight has used actors that have been in shows at Stars. That is the way it should be, that's how actors learn. However, I believe that in order to be a first tier actor(of which there are probably only 4-8 in town in my opinion, so being "2nd" tier ISN'T HARDLY the insult some might think) you have to stretch yourself and continue to do shows at different venues. Those 4-8 I mention do. They go from The Spotlight to the Empty Space to KSF to LA... but, and you're welcome to disagree with who I think the 4-8 are, they don't go to Stars. The reason, I believe, is that Stars does not provide an environment that either first attracts or second allows these actors to gain from their experience there (by the way I've seen many shows at Stars, not only that I helped build the theatre... and I've worked many many shows there (in fact they still owe me money)so I have some basis for my opinion) Also, there is more to the theatre arts than acting...they don't employee a scenic designer for most shows, they hire out the costuming to Jen from Fantasy Frocks, who does an amazing job, but still... I'm related to their best past lighting designer, who's also amazing, but... they just don't have a system that puts all the pieces together so that a real theatre experience with the potential for growth within the community can be achieved... which is what I took the original question to mean...how does the Bakersfield theatre community grow? what's holding it back? etc... I think there is an issue when the best and the brightest, the ones doing the truly exceptional work don't really care to be involved with shows at Stars unless there's nothing else to do or they're paid.

I feel I must state categorically that my feelings for the structure and goals of Stars and their relation to what I believe is valuable to a burgeoning theatre community and to growing theatre artists should not be taken as anything else. Just because their goals may be different than mine does not mean that I hold any ill will toward the people that work there or the actors that do shows. By no means do I think that I'm perfect or that I'm the best at what I do; the more I grow the more I realize how much I have left to learn. I recently needed to borrow a piece of equipment and Stars obliged without a word. I was very grateful and said so in our program. Any theatre in town should feel free to contact me if they are in need of anything I might be able to help with. In the end we should all be concerned with pleasing the audience... so ultimately our goals are the same...and giving in to the spirit of cooperation never hurt anyone.
Oh...and lilly is absolutely correct we will not be renting our set for A Chorus Line... Personally I think it's the best white line that I've ever designed!