The 1958 film "Marjorie Morningstar" introduced me to "summer stock" and all the dedication and hard work (not to mention the sometimes romantic relationships) that theatre people have and experience during their working summers away from home. I was a kid when I saw the film, but the image of this glorified summer stayed with me.
My first real "hands-on" experience with summer stock began when I started working at Back Stage in 1977, compiling our annual summer stock listings. At the time there were hundreds upon hundreds of theatres all across the country—big and small, Equity and non-Equity houses, producing Shakespeare to Neil Simon—creating theatre for lots of folks that wouldn't ordinarily be going to the theatre.
I began in January by sending out questionnaires to the theatres in order to put together the list that appeared in our special March stock issue. It was through these completed forms that I got a fuller perspective of the theatres, their producers, and their seasons. I also got to meet many of them when either they, or another representative from the theatre, came to our offices in order to place their audition notices. There were theatres with resident companies that produced their own shows, and others that were part of the "strawhat circuit" and presented shows that toured among the various theatres operating under Equity's COST contract. There were the "star package" houses where a resident company would rehearse a show, and then a celebrity artist would come in for perhaps one week and play in it before moving on the next scheduled theatre. Sometimes theatres would "job-in" performers for one or more shows, or hire them under Equity's Guest Artist contract.
There were lots of ways to produce a stock season, but all the theatres had one thing in common aside from a dedicated and hard-working company of actors—they also had the desire to please the audiences that came from near and far to experience live theatre.
We've devoted this week's Spotlight on Summer Training entirely to summer stock. Back Stage contributor David A. Rosenberg takes a look at the history of the genre, reasons for its success, causes for its decline—through interviews with some of the more prominent producers and artistic directors during stock's heyday, along with today's current leaders.
With many theatres still operating, we also wanted to find out how they managed to survive during the industry's unhealthy times. Writers Mark Dundas Wood and Kerry Reid talk to the operators of these—all around for 30 years or more—to find out the secrets of their success. Listings Editor B. L. Rice also compiled a fairly comprehensive list of summer theatres—around 280 of them—that will be producing during the upcoming summer season.
For actor Miller Lide, who performed during the heyday of summer stock, from the late '50s on through the early '70s, the genre was very special.
"To many actors it meant employment," Lide explains. "When they said they were 'between engagements,' they might have been referring to the previous stock season and the upcoming one." There were plenty of summer opportunities available.
Yet, some people had a negative feeling about doing stock. "They would say, 'I don't want to go and blunt my instrument,' " Lide continues. "My answer to that was, 'You can sharpen it in acting class in the fall.' Playing stock provides both stage and craft experience."
Experience is an understatement. Many of the theatres would put on as many as eight plays during an eight-week season.
"It's on-the-job training," Lide stresses. "I'm a firm believer that it's how well you rehearse, and not how long you rehearse."
Since his summer stock days, Lide has trod the boards on and Off-Broadway, in National tours, and in resident theatres. "I've worked with directors over the last 15 to 20 years who always think there's plenty of time in rehearsal. They'll say, 'Let's play around with this idea a bit.' You move slower, you do less, and, at the end, you're still always rushed."
Lide mentioned one of the greatest directors he ever worked with: Frank Lenthall at the Boothbay Playhouse in Maine. "In six days, he would whip these shows into incredible shape. He came in and charted the course. You had to do it his way first, and then 'buy the right' to change what he said."
Fiddle Viracola's first experience playing in summer theatre was when she was 12 years old and chosen as one of the Island Girls in Neptune (N.J.) Music Circus' production of "South Pacific." More recently, she played Bloody Mary in productions of "South Pacific" at Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre Festival in Allentown, Pa., and at the Lakewood Theater in Skowhegan, Me. Needless to say—and her resume attests to this—she's played on numerous stages in between on and Off-Broadway, on tour, in regional theatres, and international festivals. All in all, she still has fond memories of her stock experiences.
"You learned to do things quickly. You had to do things quickly. You learned to exist without sleep in those situations where you would be rehearsing next week's show while you were performing one at night," states Viracola. "You didn't have the time to be indulgent, and to stretch out something. Sometimes, the original instinct of approaching a role would be right because the pressure was on—you had to do it.
Referring to some of the celebrity names that Viracola had the chance to work with in the star package houses where she was part of the resident company, "They all like to pass on their wisdom, take you under tow…. You never knew where the directors, or anyone else that you worked with, would show up again. It was an opportunity for exposure."
It was not only professional relationships that were formed, but also personal ones that made working in stock so special. Lide explains that the theatres' production schedule made "the most efficient use of time. There was still time to play and form relationships. That's the difference between playing in a limited run and in an open-ended run. With an open run, you create your life outside of the theatre. If you know you have six days to put on a show, you dare not get along with the others. I think it brings out the best in each person. I've had lifetime relationships with people."
Oops! In my listing of the 2002 Bistro Award recipients in last week's (2/4/02) "CenterStage" column, I inadvertently left out the category of Outstanding Direction. That honor goes to Lennie Watts, who directed several shows during 2001, including current Bistro Award winner Mark McCombs' "Ten Jumps Ahead of a Fit," as well as Terry Palsz's "The Polish Diva from Milwaukee," Karen Mack and Michael Holland's "Gashole," and the debut performances of Eric Pickering, Anne Steel, and Rick Peets, among other shows.
There are events happening worldwide and year-round to celebrate the 100th birthday of Richard Rodgers, but the event I attended Monday had an extra dose of special significance. "The Richard Rodgers Centennial—A Juilliard Celebration," hosted by Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, was a benefit for The Juilliard School where Mr. Rodgers studied music theory from 1920 to 1924. (It was then known as the Institute of Musical Art.) He also served on its Board of Trustees and was a generous patron to the school. The benefit honored Rodgers' daughter, composer Mary Rodgers Guettel, who recently completed her tenure as chairman of the school's Board of Trustees. A cast of guest performers included Glenn Close, Michael Feinstein, Michael Hayden, Shuler Hensley, Audra McDonald, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Stritch, and Karen Ziemba. Each sang one or two songs from Rodgers' greatest works with the Juilliard Orchestra led by Jonathan Tunick. It was a night to remember and a great beginning to the yearlong event.