| When Sage Theatre burst on the scene six seasons ago, it was Calgary’s most promising new theatre company, collecting accolades and Betty awards. Since then, however, it has been nearly eclipsed by a cluster of other exciting new groups, to the point where its future seemed doubtful.
But if its new artistic director has his way, Sage will be shining again, starting next season.
"I want to bring it back and find our niche in the community," says Kelly Reay, the energetic 25-year-old with copper-red hair who is taking the reins from company founder Rob Moffatt. "I want Sage to be a necessary contributor to the arts in the city."
And to that end, Reay has plans to add a new stepping-stone festival for theatre students to Sage’s programming, as well as rectify some problems the company has had in recent seasons.
Sage’s decline dates from three seasons ago, when it left its original home base in the Big Secret Theatre and became a peripatetic company, moving to a new venue every season. Reay says that will change as of this fall, when Sage becomes a regular resident of the Pumphouse Theatres.
"Having a permanent home is going to be a huge deal," says Reay, who has just finished a three-season stint as stage manager with the successful Theatre Junction. "Our audience is going to know where we are."
Sage will open its seventh season in November at the Pumphouse’s Joyce Doolittle Theatre with a revival of Drinking in America, Eric Bogosian’s 1985 one-man black comedy about a country drowning in booze and drugs. The show has yet to be cast. "We want to get a recognizable name in the theatre community," says Reay, who will be making his directing debut with the show.
In March, the company will introduce Calgary to the work of much-praised Kentucky poet-playwright Naomi Wallace with a staging of her 1998 play The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek. "It’s a dark, beautiful piece set in the ‘30s in the dustbowl," says Reay. "It’s a messed-up love story about two teenagers and the desperation of that time."
That show will also be presented in the Joyce Doolittle space. Sage then moves to the Pumphouse’s bigger Victor Mitchell Theatre in June for Ignite! Calgary’s Next Generation Arts Festival. Six productions will be featured over three days, all of them created and staged by student and emerging artists. Sage will provide them with a small production budget, rehearsal space and some professional mentorship.
"We’re going to bring in maybe three established professionals, to give them advice and guide them through the process," says Reay. "They get the opportunity to put up a brand-new show in a professional environment. We want to give them some exposure and help them get a foot in the door in the industry. Hopefully the artistic directors in town will come out to see the festival."
The submission deadline for Ignite! will likely be in January of next year, but Reay says Sage plans to actively recruit participants this fall by visiting the University of Calgary, Mount Royal College and possibly the University of Lethbridge.
Although Calgary already has two fledgling theatre festivals of original work, Solocentric and Theatre Junction’s Random Acts, Reay says Sage’s will be distinctive by exclusively showcasing the work of newcomers. And, unlike those other festivals, it will take place in June, at the end of the theatre season and the school year.
Reay may seem an unlikely artistic director, given that few company heads come from the stage-management ranks, but he says he’s bringing plenty of production experience to the job. Apart from overseeing 13 Theatre Junction plays, he has also worked on shows at The Banff Centre, Edmonton’s NeXtFest (the inspiration for Ignite!), Theatre North West in Prince George, B.C. and Fort McMurray’s Keyano Theatre, among others.
"I’ve been stage managing for six years solid and I’ve been a fly on a lot of walls," says Reay, a Red Deer native who studied theatre at Red Deer College. "I’ve seen how companies run…. I’ve been able to see what works and what doesn’t work."
Hence some of his changes. Unlike Moffatt, who ran the company single-handedly, Reay will have two artistic associates, actors Adrienne Smook and Geoffery Ewert, to share the duties. "We need a structure so one guy isn’t doing everything," he says.
That should allow Sage to boost its drive for private sponsorship to complement its government grants. "We’re going to try to go for the individual donations that Sage hasn’t had a lot of in the past," says Reay. "The resources haven’t been there to do a strong fundraising campaign."
Moffatt, who is currently teaching theatre for Wood’s Homes, will no longer be formally connected with Sage as of next season. But Reay says he may work with the company again at some point. "I’d certainly love to have Rob come in and direct a show in the future," he says. "Sage is Rob Moffatt’s baby and it would be a shame to sever that tie completely." |
Copyright ©2004 FFWD. All rights reserved.