CBS NEWS - City Survival

As CBS 2′s Kristine Johnson reported, in a most unlikely environment — underneath the Pulaski Bridge in Greenpoint — students are learning skills that can save their lives.

“You wouldn’t expect anything like this to be in Brooklyn,” one woman said.

“Normally, you would take a survival class out in the woods somewhere,” said another student, Cynthia.

Instead, students gathered on the bank of Newtown Creek to learn basic survival skills set in an urban environment.

With only basic tools, Jens Rasmussen, an experienced survivalist, teaches some of the skills that could mean the difference between life and death.

“There’s a really deep sense of satisfaction that I see people get from connecting with these, what you might call, primitive skills,” Rasmussen said.

No matter what you call them, they are the same skills needed to survive in natural or manmade disasters.

The focus is also on what Rasmussen calls the most basic skills of all — making a fire without matches.

“The words ‘fire-making class’ kind of sparked the imagination,” one of the students told Johnson.

By the end of the class, all of the students were able to make a flame.

“You never know when knowledge is going to be of handy in any given situation,” Cynthia said.

New York Times Feature

Photo by Julie Glassberg for The New York Times

Teaching City Dwellers How to Make It in the Wilderness

Jens Rasmussen is an actor who is equally adept on the Shakespearean stage and in the great outdoors.

So on the side, instead of waiting tables, he teaches backwoods skills, including lessons on how to start your own campfire from flint and steel. Put away those matches, city slicker, and learn to cook outside on the open flame, right in the middle of the city.

Mr. Rasmussen, who grew up in Wisconsin, does this on the waterfront across the East River from Midtown Manhattan, in a narrow lot in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, at the edge of Newtown Creek, under the Pulaski Bridge.

It is the home of the North Brooklyn Boat Club, of which Mr. Rasmussen is a founding member. Last Sunday, he pointed to an assemblage of tan bricks at the water’s edge and said, “This is our hearth.”

His students — Victor Calvo and Amreen Quadir, both internists at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn — sat on a thick wooden plank between a chain-link fence topped with razor wire and a concrete wall covered with colorful graffiti tags.

The doctors, who are engaged, told Mr. Rasmussen they had booked the lesson partly to learn some skills “in case, in the future, we do Doctors Without Borders-type work and the bus breaks down — that kind of thing.”

Dr. Quadir saw Mr. Rasmussen’s Groupon listing offering a workshop (at $100 per person) for “Fire Crafting on a Wilderness Adventure” teaching “how to build fires in the wilderness before you cook a delicious campsite dinner.”

That is how they wound up spending a frigid Sunday afternoon cutting vegetables with woodsman’s knives, and then whittling curly shavings from wood slats for fire-starting. They were instructed by the theatrical Mr. Rasmussen, who seemed impervious to the cold, as he doffed his tan rancher’s jacket and tended the camp, wearing a smart outfit of heavy woolen Army-surplus garments.

“Now, if the chips were down, and you really needed to start a fire,” he said, and he went about demonstrating how to elicit a spark, briskly swiping a stone against a piece of iron.

Soon, Dr. Calvo was coaxing sparks from his stone, and had his flammable char cloth smoldering. He then pushed this into a ball of shredded newspaper and blew sharply upon it. When it blossomed into flame, Dr. Calvo dropped the fiery handful into the fire pit and heaped those wood shavings atop.

Mr. Rasmussen fed the crackling fire from a big pile of urban-foraged kindling — old packing crates and castoff scraps from local businesses — and he put a blackened coffeepot on the grill over the leaping flames.

He stoked the fire and the conversation, poured the pair a cup of tea, and began readying the meal on a rough-hewed wooden plank that served as his outdoor kitchen counter. He put a pan on the grill and heated some olive oil and spices, then some vegetables and finally some rice and beans. Then he whipped up a batter of sourdough and cornmeal to deep-fry some hush puppies in a Dutch oven full of hot oil.

Self-reliance is the theme here. Mr. Rasmussen wore around his neck a woodsman’s knife from Sweden in a leather sheath with copper rivets he tooled himself. He cooked with wooden utensils he carved himself, and pulled materials from a woodsman’s basket that he made by felling a black ash tree in Maine. And that ax, he made the handle. And that wanigan wooden box he kept opening for supplies? Made that, too.

Mr. Rasmussen, who is married and lives nearby in Greenpoint, said he grew up partly on a farm near Oshkosh, in a “back-to-the-land kind of family.”

“We have a nature deficiency here in New York City, and so there’s a real profound connection when we participate in these elemental experiences,” said Mr. Rasmussen, who has spent weeks at a time sleeping in the woods, survivalist-style. “With this, we’re tapping into something that goes back millennia and connects us with our ancestors.”

The doctors cut some apple slices, which Mr. Rasmussen dipped into flour and batter to make apple fritters in the hissing and spitting pot of boiling oil.

He sat the couple near the fire to “discuss the priorities of survival” should the city one day descend into chaos. Building a fire could help provide drinkable water, a safe sleeping spot, heat and food, he said, pulling out a pocket survival pack that included a sewing kit and dental floss for stitching wounds.

By dusk, the spot had become a chuck wagon scene. The falling snow hissed as it hit the fire.

After eating, the doctors headed back to civilization, and our urban pioneer poured out his cowboy coffeepot into the campfire, dousing the flames till next time.

By Corey Kilgannon

See the Original New York Times piece here.

Glass Menagerie

Jens Rasmussen in The Glass Menagerie

Fans know "The Glass Menagerie" features three characters named Wingfield and another named O'Connor.

But when Festival Stage of Winston-Salem presents Tennessee Williams' classic play beginning Friday in Hanesbrands Theatre, another person will join the cast.

Randy Craven won't utter a line. But he will wear a costume and play a piano in the theater's performance area, underscoring much of the show with music that he has composed or improvised. His contribution follows in the footsteps of 19th-century composers who wrote incidental music for nonmusical works of theater by Shakespeare and others.

Writing and performing incidental music for plays with dialogue has become highly unusual, probably because it's an expense of time and money that few theater companies want to take on.

Yet Kristen Kundert-Gibbs, the director of "Menagerie," said she requested it soon after she was hired to direct the show.

"I think it will be exciting and different," she said.

"Menagerie," set in the South in 1937, portrays a struggling family whose members love each other despite their conflicting objectives. It revolves around the memories of Tom Wingfield (Jens Rasmussen). He is the son of the hovering and nagging Amanda Wingfield (Monica Bell) and the brother of the shy and fragile Laura Wingfield (Jacqueline M. Carey).

Jim O'Connor, one of Tom's warehouse co-workers, appears as Laura's "gentleman caller."

The unseen father looms in the background, having abandoned his wife and children years ago.

When Tom Wingfield is years older, he ruminates on memories of his family as he perches on a fire escape, which serves as Tom Wingfield's window into the larger world.

Craven, a local pianist, is listed as a composer in the credits. His involvement with the show started at the first read-through of the script, and Kundert-Gibbs said she has tweaked the music during rehearsals in much the same way as she tweaks an actor's portrayal.

The music sounds like tunes from early years of the 20th century.

"Kristen did not want any recognizable tunes that would distract the audience from the action onstage," Craven said by email. "So all music heard in the play per se will be composed or improvised by me, to sound like music that might have been heard during that time. There will be a number of ragtime pieces as well as typical dance music of the day."

Craven assigns distinct themes to each main character. He described Tom's theme as "a nostalgic ragtime waltz." Laura's theme "recalls the delicacy of a music box," and Amanda's theme is "in the style of a cakewalk," he said.

"Roughly half of the music heard in the play will be comprised of these themes, presented in ways that support and move the action onstage," Craven said. "There is also a lot of music that drifts into the Wingfield home from a neighboring dance hall, and again, this will be piano music that one might have heard in a dance hall of that day."

Bell said the music serves to "complete something" in the often-fragmented script.

"It's fun to play with (the music) and against it," she said.

Rasmussen said he and the music influence each other.

"It's like having another partner onstage," he said.

Complete History of America (abridged)

Jens Rasmussen in Complete History of America (abridged)

Jens Rasmussen was prepared to work with director Lisa Cesnik again.

In his first Springer Opera House production, Rasmussen performed in the Reduced Shakespeare Co.’s play, “The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged).”

Cesnik made cast members shave their heads.

When he discovered Cesnik was directing “The Complete History of America (Abridged),” Rasmussen shaved his head again.

He was a bit premature, though.

Fellow actors JJ Musgrove and Adam Archer refused to shave their heads and Cesnik decided it wasn’t necessary for this production, which begins its run on the Springer Mainstage tonight. It’s the final show of the season.

Fortunately, Rasmussen doesn’t care about his bald head. It makes taking wigs and hats on and off that much easier, he said.

Small cast, many roles

Cesnik is pleased with her three-person cast.

“From the general auditions (last spring), I made a list of the potential cast,” Cesnik said. “I looked at videos. I pretty much have a perfect cast.”

As with the other Reduced Shakespeare plays, this one is very funny, Cesnik said.

“I get to laugh all the time, which is very healing,” she said. “It’s nice to have a job where you can laugh.”

Rasmussen agrees. “I think it’s funnier than ‘The Bible.’ ”

Cesnik said costumes and props are such a big part of the show that together they serve as the fourth actor on stage. She called the audience the fifth actor.

Without the audience’s reactions, the play simply won’t work, she said.

Because the three stars and Cesnik have worked together before, Cesnik said it’s almost a sort of shorthand that makes directing easy for her.

Each actor takes on at least 18 different roles throughout the American history lesson, which begins with Amerigo Vespucci’s discovery and continues to current events.

In fact, before the rehearsals began, Cesnik said she got revisions that included current events that had been added to the play.

Musgrove’s favorite role is that of the late President Richard Nixon.

Musgrove said he plays the “leader” of the ensemble as someone who “loves to hear himself talk.”

Archer, on the other hand is the youngest and “gets picked on.” He also plays all the female roles.

Advice to the audience

Rasmussen said this play is perfect for someone who loves musicals, but wants to try other forms of theater.

“It’s the perfect play for people who are 18-25,” Archer said.

“Especially for people who think plays are stuffy,” Musgrove added.

Older audience members will understand jokes that the younger ones may not, and vice versa, Archer said.

The actors and director agree that the show is rated PG-13. Not so much because of language, but the content may not strike a chord with anyone younger than 13.

Since the play’s authors allow local theaters to add area history, there are plenty of references to Columbus, Georgia and Alabama in the Springer script, Cesnik said.

What other play, Cesnik asked, has a car chase, food fight, music and a fly-over?

Just “The Complete History of America (Abridged),” she answered.

Inherit the Wind opens

Jens Rasmussen in Inherit the Wind

‘Inherit the Wind,” the classic play opening tonight at the Springer Opera House is not a history lesson about the 1925 Scopes “Monkey Trial,” director Ron Anderson said.

The play is based on the true story of John Scopes, a 24-year-old high school science teacher in Dayton, Tenn., who was put on trial for teaching evolution, while the most of community believed in creationism.

Four characters in the play — Bertram T. Cates, Matthew Harrison Brady, Henry Drummond and E.K. Hornbeck — are based on real people — Scopes, prosecutor William Jennings Bryan, defense attorney Clarence Darrow and journalist H.L. Mencken, respectfully. All of the others in the play are fictional, and that’s one reason why Anderson said it’s not a history lesson.

In fact, actor Adam Archer said, the people who live in Dayton detest the play and every year present a different version called, “Inherit the Truth.” Archer plays Elijah in the Springer production.

Why did Springer choose this play?

“Because of its timeliness,” Anderson said. People, especially in the South, continue to debate creationism vs. evolution.

“And I think it is a wonderful play,” Anderson said. “This is a great courtroom drama. And there’s the debate between evolution and the Bible.”

Two powerful voices

Steve Valentini plays Brady, the prosecutor, and John Ammerman plays Drummond, the defense attorney. When the actors get on stage to go head-to-head with each other, Anderson said they definitely do not need microphones to be heard.

Archer, who wrote a study guide for the play, said Bryan was known for his booming voice, which Valentini has.

Valentini didn’t have the chance to do the play in 1970 or 1992 at the Springer. He was too young in 1970 and was not available in 1992.

“When they announced the season, I went to them and told them, ‘I want to do that show,’” Valentini said.

“It was not difficult to hear Steve’s voice” in that role, Anderson said.

Anderson had to think about who would play Drummond.

“John was here to see ‘Red, White and Tuna,’” Anderson said. They talked about the role, and Anderson said he jumped at the chance to work with Ammerman again.

“Inherit the Wind” was a play Ammerman said he definitely wanted to do. The opportunity never came up until now.

“Some plays, you hope you have a chance to do,” he said. “The opportunity all worked out. It is a classic American play and one that I hoped I could do. I just got lucky.”

Anderson said it was the Springer who got lucky to have Ammerman here.

Valentini said the play is timely because 2009 was the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his “On the Origin of Species.”

Jens Rasmussen, who plays journalist E.K. Hornbeck, had never performed this play, either.

“This role is perfect for me, so I’m glad I’m doing it. Hornbeck (H.L. Mencken) is a great historic figure” he said.

Center of the debate

Cates, played by Russ Yoe, is at the center of the play.

“This is the biggest role yet for me,” Yoe said. “It’s very exciting to be a part of it.”

Anderson said he had several actors he was considering for the roles of Cates and Rachel, who is his fiancee.

“With Russ and Melissa (Saint-Amand), I had the right combination of chemistry and innocence,” Anderson said. “They seemed to be perfect.”

Yoe is a 19-year-old Columbus State University theater major; Saint-Amand is a Columbus High School junior.

Rachel is the local preacher’s daughter who supports Cates through the trial. During the real trial, Scopes did not have a fiancee at his side.

Tim Wilson, the associate pastor of Wynnbrook Baptist Church, plays Rachel’s father. It’s his first time on the Springer stage.

“It’s intimidating and exciting,” Wilson said. While it was easy memorizing his lines, he said he is finding that playing a mean-spirited person was very difficult.

The two youngest actors

Joey Goldman and Callie Hampton are Columbus High freshmen.

Joey, a former Springer Theater Academy student, spent the last year in Los Angeles trying to kick-start a professional acting career.

“Everyone has been welcoming me back,” he said.

Callie and Joey essentially open the show, discussing the possibility that their families were once worms or blobs of jelly.

With the addition of academy students, Anderson, who heads up the theater program, is hoping youngsters will come see the play.

“It’s touching and quite thought-provoking,” he said. “It’s very theatrical and raises the issue of people having the freedom of thought or is there?”







Read more here: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2010/01/21/982302/inherit-the-wind-opens-tonight.html#storylink=cpy

No Shame Rides Wave of Success

The areas newest night-life event shows no signs of stopping. In just 3 short months No Shame Theater has premiered over 150 new works in numerous performance styles, shown dozens of pieces of visual art, spawned an improv group a burlesque group, and a comedy music quartet that has already released their first CD. More icing was recently put on the cake in the form of a sizable grant for the upstart program.

At a time when competition for arts funding is at an all time high, the Springer Opera House has received $5,000 in support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for its No Shame Theater.

“We are honored to be recognized in this way,” said Jens Rasmussen, the Springer’s No Shame director. “No Shame has been a huge success and attracted hundreds of dedicated fans, but foundation support like this is another affirmation of the positive impact we’re seeing every Friday night at No Shame performances.”

The Knight Foundation funds projects that transform communities based on the foundation's values of: discovery, vision, courage, know-how and tenacity. Qualities which are definitely present in the No Shame program and its participants.

No Shame Theater is an uncensored evening of original performances that allows anyone to explore their creative potential. It happens every Friday at the Springer Opera House. Admission is $5 for everyone, including performers. The first 15 acts to sign up at 10 p.m. get a five-minute performance slot, and the show starts at 10:30 p.m.

“The beauty of No Shame is its simplicity and lack of censorship,” said Rasmussen. “There are only three rules - each act must be less than five minutes, must feature original material and can break no laws. Otherwise, there are absolutely no limitations to what one can perform at No Shame.”

Presentations have included original plays, improvisation, spoken-word, rap, music, stand-up comedy, monologues, dance, spoons, interpretive sign-language, poetry, rants, burlesque – even a color guard routine that combined flag, sword, dance, and music.

The first No Shame was started 23 years ago by Todd Ristau and Jeff Goode in the back of a pick-up in Iowa City, Iowa. Since then, branches have sprung up in New York, Miami, Chicago, Cleveland, Austin, Charlottesville, and other cities. Well-known No Shame alumni include John Leguizamo (Ice Age), Camryn Manheim (The Practice) Rebecca Gilman (Spinning into Butter), Naomi Wallace (Things of Dry Hours), Rick Cleveland (Six Feet Under), and Johnathan Larson (Rent).

To learn more about Columbus' No Shame and to watch past performances, visit: www.facebook.com/noshametheater

‘Star-Spangled Girl’ Blends Politics & Love

You’re convinced her logic is flawed and her ideals are faulty.

But she smells sooo good.

With each whiff — each engaging smile — you bend your standards. Maybe a shared political vision is overrated.

Sound familiar?

Politics and love collide in “The Star-Spangled Girl,” a Neil Simon play that begins its run at the Springer Opera House tonight.

It tells the story of Norman and Andy, two friends who run a left-wing liberal magazine.

Their world turns upside down when Sophie, a conservative girl from the South, moves next door. Despite their opposing political views, Norman falls in love with Sophie.

“It’s all very surface. It’s nothing more than physical attraction,” said Jason Horne, the actor who plays Norman.

The romantic feelings aren’t exactly mutual.

“She is really annoyed by his persistence,” said Maria Maloney, who plays Sophie.

Updated setting

Simon set “The Star-Spangled Girl” in the ’60s, when the Vietnam War ignited national political interest.

Audiences at the Springer will see an updated version set in 2008 — right before the national presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain.

“I think people will be surprised by how fresh we’ve made this particular piece,” said director Kimberly Faith Hickman.

To enhance the modern feel, the set is decorated with political art by artist James Schroeder from Rome, Ga.

But the play’s content didn’t have to be changed too much to allow for the updated setting.

In fact, the characters give only one spoken reference to a contemporary politician: George W. Bush.

The strong political views that characterized the ’60s are similar to many of the discussions that surfaced during the 2008 election.

The Springer’s version highlights the contemporary appeal of a decades-old show.

“They’re going to think he (Neil Simon) wrote this play last year,” said Jens Rasmussen, who plays Andy.

The moral

Not into politics? Don’t worry.

Political beliefs play a role in “The Star-Spangled Girl,” but actors say the play is primarily about relationships.

“It is a romantic comedy above all else,” Horne said. “I think the politics is a nice side dish.”

Also, “The Star-Spangled Girl” doesn’t declare a winner in the debate between liberal and conservative views.

“The play doesn’t take sides. It explores both sides,” Hickman said.

That kind of exploration makes the plot very relatable to audiences.

Cast members say the show tells a story that could easily play out as a real-life scenario, thanks to the “opposites attract” principle of love.

“I know married couples who are just canceling each other’s votes out,” Horne said.

Sure, the relationship world could consist only of couples who reflect each other ideologically.

But that would be too easy.

“Why would everybody want to be on one side?” Horne asked.

By Sonya Sorich

Springer ‘cuts loose’ with No Shame Theater debut

No Shame Columbus - founded by Jens Rasmussen

Magic, music, dance and drama, even stand-up comedy or acrobatics - you might see all this and more in one night of No Shame Theater, said Jens Rasmussen, director of No Shame Theater, which debuts in Columbus Friday at the Springer Opera House.

"You don't know what you're going to get," he said. "It has this stability and this complete wild card kind of feel."

Created in 1986 and now a nationwide movement, No Shame gives a twist to the traditional talent show or open mic night.

For the artists, it's first come, first served, and the pieces, which must be original and no longer than five minutes, are not censored or reviewed in advance, Rasmussen said. That leaves audience members with the chance of seeing everything from performance poetry to juggling.

"I was just blown away by it," Rasmussen said. "It was so exciting and such a broad range of people came in. When you go to No Shame, you're going to see something that no one has ever seen before. It's shameless; it's risk taking. Even if the art is not polished, the spirit of it is just so engaging. That's really at the core what No Shame is."

Ashley Laughter, campaign coordinator for the Springer, said she is excited about opening night.

"It's like an adventure," she said. "Come with an open mind. Come prepared to be shocked - but in a good way."

Laughter said the unique form of entertainment will help the Springer cater to a younger audience and will be particularly good for Soldiers, since it's a weekly event with no sign-up necessary.

"We always try to get Soldiers involved here at the Springer, but it's hard for a Soldier to make a commitment to a show because it can be time-consuming," said Laughter, wife of a Sand Hill drill sergeant. "But this is ‘bring what you got and do it one night.' I think No Shame is going to offer the Columbus area something brand new. All the works are original, which is something you just don't get to see as often as people should."

Laughter said she plans to perform with a burlesque dance group - "kind of reminiscent of the vaudeville era."

She will be joined by other local talent, including Becky Macy, an actor in the Springer's current production of Footloose and wife of an Infantry Mortar Leader Course instructor on post.

Macy said participating in No Shame will appeal to people of diverse backgrounds.

"It's less pressure. You don't have to audition. It's an outlet for your own creativity," she said. "I just think it can be inspiring … everybody has something to put out there."

To "cast themselves," people 18 and older should show up at 10 p.m. at the Springer, Rasmussen said. The first 15 in line get to perform.

The show starts at 10:30 p.m., lasts roughly 90 minutes and costs $5 per person, performers and attendees alike.

"It's a small investment, and it's going to be a really welcoming, laid back, enjoyable group … a great place to meet people, to make new friends, to talk about new ideas," Rasmussen said. "It's about fearlessness; it's about putting yourself out there and not censoring. It's about cutting loose — individual expression. There's no limits."

The Springer saloon will be open during the show. For more information, call the Springer at 706-324-5714. For more about No Shame Theatre, visit www.noshame.org.

By Cheryl Rodewig / The Bayonet

America's Teaching Theatre

Moonlight and Magnolias, like all of the Springer’s mainstage productions, featured lots of backstage work by Springer Theatre Academy students. Jef Holbrook (Ben Hecht), left, is a graduate of the Springer Theatre Academy and a longtime Academy teacher. Jens Rasmussen (David O. Selznick) is a professional actor from New York, with more than 20 years’ experience, who has been teaching at the Academy for several years.

Study Finds Quality Children’s Education Program

is Key to Attracting New Audiences to the Theatre

'The presence of children on the INSIDE will rearrange the molecules of your organization.’

-Paul Pierce, Producing Artistic Director, Springer Opera House 

    

Ask Ron Anderson how the Springer Opera House in Columbus, GA, increased its attendance by double digits over the past three years, and you’ll get a quick rejoinder.

“What have we done to grow our audiences? Well, it sort of starts with a disclaimer. ‘Cause we didn’t set out to do this.

We didn’t set out to build an audience. We set out to build an education program. That’s why Paul [Pierce] brought me to Columbus,” says Anderson, who came from Milwaukee in 1996 to start the Springer Theatre Academy.

“The idea that . . . 12 years later we would wake up and say, ‘Wow! Our audience is growing, and it has a direct relation to our Theatre Academy’ – that never occurred to us. It was a natural and organic byproduct of what we were doing.”

The humility and service-through-art philosophy exemplified in his remarks are key characteristics of the leadership of Springer Opera House. But regardless of the original intentions of the Springer Theatre Academy, this fact remains: The Springer Opera House is growing its audience, and the Springer Theatre Academy is the major impetus for that growth.

Fun Facts about the Springer 

2008-09 BUDGET:  

$2.2 Million 

AUDIENCE GROWTH: 

07-08 Season    108,000 

06-07 Season    106,300 

05-06 Season      96,500 

08-09 PRODUCTION SEASON 

Mainstage: 

Menopause, the Musical 

Father of the Bride 

Peter Pan 

Hamlet 

Big River 

Red, White and Tuna

Studio Series: 

Why Baby Why: The Music of George Jones and Tammy Wynette 

A Tuna Christmas
Charm School

Children’s Series: 

If You Give a Pig a Party 

Winnie the Pooh

The Big Friendly Giant

National Tour: 

Tours nationally as Springer Theatricals, performing in about 60 American cities each year.

‘TUNA’ PARTNERSHIP  

The Springer has developed a partnership with the creators of the “Tuna” plays (Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard) in which A Tuna Christmas was performed in the Studio Series by the producing artistic director Paul Pierce and associate artistic director Ron Anderson. Furthermore, the Springer is the first theatre in America to be given rights to Red, White and Tuna, which until now had only been performed by the original cast/creators. In addition, the Springer has mounted separate

productions of A Tuna Christmas and the original play, Greater Tuna, and included those productions in its national 

touring schedule. All four productions will be directed by creator Ed Howard, who lives in Atlanta. Over the years, the Springer has premiered several of Howard’s other works, including The Tempest Tossed and  Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man. 

HISTORY 

The Springer Opera House, which is the State Theatre of Georgia, opened February 21, 1871, and soon gained a reputation as the finest theatre between Washington, DC, and New Orleans. The Springer was saved from the wrecking ball in 1964 and underwent a major restoration in the 1990s that increased its size from 35,000 square feet to 75,000 square feet. 

GHOSTLY TRIVIA 

The Springer Opera House is well-known for its ghost sightings. Several years ago, The Travel Channel named it one of “The World’s Top Ten Ghostly Destinations.”

That’s the key finding from a study of the Springer Theatre Academy that was commissioned by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The study was conducted by Lisa Mount, director of the Georgia-based Artistic Logistics, a cooperative of independent arts consultants that provides services across the U.S. Titled Learning Everywhere: The Impact of the Springer Theatre Academy on the Springer Opera House, the study was completed March 20, 2008.

For the study, Artistic Logistics surveyed 50 Theatre Academy families and interviewed parents, students, Springer staff, teachers and guest artists. The findings: This professional theatre seems to be doing what most theatres dream of doing – bringing more and more people of all ages, including young families, to see its productions even as the economy lags and belts are tightening everywhere.

“Audiences in American theatre are graying at an alarming rate,” Mount states in her executive summary. “Subscriber bases are collapsing and single-ticket attendance is slipping nationwide. Despite this trend, the Springer Opera House – a 137-year-old professional theatre in Columbus, Georgia - has experienced astonishing audience growth in the past several years. A 17% increase last year, 13% the year before, 9% the previous year.”

These unusually successful numbers are what drew the attention of the Knight Foundation, which wanted to understand the reason for this arts enigma. The Foundation maintains relationships with theatres throughout the country – theatres that are experiencing a collapse of their audiences and are looking for solutions to the audience lag conundrum and developing new models to build audiences for the arts.

A few years ago, the Knight Foundation commissioned a study from Wolf-Brown, Inc., in Cambridge, MA, to find out where symphony orchestra audiences come from. The results were enlightening. The study reported that more than 70 percent of symphony orchestra audience members had played a musical instrument as a child or had sung in a choir. Hence, the possibility of an educational program having a direct effect on audience growth already sounded plausible to Foundation leaders. The potential to quantify these facts to help other organizations helped lead to the Springer study.

So, can it be that a historic theatre in a moderate-sized city in the southwest portion of Georgia, a city known mainly for its history in the textile industry and its Army base, Fort Benning, is increasing theatre audiences and making a significant cultural impact on its community? And because Columbus has one of the fastest growing metro areas in Georgia, is it positioned to become a leader in the performing arts for the state? How and why is this happening at the Springer Opera House?

The answer to these questions lies with an unexpected population in Columbus – young people. This is not to say that the increase of audience is only among youth. The Springer has not transformed itself into a place where only children belong. But it is to say this: A substantial portion of young people, ages 5-18, in Columbus, GA, are passionate about live theatre. They are taking that passion home to their entire families and then totin’ Mom, Dad, aunts, uncles and babysitters with them to watch vibrant live theatre at the Springer Opera House.

One academy student quoted in the study speaks of the draw of the Springer.

“The building inspires me,”” the student says. “I have a sense of owing this place so much, I love going back to it.”

However, it isn’t the venerable building alone that draws people. Because the students have created a large community unto themselves, when they get to the theatre, they see their teachers (professional theatrical workers) onstage, and their peers working backstage, onstage or in the house as ushers. The youth of the Columbus community are leading the way to the Springer. Period.

Lisa Mounts says, in the Executive Summary of the report: “The findings are astonishing: For the past 11 years the Springer Theatre Academy, the Springer’s mammoth education program, has been doing innovative work with young people that has had a profound impact on individual children and their families. This, in turn, has resulted in these students and their families eventually emerging as subscribers, single-ticket buyers, donors and board members. The Springer audience is getting bigger and YOUNGER - a reverse of the national trend.

“This study recognizes these trends for what they are: The Springer is beginning to reap the benefits of its long-term commitment to developing audiences from the ground up. The Knight Foundation sees this as a potential ‘sustainability’ model that might be exported to theatres all over the U.S.”

Beverly Blake of the Knight Foundation encourages theatres across America to take note of the study findings.

“These results are extremely important for the entire theatre community,” she says. “[This study] shows that if you get young people involved in every aspect, they are not only your future audience – they will develop future audiences.”

“Really?” one might think, “Well, that’s a no-brainer. Let’s get our organization to teach some more classes. We’ll beef up our education program and start reaping the benefits!”

Actually, the Springer Theatre Academy is not just any education program.

“[Springer Academy] is a very different model than [the educational programs at] other theatres – this model works to build audiences,” says Blake.

Springer Theatre Academy is a carefully, uniquely pre-planned, rigorously organized venture, with an ambitious, creative and committed leader whose focus is on the learning of each individual child. In fact, according to the study, this leadership weighs heavily in importance, as do the teachers that Ron Anderson assembles (or essentially casts) to instruct at the Academy each year. When asked to rate elements of the Springer Theatre Academy in terms of what is important to them, 90 percent of those surveyed said that Anderson was “extremely important” and 82 percent said that the teachers were “extremely important.”

Evidence of the success of the Springer Theatre Academy is seen in the growth of fresh and committed audiences, new theatre-goers who, according to the Knight Foundation study, would not have come to the theatre except for the exceptional educational programming that their children participated in at the Springer Theatre Academy. According to those surveyed, 98 percent rate the overall experience of going to the Springer Theatre Academy as “excellent” and 87.8 percent say that they saw more plays since becoming involved in the Theatre Academy.

As one academy parent quoted in the study stated, “It makes our family’s life stronger, richer and closer. We’ve seen nothing like it, anywhere.”

But back to the point, how is the Springer achieving these fantastic results? Artistic Logistics notes that it arrived at some answers to that question through a series of interviews with students, parents, teachers, Springer staff, Columbus area leaders and education directors at comparable companies around the country. Following are some of the key strategies used at the Springer.

STRATEGY 1: EDUCATION PROGRAM IS CENTER STAGE
“The Springer has made the Academy integral to its programming and artistic vision, rather than treating it as a revenue generator that is ancillary to main stage programming.” - Learning Everywhere

There is a widely held perspective in theatre organizations that education programs are secondary or even tertiary to other artistic programming. In addition, many organizations utilize their training programs as a way to stabilize their cash flow concerns. While the study states that “the Academy does have a positive impact on the bottom line,” it also has a fundamental effect on “artistic decisions” and is viewed as “a resource of talent and ability for the organization.” Season scripts are chosen with the intent of utilizing students whenever possible, and students work in every aspect of production – backstage, administrative and, yes, onstage.

The Springer Board of Directors is also aware of the importance of the Academy and the key role it has played in the overall success of the theatre. In 2006, the Board changed its bylaws to include a student on the board of directors. This board member is not a figurehead, but an actual board member with a vote and lively involvement in board discussions.

The Academy also goes out of its way to include parents and to encourage parental involvement on all fronts. For instance, parents are invited to observe any and all classes at the academy. This builds parents’ trust and support of the program and connects them to the big picture of what is so special to their children. According to the study, an average of 750 students attend the Academy each year and parents of academy students (past and present) hold 11 percent of the season ticket accounts and a remarkable 42 percent of single-ticket accounts. Those statistics alone are jaw- dropping.

STRATEGY 2: THEATRE’S ROLE IN LIFE IS EMPHASIZED
“The philosophical basis of the Theatre Academy – “life skills through stage skills” – creates an entry point for students regardless of their ambitions for a life in the theatre.” – Learning Everywhere

It is this philosophy that Academy Director Ron Anderson coined and developed, focusing on creating strong young people, emphasizing skills of commitment, discipline and teamwork – “an ongoing commitment to invest in an education program that builds good citizens who are now arts consumers,” says Anderson. This commitment to young people from the very beginning centered on his key principle of youth performing arts training: “Life Skills through Stage Skills.”

As one parent noted in the study, “It seems to me that the Academy and Ron and the staff make an incredible impact on a significant number of children and youth in this area – and it seems to me that that impact is positive, nurturing and growth enhancing and will carry forward into [the rest of] these young people’s lives.”

It should also be noted that Anderson’s commitment to building life skills through theatre did not begin in the Theatre Academy classrooms. The Springer Opera House risked an entire year of salary by sending Anderson to classrooms all over the city of Columbus, orienting the community to this concept and giving a taste of what would be offered in the coming years at the Springer – providing help to theatre teachers and making contact with area schools and principals. It was a risk that both Pierce and Anderson say has been profitable in ways they never dreamed, forging connections with their community that have only gotten stronger over the years.

Anderson adds that this philosophy also begins interviews for the positions of teacher and assistant teacher for the Theatre Academy: “We hire pro’s in the classroom – teacher/performers…. Whenever I interview potential faculty, I assume their stage skills… [from their resumes], and I ask them: What do you think of this phrase, ‘life skills through stage skills’? And if that tends to launch a whole new conversation, a real eager kind of give and take, then I know this is a person that I want to really, seriously consider hiring.”

So, despite Anderson’s denial of planning to grow an audience, it was a cleverly hatched strategy that brought the Springer to this point, even if it wasn’t a plan to develop bigger audiences. Anderson’s strategy was to change the face and culture of a community – one young person at a time – growing better citizens, creating thoughtful and confident young people. By doing so, the Springer may have stumbled on an audience development model that could benefit any performing arts organization.

STRATEGY 3: LEADERS ARE COMMITTED AND CARING

“The excellence of the program has built strong bonds between Academy families – students and their parents – and the Springer Opera House. The characteristics of this excellence include caring and committed leadership, teachers who share the philosophy and a highly organized administration. All of these add up to consistently fun engagements for students.” –Learning Everywhere

The excellence of the “caring and committed leadership” referenced above occurs in two ways. First, the producing artistic director (Pierce) and the associate artistic director/Academy director (Anderson), have a working relationship that sets the standard for all other interactions in the company. Pierce is quoted in Learning Everywhere, saying, “Ron Anderson is the conscience of this company. I ask myself, ‘What’s Ron going to say about this?’”

Parents also note the strong leadership. As one parent states in the study, “I truly cannot imagine the program being as phenomenal without Ron Anderson. The kids adore and respect his wise, firm, but gentle guidance. I cannot name a finer role model.”

As co-administrators and artists, Pierce and Anderson are a formidable force of creativity. Their solidarity of purpose leads to both season selections and day-to-day choices that benefit the entire organization, maintaining a connection between the Academy and all Springer productions. The level of pride and care that employees put into their jobs at the Springer Opera House also is unusual. There is a sense that every staff person, Academy instructor or guest artist working at the Springer has an awareness of being part of something bigger than himself or herself.

The Knight Foundation study asserts that Ron Anderson’s introduction to the Academy’s curriculum “encapsulates the philosophy and attitude of the program,” but it also seems to capture the spirit of the Springer Opera House itself. The introduction, as quoted in Learning Everywhere, states: “We want our students to have fun and make friends, learn something about theatre and learn something about themselves. We want our students to learn the value of discipline, commitment, integrity and teamwork. We want our students to be competent in the craft [of theatre] and confident in themselves, fearless on stage and joyously supportive of each other.”

STRATEGY 4: SPRINGER CREATES SENSE OF COMMUNITY
“The Springer has capitalized on its location, history, standing in the community and strong administration in creating and implementing the Academy.” - Learning Everywhere

One of the ways it has done so is by nurturing a relationship between community theatre artists, professional theatre artists and students. The rewards for this are many – but the crux of the reason that this works so thoroughly is this: In theatre, all types of persons are brought into the rehearsal room to do one thing – create a story that they hope will live on in the audience’s memory. The theatre at large is one of the “great social equalizers.” Differences are left outside the door, and all hands are on deck to create something beautiful to give to an audience. This is one of the most satisfying aspects of the Springer Opera House organization, in action. It is not unusual to have 10 silent and efficient stage-hands from the Academy assisting as community actors and professional actors work onstage, while designers and staff and front-of-house volunteers perform their roles – all with the hope and intention of creating something wonderful together.

As Scooter MacMillan, Springer marketing director, notes in Learning Everywhere, “We want to have a theatre that the Academy can be proud of.”

How does the Springer achieve this atmosphere? A mystical and lucky happenstance? Perhaps at least a portion of the answer can be found with the chief executive officer.

Strong companies have steady leadership, and although Paul Pierce routinely redirects praise to other members of his team, his comment on audience building is a telling one.

“One of these days, when we lay our heads down in our graves, if the audience is not bigger than it was when we began our careers, we will have failed the American theatre, “ Pierce states emphatically. “It is our responsibility to increase audiences and leave a larger audience for the next generation.”

Pierce has a leadership style that encourages growth, and he surrounds himself with the right people to help him achieve his goal of benefiting theatre at large. He also has and encourages a hands-on style of work. As one student notes in the study, “They’re always teaching by example. Paul fixes the sets if he sees they need fixing.”

TAKE-AWAY ADVICE FROM THE SPRINGER’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
As Pierce digests the study results and what they mean for the Springer, he also is eager to share the results with other theatres.

He notes the following:

“Every organization is different and has different strengths. What I do know is that attracting audiences is like the country preacher saving souls – you save them one at the time, not in bunches. “Of course, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to the audience crisis in American theatre but this is what I have learned: The community wants IN. Young people want IN and, for the most part we have not created ways for them to get IN. By IN, I mean access to every aspect of our operations, policies and decision-making. When the great ‘oaks’ of the American regional theatre movement emerged in the 1950s and ‘60s, cultural history was made and a new identity for indigenous American theatre was created.

“However, I feel strongly that we left something important behind. We were too quick to discard the high-involvement model of the ‘little theatre’ movement in our pursuit of excellence. Abruptly, communities that were accustomed to being on the inside found themselves on the outside. We told them, essentially, that the only way for them to participate was to either buy a ticket or donate money.”

“When the Springer began to let young people IN, they looked for ways to participate – volunteering in our marketing department, working load-ins, answering phones, sweeping up, running errands. We found that these kids were far more capable of being useful than we thought they might be. Very quickly, we got to know their parents, and soon the parents were asking for things they could do at the theatre. These were personal connections, and those connections turned into donations, ticket sales and true friendships. [This] also invigorated our theatre from top to bottom.

“Two years ago, we asked the board of directors to revise the bylaws to provide a student slot on the board. Now, the voice of youth is represented at board meetings and these teenagers participate in every discussion from budgets to policy matters. We’ve got to look for ways to get the community IN – because unless we are an integral part of the community we serve, we don’t really have a theatre, do we?”

When asked what he learned from the Knight Foundation study that might transfer well to other theatres, Pierce stated:

“After many years in this business, there are still new tricks to learn. A revolution is still possible if you’re willing to allow change to erupt and allow for the unexpected. The presence of children on the INSIDE will rearrange the molecules of your organization. Running a theatre takes a lot out of you mentally, physically and spiritually. That’s why most artistic directors last about 10 years in one place, max.

“The exceptions to that [are] founding directors. If there was one basic idea that I think could transfer to other theatres it’s this: Run your theatre as if you are the founding director. Don’t let the theatre’s past weigh you down.

“The advent of the Springer Theatre Academy has put another 100,000 miles on my career and reinvigorated this theatre – this community, in fact. “This is the fourth theatre I’ve run in my career, and I’m in my 21st season at the Springer. Even though this theatre is 138 years old, I feel like the founding director and I’m good for at least another 10 years. I think of all the years I spent trying to force my will on boards and citizens. I’m a strongwilled person, so I won many battles. But once I started opening doors and windows and allowing other people’s ideas, challenges, opinions, desires and dreams to blow through the theatre, it became a much happier and more creative place to work. And that free flow of youth and vitality began to define the identity of the theatre in ways that my hard head could not. And I’m guessing that identity will last long after I am gone.”

The Knight Foundation’s Learning Everywhere study pertains directly to the Springer Opera House and the Springer Theatre Academy, but the findings are far-reaching – and may provide the signposts other theatres need to guide them on a similar path to audience growth.



Article by: Lisa Cesnik, producing artistic director and a founding member of Rose of Athens Theatre, a professional theatre in Athens, GA. She has worked at the Springer Opera House as an actor and a director and has taught in the Springer Theatre Academy. Original article appeared in Southern Theatre Magazine

Rasmussen Brings New Works to Springer Theatre

No Shame Columbus Founder, Jens Rasmussen with Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce’s mind never stops. He’s always thinking of ways to get people into the Springer Opera House. Of course, as producing artistic director, it’s his job to do that, as it is for the top people at every arts organization in town.

When Jens Rasmussen told him about the No Shame Theater concept, Paul thought it was a great idea. Not only to get people in the seats, but to get people on stage.

Jens has become a favorite on the Springer stage and off it. Before he even began acting at the Springer, he was teaching in the Springer Theater Academy. Once he hit the stage, people couldn’t get enough of this talented man.

Jens is the director of Columbus’ No Shame Theater.

It’s an easy concept. It happens every Friday at 10 p.m., starting Sept. 25.

At exactly 10 p.m., you sign up to do something — sing, dance, tell jokes, do a monologue, whatever.

There are three rules: Everything you do must be original. You have five minutes, no more. You cannot break any laws.

“Or yourself or the theater,” Paul said.

Only 15 people will be allowed on stage on any given Friday. So it would be good to show up and get in line earlier than 10 p.m. if you want your chance to get on stage.

There’s a rumor that a local dancer wants to do a burlesque act for her five-minute time slot.

When I said her name, Paul looked at me and said, “Has she talked to you about it?”

No, but from another venture she mentioned a couple of years ago, she would be my first guess. And I was correct!

There’s one other rule: You have to be 18 or older to get in.

A cash bar will be available in the Springer Saloon.

I’m thinking that’s going to be way too small, because I think it will be an alternative for people who want to go out but don’t want to go to a bar on a Friday night.

Paul’s hoping someone like my colleague Tim Chitwood would do some social commentary on current events. Tim would be great! He’s got this wry sense of humor and a wonderful way of writing. Paul really wants writers involved.

Playwrights would be able to come in with a scene and ask if anyone would like to read the scene. That’s if the playwright’s not an actor, of course.

Jens went to see the Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co.’s production of “Goobers!” and was so impressed with Alyssa Farmer’s songs that he’s hoping she’ll do five minutes of her original songs.

And the No Shame part comes in because with an audience of actors, you’ll find nothing but encouragement.

I know because I’ve done shows and I know I can’t sing, dance or act, but everyone made me feel welcome.

So for $5, it’s a lot cheaper than going to a movie. You’re going to have fun, too.

ContactSandra Okamoto at 706-571-8580 orsokamoto@ledger-enquirer.com  see original article here.