Minterview: Gary F. Bell

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[Minterview=mini-interview]

Stray Dog Theatre's 11th season kicks off on October 9th with the return of the company's 2010 hit Evil Dead: The Musical.  "Tickets are going fast," says Stray Dog artistic director Gary F. Bell, "especially the coveted Splatter Zone."  I ran a few questions by Gary about the upcoming season and Stray Dog's commitment (to quote from the mission statement on the SDT web site) to "unleashing the art of theatre and community service on Saint Louis and the surrounding community."

Q: I had the pleasure of appearing in Stray Dog's first musical, My Fair Lady, back in 2006.  Since then musicals, both contemporary and traditional, have become more prominent at SDT, taking up half of the season since 2011.  What was behind that change?
A: The Stray Dog Theatre team always had a plan to one day offer musicals.  We knew early on that we would need to wait until finances were more stable in order to afford the costs inherent in producing these larger shows.  Stray Dog Theatre uses a "menu" approach in planning and producing a season.  We like to offer a wide variety of opportunities to please a wide variety of tastes.  Like a good restaurant - we hope that our season has a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.

Q: Many theatre companies have some community outreach component to their work, but SDT seems to have been especially effective in that area over the years.  What are your plans in that area for the coming season?
A: We are very proud of our outreach endeavors at Stray Dog Theatre.  We have grown to offer 4 highly successful After School Programs and 8 flourishing Summer Camps for Saint Louis area children.  Stray Dog Theatre was built on the premise of "giving back" to the community- to share with others our successes and achievements.  Look for a new addition to the Stray Dog Theatre pack this year - Stray Pups.  Stray Pups will have even more opportunities for kids of all ages to appear onstage at Tower Grove Abbey in a fully produced show.  And, yes, it will be a musical!

Q: One of the things I've noticed acting with Stray Dog over the years is how well the company treats its actors.  How do you think your own background as a working actor in New York informed that?
A: Working in New York, I learned early on that you can get the most creativity out of your cast, designers, and crew by treating them with respect and kindness. Creativity can't grow in an atmosphere of fear.  I do have very high expectations for those who work with me - and I do demand a respect for the craft of theatre.  I feel a huge responsibility in accepting payment from our audiences - and I am so grateful for their support.  I honor the financial and emotional commitment our patrons offer to Stray Dog Theatre, therefore, Stray Dog Theatre has an obligation to produce the highest quality productions possible.   To do this - I need to rely on the creative abilities of all those who work with us at Stray Dog Theatre.  I do demand a lot - but I feel in the end it is all worth it!  I also like to treat others as I would like to be treated - an old saying that has a lot of resonance for me.

Stray Dog's 2013-2014 season consists of Evil Dead: The Musical October 9 - November 1, William Gibson's The Butterfingers Angel, Mary & Joseph, Herod The Nut, & The Slaughter Of 12 Hit Carols In A Pear Tree December 5 - 21, Douglas Carter Beane's satirical The Little Dog Laughed February 6 - 22, Cabaret (with limited "Signature Seating" at cabaret tables on the set in addition to regular seats) April 3 - 9, Terrence McNally's Love! Valour! Compassion! June 12 - 28, and Funny Girl July 24 - August 9.  Performances take place at Tower Grove Abbey, a century-old former German Evangelical church now owned by Stray Dog, at 2336 Tennessee in Tower Grove East.  For more information: straydogtheatre.org.

And the group's name (you had to be wondering...)?  According to the company web site, "Stray Dog Theatre derives its name from Brodyachaya Sobaka (Stray Dog) a legendary bohemian café frequented by the area’s most cutting edge artists.  Every evening during the early 1900s, diverse audiences gathered to enjoy an evening of eclectic entertainment as the café played host to an array of actors, directors, playwrights, artists and poets. In recognition of the café‘s legacy, SDT seeks to enhance the theatre experience for all by encouraging a collaborative approach."  Seems to be working.

Let's make a deal

All this could be yours!

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Pssst...hey, buddy: looking for a good deal in a recording/rehearsal studio?  Well, have they ever got one for you over at 88.1 KDHX.

As you probably know, public radio station 88.1 KDHX ("independent music plays here") is moving to a new home in Grand Center.  They're holding their last fund drive at their current location at 3504 Magnolia in Tower Grove East in October, after which everything moves to the Larry J. Weir Center on Washington just east of The Bistro at Grand Center.

The new building will enable the station to run a separate HD 2 program stream, produce a lot more original programming, and even provide a performance space for local musicians and other performing artists (as detailed in my blog post from a few weeks ago) and a cafe.  That leaves the old Magnolia Studio vacant—which is where the deal comes in.

"This is a really unique opportunity for someone to own a little piece of St. Louis music history," notes the station in a recent press release, "as well as a very well-designed and built studio set-up and work/live space. The building at 3504 Magnolia was originally a family bakery and the family lived in the apartment upstairs. Over the 20+ years that KDHX has lived in the building, there has been extensive remodeling to turn it into a great space for a radio station and live music recording studio.

"The original bakery storefront is currently divided in half, but that work was done with minimal disruption of the original woodwork, so it can easily be restored. The production and live performance spaces were built with double-wall, acoustic separation construction, low sound HVAC systems, Under-floor conduit paths and a variety of acoustic treatments."

KDHX's new digs

All of this makes it a good location for music production, rehearsal, or pretty much anything else requiring an up-to-date acoustic and electrical infrastructure.  The building lists at $200,000 ("cheap," as they used to say at Mad Magazine) and will be available by December.  Imagine the New Year's Eve party you could throw there!

Yeah, but seriously: If you or anybody you know is interested, KDHX invites you to contact Kyle Pershing at the Schlafly Corporation, 2 Meramec Avenue, 3rd Floor, in Clayont (63105). The phone is 314-725-2414.