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Photo is from Blue By Charles Randolph-Wright
Actors: Jean Toussaint, Sata Pearson, and Chelsea Williams (Background) Photo Credit: Keith L. Pope. Photo courtesy of Florida A&M University Department of Theatre

The inaugural publication of Down Stage Center, July, 2008 began discussing the roots of the name by which this organization is becoming known. In the quest to make E- patrons' acquaintance we started to discuss the initial place from which the organization's name came; the title of the Oscar Brockett text, The Essential Theatre, use by most university theatre programs and how its usage is substantiated by mission driven programming reflective of adopted core objectives. "When I looked up at the text book and considered the title to give resonance to the company's name, I had not made the connection until much later," says Founder/Artistic Director, S. Robert Morgan. Upon realizing what might be a similar connection at least in name he went on to do what he describes as an act Shakespearian in nature; he borrowed with permission the company's current artistic objectives. This connection is via a direct link to the Florida A&M University Department of Theatre where the main stage is referred to as FAMU (Pronounced FAM-you) Essential Theatre. While the responsible parties name generation was from different vantage points, the intent was somewhat similar.

After realizing the names were similar Morgan approached then Department Chairman, Dr. Ronald O. Davis and asked permission to adopt the university's theatre program's objectives. "I thought they were broad enough for us to be maximally inclusive," explained Morgan. Davis who approved began his tenure at the university in 1969 serving as Director of Theatre for 24 years. He is responsible for naming the FAMU Essential Theatre and developing its program objectives along with, Dr. Keith R. Tucker who then served as Technical Director. Davis explained that his naming was generated by the lack of acknowledgement during 1968 when a neighboring institution titled its season, "A Salute to American Theatre."

"Ceremonies in Dark Old Men," by Lonnie Elder had won the Obie and Tony Awards that year was not included in the salute nor was any play by a black playwright or one that featured a black cast. It was omitted in that celebration of American theatre. It was then that I decided to us attention must be paid. I coined the name the Essential Theatre then to affirm our existence and importance in the World of theatre," said Davis. When asked about the university theatre's objectives he explained, "Every organization needs guiding principles under which it is to organize.My thought was that every program needs a direction, and a vision.I also felt that the program must serve itsstudents."

Davis has served the university well by leaving a department with an endowed chair and bost theatre alumni that include; Tony Winner Anika Noni Rose, no. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: HBO; EMMY nominee Meshach Taylor, Designing Women: CBS; Tony Nominee Daniel Sunjatta, Rescue Me: FX; T'Keyah Crystal Keymáh, That's So Raven: ABC/Disney; Angela Robinson, Broadway and national touring company, The Color Purple; well known Casting Director Winsome Sinclair, Hip hop Artist Common and the acclaimed directing and producing team: Will Packer and Rob Harty, Stomp the Yard and This Christmas are also alumni. Oh Yeah, Founder/Artistic Director S. Robert Morgan, The Wire; HBO, is also a Graduate of the theatre program and there we are deeply rooted.

• To create New Theatre Audiences
• To Find, Encourage and Train New Talent
• To Present Theatre Entertainment with Unique Appeal
• To Provide all People in our Community an outlet for Creative Expression

Women's Works Program Soars with Words and Power!

Patrons attending program were welcomed outside by an ensemble of women drummers. (Photo by Sharon Farmer for The Essential Theatre)

The Essential Theatre presented the inaugural presentation of its Women's Works program during the final and first Saturdays of October and November in association with Brown Girl Speaks Productions. The company's women's programming is among its most important banner offerings because it has made women 25-65 its target market. The program was enhanced by a partnership with Brown Girl Speaks Productions, led by former intern/Artistic Associate, Michelle Orr, as the organization embarked on its maiden presentation with a symposium discussing the images of women of color in today's media. Both organizations shared the proceeds raised from a Happy Hour hosted by the Board of Directors on the following Monday.

Women's Works Programshowcased an arayof women during inaugural presentation. (Photo by © Sharon Farmer for The Essential Theatre)

The Essential Theatre's presentation, Women, Words, Power closed out the co presentations. Staged by current Artistic Associate, Miss Cody Jones, the presentation brought together a diverse ensemble of women poets that ranged from age early 20's to 70's. The women were representations of African-American, Indian, African, Greek, Italian and Jamaican descent. The ladies fashioned poetry from their repertoire that dealt with issues of love lost and acquired, image, health and strength.

Cody Jones, an early career Director explained her approach in shaping the poetry presentation responding: "It was my desire to capture moments of poetic floetry from the poets in hopes of gifting their words to a lost soul out in the universe." She continued, "To show the struggle that all women go thru at some time or another; the good times, bad-times, hot-flashes, bad hair days, everything and anything that one woman goes thru, she can find millions more that have been there and done that. Audiences enthusiastically received the poets during the matinee and evening performances as they were greeted by an outdoor ensemble of women drummers at 1409 Playbill Café. An excellent beginning to what is hoped will be a well supported effort," said Morgan.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts launched the Arts in Crisis Program in February of this year. Including The Essential Theatre, more than 350 performing arts organizations currently participate across the United States through mentored relationships and a series of symposiums hosted by the Kennedy Center around the country. The free consulting service focuses on Board of Directors development, fundraising, programming and marketing. An article titled, Culture Crunch: The Recession and The Arts, (Time Magazine, June 2009). Kennedy Center President, Michael Kaiser, warned arts organizations too resist the temptation to cut their programming and their profile. "When times are bad, it's crucial to make yourself interesting and vital and to let everybody know you're there. Organizations that are cutting performances and marketing are going to be the losers," he warns. According to the article Kaiser is credited with revitalizing The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City, the Kansas City Ballet and London's Royal Opera House, which had just canceled every performance for the next year and a half.

"For our part says, Founder/Artistic Director, S. Robert Morgan we are not only mentored by a very cheerful Cheryl Sure, who passionately serves as Executive Vice President of External Affairs for Chicago's Harris Theatre Company, but we also have direct access to Kennedy Center officials to get advice on best practices in the focus areas. While these organizations operate on a much larger scale, they always advise us to take what we can use and adapt it to our organizations," he explained." The really good thing is that we can only come out of this a better organization that's for sure because while we have plans that cango until the tri-millennium, resources are a serious issue," he continued. "This opportunity allows each organization a great vantage point to examine what Kaiser and David Kitto, Vice President of Marketing for the Kennedy Center described as, the production of Great art well managed."

Ways you can support The Essential Theatre

Direct contributions of any amount are accepted year round and can now be done on line on a secure Pay Pal account.

All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The Essential Theatre is a 501-c3 organization.

Encourage and inspire your company to give. Most corporations have matching gifts programs and will match your contribution dollar for dollar. Some corporations will match your volunteer hours with the cash equivalent. Other companies participate in giving through the United Way, NCA. Our United Way designation number for 2009-2010 is 9398.

Support specific programs. Join The Essential Theatre's Playmakers Guild and provide direct support to our new play development program. Membership is $150 each year and supports new play development for the American theatre.

Member benefits include exclusive updates on plays in development, invites to closed readings; not available to the general public, free admission to program events where admission is charged, Free admission to Premieres during active membership year as well as free admission to selected previews of seasonal productions and more!

Give through the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capitol Area, CFC/NCA. Our designation number is 23538.

Engage in Penniless giving. (it won't cost you anything) Here's How!

1. Log on to www.goodsearch.com.
2. Register The Essential Theatre as your designated charity.
3. Every time you conduct a search on www.goodsearch.com they will donate one cent to The Essential Theatre. You can get your entire family involved for arts sake!

Additionally, Goodsearch has a list of online merchants who will donate a portion of any purchase you make online to The Essential Theatre, Just register us as your charity when making your purchases. Call Verizon Velocity Program to make your telephone, internet, wireless and FIOS and Verizon will contribute to our company. Give them our company's tracking number 12552 and order your products.

You can also include The Essential Theatre in your Testamentary giving and be assured that your gift will leave a lasting legacy in your honor by providing our company sustainability for future generations. Contact us regarding language at info@theessentialtheatre.org.

Volunteer! We always need extra sets of hands to usher, serve as hosts at events, etc. Contact us at info@theessentialtheatre.org or theessentialtheatre@hotmail.com

Helen Hayes Awards Salutes Area Artistic Directors

Molly Smith (Arena Stage) and Joy Zinoman
(The Studio Theatre). Photo courtesy of
Shannon Finney for Helen Hayes Awards.

This year the Helen Hayes Awards marked its 25th anniversary by celebrating area theatre companies' Artistic Directors. The awards ceremony is held annually to honor excellence in professional theatre by awarding outstanding accomplishments to theatre companies and professionals that present work in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Named in honor and memory of acclaimed actress, Helen Hayes, the awards ceremony is Washington's version of the Tony awards, which honors outstanding accomplishments for theatre on Broadway. According to the Helen Hayes web site www.helenhayes.org, the organization's award has become among the most prestigious theatrical awards in the country.

By shining a light on our thriving theatrical community, the Helen Hayes Awards provides annual service to over 3,500 theatre artists, 60 professional theatre companies and over one-million theatre patrons

Honored along with area Artistic Directors, S. Robert Morgan explained that he had not attended the Awards in a while. "You get so involved in making theatre happen until the awards shows kind of become peripheral because you're so involved in the grind of making it happen. We generally have Board members who do attend." He explained. While the honor was appreciated, Morgan thought it was important to introduce a next generation Artistic Director to the awards ceremony so he invited former intern and Artistic Associate, Michelle Orr. "We try to use every available opportunity to teach and inspire," says Morgan, "I have to be the wind behind them so somebody will be the wind behind me."

"I felt pretty much like Cinderella at the ball!" exclaimed Orr when asked about her first Helen Hayes Awards Ceremony experience. "I have lived in DC all of my life and involved in theatre. It was awesome to see so many of my personal heroes and heroines. The 21 year old Orr is currently a theatre student at Montgomery College's Rockville campus and is concentrating on a career in Directing. "I was so inspired by all the different theatre companies and amazing theatre people."

People for Whom the World Spins and Turns, by James J Hsiao
Workshop Reading
Directed by S. Robert Morgan

This is the story of five recovering addicts and their sometimes catastrophic attempts to survive a 28-day recovery program. Yielding not to temptation becomes the order of the day as questionable practices ensue and these inhabitants turn against each other in acts of deception and desperation to complete the program. Relationships begin, strengthen and disintegrate as these five lives spin, turn, evolve and stand still.

This year the company welcomed to its Board of Directors:
Angela Clarke, Director of Purchasing, Marriott International, Brent Jackson, Programmer DBA Analyst, Marriott International, Oscar W. Mardis, President, DC Chapter, DC Black MBA Association, Kelly Mattoney, Esq., Price Waterhouse Coopers and Jonathan B. Williams, Vice President, Ready By 21 National Partnership.

We Welcome New Staff:
Dorinda Capole, Development Consultant and Gina Cross, Media Relations Consultant.

As a result of the storms and area wide power outages June 4 through 7, 2008, our former office space flooded. Everything was thoroughly soaked. Most things were not retrievable. Needed in kind contributions are:

Standard white business envelopes, boxes and boxes of file folders, 9x12 envelopes, 10x13 envelopes, standard Avery 51/62 laser labels and standard white paper for Xeroxing.

Remember Your Contributions are Tax Deductible.

Looking Up!

S. Robert Morgan, Founder/Artistic Director.
Photo by Shannon Finney for the Helen Hayes Awards.

As I sat reminiscing on, April 13th during the 25th Annual Helen Hayes Award Ceremony honoring excellence in Washington theatre and its Artistic Directors, it occurred to me that twenty years ago that same week, four persons some of whom were fellow alumni, sat down with me at a table and listen to an idea about fulfilling a need in the Washington, DC theatre community. They discussed and supported the idea and we embarked on a journey to start this company; Denise Baker serving as Communications Director, Michael A. Jacobs, who would serve as Managing Director, Edwin L. Knox, Marketing Director while a graduate student at George Washington University and Ed Bishop, who would go on to begin a theatre company to assert his own unique artistic vision.