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Re: “Filling the void left by foothill's demise.” After living here for 22 years, I have observed that our community has long had an amazing abundance of talent and too few dollars to support them.
This has only been amplified by the recent economic crisis that we are living in. People are cutting back on going out to see music, theater, festivals and buying art.
Foothill was not doing anything egregiously wrong, they were smothered by overhead. I think it will be some time before another company ventures to try to support several full time employees and equity actors.
This does not mean we can not have quality theater in Nevada County. Quite the contrary, I believe the artistic community will likely produce an even more interesting and diverse menu to fill the appetite of theater lovers.
I have been impressed how the Community Asian Theater (CATS) has turned into a quality production company over the years. They bring unique and interesting productions that might never be featured in other communities.
The LeGates, working on a smaller budget, will be able to choose material that may be more interesting to them and the community without being answerable to a board of directors.
Now more than ever, it is important for the public and artistic community to band together and support each other. I have often likened western Nevada County to a college town without the university. One of the things that set us apart from many of the other foothill communities is that we have such a rich array of artistic talent to witness and we support them.
Karen and I have decided that when we buy art for our house, it will predominately from local artists. If we do not continue to support each other we risk discouraging further production and our unique quality of life will be downgraded.
An example of this cooperation is taking place this summer. In July, my wife Karen Leigh Sharp is producing, starring in and co-directing James Goldman's classic production “The Lion in Winter.”
Karen is a 22-year veteran of the performing arts in Nevada County. She is bringing up her mentor Darryl Hickman to co direct this play. Darryl started acting in Hollywood movies when he was three and he has 74 years of experience in movies, theater and television. His credits include “The Grapes of Wrath,” Leave Her to Heaven” and more than 100 more films.
He has said to me that he learned the craft of acting from Spencer Tracy, Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, John Ford and others. He has been teaching his interpretation of the Stanislavsky method for decades in Los Angeles.
Aside from his work with “The Lion in Winter,” another company, CATS, has employed him to teach an acting workshop in early July. We are lucky that a person of his stature is available to our actors.
Also, Alvis LeGate of LeGacy Productions will have a major role in “The Lion in Winter.”
These three quality production companies are collaborating to continue to bring high quality professional theater to Nevada County. I hope you can see the importance of the arts to a community and the effort, risk and expense the artists and producers are taking to bring these events to you.
With venues like The Center for the Arts, The Nevada Theatre and Don Baggett Theater, we are fortunate compared to other communities of similar size. We are rich in the quality of musicians, actors, painters, photographers, sculptors and others that live right here.
Along with our rivers and scenery, the arts and our support of them, is what makes this such a special place to live. Let's not take them for granted.
Go out and support our artists. The tickets prices and pieces you will take home are cheap compared to the benefits we all get by having these wonderful artistic choices in our town.
This has only been amplified by the recent economic crisis that we are living in. People are cutting back on going out to see music, theater, festivals and buying art.
Foothill was not doing anything egregiously wrong, they were smothered by overhead. I think it will be some time before another company ventures to try to support several full time employees and equity actors.
This does not mean we can not have quality theater in Nevada County. Quite the contrary, I believe the artistic community will likely produce an even more interesting and diverse menu to fill the appetite of theater lovers.
I have been impressed how the Community Asian Theater (CATS) has turned into a quality production company over the years. They bring unique and interesting productions that might never be featured in other communities.
The LeGates, working on a smaller budget, will be able to choose material that may be more interesting to them and the community without being answerable to a board of directors.
Now more than ever, it is important for the public and artistic community to band together and support each other. I have often likened western Nevada County to a college town without the university. One of the things that set us apart from many of the other foothill communities is that we have such a rich array of artistic talent to witness and we support them.
Karen and I have decided that when we buy art for our house, it will predominately from local artists. If we do not continue to support each other we risk discouraging further production and our unique quality of life will be downgraded.
An example of this cooperation is taking place this summer. In July, my wife Karen Leigh Sharp is producing, starring in and co-directing James Goldman's classic production “The Lion in Winter.”
Karen is a 22-year veteran of the performing arts in Nevada County. She is bringing up her mentor Darryl Hickman to co direct this play. Darryl started acting in Hollywood movies when he was three and he has 74 years of experience in movies, theater and television. His credits include “The Grapes of Wrath,” Leave Her to Heaven” and more than 100 more films.
He has said to me that he learned the craft of acting from Spencer Tracy, Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, John Ford and others. He has been teaching his interpretation of the Stanislavsky method for decades in Los Angeles.
Aside from his work with “The Lion in Winter,” another company, CATS, has employed him to teach an acting workshop in early July. We are lucky that a person of his stature is available to our actors.
Also, Alvis LeGate of LeGacy Productions will have a major role in “The Lion in Winter.”
These three quality production companies are collaborating to continue to bring high quality professional theater to Nevada County. I hope you can see the importance of the arts to a community and the effort, risk and expense the artists and producers are taking to bring these events to you.
With venues like The Center for the Arts, The Nevada Theatre and Don Baggett Theater, we are fortunate compared to other communities of similar size. We are rich in the quality of musicians, actors, painters, photographers, sculptors and others that live right here.
Along with our rivers and scenery, the arts and our support of them, is what makes this such a special place to live. Let's not take them for granted.
Go out and support our artists. The tickets prices and pieces you will take home are cheap compared to the benefits we all get by having these wonderful artistic choices in our town.
Gregory Sharp lives in North San Juan.
