OnStage Playhouse Artistic Director James Darvas uses past tense when he refers to the COVID-19 pandemic that unexpectedly ended the 2020 theatre season early.
“We canceled the last half of our season. We had a show opening the Friday we were told we couldn’t have performances so that had a bit of a financial effect as the build was all done. Then, our next show Patsy has privately owned rights that run about $10,000 which was another hurdle. However, I’ve been reaching out to our patron base through social media and I’d say roughly 95% of our patrons have decided to just donate the cost of their tickets for the remainder of the year,” Darvas said.
The unexpectedly shortened season was Darvas’ inaugural year as artistic director.
He says he has spent the shuttered weeks consistently reaching out to patrons through social media with a video each week about the canceled plays and playwrights, grasping at ways to engage a distanced audience while doors are closed.
Part of his conversation with the community has been a practical one that has boosted drastically cut ticket revenue:
“We received a really healthy amount of donations that shocked me. It showed me so much about the people who have been the foundation of this organization for 37 years.”
However, he says the timing of the closure also coincides with what he sees as a reinvention.
“This is the only live theater in the entire South Bay. As I came in, my foot was on the accelerator… There are only two remaining members of the previous board who are still here. I’ve cultivated a new board that understands change is necessary to connect with the community, that there are stories out there that can resonate with an 80-year old white person and a 20-year old Hispanic person and they are doable,” Darvas said.
From his first weeks on board, Darvas said he made it his practice to keep the theatre door open on Fridays so anyone out on 3rd Avenue could walk in his office and connect, surprised at how many people came in to check the place out, then said theatre is not for them.
“I spent the first three months of last season in the back office just finding out who is walking in the door. With each show, I’d give a curtain speech and in such an intimate space, I can clearly see the audience— let me tell you, it is rapidly diversifying. I already saw it happening,” Darvas said.
Shunning the practice of categorizing each play of a season into a clear category, he says he read close to 70 scripts before sitting down with the board of directors to curate a season that represents his artistic vision of connecting with the community and broadening the patron base.
“Somebody asked if one script I had suggested was a comedy, wanted to know which category it filled and I said the season needs to be like a paint palette of emotions. You’re going to be able to laugh at all the shows, and a minute later you’re going to feel a punch in the gut, ” Darvas said.
He is also implementing changes in an effort to connect patrons with each other and create a sense of community within the venue, such as partnering with neighborhood restaurants and encouraging a social hour before and after showtimes.
“There are season ticket holders who have come to a show on the third Thursday for the past 30 years and they’ve never spoken to each other. Individually, they tell me stories about their lives that are mind-blowing.
The lady sitting over there with the short little permanent and the sweatshirt with a bird on it suddenly tells you the story of escaping Columbia. What does that mean for them as they watch a show? Let’s talk about it; let’s become friends!” Darvas says.
To fulfill the changing vision of the theatre and reopen as planned, he says the company started selling subscriptions on May 3 for the upcoming season, earlier than usual. He is carefully tracking the numbers and says they are where they need to be, thanks in part to increased donations.
“Those people who have, for years, donated $50 with subscriptions have donated more this year. They know the hardship and they’re helping us get over the hump, for which I am so grateful… I think about 50% of artist grants are set to be wiped out in California next year but we’ve always done most of the performances off revenue and donations,” Darvas said.
“We have such an amazing season planned and if we’re not able to open in September, I’m still going to tell these stories. When I cultivated this last season, I brought the budget down a little bit so even if I can only sell part of our house, all the costs will be covered. We’re going to keep moving them until we can open. I know that OnStage playhouse is resilient and I’m super excited for the future,” he said.
