 Well, good morning. Good afternoon or good evening whenever you're listening. This is Davisville on KDRT LP 95.7 FM in Davis, California We live at KDRT org online. I'm Bill Buchanan, and I thank you for tuning in Well, if this were a normal year, we'd be talking about Frankenstein today because it's October and because the Davis Shakespeare Festival planned to present a play based on the book by Mary Shelley as part of its 2020 season The pandemic has stopped all that of course, but Davis Shakespeare I'm glad to say is still with us and it's the much bigger part of the story anyway My guest today is Rob Salas a co-founder of Davis Shakespeare and co-artistic director and he's talking with us today by Zoom We'll talk about the festival and the pandemic and maybe a little bit about Frankenstein too. Thanks for joining us Rob Thanks so much for having me Bill So, you know Davis Shakespeare is an interesting story for Davis for at least two reasons that I can think of One is the venture itself the plays and the company and another is its ambition to become a true established theater company And the progress that you've made in your first decade toward that goal But I'd like to start today with the current state of the pandemic. Obviously, I think we all know this It's made live in-person performances all but impossible How's Davis Shakespeare doing this year? You know, I think how a lot of us are doing, you know, it's it's weird We're in a world of weird where we don't Know exactly how to plan Things we don't know exactly how to produce things in this moment, you know, so we've tried things since March Some have been very successful and you know, when we feel like we've found something that Works, you know, we keep doing it and and that's been a lot of fun. So we had Shakespeare reading groups which have been a blast and Also an online youth workshop over the summer and that's that was really fun to navigate the virtual environment with young people and then the program that has kind of continued since spring we've done it that we're heading now into our third Program of our digital internship program. And so that's that's been kind of the the primary focus because We've just found a lot of traction there. There's been a huge need I think nationwide for college students and Students just out of college that had internships with theater companies booked that don't have them now and We built in the spring a format to really kind of engage a cohort Consistently for like a semester-length internship and that's that's been a lot of fun And and they've been producing work from that and it's I think that's kind of something that will probably keep doing You know until the pandemic kind of starts to melt away Is that the summer online theater festival that you're talking about? Yeah, yeah So for the summer that was the second time we did the program We really had it culminate in this showcase where the interns that we worked with from all across the country worked in three teams to produce three shows and We kind of coached them a little bit on the way, but they mostly just created it themselves after we provided like a series of workshops and seminars and stuff prior then they Used our platform to produce so you know as I listened to you it strikes me There's a real professional development streak in what you're doing, right? That's part of why you exist It's obviously to present plays in normal times you'd have audiences in there Enjoying the work learning from the work, but you're also as interested. It sounds like in helping Actors and other people in theater develop their craft Yeah, absolutely. I think that's essential right now the way that That people think about theater I think especially in 2020 the industry as a whole is kind of as they've been put on pause sort of As I'm sure every industry has and every business and every person looked in the mirror and kind of had a had a lot of Questions to ask itself themselves, you know, and I think that we Wanted to give a platform especially to young people starting their theater career to engage in those questions Rather than just kind of have to sit back and wait while their College theater departments or their local theaters kind of figure it out We're inviting these young people with us to think through these big questions and think about what Should theater look like now and what should it look like in the next couple years? Yeah, I mean not to take away anything from the severity of the pandemic. I mean obviously it's fundamentally a Crisis but it strikes me that one of the ways that people have responded to it has said well it has thrown us this curveball what can we do in this space and Certainly the world was headed towards more of a technological presence anyway and What I'm hearing you say I think is that you thought well, what can we make of this as well as not just how do we cope with it? Absolutely. Yeah, so through it all though, but David Shakespeare will be able to continue I mean one of the concerns for nonprofits and arts groups and well even going businesses is Surviving the financial impact of all this. So you guys are doing okay in that area. Absolutely Thank you for asking and and yeah, I mean, I think the industry is struggling altogether I think we like everyone are experiencing that struggle and Fortunately, there have been some great resources To help not just us but a lot of companies through through the CARES Act through Generous regular donors, you know, and I think that we have a unique advantage that though We're now kind of a larger company in the region We don't have a permanent theater home Or we're kind of really needing to produce work month to month in order to meet Can I kind of like monthly mortgages and stuff like that we we have a an office space that we Use all the time year-round, but you know, we rent the theater from the city of Davis and We're not hurting as much as other theaters have been hurting and I would want to really point that out and encourage everybody to consider especially in this time of giving donations to not just us but all Arts organizations that are trying to battle through this and you know Hopefully there's a second kind of stimulus package that comes that helps out businesses and and artists Yeah, the CARES Act you refer that was the federal bill earlier this year. I believe right right and there's been thoughts that maybe Washington would produce another one hard to say we're talking on what's today October 6th. It could change day to day I suppose, you know one question and I You are on my show four years ago. I probably asked it then but One of the things that I think is interesting for Davis as a community is that you chose to locate here And I guess I'd ask that question again Why base this here? There's larger audiences probably for you in the Bay Area or Los Angeles or Larger areas. So why base Davis Shakespeare Festival and all that you're doing here in Davis? You know, it goes back to when we started ten years ago We produced Romeo and Juliet outside at the UC Davis Arboretum With nothing, you know, and we were thrilled by the response Sorry Is that really distracting? No, we'll just make a note to the audience though If you hear something that sounds in the background like a leaf blower that you're probably right This is one of the wonderful things about zoom. I'm being somewhat sarcastic here. You can pick up things We're not in the studio, but Well, we'll do like you do on stage you acknowledge the presence of the animal on the side of the stage And then you get back to the show itself. Great. Yeah, I'm trying to project over it But but yeah, so when we started in 2010 we were stunned that there was such immediate Community response that people came out to see a show just from a flyer that we hung around town and you know some word of mouth and Just the momentum of the fact that it grows every year We have enough fear experience, you know around the country that that's not that's not something that happens with regularity So that yes while there are like larger markets, I guess you could say but we're looking at year to year growth And I've always been thrilled more audience more support more and that support is from individuals it's from organizations from community groups from the city itself and That's just always been on an upward trajectory. And so, you know, we're thrilled to see how far it can grow Yeah, well, I mean, I think inherent in that choice and in what you're seeing is Sort of a bet that Davis the community is able to support Something like this and and is interested in and willing to and that's probably Big back to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival years ago, you know It got established in Ashland, Oregon, which would not be a likely place to establish something like that And yet now of course pandemic aside and for that matter wildfires because they've had a problem with smoke in the sky It has moved along and you know, that's that's got to be an example that you guys are aware of and one one thing that we Noticed years in once we were bringing in artists visiting artists Was that really Davis does kind of also fit as a kind of destination theater and that Everyone that comes from out of town or whether they be actors or audience. They have a great day or weekend staying here Davis has so much to offer and then, you know, the proximity to Sacramento to the Bay to wine country It's like really made sense for people to include us like in a longer trip too And so I think that's that's something that you know, we see as part of the growth, you know How much do you plan that growth? I mean There's it's not unusual for an arts group or a nonprofit to start with a lot of heart and a lot of energy particularly from the founders You know and then after a few years they they can Peter out that hasn't happened as you talked out You know, 10 years ago. You were doing things in the it was the gazebo. I think on campus Wasn't you see Davis, right? And now you've been at the vets since 2014. I'm wondering I mean you have a board of directors. You're you're you're organized. I think you're a 501 c3 a lot of thought went into that and I guess Do you do you have long-term growth plans? I mean is that part of what you do? I guess it'd be the business side But are you planning to grow and taking steps to help that happen? Yeah, absolutely. We started this with Experience and inspiration working at Shakespeare festivals like Utah Shakespeare Festival and Oregon Shakespeare Festival and you know Have have the vision of what something can be after several decades in organs case after many decades and I think just seeing what the Initial steps would be what the five-year steps would be ten-year steps would be yes That's something that we have thought about and one of the first Major things was you know becoming a member theater of actors equity association And that's something that we're in the transition to do we're part of a program with them to do that over Five or six years and we're halfway through that and things have been going well So we you know negotiate a contract with them to every the start of every year and and follow through with that and In a few years then that will be officially with them a small professional theater Which then is an important transition just as becoming you know in in Becoming a professional theater and then there are other kind of Benchmarks like that in the industry that you kind of want to hit and I think it's it's a balance of just doing that Like systematically, but then also making sure that you're doing it Not that you're not going too quickly that you're not biting off more than you can chew That you're constantly reflecting and questioning. You know is this the right next step for us and I think that That's another thing that this year though. It's been you know awful for everybody Has been like one of the small silver linings is a more deeper kind of reflective moment of how is that growth journey going? What can we be doing better when we do come back? You know what kind of plays do we come back with you know? We've we've adjusted our mission statement for example on our website. Well, in fact, I noticed that I was reading through it In fact, you wish you do a quick station ID We're talking with Rob Salas who is a co-artistic director and co-founder of David Shakespeare Festival I'm bill Buchanan. This is Davisville on KDRT I did I looked at your mission statement and I saw that you've really taken black lives matter to heart and How has this how will this change your work as a festival and the works that you present? I think it will change it a lot without losing the identity of who we are But you know, I think that we you're right like we were deeply inspired by the protests in March and April as I hope everybody was individually and every organization was you know in our region and Again, I hope everybody has been looking in the mirror and asking these sort of important questions about You know how you how you live your day-to-day life and how you kind of contribute to your community and all of that And I think especially as a classics company that always does celebrate the classics We've always though it from the beginning, you know We one of our goals in our in our original mission statement, you know Let's take Shakespeare off the pedestal and let's make it more accessible And that's something that we've always done with Camp Shakespeare and we've done in our productions We we do you heavily cut our productions. We do really try to help those plays out with design and and Other choices to really kind of move them into the present moment, but I think beyond that it's it's how do we really kind of Understand that Classical theater is primarily through a white male lens and and what can we do? actively to Challenge that, you know, not just be a supportive ally But really kind of actively anti-racist theater makers that are you know wanting to be kind of co-conspirators with You know marginalized groups in the region I would imagine this could affect the plays you choose how you cast how you stage Maybe how you edit if you know, you're taking a classic and you Edit it for the stage. Yeah, absolutely And I think it's it starts with ourselves, you know, and I think that again It's kind of like how do you take the correct steps to do that and it does start with us looking in the mirror both myself and Gia the other artistic director were both Mexican-American Directors and I think by you know That's that's a voice and a perspective that we've silenced internally over the years Because we're trying to meet this kind of Classics model this kind of professional theater model and you know It was only last year when we produced the 10th Muse by Tanya Sriracha where we really stepped into our own identities that plays so much about race and What it means to be Mexican what it means to be, you know, a Californian and like and I think that was so deeply impactful for us that we were already I think kind of So moved by that show and that that experience that we were kind of headed in a direction You know and and this year the way we wanted to tell the story of the tempest and into the woods and Frankenstein Was going to be informed by that But I think yes March and April like really kind of was another push of like Let's celebrate the diversity within ourselves within our staff within our community Rather than feeling, you know, that we need to kind of do what's right or expected But you mentioned the three plays that you were going to have your season this year into the woods the tempest and Frankenstein And I would like to talk more about Frankenstein in a minute because after all Halloween season is upon us Are you still planning to do those shows? Next year assuming that the pandemic is over or are you going to re-evaluate? Well, I you know, we're trying to build three models of what we'll be doing because we'd know nothing about What's going to be possible in 2021? So that is one of the possibilities the possibility also is that you know, it's still digital for another year You know Dr. Fauci said a few months ago that He doesn't envision live theater coming back until a year after there's a vaccine Yeah, that's the national expert on I don't know his exact title, but he's the one everyone's been listening to right It's out of Washington about the state of COVID right and so, you know We listened to that and and so we we're accepting the possible reality that we could be digital for another full season So we're planning for that and then there's the kind of like hybrid in between of like maybe there's a way We could go to the theater and film something and then like live-stream it still In a theatrical space but without audience, you know, so it's like your point depending on the format You will affect the plays you choose exactly exactly like, you know, I don't think we're going to do that But I think those shows we are deeply inspired by and we'll probably visit them again Like it's mostly unlikely that we'll do all three the way that we were planning to you know I think that we may break them up a bit, but yeah, we'll we'll have to see You know, I did want to talk about Frankenstein as I've said, you know I think it's an interesting choice particularly for a play What most people know it for of course is the movie from the 30s with Boris Karloff as the monster But of course it's based on a book by Mary Shelley who if I recall correctly was 19 when she wrote it And the book is different than the movie. I mean it you know, the monster is speaks quite a lot in the book Your description calls it the world's first science fiction novel or cites others that say that and the play was based on What was written by Nick dear based on the book? I guess Well here I'll quote the festivals description again says the play honors the books ambitious exploration of man playing God and Is frighteningly relevant to today's world? And I wonder if you could elaborate on that relevance Yeah, I mean it is a An existential year for all of us And this is an existentialist story. I think about how powerful men can be humans can be and how powerful should we be and Is you know, what are the implications if you kind of do go beyond? Your individual scope what does that bring something terrible? And I think that We can apply that to some people in power currently in our country and worldwide of this kind of God complex, you know, and I think that The this store this the play even more than the book kind of does I Think critique the scientist a bit more of going beyond What he can handle, you know, well that is one of the core Aspects of the story right and in the movie it becomes kind of a morality play right that there are things with which humanity should not tamper basically and And if I was hearing you correctly right now, you're saying that that's still Addressed in the play Yeah, I think and it is one of those stories that you know, you get two full perspectives and in the book you get a Lot more of the creature psychology and his perspective and he's kind of a genius person as well as being like a you know villain that can leap over mountains and stuff but He's quite talkative in the book. Yeah, he's talkative and he's extremely powerful and fast and terrifying and so By getting This perspective I think Mary Shelley kind of gives you a bit more of this is the creature's perspective this is Victor's perspective and You kind of have to weigh the both and I think the play leans more towards And I can just say this since you know, we're not doing it But it leans a little bit more in favor of the creature's perspective that the creature is the victim of the of the situation that this that Victor Went beyond his means and then became a cruel person and Victor is Victor Frankenstein. Yeah becomes Is cruel towards the creature does not Love him and it becomes terrified of him himself and then wants to destroy him and that I think that the morality of the play is like you can't do that. You can't You can't be cruel to anybody even if you're frightened of them Yeah, I'm more interested in seeing the plane now that I was before Rob I hope you still stage it. Yeah, and we'd love to I mean again just to touch on what you were reading about the description And what how you even introduced the title we Frankenstein is still kind of synonymous with that Movie with the green face and the bolts in the head and all of that and we think that's kind of a tragedy you know that we're we're feminist at heart and and Mary Shelley wrote this genius novel at a very young age and it's one of the greatest novels ever written and It itself is brilliant and Terrifying and The fact that it was kind of railroaded by this movie and and that this other perspective That had little to do with what she wrote it does a disservice to the to the world because what she wrote was better and and more insightful and You know where we are classicist at heart That's our trade and I think both GNI and when we had the opportunity to read Frankenstein and high school I think for her and college for me And then when we saw it from the National Theater Performance with Benedict Cumberbatch when it premiered however many years ago It you know we're just kind of floored by the story and how Jean and how genius it is and how genius Mary Shelley was and We loved that the play kind of Celebrated the book We've got a few minutes left. I want to ask a broader question And that's about theater as a plays as a as a thing to do You know, I know many people who don't go to plays You probably do too and it's not so much that they're opposed to it I don't think I know anybody who says oh, I'd never go to a play It's just they kind of don't think of it or maybe the scheduled aspect of it is a deterrence You know because you can't time shift a live performance the way you can a video. So as someone whose life is theater I wanted to ask you What do people miss when they don't go to theater? I? think the theater is the ultimate opportunity for self-reflection for community reflection It kind of takes the pulse of of where you're at and where we're collectively at and I think the fact that everybody's headspace has moved kind of more in that direction by force because of the pandemic I think theater is going to not only be Something fun to do when we can do things again It's going to be something that's even more important to do for us all to sort of check in with each other and Remind ourselves of our collective humanity theater always does that and that's why I love it and that's why I You know, I enjoy teaching it. I teach at Sierra College Intro to theater and acting and I Have loved doing this company and sharing the work that we've been able to do with members of the community and the conversations that it starts And I and I think it's that it's that conversation in the lobby after you see a moving show And you compare it if it's a Shakespeare to other Shakespeare performances you saw and have Aspects of this interpretation struck you differently or if it's the 10th muse that's asking you to think about what it means to be in California and what you know, the Spanish influence was and how how Much they and destroyed the indigenous people in our community like those kind of conversations those kinds of Realizations I think are they just make you a better human as you move through the world So I think it's I would encourage everybody to go because it's it's I think it's like an Opportunity to deepen just your life experience now That's yeah, but like the caveat of it is is that so is so is film and so are other artistic Engagements and I support, you know all of the arts and I love movies and TV shows and everything But I think theater the highs are higher Like you know that the just feeling it in the flesh that deep three-dimensional experience I think is it just makes it more direct and impactful when you see an amazing play that can't really compare I think to any other form Maybe it's like a concert is to a recording right? Yeah, really the performers are taking risks up on stage You have to pull it together. Everything has to come together But maybe you catch magic in a performance one evening just like you might at a concert absolutely And I think that that's that's the reason to go and it's risk and it's the risk factor You if you go see a movie chances are it's going to be great because there's a million There have been a million producers and hands on it processing it To ensure that it's going to be a certain degree of success Successful theater is it is more of this risk of like, you know, did it work? That's why sometimes you can see a show it on Broadway or an organ Shakespeare festival and you can feel like well that one didn't work, you know Because no matter what no matter how much support in theater It's still a little risky and I think that's also the fun of it is like, you know, how did this group do over this? Process of building the show. Yeah this moment for me in this two-hour period and that and that that's fun That's something you want to be a part of you know And of course we're out of time now, but I'm reminded would you describe a little bit of the experience of having a live interview like this over Zoom, I mean we knew basically what this would be, but didn't know how it would work out So anyway, Rob, thank you for taking the time today to talk with us. I've thoroughly enjoyed this. Oh, thanks so much Bill It was blast. This is Rob Salas. He is the co-artistic director and co-founder of the Davis Shakespeare Festival I'm Bill Buchanan on Davisville on KDRT. Thank you for listening