However, with the experience and lessons learned of two full-length productions behind us, and an increased awareness of our individual strengths and weaknesses when working as a team, we  believe that we have hit upon a company structure and team breakdown that will bring our talents effectively and efficiently to the stage.

Our Operational Plan, version 4.1, is now available for download.

Company-level authority is held in the stewardship of three directors: Operational, Producing, and Artistic.  They are supported by three production-level strategic personnel: the Production Stage Manager, the Dramaturg, and the Technical Team Lead.  A six-member technical team provides the creative implementation of the Artistic vision of each production.

AVT PRODUCTION TEAM
Operations Director: Courtney Marietta
Producing Director: Nalin A. Ratnayake
Artistic Director: Kara McCollum
Dramaturg: Anna Delrosario
Production Stage Manager: Karen Gruca
Technical Team Lead: Kevin J. Hogan
Technical Team:  Sarah Bialobroda, Jeremy Bryon Gruca, Jessica Katzman, Juliana Katzman, Lucas Nemeth, Kelly Lynn Regan

Our production philosophy is twofold: 1) Provide a framework to seed, develop, and produce quality original work from playwrights in the local community, and 2) produce published work from outside the community that brings in new perspectives and provides a standard to which our local writers can aspire.  If a play has already been produced in the community and we are not able to define anything artistically new that we could bring to the work, you will not see that play on our stage.

Dramaturgically, we adhere to three general principles: our productions will be 1) character-driven, 2) unique, and 3) thought-provoking.  We believe that theatre is first and foremost an artistic medium for providing insight into the human condition and secondarily an educational tool for enhancing and growing the cultural and artistic awareness of the local community.

We appreciate the audience members who make up our community of supporters, as well as our Supporters who make this company possible.

AVT Artistic Director Nalin Ratnayake in his makeup and costume for a speech from Shakespeare's "Henry V". (Photo credit: Tom Bunce).

On March 13 and 14, AVT participated in the 61st annual Quartz Hill Almond Blossom Festival. It being our first festival of any kind ever, we had some adventures.  Like being up until 12:30am the night before building our set.  Or being relegated to a mysteriously ill-defined, narrow corner.  Or not knowing where the parade assembly point was and completely missing it.

But hey!  We totally had our own parade on Avenue L-14, unfurling our sign and waving in costume to incredibly confused local citizens looking for parking.  AND we got the word out about AVT to hundreds while entertaining many an attendee of the festival at our booth with sonnets, speeches, and professional face painting by our resident makeup designer, Kara McCollum!

All in all, we had a great time.  Check out the podcast below for some sound clips from the festival fun!

More photos are on our Facebook Page.

Membership in the Chamber includes many benefits, the most valuable to us of which will be the excellent networking potential.  Access to the local business community will be a tremendous asset to us as we seek partnerships, community support, patronage, and a more permanent performance location in Quartz Hill.

Our first year’s membership dues have been paid courtesy of Mr. Thom Lapworth, a Patron of AVT.  We would also like to gratefully acknowledge the support of our most recently joined Patrons, Mr. and Mrs. Senaka and Lalani Ratnayake of El Dorado Hills.  Additionally, the tech crew is quite excited about the in-kind donation of a new fog machine and two tanks of fluid by Mr. and Mrs. Jason and Rose Gonella of Lake Los Angeles.  Thank you for your support!

You can find out more about how Patrons of AVT support our project and what benefits they receive on our Patronage page.

AVT congratulates Olivia McCollum, the 2010 Little Miss Leona Valley Gymkhana Queen.  Olivia competed in a series of interview, speech, and horsemanship trials to demonstrate her committment to the Leona Valley Gymkhanas and to the western way of life.

We are proud to have been one of Olivia’s business sponsors; AVT provided a “box seat package” for a fundraiser auction.  The package included two box seat tickets to any show of “Crime and Punishment“; our garage-theatre box seats literally involve boxes, and are quite comfortable.  They include the guests’ choice of a red, white, or dessert wine.

Box seats to any show are available by direct arrangement with the Producer. Please contact productions@avthespians.org for more information.