Thanks to Courtney’s sound engineering skills, AVT is on an ongoing mission to post spontaneous interviews with cast, crew, fans, and innocent bystanders. The goal is a series of (what I hope are) interesting podcasts, focused on personal experiences with the project. If you would like to be interviewed about your thoughts and experiences with AVT, please let me know!

Our podcasts can be streamed from our website, or you can search for “Antelope Valley Thespians” in the iTunes podcast directory for the auto-updating feed.

We are still accepting original scenes for our Playwright’s Expo, to be held Saturday October 17^th. Interested writers are invited to submit scenes of no more than 20min and 4 actors for consideration. From those submitted, AVT will select several for a series of one-hour development workshops. Each session will consist of a reading and limited staging by actors, followed by a discussion panel with tech crew, directors, production staff, and fellow writers.

Aspiring playwrights, from novice to experienced, are encouraged to submit their work! Writers will receive feedback and interpretation from a number of different theatrical perspectives, and make artistic connections with the local community.

The garage theatre will be up and open to any interested spectators.  Admission is FREE.  We will release a schedule of plays to be expo’ed after we have selected from those submitted.

Submit scripts for consideration and any inquiries to:
productions@avthespians.org

Deadline to submit work is September 15^th, 2009.

Rehearsals will begin in late September / early October.

True to AVT’s core principles, the production will be focused on depth of character and delicious dialogue. Technical elements will be artfully sparse; they will be subtly and carefully composed to supply just the right hint of effect to support the actors – any more is a distraction and a waste in our staging philosophy. Jeremy and I agree that our small space is actually an excellent platform for this production; Crime and Punishment is being designed for a very “in your face” and “up-close and personal” effect.

While this study is ongoing, the Tech Team and I are planning some serious upgrades to the infrastructure. We have reconfigured the garage for “Crime and Punishment” to accommodate 30-seats and a slightly wider stage area. We will also be painting the entire interior black, rigging additional curtains, upgrading to a fifteen-piece lighting system with overheads (up from the nine used for “Voices”), hanging a sound system, and providing additional airflow and ventilation. The new configuration will also now provide easier access to the bathroom and “lobby” for this longer show.

Rest assured that when we do move out, I plan to maintain the “garage theatre” ambiance… close spacing, small audiences, simple sets, etc. The goal is to be moved out and operational in our own small, commercial, blackbox space in Quartz Hill by 2011.

Right now, our biggest challenge is cash flow. While the 2010 Season will bring in ticket revenue for the first time, the season has been planned to operate at a loss; I do not want to charge any more than a nominal rate for tickets. The deficit will be made up by… me. I am thoroughly committed to this project; I have so far been AVT’s only source of funds. I am happy to do this, but to realize our ambitious goals, PATRONAGE and COMMUNITY SUPPORT will be essential.

All those who make a (tax-deductible!) donation of $65 or more for the 2010 Season will be designated as PATRONS OF AVT, and will receive 3 free ticket credits usable for any show in the season (they will normally be $7), an invitation to our annual Patron’s Reception, recognition in each playbill, and discounts at local AV businesses when showing your AVT Patron Card.

All those who were kind enough to become our first donors at the receptions we held after “Voices” will be given Patron status, regardless of the amount they donated.

The discounts at local businesses are in the process of negotiation; this will likely take me most of the fall and possibly longer to solidify, so I hope to be able to offer our Patrons this benefit gradually over time. If you are, or know, a local business owner who might be interested in partnering with us, please let me know. Local business discounts will be a great incentive for individuals to become Patrons; plus, any direct or in-kind support to AVT will be tax-deductible as well. We can offer a number of different advertising methods in return; in the playbill, in hosting our podcasts, on our website, etc.

One of our earliest supporters has been Sagebrush Cafe, on Avenue L-14 and 50^th St. West. They are currently hosting a Group Art Show, with mixed media by several local artists on display. Among these are several matted and framed prints of my black-and-white photography of Los Angeles; all net profit from the sale of these prints will be donated to AVT, so check it out!