Koly and Seth
Koly and Seth |
At this time, I was assistant director as well as cast member in several of the productions (I played Miss Adelaide in GUYS AND DOLLS, Laurey in OKLAHOMA!, and Minnie in HELLO DOLLY, as well as many zany murder mystery characters with silly names such as "Donna Jewela Bella" and "Candy Graham"). It was fun, and it really sharpened my improv skills, but I really did want to do more legitimate theatre. So, again, breaking away with another actor friend, Jon McDaniel, we started the Paper Wing Theatre Company. The name was quite simply created by what we were feeling at the time. We were merely actors with talent - cast into the wind like a paper airplane - never knowing where we would land or how we would land, but always knowing we had to try to fly.
Jon and I directed/produced over eight productions together at various venues, then amicably parted ways. I had an opportunity to move to Monterey in 1994 where I met and married my wonderful husband, Ron Moore. In 1997 I took the position of drama teacher at Watsonville High School but left in 1999 to have my son Seth. Had it not been for him, I probably would still be teaching and the Paper Wing Theatre Company wouldn't have been resurrected.
I had decided that I wanted to stay home with my son, but I really missed the theatre. Fast forward to October 2001. After driving by the Fox Theatre on Main Street in Old Town Salinas for the millionth time, I saw a phone number there for rental inquiries. I called and talked to Tim O'Grady for over an hour. Tim had established the Fox-California Foundation for the Performing Arts in 2000 for the purpose of the purchase and restoration of the theatre. We met, and I persuaded him to let me bring the Paper Wing Theatre Company into the Fox in exchange for doing administrative work for the foundation.
Thus, The Paper Wing Theatre Company lives! Prior to this, my husband just loved to tinker with anything electrical, so he naturally gravitated to the more technical side of the theatre. He loves it, and it gives us the opportunity to spend time together. We are now a family of four, having been blessed with a second son in September, 2002.
My first production at the Fox Theatre was DADDY'S DYIN’, WHO'SE GOT THE WILL? which we did in June, 2001. It is the comedy story of an estranged Texas family brought back together to say their final “good-byes” to their father and to see where they stand in the will. Problem is, no one is quite sure where senile Daddy has hidden it. This was a really fun production for me, as it introduced me to the local acting community and established close bonds with the actors that I cherish still. PICNIC was my second production in October, 2001. I have always love this dramatic story. It is my favorite William Inge play. Unfortunately, we opened just after the 9/11 disaster in New York. This caused poor play attendance and, sadly, the actors, who were just amazing, and the sets, that were phenomenal, were never really seen by the community. It took a while for me to shake that feeling that I somehow disappointed everyone with my play choice. I know now that people didn't have the spirit to watch a heavy dramatic play so soon after the nation's tragedy. I have since forgiven myself and earned redemption by choosing NUNSENSE, a rollicking funny musical that opened for the first time in May, 2002. Bringing together the talents of Michele Savage, Pat Horsley, Cheryl Block, Betsy Andrade, and Corey Lim Beckwith, this musical was so popular, we reprised the show in February, 2003 (As a side note, we are going to do the Christmas version called NUNCRACKERS this holiday season, 2003, so stay tuned!). Currently, we are in the final stages of rehearsal for STEEL MAGNOLIAS, opening May 1st through 18th.
I love live theatre because I started as a stage actor. There is nothing like stepping onto the stage and offering the audience the best of yourself. As a director, I really enjoy taking actors through "my vision" of a script. I truly love the process. I choose plays that appeal to me. What I tend to like and gravitate toward, other people seem to enjoy as well. You can put yourself out of this business if you try to take community theatre too seriously or get too obscure. Neil Simon, Rogers and Hammerstein, and Sam Shepherd may be mainstream, but people continue to love it and will come to see it because it entertains them. I also hope to bring Shakespeare back into Salinas next year.
Paper Wing is unique from a lot of other theatres. We advertise in the Salinas business area for auditions as well as Go! and Coast Weekly, and I get actors from all over the Monterey Peninsula. With my background in teaching, I tend to cast people who may not have a huge resume, but who have heart and a strong desire that I can guide through the process. I also like to give many different actors a chance to shine, instead of precasting and using the same actors repeatedly. We tend to get the bulk of our audience from Salinas, Las Palmas, Monterey, and the South County areas.
My technical crew has not really changed since 2001. I have used two musical directors so far: Jeff Green and Kathy Nathan, both amazing and talented people. The choreography has always been done by myself, or the cast. The awesome tech crew includes Alan Caron - set design and building, Amanda Laut - house manager and assistant director, Molly Tabler - set artist and assistant director, and of course, my husband Ron, who I couldn't do without. They are constantly there in some capacity for every production. Their dedication and loyalty to my vision are unwavering and wonderful.
Currently, I am the Chairman of the Board for the Fox-California Foundation for the Performing Arts. We are looking for interested members of the community to fill some empty Board seats, preferably people who can help garner donations to help purchase and restore the Fox. My long term vision for the Fox and the Paper Wing Theatre Company is one of complete community involvement. Along with continuing plays three to four times a year, I plan to start an at-risk youth theatrical after school program. I also want the theatre to be available for other artists; actors, dancers and any group that needs the space to perform is welcome to rent it. I have big plans for this Paper Wing Theatre Company and the Fox Theatre. As I said, the Fox Theatre Foundation was established by Tim O'Grady in 2000 for the purpose of the purchase and restoration of the theatre. Unfortunately, the energy that this project started with was halted due to bureaucratic red tape, as well as other problems. Tim left the Board of Directors in 2002, but he still enthusiastically cheers us on from the sidelines. I have now taken up the torch and plan to see this project through. We plan to fully restore the theatre to its original glory, one project at a time, with hands-on hard work and donations from the community and city. Although this sounds like a daunting task, the theatre really is quite sound for the ripe old age of eighty-three, with just the minimal amounts of restoration and repair needing to be done. Anyone interested in helping in any way, can call me (Koly) at (831) 675-0521. For information about the Fox Theatre and Paper Wing you can also go to our website: www.foxcalifornia.com.
I have always been passionate about theatre and set my goals high. The best advice I ever got was from an actor, an older fellow much more eloquent then myself. When he heard that I planned to start my own theatre company, he said "It's better to shoot for the stars and drag your feet on the treetops, than shoot for the treetops and drag your feet on the ground." So far, he was right.