Theater in the Street | The Street Theatre Company Is Paving New Directions
Ask anyone to name the most famous street associated with the American theater and they will likely say Broadway. But in East Nashville, there’s a theater Street with which you may not be familiar. The Street Theatre Company is quickly making its name and paving a new direction for the theater arts in Music City. Cathy Street, Artistic Director: “I was always singing growing up…my family was very creative. In seventh grade, I did my first play, and I was hooked. Theatre gave me an escape, a place where I could be somebody else, as I was always very shy. I love being taken away, both when I am on the stage and when I am watching from the audience.”
The Street Theatre Company, like most contemporary theater companies, started from, and literally with, nothing. Cathy’s vision was to do newer, sometimes edgier shows, both musical and non-musical, to pay the artists involved, thereby promoting and honoring the artists and their talents, and to eventually be the resident company of an arts center where there are always art, music, dance, and theatre classes and performances happening. Until then, STC has been very creative, using churches, schools, function halls, and, most recently, a warehouse to produce its shows. Cathy and her company don’t mind being out on the street. “Being homeless
obviously can make it difficult for people to know where you are, but on the upside, it keeps things interesting and certainly supports the notion of ‘street’ theater!”
Cathy and her company are justifiably proud of what they’ve accomplished and what is to come. “I am really excited by the diversity of this season. We are opening up with 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is a great example of a musical that is not just fluff. There is so much heart and depth to the characters of the show, and the music is unique. It is definitely in the modern, pop Broadway bent but is very creative and witty.
Alice in Wonderland is being written by a local playwright and features original songs. It will be cast with a combination of young students in STC’s youth summer program as well as some area adult professional actors. The combination is going to make this a very special experience. In October, we bring back Macabaret, a campy musical revue about death and dying. Lyrically it is one of the most brilliantly written pieces I have ever encountered. It has been performed and become a major cult sensation in major cities across the U.S., such as Chicago and New York.
Finally, we close out the season with Six Degrees of Separation. When I opened up the script, I couldn’t put it down. It is funny, arresting, and really thought-provoking. It is in a very accessible, theatrical style and completely engaging. With Facebook and other current social media, the idea of six degrees separating us all as human beings has become even more timely!”
STC offers workshops on Method Acting, Viewpoint Technique, Vocal Auditions, Linklater Vocal Technique, and much more. STC also offers year-round youth opportunities, including fall and spring Stepping Stone acting classes, with a special daytime option for home school students, a Broadway Song and Dance camp each March, and a summer drama camp. Classes are geared for ages 5-16. When asked who comes to a Street Theatre production, Street responded, “Our audience really runs a wide gamut. I can’t honestly say there is a “type.” We had groups of seniors who came to The Great American Trailer Park Musical as well as a number of people from the Nashville music industry and many people who had never seen a musical before. That is one of the exciting things about the shows STC produces—they appeal to a wide variety of people!”
The creation of something new can be one of the greatest challenges of our lives. The Street Theatre Company is an exciting new company making noise both on stage and off. Those with the courage to create deserve our attention and our support.
www.streettheatrecompany.org
by Jim Reyland
