Art
April 2006

By: A. Richardson

Don’t get the wrong idea from Guerilla Theater’s name. There’s no
fighting or sabotage here (though that would be awesome). No. Actually,
Guerilla Theater is a peaceful up-and-coming production company that
gives the bulk of their profits to charity. (Aww, they’re softies!)

Their beginnings were equally humble. Started as a senior project by
former UNCW theater student Richard Davis, the initial Shakespeare
productions grew legs and has now been running for two years—and
there’s more to come.
“We’re trying to do a radio production in June,” says Davis. “The play is
called ‘Heathen Valley.’ It will be like those 1930’s radio broadcasts.”

The show is tentatively scheduled to be broadcast on AM 980 WAAV, so
stay tuned.

But the hard work doesn’t stop there.

“We’re going to do a Shakespeare-in-the-classroom program. We’ll give
performances for middle and high-school students, with a question-and-
answer session afterwards.”

As you’ve probably already realize, Guerilla Theater makes a point of
reaching out to the community. The founders believe in three main
principals: innovation, equality and citizenship.

“We’ve always aimed to give back to the community,” says Davis. So far,
their productions have raised money for several military charities,
including one that provides scholarship money to children who lost a
parent serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. (Attention charitable causes: They’
re scouting for more organizations to benefit from future productions.)

All of this makes me feel sort of guilty about sitting on my lazy ass and
eating Haagen Daas all day, watching reruns of “The Family Guy”—
Haagen Daas is so creamy, though. As for what Guerilla Theater is
doing now, it’s called “Art,” and from what I gather, it’s gonna be good.

“Art” was originally a French play by Yasmina Reza. It won tons of
awards in its native country, including the Molière Award for Best Play,
Best Production and Best Author. Its success prompted an English
translation by Christopher Hampton. It then proceeded to win tons more
awards, including an Olivier (British theater award) and a Tony.

“Art” is, appropriately, about art. The story revolves around three friends,
one of whom has bought a painting that raises some que tions. The
painting is large, costs 200,000 francs and doesn’t have a speck of
color. Yes, it’s all white. This spurns the characters and the audience to
question, “What is art?”

According to this show’s director, Robb Mann, the show is more of a
character-driven piece than anything else.

“[It] examines friends in transition,” shares Mann. “One is getting
married, another has gone in an intellectual direction, the other is trying
to become one of the social elite.”

The original play focused in on men during the latter halves of their lives.
Here, Guerilla Theater decided to use younger actors who are entering
the beginning of “mid-life,” as they describe it.

Robb Mann has helped Guerilla Theater in various respects since its
inception. He proves to be rather daring behind the director’s chair.

“I rehearse a scene until it’s perfect,” he shoots with high aim. “Only then
can we move on to the next scene.”

Luckily, for all involved, they were working on the final scene on the day
this interview took place.

In keeping with the “art” theme, this show will coincide with an art
showcase, taking place at the Soapbox’s back-bar (third floor). Work
from several local artists will be on display, and the pieces will be a mix
of paintings, photography and sculpture. Most will be available for
purchase.

So if you love art, or theater, or theater about art, or both and all of the
above, come out this weekend to support Guerilla Theater. Shows are
April 13-16* and 20-22 at the Soapbox Laundro-Lounge, at 7pm.
General Admission is $10; students/”theater people” pay $8.

(*Sunday Apil 16 is a 2pm matinee and “pay what you can performance”;
$5 minimum.)