SCV: Isn’t the real villain always inside of it.
Jennifer: Yes, but not when you need to make something the scape goat, then it’s always something out there, beyond you, plotting your downfall.
SCV: Sounds like a contest between the new guard and the old guard.
James: That’s the challenge, to bring about a synthesis of where theater has gone and bring with it the audience and awareness of theater that’s starting to be more combative and stark and inclusive of all facets of our modern day living. One really has to be nimble and in many ways theater is the barometer of what society is feeling, and we aim to provide a forum for those voices.
SCV: How then has theater evolved in recent years.
James: Well I think the 70’s was the last great break through, when we had playwrights really coming out for the jugular, and raising awareness of themes, modern isolation, the absurdness of our modern states, societies and this really shocked people, they were things you couldn’t just openly talk about back then.
Of course over the years, with TV we’ve had the overt sensationalize of everything, the dumbing down of senses and the reduction of attention spans whereby if there isn’t a ready answer people walk away. This is the immediate challenge of theater, in some weird way we let TV take over and I think it’s incumbent we restore the vanguard to theater where traditionally story telling took place.
SCV: So it’s a matter of redefining cultural paradigms and coalescing them with current tastes.
Jennifer: To also steer tastes, bring awareness to themes, issues that aren’t necessarily been addressed in the mainstream.
James: After all you can’t make theater within a box.
SCV: Well unless you are driving by a freeway and are being told you now have box row tickets.
James: Well that’s the challenge. To inspire and challenge people’s minds and hearts.
SCV: It seems you’re on your way.
Jennifer: Yes, we like to think so, it’s building blocks, being aware and gradually introducing to the community what’s actually available to them.
SCV: Well I look forward to see what happens.
Jennifer: Yes, so do we…
Photo galleries at the recent gala for SOLONOVA.
