Lynchburg Living

Art

By Camille Smith

Some believe that “Romeo and Juliet” is best appreciated in the evening breeze, with a life-size set consisting of historical buildings depicted in turn-of-the-century aristocratic Virginia. Those same enthusiasts prefer “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” performed under the stars in the dell, against the rolling hills of the Appalachian. And “Hamlet” is to be a story engulfed in the Civil War, staged in a converted dairy barn. Of course, these same art lovers will want “Twelfth Night’s” witty love triangles played out in an outdoor train station during the sunset behind a mountain vista backdrop.

These theater connoisseurs are none other than those who have spent many summer nights enjoying the arts of Endstation Theater Company, performing inside and outside on the historical Sweet Briar College campus.

Endstation’s co-founders, Geoffrey Kershner and Krista Franco, had their theatrical appetites whet after touring several German theaters while attending Florida State University School of Theater. It was there that an elaborate idea was inspired.

“We wanted to do a site specific sound space project where we found a non-traditional theatrical space and used it for theatrical productions,” Kershner, who is the theatre’s Artistic Director, said.

“We both expressed this interest in doing a certain type of theater and doing it the way we like it, with high quality performance and productions in a beautiful setting,” Franco, the Resident Scenic and Designer, added. “Theater in a destination spot where an audience would like to come and not only take in the art that we had to offer but also to be in this beautiful place.”

Realizing their shared ambition and compatible aspirations, the decision was made, but a location was needed. Kershner, who spent his childhood exploring every inch of Sweet Briar’s campus, where his father is chair of the theater department, shared stories about growing up in Central Virginia and what a serene spot it is. Franco, enticed and curious, wanted to see Kershner’s childhood haven and on a long drive from Florida State University to her hometown in Connecticut, made a stop to see if the stories were true.

“I went to Sweet Briar College and absolutely fell in love with it,” Franco said. “It was the most beautiful area and the people were great.”

Sweet Briar College offered Franco and Kershner the stunning landscape with historical appeal they were looking for to create the summer theater company they both dreamed of. Once a contract with the college was signed, Endstation Theater Company was created and the commitment to producing, “new works, reinterpretations of classical plays and original theatrical productions for the Central Virginia community based on the historical, current and cultural events specific to the area,” was made.

“We are a nonprofit theater company and a summer theater festival that finds its inspiration in Central Virginia,” Kershner said. “We are the resident theater company contracted with Sweet Briar. They allow us access to Sweet Briar spaces in the summer, and in exchange, we give priority to their students for internships. It’s a nice relationship because we give a lot of exposure to the campus.”

Endstation’s season begins in May, when the previously auditioned actors and other production designers pour onto Sweet Briar campus. There, they are housed and preparations begin.

“In May, we really hit the ground running and we are going through the beginning of August when we tear down,” Kershner said. “It is pretty constant once we get there with our packed schedule.”

Each summer, Endstation presents four shows total with one, usually a Shakespeare piece, performed outside. These outside performances have become a favorite in the Central Virginia area, drawing audiences to bring their blankets and lawn chairs to the site.

“Our hope is that we can draw people to the area. We want them to drive down Skyline Drive and hit the vineyards in Nelson County and come to downtown Lynchburg and have dinner and stay in the hotels. Central Virginia is a destination point for people and something that they can look forward to every year,” Kershner said.

While the outside destination performances are what the theater company has become known for, the musicals and original works that take the stage indoors are just as enticing. This year, they will be performing the musical “Assassins” from June 23 through July 3.

“With the proximity of [Washington] DC, this piece seemed appropriate because it deals with all the individuals who assassinated or attempted to assassinate a United States president,” Kershner said. “One of the primary characters is John Wilkes Booth, who was a Virginian, and his standoff happened in a Virginia barn. It is something we can connect with regionally.”

Also on the docket this year is “Good Good Trouble on Bad Bad Island,” a children’s piece written by resident playwright, Joshua Mikel. The play went to the New York City’s Fringe Festival last year and will be opening the 2011 summer season. Performances are June 1 through 5 on the summer docket and a six member cast will also be performing for area elementary schools.

“This year with ‘Good Good Trouble on Bad Bad Island,’ it is theater for young audiences so we are reaching to a younger group of students,” Franco said. “Our actors will go into the elementary schools and do some coloring activities as well as some graphic interaction as the playwright is a very talented graphic artist.”

This will not, however, be the first educational endeavor for Endstation Theater Company. Workshops and performances have been held at E.C. Glass, Heritage, Amherst and Nelson County high schools.

“We really view ourselves as a service organization and a lot of that has to do with educational outreach,” Kershner said. “We have just started last year going into the elementary school and providing shows for them and we have been going into the high schools for a few years now.”

“In our first endeavor with the high schools, our actors did some acting workshops with some of the drama students assembly style but more interactive,” Franco said. “Last year, we did ‘The Complete Works of [William] Shakespeare (Abridged)’ and performed an abbreviated version in the high schools along with a Q & A with the actors for the students.”

Outside of the schools, but very much a part of Endstation’s educational vision, is the playwright initiative that is now a part of the summer program. Submissions are accepted from playwrights who, if selected, come to live on campus for three weeks to take part in the program, which consists of free writing, structured writing projects and public readings of their work.

“One of the great things about Sweet Briar is that it’s a perfect location for the playwright’s initiative,” Kershner said. “It provides a retreat that gets them away from their everyday to focus on their writing.”

The playwright’s initiative is always at the end of the season and is only expanding into a program this coming season. However, Kershner believes it is the original works by playwrights that the company was built upon.

“The beginning of the company was really about ‘The Bluest Water,’ an original work by Jason Chimonides based on the effects of Hurricane Camille on Nelson County in 1969,” he said. “We want to continue to expand our original works program and have a couple of projects that are on the burner to develop.”

“Working on original work is always something that is exciting for me because it has never been produced before,” Franco said. “Getting to explore the story just as the actors portraying the characters got to explore the story from the beginning is so interesting, especially with ‘The Bluest Water’ because there was so much research provided by the writer and we got to go so deep.”

In just over three short summer months, Endstation impacts the lives of production designers, actors, playwrights and the audiences that continue to grow each year. The dream born in a few German theaters by Franco and Kershner has become a reality and is picking up speed as it goes along.

“Our hope is really that we would be able to foster future visions for theater companies and communities through each summer at Endstation,” Kershner said.

“I am always so impressed with the quality of work that is involved here,” Franco said. WWe are still a small company, yet all of the individuals work so hard and are so dedicated to what they do. The outcome is always great.”

2011 Blue Ridge Summer Theatre Festival Schedule

“Good Good Trouble on Bad Bad Island”: June 1-5

“Cry of the Mountain”: June 9-12

“Assassins”: June 23-July 3

“Twelfth Night” (outdoor performance):July 9-24

Learn more about Endstation Theatre Company at www.endstationtheatre.org.