...from one daughter to another...
The Daily News
1 Taking it to the Streets: Last week I wrote a DN piece entitled "Kiss Today Goodbye...", a hastily assembled salute to the American MusicalTheatre of San Jose.
2 I seldom give my DN's titles, but in this particular instance it seemed appropriate.
3 The beginning of the end for AMTSJ was when it began bringing in touring shows. Just the entire concept of a touring show is right out of Dumbo the elephant. It's usually pretty slick, and generally pretty well-produced.
4 But what made the old CLO so amazing was its local control. Every detail of the show was top notch, and the sets weren't damaged from excessive movement from town to town. Each show had its own interpretation.
5 I could go on and on, but while touring shows remain at least something, they can never really touch the attention to detail that CLO and then later, AMTSJ was able to achieve.
6 On Friday I received an e-mail from my daughter Nicole. She also felt the tremendous loss of a major artistic venue in her home town and sent that DN to the Merc News online thread.
Here's her e-mail to me, which is pretty sweet:
Hey Daddy,
I thought you might want to read a couple of the comments people made on the Daily News I submitted on your behalf. It's sweet.
Love,
Coley
http://forums.mercurynews.com/topic/american-musical-theatre-of-san-jose-closes-down#comment-201721
7 There were lots of fingers being pointed to the local management at AMTSJ, which I know nothing about. If you wish to read the entire thread, it's in the above link. For those of you on the run, here is Nicole's letter to the Merc forum:
Dear Readers,
Every day, my father, an East Side Union High School District teacher for over 30 years, sends out something he calls "The Daily News," which stems from a production of "Guys and Dolls" he directed in the mid-90s.
As a teacher of English and Drama in the East Side Union High School District, the closing of the American Musical Theater of San Jose hit him hard. On December 3rd, he wrote a tribute to AMTSJ in his Daily News. Though no pictures are attached as in the original version, I felt the need to share it with those who care as much as he does about this devastating loss.
Enjoy,
Nicole
8 At first I was a bit sheepish because I had really shot that one off pretty quickly in order for it to be timely for DN readers. I think one of the items had the word the spelled with a distance between the "t" and the "he" like this: t he.
9 Each Saturday I attempt to go back and fix the errors in the DN. I do this for no other reason than if I ever kicked off or something, people could see that I at least TRIED to edit this nonsense.
10 I then became really proud of Nicole for taking this to a wider audience. Clearly I wasn't alone in my outrage over the demise of the AMTSJ. I wanted really to send out some love and a salute to everyone who ever worked there for the quality years, and for giving San Jose a cultural identity. I especially wanted to send out kudos to Dianna Shuster for being an amazing Artistic Director.
11 Interestingly, Nicole's efforts reached right into the life of Dianna Shuster's daughter Megan, who read the piece and then added this to the thread:
Nicole -- Thanks for posting your father's thoughts about CLO/AMTSJ and its history. The production of "Cabaret" that he mentioned was actually the first show that my mother, Dianna Shuster, ever directed at CLO (and I'm not sure, but it might have been her first professional directing job, period.) It marked a huge turning point for her career, and for the company's history. It was very shortly thereafter that she became the CLO's artistic director, remaining at the theatre's helm until 2002.
She was forced to leave when AMTSJ eliminated the position of artistic director.
She wonders, often, whether she was the only one who noticed the difference between CLO before “Cabaret,” and after. From one daughter to another, thanks for the note that you passed along. My mom needed to hear it.
--Megan
PS: For my part: I quite literally grew up in the rehearsal halls of CLO/AMTSJ. The chorus girls were my babysitters, and the stage managers were my friends. The people who are without jobs as of last week were as much my family as my blood relatives, and even though it’s been six years since I’ve seen most of them, my thoughts are with all of them.
12 Very sweet.
13 From one daughter to another.
14 I had met Dianna Shuster a few times, although I'm sure she wouldn't remember me. I was on some sort of educational outreach committee with several other teachers. I remember at one of those meetings they asked if we should put ratings on some of the shows. Evidently there were some parents who complained about the content of some of the shows, so this was their means of appeasing those people.
15 The room quite naturally fell silent as ideas about "G" rated plays, "PG-13" and all that nonsense got tossed around the table.
16 As a kid born in San Francisco and who LOVED theatre for the very reason that it was almost an unrestricted art, I sat silently vibrating with rage that people in the arts would even begin to consider "rating" art. To me it was like putting leaves in front of all the body parts of the statues in Greece.
17 When I could take it no longer, I became outraged and told the table that I thought what gave theatre its absolute magic was precisely that it DOES offend, and that it DOES have the courage to expose life for what it truly is. I told them to stop the sham, and have nothing to do with putting "ratings" on plays!
18 She may remember me for that one, because at the time she looked me right in the eye and clenched her fists as if to say, "Thank you!" I assume this was a pretty hot issue, and people may who worked there may have been a bit shy about shouting out that the emperor was undressing.
19 Something.
20 Anyway, thanks Nicole for throwing a DN over to the Merc. Thank you Megan for a really heartfelt response.
21 Interestingly, when I wrote Nicole back, I mentioned that I had written a poem that was inspired by Dianna Shuster.
22 I used to love sitting alone in the Theatre after a show. I would light the stage down, turn on some music, and stare at the stage. I once saw a trampled rose on the stage. I loved looking at the beauty of the set, the lighting, and even the coats and costumes still draping over furniture. I loved all of it.
23 After one AMT show I wondered if Dianna Shuster had ever done that on a larger scale. I looked back down at our stage, thought of the Center for the Performing Arts, then of our stage, then thought of all stages. I was certain that many directors had done this over the years. All the stages merged into one in my frabjous mind.
24 The wannabe artist in me suddenly came out, and I penned this poem, which I've silently kept ever since. I include it at the end of this piece.
25 I actually made a few final editings for this DN. The dedication to Dianna Shuster was original, but I took it off for years because I felt that nobody was ever going to read it anyway, and that even if they did, I assumed that if it ever DID find its way to Dianna Shuster, she might wonder, "Who the hell's THIS guy?"
26 I'm proud that I can finally add that. It was completely written with the concept of her looking down at the stage after a grand show.
27 It isn't unique to directors, although when you run the whole she-bang it does take on a bit more meaning. But many people through the years would chill in the Theatre, listen to music and relax after a show. I eventually let cast members enjoy music and dancing after shows. Our designs always included post-show flowers, hugs, everything outside, while inside the music was still designed long after the final curtain. I always wanted the students to go back on stage and break into dance and fun. Was this tacky? Of course, but it was also madness, zaniness and GREAT fun!
28 Eventually I'd run everyone out with a cattle prod, but not until they would enjoy a well-deserved celebration each night. We'd "sweep" the building from the Band Room to the house. Then darkness. Then we'd go.
29 Fun times. Theatre is a grand art, and a lot of fun. I always wondered if the professionals ever had those sorts of moments. I'm sure they did and do.
30 I'm thoroughly convinced after having read Megan's heartfelt letter that her mom certainly must have. Her reference to Cabaret as possibly having been her very first show spoke volumes. I can only imagine those moments vicariously on that large a scale. But I'm also guessing that it isn't too much different.
31 Thank you Coley; that was a great moment for a Dad.
32 Thank you again Megan for a very touching letter.
33 And thank you DN readers for indulging me this fine morning, and every school morning.
33 Here's the poem, for what it's worth.
34 Peace.
for dianna shuster
after the show
a lone director sits and squints in peace
protected by locked doors and warm stage spots
the set stands in light hues of a salmon pink,
drenched and dripping, silence one more time,
standing proud, a born aristocrat!
"audentes fortuna juvat!"
fortune favors the bold.
so strange, this silence
of an empty theatre after the show
house returns to preset afterglow
a painting left in stillness
dizzy, empty stillness
the director sits alone in silence,
sending tacit glances to the stage,
and back they come in silent reverie
illuminating, mystical enchantment.
the cornerblocks and keystones saturated black and dry
the painted fragrance hovering in
the musty air of cracked muslin
and of old toggles, rails and stiles
of painted cloth and screws and nails
and of interrupted smiles.
12/15/98
~H~
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