Electric Theatre Company

As I’m sitting here writing the first of (I hope) many blogs to come, I am really concerned about what in the hell am I going to write about. A frightening task, to say the least. Am I going to write about how 25/8 came to be; my experiences that got me to where I’m at; what I thought of the latest episode of THE KARDASHIAN’S, I didn’t know. But then it dawned on…I’ll tell a little tale. A tale of a boy who once was blind, but now can see.

Last week, by chance, I came across the opportunity that led me to get into contact with The Electric Theatre on Spruce St. in Scranton. Being that I’ve only been to the Theatre once, and that was almost three years ago, I figured it would behoove me to get in touch with them. I inquired (I just GOOGLED) about a phone number. Found it. Called. Left a message, and about an hour later I get a call back from a guy by the name of David Zarko. I tell him I have an idea, and want to see if he wants to meet to discuss it, and he agrees. We set a date to have a meeting at the Theatre a few days later. “Great”, I think.

So, the few days go by, and I gather my “posse of one” and head down to the meeting. I have no idea what to expect, and am a little nervous about what’s going to happen. I’m not in fear of Mr. Zarko pulling a Simon Phoenix on me, but more nervous about “The Theater” and the perceptions I have about the players involved. I’ve been on movie and television sets for the past few years working with the folks involved in every aspect of that, from the Producers to the P.A.’s, so that’s the world I’m coming from. “Theater” was always kind of a dirty word, and a different mindset. With that in mind we walk in to the unknown (to me). Now, my partner in crime at the time with me (he will remain nameless until he decides to participate and write a blog here) is an actor also. He does local theater, and he’s cool, and funny, so, obviously, he’s the exception to the rule…or so I thought.

Mr. Zarko meets us there, and he’s a GREAT guy; real attentive, interested, and accommodating to what I’m trying to accomplish. Now, this guy doesn’t know me from Adam, but he seems to be with me the whole way. The majority of this interaction happens in the lobby, then I ask to go inside the stage doors and see what they have going on. Inside are about four people, doing what appears to me as “Contact Yoga”. I don’t ask any questions, I just think “Theatre Folk”. I talk some more about what I am looking to do, and then I ask, “What are they doing?” David (for the sake of the story, I can call him that now) tells me that they’re rehearsing for a play that they are premiering in two weeks called “THE PUPPETEERS: A WONDERFUL WIERDNESS IN OZ”. I was uninterested until he said “OZ”. Wait! That’s a movie! I can relate to that. So I continue to ask follow up questions about it, to which David just rolls along with my preschool understanding of theater, and in the midst of this starts to tell me about the group there and what they do. He introduces me to the Director, who is awaiting a reporter to come talk to him to promote the play, so I didn’t want to bother him too much with my child-like wonder.

We take a tour of the whole place, and it’s a pretty big place. In the goings on of the tour and our conversation it dawns on me; the paper is a good way to promote, but what about a video? I’ve never seen one for ETC (The Electric Theatre Company for the uninformed like me). So I throw out the idea of us coming and shooting just some real simple promo that they can post to YouTube. David seemed a little taken aback and excited about the prospect of that, and at the same time, I’m not so sure he thought I was serious, but I DEFINITELY was. He thought if we did that that it would be great. We set up a day and time, shake hands and are on our separate ways.

Cut to the day we are going to shoot it. Packing up some of the gear to go and shoot this, I turn to Partner In Crime and ask him if he wants to conduct the interviews for the spot because I know NOTHING about this world, and I want them to talk like they were talking to a layman, but if this was a sports competition I don’t even think I should be allowed on the field. He reluctantly agrees and we hop in the chariot and head to ETC. Part of me asking him to do this was also so I can listen to their answers and just try to gauge what kind of new universe this is and if I will ever be able to fit into it.

We show up, set up, and get ready for our first victim on camera. The framing was good, it sounded great, and we were off and rolling. I’m not going to go into detail about the process of our shoot, because it’s boring. But, I have to tell you; by the end of it, my perceptions were changing. The nicest, talented, most professional group of people I’ve had the honor of sharing the room with. All we did was laugh and act absurd. What more could you ask for while being on a job? Jeff, Conor, Heather, Elizabeth and David were the most gracious, and kind people I could ever ask for, and helped make a new experience for both of us seem like second nature. We got out of their hair as fast as we could because, in theatre, it’s ALWAYS rehearsal time.

P.I.C. (Partner In Crime) is going to edit the spot, so I can take a backseat and just come back to see what he has, because there’s no point in me being there, still feeling that I’m not worthy. About an hour later he’s done. NO KIDDING, Fast! He plays it for me and I'm so happy because the spot takes the spirit of what they’re doing without giving anything away. I’m really proud at what he did, and what this group brought to the table on camera. We upload it, after David approves, and now it’s in the InterSphere (I think I just made up a word. Sweet!), to which people are really responding well to it. Still, a week later, if I feel a moment of BLAH I will watch it again and just laugh a little.

Tonight was the big Opening Night, to which David was nice enough to get us a few tickets for, so we all went. Remember now, I’m still not sold on “Theatre”. Lights went up at 8pm and till 10 o’clock we went on a journey with three great actors, under great direction by Jeff Willis, to a place that none of us have been before, and without editing, music, or special effects, I was there with them the whole time. Conor, Heather, and Elizabeth brought me to the “Weirdness” of OZ, and I didn’t want to leave. The show ended, they took their bow, and everyone vacated the theater. Part of me wishes I stayed behind as the only guy in there to see if I can somehow be part of the great vibe they gave out, like some sort of crazed theater sponge, but I didn’t, for fear of someone actually seeing me try to soak that up. I’d look nuts. Instead we all went somewhere else…happier.

To sum this all up, because I tend to rant out of frustration for not using a thesaurus, I went to the ETC tonight a skeptic, and left a believer. I now believe in Theatre. I now know that my preconceptions were all wrong. I now know that my “Film Friends” will probably not let me off easy on this, but, sorry guys, I’m going to the Theater again, and I’m hoping upon hope that my next venture to the Theater is at the Electric Theatre Company. God Save The Theater, but especially, GOD SAVE LOCAL THEATER. Get your tickets ASAP!!!!

P.S. Jeff Wills, The Director went out of his way to write something truly genuine about us on his BLOG. SEE! These guys are THE BEST OF THE BEST (Not the Eric Roberts movie)

-Markie