The founder and co-artistic director of
the Kings County Shakespeare Company now has something she never
before had in her 18 years of producing the Bard’s work in Brooklyn
– a home.
St. Francis College, at 180 Remsen St., has offered the respected
theatrical company, headed by Deborah Wright Houston, the designation
of being "in residence." More importantly, the college
has become a sponsor of the company by offering them rent-free
usage of its Founders Hall theater for its annual Shakespeare
festival. In addition, St. Francis lends its Callahan Center
for KCSC’s reading series.
"It gives our students and the Brooklyn Heights community
access to an incredible Shakespeare company," explained
Petra Ludwig, director of special events for St. Francis. "And
access to an incredible troupe of actors. It’s very positive
for St. Francis."
And this relationship is positive for KCSC as "they can
use our space for free, and it’s a great location for them,"
said Ludwig.
While KCSC must work around the college’s schedule of lectures
and student performances at Founders Hall, at least KCSC now
has stability, Houston told GO Brooklyn.
And the free rent, she noted, "is as important as money
in the bank to us," an important distinction to this non-profit
company which subsists on an annual budget of $50,000.
Currently, KCSC rents a bit of office space at 138 South Oxford
St. and saves money by storing their collection of hand-stitched
Elizabethan costumes in a crypt in a Manhattan church.
Cutting costs even further, Houston, in addition to being the
artistic director, fundraiser and executive director, is also
the costume designer for the shows, fashioning wigs, hats, repairing
and altering costumes and more. She also produces, directs or
takes a lead in productions. When not working on KCSC duties,
Houston teaches voice, speech and acting for the Saturday school
at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
"I started [KCSC] here because I wanted to serve Brooklyn,"
explained Houston, who arrived 20 years ago from Holyoke, Mass.
GO Brooklyn caught up with Houston backstage at Founders Hall
while she prepared costumes for the June production of "Taming
of the Shrew." While Houston sewed, her colleague of 14
years, Lucie Chin, bustled around backstage, all the while wearing
a T-shirt with the word "Breathe" emblazoned on the
front. Chin, Houston explained, is a wonderful costumer, set
designer, set mover (in lieu of a hydraulic lift) and fight choreographer.
"If I want it horrible and bloody she can do it," Houston
said with a laugh, also lauding Chin’s talents with fake blood.
"She can make it thick and chunky or smooth and creamy!"
"I’ve been fog, when the fog machine was stolen in Prospect
Park," Chin said soberly, recalling past antics with dry
ice.
"We’re essentially type-A people," Houston said of
the company’s artist-volunteers. "We’re committed 24 hours
a day. We want to do the art. If you don’t use it, you lose it.
"My philosophy – from a spiritual place – is you’re given
a gift and you have to share it. It’s my destiny."
While she may volunteer her talents, the actors, Houston stressed,
are not volunteers. They are professionals and they are paid,
though it is just a stipend and not the salary they deserve.
Houston hopes that the company will have the funds to adequately
pay the actors in the future.
"People think of it as community theater, but we’re professionals,"
said Houston. "We utilize the talents of the very best theater
professionals available through Actors Equity’s non-traditional
casting service and agent submissions."
Both Houston and the St. Francis administration look forward
to continuing their mutually beneficial relationship, and both
parties are currently negotiating ways they can expand that relationship.
KCSC now performs its summer festival at the Founders Hall Theater
between Court and Clinton streets. Prior to that they had performed
their annual production throughout the boroughs, including the
Prospect Park bandshell, and while that was being renovated,
they performed out of the Picnic House. The company had previously
been at the mercy of Celebrate Brooklyn’s scheduling and inclement
weather.
"On rainy days, actors were getting electric shocks,"
Houston said with a laugh about the bandshell. "And I’m
backstage saying Hail Marys while water seeped closer to the
costumes. After all, the show must go on."
In 1998, KCSC was forced to move their annual production from
the Picnic House as the Prospect Park Alliance needed the facility
for other functions.
"It was on loan to us for a short period. It’s there to
be a park – to be used for all kinds of events. It was incredibly
generous of them to give us the space for as long as they did
and we still return there with our Shakespeare day camp program,"
said Houston. "We would like to go back to the bandshell,
too, but the lighting package is an enormous cost. We need to
develop a year round residency to free us up to do other things."
Then KCSC came upon St. Francis.
Houston’s dedication to high quality productions comes at a price.
Productions of Shakespeare’s works are inherently more costly:
they require at least 15 actors ("a huge cast," said
Houston), period costumes and sets. So Houston and her colleagues
in the KCSC donate their time and talents.
Yet Houston still finds the energy to teach even more students
about Shakespeare. She considers her company’s staff and actors
to be "teaching artists." In addition to the other
educational programs she offers the community, Houston contributes
her considerable knowledge to St. Francis classes taught by Dr.
Virginia Franklin and Brother Edward Wesley.
"She invited me to teach her class. I’ve talked to [the
students] about how to produce and act for the last three years
now," said Houston. "This is the second year I’ve gotten
them up and acting."
Both St. Francis and KCSC have similar mission statements with
regard to the community – both aim to serve.
"We offer educational outreach programs for children, teens
and adults, provide comprehensive training programs for future
theatre professionals and encourage community participation in
all our activities," the KCSC mission statement reads. Houston
estimated that she is able to reach about 8,000 people a year
through the various KCSC programs.
"We’re ready, willing and able," said Houston. "We
could do a whole lot more, but we need money. We need the support
of the community. Thank God for St. Francis College."
KCSC’s Classical Actor Training Program Company, now performing "The
Comedy of Errors" everywhere from Fort Greene Park to Manhattan to
the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is a training ground for aspiring Shakespearean
actors. [See "Shakespeare 101" review]
KCSC has also conducted, for the last five years, a weeklong Shakespeare
day camp, You Gotta Have Bard, for children ages 8 to 13.
On Sept. 23, KCSC will present a free, staged reading of "King
Lear" at St. Francis College’s Callahan Center at 2 pm and
on Oct. 28, a free, staged reading of "Merry Wives of Windsor,"
directed by Renee Bucciarelli. (Bucciarelli performed the role
of Kate in KCSC’s June production of "The Taming of the
Shrew.")
"We want to continue the relationship," said Ludwig.
"We would like to expand it, but that’s to be determined.
We have a positive relationship."
After nearly two decades, Houston is still enthusiastic about
theater and Shakespeare, but she has tired of the nomadic aspect
of her job.
"I love the challenge," said Houston. "I love
Brooklyn. I want that richness – the art, music, dance. But having
a home is essential to us."
Kings County Shakespeare Company will
present free, staged readings at St. Francis College’s Callahan
Center (180 Remsen St.) on Sept. 23 at 2 pm ("King Lear")
and on Oct. 28 at 2 pm ("Merry Wives of Windsor." A
continental brunch will be served at 1:30 pm on both days, for
a fee of $5 per person. For more information about Kings County
Shakespeare Company, call (718) 398-0546.
