a lot of community theaters and a few really profes- shows that a lot of the times people aren’t necessarily sional companies, but I didn’t see a lot of in-between, familiar with, but we’ve also developed an audience for which is the semi-pro or regional kind of vibe, the the- ten years of people that trust us and they know that aters where you can make a little bit of money. It’s not when they come—even if they don’t know what the going to be your full-time job, but then you can raise show is—they’re going to find it interesting. Generally your quality because you’re paying people, so you get speaking, it’s going to be something that’s been writbetter talent, and that’s what I felt like there was not ten in the last fifteen to twenty years, so it’s modern, and a lot of times it’s shows that no one has done here.” a lot of here.” In their most recent season, three out of four shows After putting together a couple of shows, Cathy decided that if she wanted to do more, she was going to (Memphis, Dogfight, Heathers: The Musical) were the have to become a nonprofit. “I didn’t have any back- premiere productions in Nashville. For their fourth ground or experience in that, so I bought the Nonprof- show, they did Bat Boy: The Musical, a production they introduced to Nashville in 2007. its for Dummies book, and I read it and I did it.” “[Rogue theater] is about finding a way to challenge,” Street Theatre was obviously named after Cathy, but it also holds another meaning relating to the type Jason further explains. “To have a conversation that of theater she wanted to create. “As we were thinking you might not have had otherwise and to entertain in about what to call the company, I did look up street ways that are unexpected.” “I agree, but I will say we don’t do it just for the shock theater, and I really believed in what the whole idea of street theater was, which was theater for the masses, value,” Cathy adds. When they performed The Full accessible, usually socially and politically relevant. Monty, in which the actors are nude, while it was edgy, And all of those really spoke to what I believe theater shock was not the main point. “The thing about The can do. I believe that theater can make people have Full Monty is that by the end of the show, the process conversations. I believe that everybody should be able of doing the ‘full monty’ becomes a microcosm of the to come see it, that money shouldn’t be a reason you show because these actors, who are not supermodels can’t go to the theater, and so it was a really great play or anything, have to get up in front of their friends and strip. So that’s what’s happening in the show and that’s on words.” Making theater accessible was especially something what’s happening with the performers, and by the end they focused on in their 2015 season, when they tried of it, your audiences are cheering them on. A lot of the out a pay-what-you-can system for ticketing. “We said, shows we do have content that can cause people to ‘Let’s take money out of the equation and see if we can raise their eyebrows, but we always do a show [where] get bigger audiences,’” Cathy explains. “It did every- there’s a reason for the [questionable content], so that thing we hoped it would do. Our audiences were larger; hopefully you do leave and have a conversation about it.” we sold out a couple of shows.” Their small budget is focused almost entirely on the “That discussion of value versus what people will pay,” Jason adds, “is an important discussion . . . find- artists themselves. The performances you will see at ing that balance and then growing with that, it’s a re- STC tend to have a simpler production style than a big ally difficult discussion. It requires a community to theater, but that is because they put a lot of their focus contribute, which is cool! The community has to be (and money) on the talent. Owning their own space is another goal they are cura partner for there to be a pay-what-you-can theater. The community has to be on board with that and sup- rently focused on for the future. For the first four years, port it, which is why there are very few. I can think of they didn’t have a theater space. In 2010, they moved six in the country . . . We’re riding along a precipice the into the space we are now sitting in, but in 2014, it was no longer cost-effective, and they have been paying a whole time, which feels very rogue.” Jason uses the word rogue often when discussing small amount to use it as storage for the theater until STC. “It’s theater that feels on the edge; it feels like it the owner rents it once again. They made the decision might break a few rules and it might grab a little bit . . . to be a transient company for their 2015 season. Their performances in 2015 were at Bailey Middle it might feel a little dangerous to you, it’s not necessarSchool, where they created a yearlong partnership. ily comfortable—it’s not aggressive, but—” “It’s not safe,” Cathy chimes in. “We’re not doing any “When we were leaving this space, the principal there safe shows; we won’t ever do Oklahoma. We’re doing at the time was a really big arts proponent, and he be-
# NAT I V ENAS HV I L L E
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