BEHIND-THE-SCENES: September 2021

BEHIND-THE-SCENES

September 2021

2021-2022

NEWSFLASH! If this is your first time receiving Behind-The-Scenes, welcome! This is our twice-yearly newsletter to our community of supporters with exclusive content you can’t find anywhere else. For more information on our current benefits, see pg 16.

As we wrap up our fiscal year, we want to thank each and every one of you for your contributions. This last year we were unable to produce live, inperson shows, and donors like you are the reason we will be able to reopen our doors. Your generosity has ensured that timely, important stories continue being told and that we can train the next generation of theatre makers. Thank YOU! RECENT ACCOLADES FOR NCTC ARTISTS Playwright Yilong Liu received the award for LGBTQ Drama for "The Book of Mountains and Seas", a world premiere that we were honored to stage (for one performance!) just before COVID-19 closed our doors.

"TransNational Cabaret" performer Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi and her writing partner J Mase III received the award for Transgender Nonfiction for "The Black Trans Prayer Book", a gorgeous piece that we highly recommend.

We're so thankful to these artists for sharing their immense talents with us!

WHAT TO EXPECT THIS SEASON: A Note On Safety From the desk of Barbara Hodgen Hydroxyl generator. Now there’s a phrase that was not in our vocabulary before 2020.

It sounds like some futuristic gadget, but it’s actually a nifty little machine that sanitizes air and surfaces, and it’s one of an array of safety tools and measures we have implemented in order to provide as safe an indoor space as possible for our audiences, staff, and volunteers.

It’s understandable how many of us have hesitations about attending an indoor event at the moment. As you are making your decision to return to NCTC, below are some things we are doing to protect your safety. This list is current as of August 23, 2021.

Visit our website for updated information.

AUDIENCE To protect everyone and in keeping with local regulations, proof of full vaccination is required for all ticket holders, except for those legally exempted.

All ticket holders entering the theatre will be required to show an ID with their photo and full name and proof of vaccination. A physical vaccination card, picture of vaccination card, or digital vaccination record will suffice. California residents may obtain a digital vaccination card at MyVaccineRecord.cdph.ca.gov.

Proof of vaccination must indicate that it has been at least 14 days since the patron’s last vaccination dose (two doses are required for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, one for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine).

Patrons who are legally exempted from vaccines (attendees under the age of 12 or those with a medical or religious exemption) must contact the Box Office for details on our exemption policies.

STAFF/VOLUNTEERS All NCTC staff and volunteers are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID19.

AIR QUALITY Air circulation is important. It is measured by ACH: air changes per hour. Despite our lack of windows, we have a highly efficient air (HVAC) system. The recommended levels of ACH in a space is 6-12. Ours are all 9 or higher. Which leads us to another acronym: MERV: minimum efficiency reporting value (no relation to a former talk show host). It is the rating assigned to the air filters in place in an HVAC system. The ratings run 1-16, the higher number the better. Our building has MERV 13 filters, the level typically used in hospitals.

CLEANING We are wiping down common surfaces on a regular basis, and increasing the frequency of our deep cleans. The above-mentioned hydroxyl generators will run both before and after performances sanitizing surfaces.

There are more hand sanitizer stations throughout the space, and we are making the ticketing systems as touchless as possible.

MASKS Mask wearing is required for everyone in the space except for the actors when they are on stage. Unfortunately, this means we are not planning to have the bar open for at least the first show of the season. The Donor Lounge will be open, but will not serve drinks while the bar is closed.

Your health and safety – and, frankly ours too – is our top priority. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. We can’t WAIT to see you back at the theatre!

IN MEMORIAM AL BAUM The NCTC family mourns the passing and celebrates the life of Al Baum. Al was a staunch supporter of NCTC from the very start, leading by his example of activism, and inspiring us to reach for the stars. We will miss his light and laugh in our lobby and in our lives.

You can read his full obituary here: https://www.ebar.com/news/latest_n ews//303594

JAMES HORMEL James Hormel was a long time supporter and friend of NCTC and Ed. "He had the courage to be a pioneer and had the patriotism to accept the challenge. [He] paved the way for a new generation of leaders and (elevated) the voices of LGBTQ voices in our foreign policy." - Nancy Pelosi You can read more here: https://cnn.it/3z5JWCn

JAMES CORAN New Conservatory Theatre Center has lost another dear friend and family member, James Coran. Jim was the inspiration and driving force behind many innovations at NCTC. We will miss his candid insight and his unwavering support.

Thanks for everything, Jim – we raise a glass of Bombay Sapphire in your honor.

We are so grateful for the support and light these community members shared with us over the years. Their legacies will continue to inspire us.

ED DECKER AND HIS TEAM HAVE REINVENTED THE NEW CONSERVATORY THEATER CENTER

By Jennifer Kroot and Robert Holgate The following is an excerpt from the March 11, 2021 issue of The San Francisco Bay Times

Ed Decker is the Founder and Artistic Director of The New Conservatory Theater Center (NCTC) in San Francisco. Since 1981, NCTC has presented high quality, queer, and allied theatre productions, as well as youth education programming.

J&R: So, how have you reinvented NCTC? Ed Decker: Last April, we created a radio serial, In Good Company, about a little, queer theatre company in San Francisco that gets shut down because of a health pandemic.

Sound familiar? We made ten 15-minute episodes and aired them weekly. At the time, Trump was still in office, and then we had the murder of George Floyd and many other things that we simply couldn’t ignore. Since we were telling a story in real time, everything became part of it. Usually, theatre is told a little bit more in hindsight!

Patricia Milton’s play, The Law of Attraction, was supposed to be in our season last year, but got canceled, so we reimagined it as a two-hour radio play.

And over the holidays we put together The Mighty Queer Virtual Variety Show. We invited young, queer artists of color to create five-minute performances around the theme, “hope is where the art is.” We had spoken word, composers, a Middle Eastern dancer, and local drag artists hosted it.

We also revamped our education program. Now kids can continue training online, since we can’t tour schools in person. We produced a series of video lessons for SFUSD teachers to use free of charge. It’s based on the book Puppy Mind, by Andrew Nance, about mindfulness for kids. We created five, four-minute lessons that teachers can use to help settle their classroom. Filming was an adventure because everything’s done remotely. When we filmed the scenes between the puppy and the kids, we shot them separately, then edited them together. And we’re not even a film company!

J&R: How has your audience responded?

Ed Decker: We shattered the boundaries that confined us, in terms of audience. For our podcast, In Good Company, around 4000 folks have invested in listening and they’re from all over the world. It’s clear there are not enough queer stories being told out there.

We’re launching a whole new aspect of programming, creating LGBTQ+ journeys that can be listened to around the globe.

J&R: And how about you? Has sheltering in place affected you personally?

Ed Decker: I’ve been with my husband for 34 years, and was worried that being at home together might impact us. I’m a theater guy and the good thing about being married to a theater guy is that he’s at the theater a lot. Suddenly, like many folks, we were thrust into the same fate, for an extended period of time. At first, I kept thinking at any minute he’s gonna strangle me. However, we realized that our 34 years together are built on a solid foundation of love, caring, and kindness towards one another. That’s been a magnificent discovery.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3sv6ee0 Jennifer Kroot is a filmmaker, known for her award-winning LGBTQ themed documentaries, including “The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin” and “To Be Takei.”

She studied filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute, where she has also taught. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

A humanitarian, as well as a designer, Robert Holgate is dedicated to critical social issues.

With his hands-on approach to philanthropy and social justice, he supports the advancement of local and national social causes. For more information: https://www.rhdsf.com/ Published on March 11, 2021

Introducing Nora & Ernie Interviewed by Vanessa Ramos, Director of Institutional Giving Nora Segura-Barpal, our new Director of Individual Giving, comes to NCTC directly from the Big Apple. That is correct, New York City, the city that never sleeps. Today we will learn a little bit more about Ms. Segura-Barpal as she indulges us with her unique insights.

VRG: So, is it true that NYC is the city that never sleeps? Did you ever encounter someone that slept? Did you sleep while you were there? What does it feel like to sleep now?

NSB: I slept on the subway sometimes. Does that count? It might be a different jurisdiction. I didn’t know I was allowed to sleep here. Is everyone sleeping?

VRG: Most of us try to get in a few hours of sleep, a few times a week.

VRG: How many windows are in New York?

NSB: At least 6 VRG: You never left your room/office, did you?

VRG: What is your background?

NSB: I did my undergrad at the University of Colorado in music performance followed by a masters in performing arts administration at NYU. VRG: I meant your wallpaper background on your computer desktop. I have kittens for example. But whatever, moving on…

VRG: Please talk to us a little bit about your fundraising plans for NCTC. NSB: I’m excited to get to know all of the incredible people that support the theater! I love finding new ways to engage donors in the work we’re doing. I’m looking forward to adding on to the work of everyone before me.

VRG: Interesting, very interesting. So, what song would you like us to play every time you enter the donor lounge?

NSB: ...

VRG: While you're thinking about it, we’ll establish that “I want it all” by Queen is your song.

VRG: How would you sell hot chocolate in Florida in the summer?

NSB: Add ice cream or pour over shaved ice VRG: You got a sweet tooth? Good to know, we’ll keep an eye out for any missing chocolates in the donor lounge.

VRG: Describe your job position to someone from another planet.

NSB: I get to connect with people and share my passion for NCTC. Although, if they are from another planet, I don’t know if they’d understand English.

VRG: So, if they don’t understand English…?

VRG: Tell us about Ernie, your better half.

NSB: Ernie is an 8 year old rescue. He’s afraid of absolutely everything and loves dressing up. He’s really dumb but quite handsome. His dream job would be blanket tester or instagram dog influencer - so if you know anyone hiring, let us know. His resume is extensive.

VRG: What shoes will he be wearing for opening night? Who will design his outfit?

NSB: He is a very down to earth dog, in that he wants his feet to literally touch the ground. He will wear Donatella Versace, unless Donatella is busy.

VRG: (Note to self: That poor boy needs some shoes).

VRG: Is Ernie willing to give autographs ?

NSB: Unlikely, he’s kind of apathetic about people he doesn’t know. He will pose for pictures though.

Your responses have been only okay. But you can make it up to us by providing lots of pictures of Ernie! Thank you!!!!

WALKER THEATER REDESIGN

Thanks to your support, we’ve been hard at work renovating the Walker theater! It’s the same great theater with some new features you’ll love. You’ll be able to get the full experience when Plot Points in our Sexual Development opens in the Walker on November 12.

Technical Director, Carlos Aceves, is giving you a sneak peek at what’s in store: What are the biggest changes you’ve made to the space?

The seating is rebuilt to be modular and can change given the needs of the production.

We are welcoming audiences back into the space with a new theatre-in-the-round configuration. Our lighting grid and speaker plot have also been reimagined to accommodate the shift from one layout to the next.

What changes are you most excited about?

I'm most excited about new opportunities for dynamic staging and audience immersion that are now possible.

What changes do you think audiences will be most excited about?

Better sightlines from every seat!

FUTURE STAGES These gifts allow NCTC to build a robust and sustainable forward-thinking budget, ensuring the year-to-year funding necessary to commission and produce world premieres and to grow our youth programs. For more information on multi-year giving with Future Stages, please contact Director of Individual Giving Nora Segura-Barpal at nora@nctcsf.org or 415.694.6158.