Five Questions With: Andrew Stigler

Andrew Stigler, who has served on the Wilbury Theatre Group’s board of directors since the board was formed in 2011, was named board president in December and took the helm in January. He has acted in two Wilbury productions, “Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson” (playing President Monroe) and “The Threepenny Opera” (playing Reverend Kimball). Stigler also is a professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, and a frequent actor with theater companies throughout Rhode Island. The organization was founded in 2010 but officially became a 501c3 in 2011, and the board was created then. Here, Stigler discusses plans for continued growth at the Providence nonprofit.

PBN: As president of the board, what are your goals for the upcoming season and long-term?
STIGLER:
A major focus for the upcoming year is to secure a new space for the theater. We have a $25,000 grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts which we intend to put to good use, and we expect to have some news to report regarding a new space in the months to come.
I wish I could say more, as we’re currently in negotiations regarding a lease, but I’m comfortable saying there’s an exciting development in the offing.
In addition, we hope to improve our corporate outreach – though Wilbury gets some support from corporate donors, I think there are ways we can improve our efforts in this area.

PBN: How many contemporary Mainstage and New Works will you produce in the new season?
STIGLER:
The 2016-17 season is still in development. Josh Short has the lead role in determining which plays we’ll be mounting. One element about Wilbury that is unique is our dedication to mounting cutting-edge theater in Rhode Island. A large number of the works we put on – in fact, many of our productions for 2015-16 – are either Rhode Island or New England premieres. We strive for a mix of both, but we’re certainly focused on bringing new works to Rhode Island audiences.

PBN: Which of your upcoming 2016 Mainstage productions will be the most involved to produce and why?
STIGLER:
That would be our upcoming production of “Murder Ballad,” directed by Wendy Overly. Wilbury has staged a number of challenging musicals in recent years, such as “Next to Normal” and “Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson.”
“Murder Ballad” is essentially a rock opera, and is challenging in particular because it encompasses a number of different locations. The set has to be able to transition between a bar, a couple’s apartment and what Wendy calls a “no man’s land” – a neutral space for the narrator. Lighting can assist with some of this, but managing these transitions in a convincing way will be a challenge.
I’ve just worked with Wendy on a production of “Happy Birthday, Wanda June,” and she’s just the sort of director to manage this production. “Next to Normal” was one of our most successful musicals, and we’re hoping to match it with “Murder Ballad.”

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PBN: How does your partners program work and to what extent do you rely on it to fund operations?
STIGLER:
So far, our partners program – like the other subscription opportunities we offer – is an element of support base we hope to grow. Right now, Wilbury relies on ticket sales and donations to make our season happen. We have some major donors, but this is an area we’re hoping to improve on over the coming year.

PBN: What mix of new and established playwrights does the Wilbury seek to engage year to year?
STIGLER:
This is where Josh Short, Wilbury’s artistic director, is the guiding light for the company. Josh has a sharp ear for plays that should be introduced to the New England theater community – gutsy scripts, new plays and relevant works that no other company is doing.

However, we do offer productions of plays that are familiar to theater audiences as well – our productions of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern” and “Cabaret” were well-attended and well-regarded. Anyone who saw Wilbury’s production of “Blasted,” which is set in a hotel room that is struck by an artillery shell during the course of the show, won’t doubt that we’re willing to tackle tough projects. Regarding our new works, we have a playwright-in-residence, Ben Jolivet. His recent production of “Cain + Abel” was a new work which Wilbury mounted as a full production. We offer workshop productions of other projects, and Wilbury’s education program offers opportunities to budding playwrights as well.

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