Editor’s note: The next two plays in the URHere Theater’s fall 2024 series are “POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive,” by Selina Fillinger (2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12); and “What the Constitution Means to Me,” by Heidi Schrek (2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9). Both play at the 2nd Space Theatre.
he energy at a staged reading can feel a little like a fan convention. Readings tend to appeal to highly motivated theater-goers who love to nerd-out on a play in its most visceral form: actors speaking words and playing around. A staged reading is unpretentious and full of ideas, emotion, surprises, and fun.
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]Pictured above: Clockwise from top: Two scenes from URHere Theater’s 2023 production of “The Nether”; a talkback section with the cast after the most recent production of “Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties.” Photos by Heather Parish and Donald Munro.[/perfectpullquote]
Yes, fun! Albeit, I may be biased. I produced nearly a dozen staged readings from 2011-2014, which was a particular highlight of directing The New Ensemble. It was a time of tremendous growth, community, and pleasure in my artistic life.
So it was with some nostalgia that I attended URHere Theater’s September staged reading, “Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties,” directed by Haley White. (Full disclosure: White is a friend and participated in several New Ensemble productions.) The pre-show audience chatter was dizzying.
Everyone seemed ready to dive into something entirely new to them, which doesn’t happen too often in the Fresno/Clovis theater scene.
The collective Betty
“Collective Rage” was the first in a three play series of fall readings, but it is the 18th presentation under the URHere banner since 2021. The script was originally read in the earlier iteration of URHere—the Backyard Reader’s Theater organized by founding member Julie Lucido during the pandemic. Knowing White was also enamored of the script, Lucido recruited White to direct this reading.
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“It is an incredibly funny script,” said White, “and this cast could play these roles in a full production. They’re just so perfect for these characters.” It is a clever conceit. Playwright Jen Silverman creates five distinct people named Betty in various states of personal evolution. Their intersections with each other require them to make choices about how they will (and will not) define themselves. Throw in some boxing lessons, Sephora, some mechanical engineering, a play called “Summer’s Midnight Dream” and a lot of off-color references to genitalia, and it takes you on a ride.
All five Betties (Sunshine Cappelletti, Karina Balfour, Allison Botello, Camille Gaston, and I Adeficha) are at turns hilarious and poignant, searching for a connection they don’t yet know they need. Witty stage directions read by Amber Smith smooth the transitions from scene to scene. White does a lot with a string of neon twinkle lights and an LED disco ball to give the audience a transformative moment. All in all, the reading made the most of the play without getting bogged down in it.
Talk-provoking theater
That is the unique advantage of staged readings. They can familiarize audiences with newer or lesser-known plays without the heavy-lifting of a full production. Actors experiment with characters, directors explore new approaches to text, and audiences engage in themes that are relevant to them today. Even classics can be brightened up by a playful staged reading. And, at the end of the presentation, the company and the audience get to have a conversation, creating an invaluable connection.
URHere likes to call itself “talk-provoking theater,” hosting talk-backs after the readings. The “Collective Rage” audience was so conversational, they went over the usual talk-back time and were extremely slow to move toward the doors, preferring to chat the whole way. In my experience, that is a sign of a successful show.
Amplification
I do have a few questions about URHere, though. (I mean, when don’t I have questions?)
Typically staged readings are great for audience development, bringing in their core attendees during dark times between full productions. URHere’s only full production (as far as I can remember) was 2022’s “Dance Nation.”
When asked if URHere had any plans for fully staged productions in the near future, Lucido indicated that, while they would like to, the company is still in its fledgling stages. “Staged readings will always be our core,” said Lucido, “but also there are scripts that we want to do that do not work for a staged reading. What we are doing is not intended to be commercial, but we could accomplish more with additional funding.”
On another note, URHere aims to “amplify the voices of underrepresented communities in the arts and beyond.” A glance at the board of directors indicates that all are white and are likely cisgender. Hosting diverse casts like “Collective Rage” and directors like White who are visibly committed to diversity and inclusion is a good idea, and having a homogenous board isn’t in and of itself damning. However, for a company whose mission is to amplify diversity, I wonder how their leadership is working to create systems to support that mission. A little transparency on that might help.
But all in all, reading is fundamental. URHere is filling a particular niche in Fresno’s theater scene, offering readings of plays with great language and interesting ideas that might be slow to arrive on our stages. I hope they offer a variety of artists the same growth, community and pleasure I found in staged readings.
Tickets and information can be found at URHereTheater.com.