[NEohioPAL]Backstage hears the Noise of the Bang and the Clatter...

Fri Feb 3 10:55:53 PST 2006

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New Company Bang and Clatter Makes Some NoiseFebruary 03, 2006By Fran He=
llerCLEVELAND -- If you want to start a theatre, talk to Sean Derry and =
Sean McConaha. The two founded Akron's newest professional theatre, the =
Bang and the Clatter Theatre Company, just four months ago, and created =
some noise with its critically acclaimed debut production, Sam Shepard's=
 The Late Henry Moss, last October.The production reflected the founders=
' desire to bring avant-garde theatre to the Rubber Capital of the World=
 -- a place, like much of the Midwest, that tends to be conservative in =
its outlook. Listening to their passion and ideas is enough to convince =
you that Derry and McConaha will be successful.Demographic realities, it=
 turns out, are what's really driving their efforts. "We feel that it's =
become less of a priority for people under 40 to go to the theatre, part=
icularly younger people 18 to 25, so we're trying to find a way to make =
it exciting, invigorating, and engaging and interesting for them&hellipm=
aybe even 'cool,' " says McConaha, who notes that as older audiences, wh=
o have traditionally supported theatre, die out, a new generation of the=
atregoers will be needed to keep the art form alive.Derry and McConaha t=
hink one way to attract younger patrons is to produce edgier plays -- li=
ke Patrick Marber's Closer, their current production. They also acknowle=
dge that such programming has its risks. "We believe that's where the be=
st things happen -- when you take a risk. That's where growth happens," =
says Derry, adding that edgy theatre, with demanding roles, allows actor=
s the room to experiment and grow.Derry and McConaha say that auditions =
for their productions are attracting quite a mix, from people with sligh=
t acting experience, such as recent college graduates, to actors who hav=
e been working in the industry for years. Their acting pool draws from a=
ll over northeast Ohio. There are no Equity contracts yet -- the theatre=
 is still in the throes of becoming a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization -- =
but all its actors receive a stipend.The Bang and the Clatter (the name =
derives from a U2 lyric) is housed in a large building called Summit Art=
space, a structure that formerly housed the Beacon Journal, Akron's dail=
y newspaper, and is now owned by the Akron Area Arts Alliance. Derry and=
 McConaha gutted 7,000 square feet to build their theatre, which seats b=
etween 120 and 160, depending on the stage configuration.McConaha, 35, i=
s a native of Pittsburgh and holds a bachelor's degree in theatre and an=
 M.A. in acting and directing from the University of Akron. He has worke=
d as a freelance director for more than 10 years and has served as educa=
tion director and producer of youth theatre at Weathervane Community Pla=
yhouse for the past seven years. Derry, 32, hails from Zanesville, Ohio,=
 and, like McConaha, became interested in theatre in high school. He stu=
died at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and later in L=
os Angeles. He has been a professional actor since age 19.Family CircusD=
erry and McConaha say The Late Henry Moss cost about $5,000 to produce. =
This was on top of several thousand dollars spent to make the theatre ha=
bitable, all out of pocket. Fortunately, their small theatre has gotten =
an inordinate amount of press so far, which they attribute to the gutsy =
quality of their work.The company's seven-production inaugural season ru=
ns through the calendar year. Each show will play for five weeks to allo=
w word of mouth and audiences to build. Another indispensable part of th=
e equation: Derry and McConaha's "incredibly supportive wives." Derry an=
d his wife, Deanne, are the parents of three; McConaha and his wife, Bet=
h, a social worker, are the parents of four. In addition to working as a=
ctors and directors, both share the responsibilities of artistic directo=
r and managing director."The secret of success is staying passionate abo=
ut the work," says Derry. "Continuing to take the risk and not do what's=
 safe is what will keep the theatre going."Closer runs Jan. 26-Feb. 26 a=
t the Summit Artspace, 140 E. Market St., Akron, Ohio. Tickets: (330) 60=
6-5317. Website: www.bnctheatre.com<!--Article End--><!--Bibliography Go=
es Here-->  Links referenced within this article =


<!--Bibliography End--> Find this article at: =

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/stage/article_display.jsp?
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<TBODY></TBODY></TABLE><B style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 14px">New Company Bang and=
 Clatter Makes Some Noise</B><BR clear=3Dnone><I>February 03, 2006<BR cl=
ear=3Dnone></I>By Fran Heller<BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone><FONT cla=
ss=3Dbody>CLEVELAND -- If you want to start a theatre, talk to Sean Derr=
y and Sean McConaha. The two founded Akron's newest professional theatre=
, the Bang and the Clatter Theatre Company, just four months ago, and cr=
eated some noise with its critically acclaimed debut production, Sam She=
pard's <I>The Late Henry Moss</I>, last October.<BR clear=3Dnone><BR cle=
ar=3Dnone>The production reflected the founders' desire to bring avant-g=
arde theatre to the Rubber Capital of the World -- a place, like much of=
 the Midwest, that tends to be conservative in its outlook. Listening to=
 their passion and ideas is enough to convince you that Derry and McCona=
ha will be successful.<BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone>Demographic real=
ities, it turns out, are what's really driving their efforts. "We feel t=
hat it's become less of a priority for people under 40 to go to the thea=
tre, particularly younger people 18 to 25, so we're trying to find a way=
 to make it exciting, invigorating, and engaging and interesting for the=
m&hellipmaybe even 'cool,' " says McConaha, who notes that as older =
audiences, who have traditionally supported theatre, die out, a new gene=
ration of theatregoers will be needed to keep the art form alive.<BR cle=
ar=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone>Derry and McConaha think one way to attract y=
ounger patrons is to produce edgier plays -- like Patrick Marber's <I>Cl=
oser</I>, their current production. They also acknowledge that such prog=
ramming has its risks. "We believe that's where the best things happen -=
- when you take a risk. That's where growth happens," says Derry, adding=
 that edgy theatre, with demanding roles, allows actors the room to expe=
riment and grow.<BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone>Derry and McConaha say=
 that auditions for their productions are attracting quite a mix, from p=
eople with slight acting experience, such as recent college graduates, t=
o actors who have been working in the industry for years. Their acting p=
ool draws from all over northeast Ohio. There are no Equity contracts ye=
t -- the theatre is still in the throes of becoming a 501(c)3 nonprofit =
organization -- but all its actors receive a stipend.<BR clear=3Dnone><B=
R clear=3Dnone>The Bang and the Clatter (the name derives from a U2 lyri=
c) is housed in a large building called Summit Artspace, a structure tha=
t formerly housed the Beacon Journal, Akron's daily newspaper, and is no=
w owned by the Akron Area Arts Alliance. Derry and McConaha gutted 7,000=
 square feet to build their theatre, which seats between 120 and 160, de=
pending on the stage configuration.<BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone>McC=
onaha, 35, is a native of Pittsburgh and holds a bachelor's degree in th=
eatre and an M.A. in acting and directing from the University of Akron. =
He has worked as a freelance director for more than 10 years and has ser=
ved as education director and producer of youth theatre at Weathervane C=
ommunity Playhouse for the past seven years. Derry, 32, hails from Zanes=
ville, Ohio, and, like McConaha, became interested in theatre in high sc=
hool. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York an=
d later in Los Angeles. He has been a professional actor since age 19.<B=
R clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone><B>Fam=
ily Circus</B><BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone>Derry and McConaha say <=
I>The Late Henry Moss</I> cost about $5,000 to produce. This was on top =
of several thousand dollars spent to make the theatre habitable, all out=
 of pocket. Fortunately, their small theatre has gotten an inordinate am=
ount of press so far, which they attribute to the gutsy quality of their=
 work.<BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone>The company's seven-production i=
naugural season runs through the calendar year. Each show will play for =
five weeks to allow word of mouth and audiences to build. Another indisp=
ensable part of the equation: Derry and McConaha's "incredibly supportiv=
e wives." Derry and his wife, Deanne, are the parents of three; McConaha=
 and his wife, Beth, a social worker, are the parents of four. In additi=
on to working as actors and directors, both share the responsibilities o=
f artistic director and managing director.<BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dn=
one>"The secret of success is staying passionate about the work," says D=
erry. "Continuing to take the risk and not do what's safe is what will k=
eep the theatre going."<BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnon=
e>Closer <I>runs Jan. 26-Feb. 26 at the Summit Artspace, 140 E. Market S=
t</I>., <I>Akron, Ohio. Tickets</I>: (<I>330</I>) <I>606-5317. Website</=
I>: <I>www.bnctheatre.com</I><BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=3Dnone><BR clear=
=3Dnone></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!--Article End--><!--Bibliogra=
phy Goes Here-->
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<TD><SPAN class=3Dfonttitle><STRONG><FONT size=3D2>Links referenced with=
in this article</FONT></STRONG></SPAN> <BR><BR><BR></TD></TR></TBODY></T=
ABLE></DIV><!--Bibliography End-->
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<TD class=3Dfont-cn><SPAN class=3Dfonttitle><STRONG><FONT face=3DVerdana=
 size=3D2>Find this article at:</FONT></STRONG></SPAN> <BR>http://www.ba=
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