Young Actors Wait--on Stage--for a Big Break

Dion Luther is 0 for 15--15 auditions for acting jobs since graduating last May from California Institute of the Arts, and no work. So Luther, along with eight other aspiring actors from the CalArts class of ‘89, have found a remedy for rejection, a chance to polish their talent while waiting for a career breakthrough. Last fall, they formed the Santa Clarita Repertory Theatre, which tonight and tomorrow will present “The Frog Prince” by David Mamet and “Spring Dance” by Horton Foote at CalArts.

“It’s hard to call yourself an actor when you’re home watching television,” said classmate Todd Licea, 24, who also has been struggling to find work in film and television. “I know a lot of actors who wait for things to happen. We haven’t stopped working since graduation. We’re not getting paid, but we’re paying our dues.”

They have no permanent venue. “We’re a gypsy group,” said artistic director Tony Doupe. And they have few financial resources--members spent $400 of their own money to stage two productions last October and December. (The city of Santa Clarita and the Friends of Hart Park, however, have tentatively agreed to help sponsor the theater company’s July production of Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew.” A dollar figure has yet to be determined.)

The theater group hopes to perform five or six plays a year, exclusively in the Santa Clarita Valley, including one production for children. Except for community theater provided by the Canyon Theater Guild, company members say, the Santa Clarita Valley offers no quality drama--the closest outlets remain in Hollywood and Los Angeles.

“That’s a long drive for a lot of people,” said David Ian Stears, 27, the group’s managing director. “Many people don’t get exposed to any theater.”

For company members, the group is more than a chance to hone their craft and help their community. It’s a reunion they imagined wouldn’t happen for decades, if at all. Together as CalArts students for three years in the master’s program, they developed a bond they expected to be broken by graduation.

Instead, they hold rehearsals at CalArts--some still work there--and meet formally at least once a week to plan productions.

Their friendship gives them the freedom to fail.

“We can fall on our face in front of each other,” said Linda De Rosa, 28. “You try everything, and actors need that. If we were to join another company, it would take us a long time to get to know them.”

And after an often frustrating day of auditions in Hollywood, such support can be invaluable.

“It’s a nice, safe haven to come back to these people,” said Doupe, 26. “You start questioning yourself as an actor, and you come back to this group and you say, ‘I am good.’ You need that.”

Plus, the group gives them more control over their acting choices. “We can do shows we want to do,” said Doupe, “instead of auditioning for a show we’re not quite sure of.”

Doupe said that although they use the facilities at CalArts, the repertory group seeks its own identity. “We aren’t students any more,” Doupe said.

Still, their association with the school and each other could be perceived as an escape from entering the highly competitive acting community. Sherry Tschernisch, a faculty member, however, sees the repertory company as a logical step forward for the young actors.

“This is what they ought to be doing,” Tschernisch said. “And what better place to start a company than here? More and more people graduating from here are choosing to live here instead of Los Angeles. This way, they will be providing quality theater.”

Santa Clarita City Councilman Carl Boyer cautioned, however, the Santa Clarita Valley may not be ready to support another theater group.

“One of the problems is that people in Santa Clarita see downtown Los Angeles as the place to go for culture, and it’s going to take a lot of education for them to realize they can get it here,” Boyer said.

Rick Huntington, director of the Canyon Theater Guild, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, said in the past two decades, several theater groups have failed to sustain a permanent company in the Santa Clarita Valley.

“I take them all with a grain of salt,” Huntington said. “It takes time to catch on, and these groups haven’t been able to do that. We’ve always been a few steps away from collapse. Only now are we more settled and still we’re not even reaching 10% of the people. It takes real staying power, and we’ll find out if this group has it.”

Members claim they do. “We get frustrated because we’d like this to move faster, but we’re not going anywhere,” Doupe said. “We’ll make this work.”

Their goal is to raise $230,000 by fall, which they say would lead to the purchase of a facility and equipment and cover production costs. They will apply for grants from federal and state agencies.

They have conceived a plan for a performing arts tent that would hold 150 seats, and cost less than $150,000. Doupe said no sites have been discussed.

Last year, when the group staged its first two productions--”The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” in October at Soledad Elementary School in Canyon Country, and “The Night Before Christmas” in December at Saugus High School--there was no admission fee. Patrons donated toys, which were given to local churches for distribution. Doupe said about 100 people showed up for each performance.

They hope to sell tickets for future plays, but stressed prices wouldn’t exceed $15. The CalArts shows tonight and tomorrow night at 8 are free.

“The whole community would be able to afford it,” said Catherine Daley, 25, the group’s associate producer. “We’re not going to charge $50. There are profit houses that do that. We’re a nonprofit organization.”

Meanwhile, as they try to raise money to realize their vision for the Santa Clarita Valley, they haven’t neglected their acting careers. They say the company doesn’t take time away from their busy audition schedule.

“I want to be part of that world,” said Luther. “I’m not discouraged by all the rejections. To be 0 for 15 isn’t bad.”

The Santa Clarita Repertory Theatre will present two plays--David Mamet’s “The Frog Prince,” and Horton Foote’s “Spring Dance”--at 8 tonight and tomorrow night at CalArts in Ensemble Theatre I. Admission is free. For more information, call (805) 255-5237.