PREVIEW : Theater Company Makes a Home for the Classics

In “Hamlet,” “a noise within” can often be found as a stage direction. But since fall, the phrase has taken on another meaning: It’s the name of a new theater company based in Glendale.

The name choice was no coincidence, says co-artistic director Art Manke. In November, the group of professional actors produced “Hamlet” as its first show, and took the appropriate-seeming phrase as its name.

The classical orientation was no accident, either. Husband and wife team Geoff and Julia Elliott had wanted for several years to form a classical theater in the Los Angeles area. Last year they joined forces with four other actors to pursue the dream. Since everyone involved had received training at the American Conservatory Theatre, or ACT, in San Francisco, which offers advanced classical instruction, a classical company seemed apropos.

In keeping with that orientation, A Noise Within will present William Congreve’s “The Way of the World” and William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” in repertory, as its second and third productions.

Glendale was chosen as a home for the company because, says executive director Julia Elliott, “there are not too many options for theater here” and thus little direct competition. Word spread about the group, and the Glendale Historical Society took an active role in helping it find a site. As a result, the owners of the Masonic Temple Building, a five-story, Gothic-style structure that opened in 1929 and had been vacant for 30 years, offered the use of their property.

Elliott is more than a little enthusiastic about the company’s working space, which she calls a “jewel in Glendale.” The plays are staged in the third-floor auditorium, which comfortably seats about 85 people and has movable church-style, padded pews. Now that A Noise Within has a home, “the future looks promising,” Elliott said.

From the start, the company’s eagerness and dedication have been high, but its production budget painfully low. Nevertheless, reaction to the first show was favorable, Elliott said. Actors worked for free, as did the technical crew. Individuals and companies donated the use of costumes, lighting and other necessities. And attendance at “Hamlet” was so good that its original four-week run was extended another week.

As a result of “Hamlet,” additional actors joined the company. The core group has grown from six to 21, and the company continues to expand. To join, an actor must first be recommended by a current member and then work on a show to demonstrate proficiency. Manke said the upcoming shows were cast mainly from the pool of company actors, although more than 100 others were considered. Unlike some classical companies that practice narrow casting policies, Elliott, who is of Cuban ancestry, said A Noise Within welcomes people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Manke said the company is billing its next two shows as “The Spring Season of Romance--The Agony and Ecstasy of Love.” He said “Way of the World” was chosen as the second production because it is a comedy and because of its relevance to our times. “It’s a lively and contemporary look at the way men and women treat one another in the name of love,” he said.

Sabin Epstein, who specializes in stylistic plays and is also a director at ACT, will direct.

Rather than focusing on concept, Manke says, A Noise Within is interested in the language of classic plays. When he directs “Merchant,” he said his main intent will be to reveal the meaning of the play. He opposes putting concept before content, for example, setting “King Lear” on the plains of Central America. “What does that really have to do with what Shakespeare was saying?” he asked. “Shakespeare’s plays have been around for 400 years. There’s a reason for that. Changing the concept would be like taking a Beethoven symphony and changing the key.”

After its spring season, A Noise Within will break until fall, Manke said. Although the fall schedule has not been chosen, he said, the company may bring back one or both of the spring productions in repertory.

“What we learned from ‘Hamlet’ is that people really did want to come and see Shakespeare,” Elliott said.

“We set out to do a simple workshop production,” Manke added. “Rather, the result was an elaborate, expensive-looking show. It gave us the courage to continue. We know we are doing the right thing.”

“Way of the World” previews tonight and opens Saturday. “The Merchant of Venice” previews Thursday and April 3 and opens April 4. Thereafter, shows run in repertory every other night, Thursday to Sunday, through April 26, at the Masonic Temple Building, 234 S. Brand Blvd. Curtain time for performances is 8 p.m., except on Sundays, 7 p.m. Call (818) 753-7750.