Penobscot Theatre Company’s Berry takes the helm for SPA production of “Wyoming”

The University of Maine School of Performing Arts Division of Theatre and Dance has recruited a notable local artist to helm their latest offering.

Jonathan Berry is the artistic director of Penobscot Theatre Company, a professional regional theatre company based in Bangor. During his tenure there, he has directed many shows and helped shepherd even more through their production process.

Now, Berry is bringing his own unique vision and deep-seated professionalism to the Hauck Auditorium stage.

The SPA production of “Wyoming,” written by Brian Watkins and directed by Berry, is scheduled to run from February 27 through March 2, with performances at 7:30 PM February 27 & 28 and March 1 and 1:00 PM on March 1 & 2. Tickets are $12; admission is free with a student MaineCard. Tickets can be purchased here.

In this Q&A, Berry discusses his background in educational theatre and his process for developing a show, as well as his reasons for selecting this piece. He also delves into his feelings about the benefits that come from this sort of academic/professional theatre crossover.

(The following has been lightly edited for length and clarity.)

What is your background in educational/academic theatre?

Oh my gosh – where to begin?  I have a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Michigan and have gone through all of the coursework for an MFA in Directing from Northwestern University (got busy with directing and never finished my thesis…) BUT, I also worked for 20 of the 25 summers at The School at Steppenwolf – a 10 week intensive where a class of professional actors studied at Steppenwolf for the summer to experience ensemble acting techniques.  And that, for me, was really seminal – watching talented professionals try to articulate their process to driven students.  I moved from program assistant to program director, to Viewpoints instructor, to running the program a second time and all of that experience was invaluable to me – the act of articulating the HOW of the seemingly ephemeral act of becoming someone else.  

Additionally, I taught performance and directing classes at Northwestern, Columbia College, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, UIC, and that was always incredibly enriching for me.  It reminds me all the time that we are craftsman in this field, and that while there is unlimited possibility within the art, there’s also some basic structure that, through repetition, you get better at.  And having to articulate that each time, to a new class of students who are coming at the work from their own perspectives, is incredibly gratifying and makes me a better artist.  

What prompted you to choose this play?

This play has been on my radar for nearly 8 years.  It came out in 2015 and was well received but didn’t take off, regionally, and then someone used it for scene study work in a School at Steppenwolf session and I sort of fell for it immediately.  It has all of the things I love – rich, complicated characters, taut familial dynamics, some mystery – and that you really need a terrific ensemble to play together and listen and be in relationship.  Plus, I think, it just offers actors some great opportunities to let loose and some great drama.  And I love that it’s structured where the first act are duets or monologues, and then it comes together in the 2nd act for this massive Thanksgiving scene that is ALL about a big ensemble navigating something together.  It’s been a real joy working with the students and seeing them dig in to the material in such a significant way. 

How do you feel WYOMING will resonate, both with the student cast and with the audience?

Even though the situation in the play is heightened from an audience’s everyday experience (at least I hope so!) I think there is something relatable for everyone, about the specific nature of family dynamics.  Brian Watkins, the playwright, is a master at creating windows into characters and their motivations, and I think the audience (both students and non-students) will see an experience that reflects their own familial relationship while simultaneously providing a window into someone else’s perspective – maybe someone you NEVER would have thought you’d find commonality or understanding with.   And I think it’s just a great ride for  the audience to go on – you spend the first act putting toether thses pieces of understanding and then, once you have all the set up, he puts all of the different relationsiups in a room and then lights a match.  It’s very exciting 

What are some differences in your approach as far as academic versus professional theatre?

Short answer is that there isn’t much difference – the basic approaches to collaboratively telling the story are all present and you have to do all of them in order for the story to be successfully received.  What DOES feel a little different is that, professionally you are working with people who, hopefully, have a pretty well-established process for how they approach a project.  With students, that process is a little less developed, so you spend a bit more time teaching some acting while also directing the play.  It’s fantastic, on your feet, practical experience for the actor because they can see, in real time, how an approach or a thought lands and then feel immediate results in their performance.  And, since a lot of the students have already worked together in their years of college, a director is also the beneficiary of some built in ensemble work – they already know and, for the most part, trust one another and so there’s a willingness to be brave and take leaps that sometimes takes a longer time to generate in a professional setting.  

In what ways do you feel a collaboration like this benefits both parties (UMaine and PTC)?

I think some version of education should be present in all regional theaters and, in the best scenarios, you have a range of opportunities from toddler all the way up through college students.  Because, frankly, the regional theater movement is still struggling to grow its audience and to be a choice of entertainment for people under 35.  One of the ways to combat that is for an institution to invest in specific outreach and engagement with younger age groups, and continue to ladder up the engagement until they, either, grow into a local artist community or shift into being a supportive and engaged patron who will continue to attend and support the theater as they move through their lives.  And for the University, their students are receiving professional training and opportunities that will prove invaluable experience for anyone who wishes to pursue this work beyond college.   It really does create an ideal symbiotic relationship that provides needed resources and benefits to both organizations.  But if a regional theater isn’t actively cultivating its next generation of audience and artists, and if a university isn’t providing its students real world, practical application and access to the current job market, then I think both institutions are missing a great, and important opportunity.