Tuesday, December 7
We asked Danny Mitarotondo, the co-artistic director of The Common Tongue Theater Company, the same questions we asked Lila. Here is what he had to say:
1. How and why did you start your theater company?
As Lila said, Atlantic solidified in all of us a sense of ownership. And from there it went pretty smoothly. You see, it’s really, really easy to be a victim in the arts (and for that matter in life, right?). Many people thrive on it (negatively) using the odds, the sacrifices, the nature of auditioning, production, etc. as excuses rather than challenges; as validation that they’re better off being potential, rather than kinetic energy. Pretty much our whole acting class bonded over a sense of self-worth and self-ownership. We saw these facts of the business as given circumstances not barriers. We knew we had kinetic energy and ownership and we knew that’s all you need. The rest – creating a structure of leadership, a model, a mission, etc. – that all came with time and as we evolved as people and artists. And it will most certainly continue to evolve in the years and years to come.
Ultimately, we believe (above all else) that endurance and hard work yield success. Talent is only called talent when people work hard enough to show it. You have to believe you’re worth it. And we knew we were worth it. We decided that we weren’t going to watch time tick by and wait for someone to tell us to start our lives. We formed a family, and we weather the changes together. And together we make the work we want, on our own terms, by our own standards.
It’s not hard to form a company. You do it. And maybe you lose sleep. But you get it back in the work you make and in the friends you share it with. You get it back with your family by your side.
2. What is CONNECT FIVE?
Yes and yes to what Lila said! Coming off our work with Edward, we wanted to do something bigger – something that would give us the chance to put our work out there for a longer period of time, and reach a larger demographic. We contacted Wendy and Lucy – two writers we wanted to work with and admire – and when they agreed to write new work for us, we framed the evening with two new works from our own company.
Serendipitously, all the plays dealt with this idea of connection; of simple connection and misconnection. They also created an awesome evening of theater, one that covers the whole landscape – solo show, duet, comedy, tragedy, abstract, absurd, realistic, gay, straight, man, woman, parent, child – it’s all here. And yeah, I came up with the title in a dream, but only after Lila started the name game going! 😉
3. Why are you doing CONNECT FIVE and what are your goals for the project?
With Edward, we set a precedent for the quality of work we want to produce, and our interests at large: connecting members of the theater community, working closely with writers, and exploring identity in modern times. We also, through that project, made process a part of our product – something that really excites me as a director and Co-Artistic Director.
CONNECT FIVE takes all of this one step further. It is our big “hello” to the larger community. It takes all of the themes we began with All Over and gives them legs to run. It’s a hand shake, a kiss on the cheek, and a giant hug all in one. A taste of things to come in our future, but also a flagship moment for our group. A big, giant step.
We couldn’t be MORE excited about these plays and the production teams we’re working with to make them happen! Come out this January and CONNECT with TCT! CONNECT FIVE Times if you can! 😉