Interview: A Quick Shot With Tito Beveridge

Tito Beveridge is the owner of Tito's Vodka. He's been pegged as one of Forbes magazine's "Ones To Watch." His vodka can been found on shelves in bars and homes all across the country. Search for "handmade vodka" and you'll get two pages on the subject of Tito's. Tito Beveridge could have chosen just about anything to do in his spare time, and he chose play writing. His first effort, THIS SIDE OF THE DIRT, is a dramatic comedy set in south Texas about a grieving mother who falls apart after the loss of her father. BWW had a chance recently to ask Tito a few quick questions about play writing, production, and how he got from there to here.

BWW: How does a guy go from oil rig roughneck to making vodka to being a playwright?

"It's a funny thing, this whole life thing, you never know what's going to happen. The price of oil got me out of the oil business. Stress got me doing creative things as an outlet. The older I get the more I realize that I'm a better business person when I'm balanced. I've painted and wrote songs for years but play writing is really different because it keeps morphing. I have really enjoyed the process."

BWW: You own a company that makes a lot of money. You can do just about anything you want in your spare time given your success as a business owner, so, why write a play? Why theatre as a medium for your story rather than another medium?

"I have done a lot of speaking as I ran around this great country of ours and realized we are different down here. I really wanted to show my friends up north a little Texas spirit in a way that relates to their own families. The way live theatre resonates with me is so strong. You only have one shot, live, no excuses. No do overs. You can feel it. It's like when I'm talking to a bunch of folks trying to keep them entertained. There is nothing between you. I love it."

BWW: Your background includes a lot of science, not the traditional route for a playwright, so it would be interesting to hear how a more scientifically minded playwright writes. How did you go about creating your story and script? What was your process?

"I thought of a funny scene and acted it out on my blackberry. Then as the characters evolved I thought of every emotionally charged thing people go through in their lives. Dealing with death of parents. Infidelity. Betrayal. Raising kids. Murder. And threw them all into those things, trying to connect the characters experiences with the individuals in the audience. I threw in some philosophy, some funny BS, a little texification, and here we are after 19 rewrites."

BWW: How did you go about getting your play produced and directed?

"Self-produced since I couldn't find anyone else to do it and I worked with director Don Toner for a year but it didn't work out. Ultimately I ran into my friend Ty Roberts coming out of his sister's house while I was walking my dogs and he agreed to direct the play. "

THIS SIDE OF THE DIRT runs through June 18th at the Dougherty Arts Center. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets. Enjoy some "texification" and complimentary Tito's cocktails while you watch the show (natch.)

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