Interview: Stephanie Shroyer's Prowess On Display In L.A. Theatre, Classrooms & WONDERLAND

A Noise Within (ANW) will premiere their filmed staging of ALICE IN WONDERLAND streaming May 27, 2021. This Lewis Carroll classic, adapted by Eva Le Gallienne and Florida Friebus, was actually the last live production mounted on the ANW stage when theatres shut down last March. Stephanie Shroyer, who directed and conceived this Spring 2020 production, graciously agreed to answer a few of my queries.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Stephanie!

You originally conceived and directed ALICE IN WONDERLAND last spring. How far into your production did you get before theatres locked down?

We were able to preview and hold opening weekend of the show. The theatre's closing for the pandemic occurred in what would've been the show's second week/weekend.

Have you made any tweaks to your last year's live show to this year's filmed one?

Yes! Most of the tweaks were driven by COVID protocol. Actors had to social distance, so the entire show had to be staged with that in mind. When there were moments were actors hugged, held hands, embraced, etc. different creative solutions had to be found. There were also some staging adjustments to accommodate filming.

Did you work closely with Julia Rodriguez-Elliott in re-staging/adapting ALICE to film?

No, due to the strictness of COVID-19 health protocols for gathering in a theatre space the re-staging/adapting of ALICE for the film was undertaken by the resident artist team at ANW under the artistic leadership of Julia. They were very careful to keep the number of people in the space at a minimum to ensure the highest measure of safety for those present.

At A Noise Within, it's not uncommon to be rehearsing multiple shows in rep. How much rehearsal did you have for this filmed version?

We rehearsed for two weeks before filming.

Did you rehearse via Zoom before gathering in person on stage to shoot?

We did not rehearse via zoom. All rehearsals were in person.

Will your entire 2020 cast reprise their roles in the present one?

The only cast change is the White Rabbit which is played by Jeremy Rabb. The rest of the cast is the original cast.

What serendipity brought you to ANW originally? As an audience member? Auditions? Professional referrals?

I actually go way back with the company to when it was a twinkle in the founder's eyes. Geoff, Julia and I have a common background in having trained at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and arrived in Los Angeles around the same time after school. All three of us were members of another theatre company here in L.A. when the early work of building the institution that is today's A Noise Within began. In fact, I was a supporter and lucky audience member in an early first effort in a tiny storefront where seeds of their vision first were evidenced... a wonderful production of Lanford Wilson's THE MOUND BUILDER'S. Across the years, Geoff and Julia have invited me to come and play with them in ANW seasons in Glendale, East L.A. and here in Pasadena as a director, choreographer or movement director.

How many of ANW's eight annual A CHRISTMAS CAROL have you been in?

Actually none as an actor, although I did movement and choreography for Geoff's original adaptation that debuted during the company's residence in East L.A. I remember quite fondly teaching Bill Hunt, that year's Scrooge, a polka for the Fezziwig dance!

You direct shows in theatres all over Los Angeles. What criteria do you look for before agreeing to take on the directorial reins?

I love projects that lend themselves to physical storytelling. Plays that have potential to be illuminated because of a visual or movement component are irresistible to me. I am drawn to ensemble pieces... where it takes everyone to tell one story. Finally, the vision of the theatre and the collaborators on the project draw me like a moth to flame. I want to work where I can learn.

Not only do you act and direct, you also choreograph. What did you study first?

Hmmmm... seems a simple question but for me leads to a quandary! If you ask my family of origin, you'll get a resounding "directing!!!" They'll say that because I was the oldest in my family and was always the one with the ideas for what and how we would play (they call it bossy...). If you want the technical answer about formal study, I would have to answer choreography/dance. I was a physical education major in undergraduate school, so the science of movement was my first training. From there it proceeded to dance, then acting and finally to directing. As I look back at my trajectory across time... they all seem so interwoven I think I was always studying all three!

Which of these three of your talents give you the most gratification?

While the study of acting and my time spent as an actor was something for which I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do, I always was the most compelled by the collaborative aspects of bringing a play to the stage. As an actor I was a part of that collaboration, but I also found myself drawn to the power of the theatrical space, objects within it, costumes and props as story tellers in and of themselves. As the director and/or choreographer working with these elements, as well as the actors, to tell story gratifies (and challenges) me artistically in a life sustaining capacity!

Where would you rate your teaching prowess in your overall fulfillment?

Oh my, I love teaching. Your question uses the noun "prowess" in terms of my teaching which is interesting to me. The first definition of "prowess" is "skill or expertise in a given field" but I relate to it's second definition, "exceptional bravery or valor". It's here that I find my fulfillment in teaching. To truly learn, there must be somewhere in the trajectory a reckoning with failure. To know one may fail takes bravery, a valiant courage to be curious about the unknown and the humility that the learning that occurs in a teachable moment may not be visible or appreciated. To teach an art form is to lead, by example, what it is to not know yet be committed to finding out. Where Geoff, Julia and I studied in San Francisco, it was called "Daring to Fail"... sharing that "prowess" with my students and artistic collaborators is a source of tremendous fulfillment.

As a former artistic director of Pacific Resident Theatre and founding artistic director of The 24th Street Theatre, what changes in the Los Angeles theatre community have you seen since you first mounted the L.A. boards? (changes up to lockdown, that is.)

When I first arrived in L.A. and was involved in the building of the theatre's you mention, it was a time of great expansion of the 99-seat theatre's in the southland. This plan was conceived to help facilitate the moving of smaller theaters to mid-size and large venue's able to compensate artists at living wage. Looking back, I see how vigorously we were working to learn about funding, business models, board building, development, fundraising at the same time trying to carve out an artistic niche in the cities theatrical landscape. It was a lot for a group of young people with a vision of making something themselves, rather than joining established institutions. It's rewarding to see that Pacific Resident Theatre has an established place in the theatre community; 24th Street grown into a seminal arts education institution operating at the forefront of what theatre can do to bring a community together. Of course, these "visionaries of making" are still coming to the southland in today's landscape, and it seems their focus has expanded along with the trajectory of technology. I also see these new makers holding an exciting commitment to the development of new work. There is so much interdisciplinary art that is happening now... video interplay with live performance, the immersive theatre movement. All very exciting. Time and experience has made progress with paying artists, but this remains a goal I hope the community continues to prioritize.

What do you think it will take for the L.A. theatre community to revitalize itself?

Daring to Fail!!! We must have the prowess (second definition) to take chances... work with open curiosity... and finally... trust... ourselves and one another.

What will your next ANW production be?

Nothing in the works at this writing. I look forward to seeing them return to the stage!!!

What's in the post-pandemic future for Stephanie Shroyer?

I just yearn to be in a real space, in real time, with real people and have the joy of being in the proximity of a story waiting to be told, needing to be told and being invited to come play.

Thank you again, Stephanie! I look forward to meeting your ALICE.

For viewing tickets to stream ALICE IN WONDERLAND through June 20, 2021; log onto anoisewithin.org A special opening night Zoom afterparty with the artists will be available for people who purchase May 27 tickets.