Feature: New Theater Company Launches with MAN OF LA MANCHA

These are trying times in the theater business. Despite the intriguing spate of new works and dazzling revivals nationwide, theater companies have struggled to restore the pre-pandemic volume of ticket sales and attendance. Truncated seasons are becoming a norm, and many theaters have shut down entirely.

It's fair to wonder why anyone would want to start a theater group for a lukewarm general public. Even in the best of times, theater companies must endure the exacting series of trial and error that comes with the territory.

None of the above seems to faze the husband-and-wife team of Zach and Sarah Wetzel, founders of Stage Foundation Community Theatre (SFCT), a newly minted non-profit organization currently stationed at St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church. 

Having run a similar organization, I'm not one to patronize the Wetzels for braving an ambitious terrain. Zach, who assumes the dual role of executive and artistic director, projects quiet confidence and conveys high regard for the team of artists he has assembled. Admittedly, it's easy to relate to his passion for creating meaningful theater, odds be damned.

By now, Zach and Sarah should anticipate the usual queries: Who is the target audience? What kind of story does the company have to tell? What unique qualities set the company apart from those that have been around but can barely survive the post-pandemic residuum? In fact, how does a fledgling company attract the talent it needs to be competitive?

For SFCT, a terse reply suffices: Establish a committed team and collaborate with folks who share similar interests.

Ergo, St. Francis in the Foothills has become a significant player in the development of SFCT. Known for its decades-long engagement in the performing arts, St. Francis had been a critical outlier in a theater network dominated by secular companies. In-house productions drew audiences beyond the Church's immediate reach. But leadership turnover and staff attrition (all volunteers) rendered operations implausible. When Covid-19 made its dramatic entrance, the theater company dropped the curtain for good.

Since artists rarely believe in accidents, the subsequent context bears attention. During last season's run of Arts Express' production of TITANIC, THE MUSICAL, Zach developed a connection with fellow cast member Mike Wilkinson, a local playwright/novelist and a longtime member of St. Francis' leadership team. Mike had been writing plays and directing productions at St. Francis before the theater's unfortunate closure.

One thing led to the next. Two like-minded artists with a singular vision, Wetzel and Wilkinson struck up a deal to collaborate, reviving the creative spirit that had long distinguished the community's progressive outreach since the 1970s.

The Wetzels are earnest in their mission to foster innovation and inclusion. SFCT aims to specialize in original works and to collaborate with local artists to create "quality productions to inspire and uplift" the Tucson community. Like every "itinerant" theater company across the country, SFCT must now rely on the stability of a partner institution with the physical foundation to serve its needs. At St. Francis, it's a classic win-win situation for two deserving entities.

For their initial collaboration, Zach and Mike agreed to stage MAN OF LA MANCHA. It's been a dream project of Zach's and an apt vehicle for Mike's directing acumen. 

Mike Wilkinson sees the historical and geopolitical significance of staging LA MANCHA in today's extremist climate. "It was really important to me that we not just do a show, but that we do a show that caused some reflection on social situations. The way this show looks at power -- and power over one another. 'I can come into your country and throw as many bombs as I want, and I'm more powerful, so you can't do anything about it...This show is about The Church having enough power to start The Inquisition." 

"We're doing it in the round, too, which is new," says Zach Wetzel. "I don't think anyone has ever done it here in the round, but correct me if I'm wrong." 

Right or wrong, MAN OF LA MANCHA makes sense as a launching piece. It affirms the shared vision of SFCT and St. Francis to summon an age-old wisdom: deploy the theater as a vital force for community engagement and defy the impossible.

There is only one weekend of performances, so avail yourself of a unique opportunity to see a favorite classic and support local theater.

Photo/Art Work credit: Sarah Wetzel

SFCT, in Association with St. Francis, Presents MAN OF LA MANCHA

July 28, 29, and 30, 2023, at St. Francis in the Foothills Community Center

4625 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718

For tickets, visit www.stagefoundation.org

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