Arts & Culture Magazine - November/December 2007 - (Page 31)

Arts & Culture Magazine : : PERFORMING ARTS ‘07 sota. Since his arrival here in 1991, he returned to his roots, working in community theater and writing plays of his own. At the Players Theatre, he has choreographed and directed musicals and produced “The Play’s the Thing,” a summer festival featuring the works of local playwrights. An energetic man whose mind pops with ideas, Kin seems to go into numerous directions at once. He insists that his mantra has always been, “As long as I’m challenged and growing, I’m fine. When things become stagnant and nothing exciting or new is happening, that’s when my life becomes a little woggy.” He loves to collaborate with others, bouncing ideas back and forth and watch the creative sparks fly. That’s how he approached doing Contempo Festival in August to fill an empty weekend in the schedule. The result was feast of contemporary fusion dance, contemporary theater pieces and performance art such as Sarasota had not seen before. “We’ll do it again next year, and we’ll be able to do it better. We will have funding, include it in our special events and publicize it,” he says. But while Kin is ready to make major changes, he knows they will not happen overnight. “An organization such as The Players is like an oil tanker—it takes time and energy to turn it in a positive direction,” he says, adding with a mischievous smile, “and we don’t want it to be like the Exxon Valdez.” That does not mean he has not already had a major impact. He initiated the VIBE program to reward volunteers both on and off stage to become part of “the new vibe at The Players.” Performers in a show, for example, will get 50 points, which they can redeem for 2 tickets to the next show. For the 2008-2009 season, he plans to add two straight Above Center: Jekyll & Hyde. Photo by Ted Mase, courtesy of The Players Theatre. plays to the traditional six Broadway musicals. “That’s long overdue,” he says, “because there are people that want to do them and people that want to see them.” He wants to create a new company, “Voices of the Players,” to give youngsters that have been in the youth educational program for some time the opportunity to work with older actors and develop further. And he wants to develop SNAP—short for Something New at Players. He hopes that the pre-professional group of seasoned local actors that grew out of Contempo Festival can become the foundation for starting a second stage down the road. At the same time, because of his professional background, Kin wants to raise the bar for expectations. “Just because you don’t get paid, doesn’t mean you don’t show up on time, learn your lines, and be open to being challenged and growing.” He continues, “Theater is my life. I have fun doing it, but I am absolutely serious about it and what it can do to change people’s lives. It changed mine.” Above all, Kin understands the importance of leadership, that the person at the top is responsible for the overall atmosphere. “You can’t have someone who is negative or selfish, because that’s what your organization will become,” he says. He welcomes the members of each new cast personally and tells them that his door is always open. He also plans to go to rehearsals for every show. “I may not have much experience yet running a theater like this, but I know I can set a positive tone,” he insists. “He continues, “I can make a difference, and I can make sure that it trickles down throughout the theater. I want people to be as enthused and excited as I am. Enthusiasm and passion are contagious!” The Players Theatre is located at 838 N. Tamiami Trl. Call 941.365.2494 or visit www.theplayers.org for more information. arts and culture magazine : : 31 http://www.theplayers.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Arts & Culture Magazine - November/December 2007

Arts & Culture Magazine - November/December 2007 Contents Extra! Extra! Modern Times Gallery Interview - Jopseph Caulkins Exhibitions Dodi Reifenberg and Bradley Wester Profiles Center Stage Carnevale Horse Feathers Grill & Lounge Dancing on the Stage of Life Gallery Guide Calendar of Events

Arts & Culture Magazine - November/December 2007

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