Broadway West Theater occupies the top floor of the historic
Clark Building in Irvington at the corner of Fremont and Washington Boulevards.
For 22 seasons, the venue provided some of the best live theater in
the East Bay. After the June 9 closing performance of Broadway West Theatre
Company will close its curtain for good.
The pair have formed a strong bond navigating the
complexities of entertaining. “There isn’t a day gone by,” says Paula, “that
Mary and I haven’t discussed the theater.”
That closeness is apparent each time they finish each
others’ sentences, or simultaneously express the same thought. Paula acts,
directs and manages the finances; Mary also directs, paints signs, builds sets,
designs the programs, writes press releases, and handles the marketing and
social media.
“It’s very time consuming, says Paula. “We started this
theater when we were 50 and now its 21-and-a-half years later; and that’s on
top of us both having full time jobs—it’s a lot of time and no break.” “You
don’t get a weekend,” echoes Mary.
“Our original plan,” says Paula, “was to have a permanent company
of theater people who would act, direct, run the lights, and do everything; but,
you have more people who want act more than anything else. We can audition
actors. Finding the people to set up the lights and run the booth has been the
challenge.” “We’ve had a lot of high school kids through here,” says Mary, but
they do it for a couple of years then they move on.”
Running the business has been surprisingly drama-free. “The
only hiccup we had,” recalls Paula, “was when we were doing ‘Born Yesterday,’
and right in the middle of rehearsal the City decided to retrofit the building;
it was three weeks before the opening and the place was a catastrophe. You’d
think a bomb went off. I remember walking in and the director was sitting in
the middle of the floor, muttering ‘it’s ok, it’s ok, it’s ok.’”
Broadway West is unique, with a great reputation—why close
it?
“Money,” says Paula. “Our only problem has been money and making
sure we can pay the bills.” But two years ago, “we started to get behind,” says
Mary.
“That’s why we are closing—at least the main reason,” Paula
says. “Mary and I have had to subsidize the theater the last two years.When the
rent was a thousand dollars lower it was tight but it was doable; at least we
broke even.”
Royalties cost money, and of course everyone who gets hired has
to be paid. There’s the director, the lighting designer, sound designer, set
director, technicians, and pretty soon, “It’s about six to eight thousand
dollars cost for each show,” says Paula
And what of the actors? “We give the actors, you know—it’s
not much,” says Mary,"a little gas money.”
“In the early days,” recalls Mary, “I just loved working on
sets. A couple of times there were birds chirping outside and I’d been here all
night! Now by the time its six o’clock I’m tired.” “You just don’t have the
same energy,” adds Paula.
The theater’s closing brought emotional outpouring. Most of
the season ticket holders have been with Broadway West since the beginning, and
when Mary recently greeted them with the news, some of them “started crying and
hugging me, and just breaking down,” says Mary.
Would you do it again? “Oh yeah,” says Mary, “if I was fifty
again, you better believe it.” “And won the lottery,” laughs Paula.
The current production of the prize-winning ‘All in the
Timing,’ by David Ives runs through June 9.
All in the Timing
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays
8 p.m.
Sunday, Jun 3
3 p.m.
Broadway West
4000 Bay St, Fremont
For more information: http://www.broadwaywest.org/ or (510)
683-9218
$20 – $27
