“What was the last project you’ve worked on without
a UCLA theater person?” actor Mark Pellner asked during a
rehearsal for “Radio Show.”
“I don’t think ever. You always get your job through
somebody (you know at UCLA),” fellow actor Mike Peebler
replied.
“Radio Show” is an original musical written by UCLA
theater MFA graduates Robert Porch and Paul Ellis. With a cast
predominantly composed of UCLA theater graduates, “Radio
Show” exemplifies how networking within the UCLA School of
Theater, Film and Television is vital for students.
Though some accuse Los Angeles of being a theater wasteland,
these graduates disagree with that stereotype. They have used their
UCLA connections to involve themselves in work they find
worthwhile.
While a graduate student at UCLA, Ellis started Meddling Kidz, a
production company that connected his theater class to other actors
and dancers to maximize their connections to talent. The company
continues today and is producing “Radio Show.”
Many of Los Angeles’ hundreds of small theaters produce
plays mainly for the purpose of showing actors to agents rather
than emphasizing the plays themselves, Peebler explained. The
actors in “Radio Show” say the musical’s
originality separates it from this “showcase”
theater.
“Theater in L.A. gets a bad rap because probably
two-thirds of it is garbage because it’s making a
showcase,” said Peebler. “On the other hand, you find
theaters that have an artistic vision in mind or create their own,
which is sort of what we’re doing here. You know there is
meaningful theater work being done here. It’s just you have
to sit through so much crap.”
When these actors graduated, they chose to use their connections
in Los Angeles instead of going to New York. Although New York is
generally regarded as the theater capital, Ellis and Porch agree
that Los Angeles is a prime place for original theater work because
of the abundance of small theaters and the lower cost of staging
shows.
“You know going to UCLA there are a lot of people doing
quality work and a lot of theaters, and (UCLA alumni) really want
to be a part of the quality projects and not the showcase theater
that is done a lot,” Porch said.
While Los Angeles may not be known as the ultimate destination
for theater, it is clearly the center of the entertainment
industry. This location allows UCLA graduates to pursue theater
while working in film and television. The graduates agreed that
film and television are sources of financial support that allow
them to pursue creative theater.
Having so many theater graduates in Los Angeles creates an
enviable talent pool from which Porch and Ellis drew for their
play.
“We wanted to get the most talented cast and musicians.
It’s not personal; it’s what is going to make the best
product, the best show. It is a credit to UCLA that they’ve
produced really talented actors, and we’re fully taking
advantage of it,” Porch said.
The musical focuses on one of the last broadcasts of a radio
station that is losing its audience and fears a looming corporate
takeover.
“(On this broadcast) they are putting on their two best
radio shows to keep interest because the survival of the station
depends on what happens on this particular night,” said
Porch.
The two shows the station airs are the one-act musicals
“Fireside Adventures” and “Middle of
Nowhere.” Ellis developed “Fireside Adventures”
for his master’s thesis, and it centers on the underworld
culture of early 20th century thieves. After they graduated, Ellis
and Porch wrote “Middle of Nowhere,” a show about a
small-town bar that gets inundated one night with people escaping
their fears in the city.
Even though connections to UCLA have clearly worked for these
writers, and they agree that Los Angeles welcomes original theater,
producing a play is still a huge gamble. Listening to Porch and
Ellis talk about the risks of producing the musical evokes the
risks of the characters in their play.
“Art imitates life and it’s so obvious,” Ellis
said. “We’re not even sly that we’re in the same
boat as the station. I’m having the best time, but I’m
so scared, it’s like this white hot terror at the same time,
and I was like, “˜Why did we do this?’ It’s crazy,
but it’s the thrill of it.”