THEATER: Five months ago, it was just an actors' fantasy. Opening Friday,
Theater Fusion is real.
11:19 AM CST on Tuesday, February 7, 2006
By LAWSON TAITTE / The Dallas Morning News
ADDISON – Theater Fusion opens The Turn of the Screw at Addison's Stone Cottage
Friday, ending what could be the fastest-ever local theatrical start-up.
In just over a month, as recorded in journal excerpts printed here last November,
Todd Haberkorn, 23, and Elizabeth Van Winkle, 28, came up with a business plan,
identified a prospective theater space, met with city officials and announced this first
production.Their long-range idea is to open a theater in Keller, where they hope to
begin offering educational programs this summer. But the pair was impatient to show
off Theater Fusion's potential. So they hired director Carl Savering, rented the Stone
Cottage at Addison Convention and Theatre Centre, and cast themselves as the two
performers in this radical adaptation of the famous Henry James ghost story.
Theater Fusion will offer a second Addison show, Evolution, as part of WaterTower
Theatre's Out of the Loop Festival, opening March 4.
When we checked in on Theatre Fusion, the founders had just set up a Web site, and
the theater's board had made a presentation to Keller's mayor and city manager. In
these journal excerpts, Ms. Van Winkle brings us up to date:
NOV. 15 We met with our developer and his architect, and toured a Keller
performance space we particularly appreciate. They made lots of notes about square
footage, storage space, etc., and then we had a come-to-Jesus about what is
expected of us – money! We've organized a major fundraising meeting with our board,
and that's exactly what's gotta happen – aggressive fundraising!Along those lines, I
have been working with a tournament coordinator at a very prestigious golf club in
Keller to organize a May 8 tournament.
Todd and I have also begun working on an outline for our Summer Theatre Program
for kids. I'm actually really excited about this program, which I think will need to run
three weeks instead of two if the kids are going to put together a quality production.
NOV. 27 We're THIS CLOSE to securing a lighting designer for Turn of the Screw. The
lights in this show are probably the most important design detail, since the story is
told largely through shadows. We need a genius, and we might have to take out a
loan to get one!
DEC. 2 We met with officers of the Keller Chamber of Commerce. They gave us a lot of
good advice on making contacts, shmoozing, etc. We paid our dues and became an
official member. It's an odd feeling to join a chamber, kind of like we're little kids
wearing our parents' clothes, playing dress-up. However, Todd and I are fully
prepared to move on from our post-college identities and become real-deal business
people.
DEC. 5 We met with our board to discuss fundraising. We received a schematic of our
potential space from the developer, and it's amazing – but expensive! In addition to
the space, we need funds for our summer program and our first few shows. We've
worked so hard, it's frustrating to realize what's holding us back is loads of money. So
far, one of our VPs has a lead on a grant. Other than that, it's up to our own ingenuity.
DEC. 9 Todd and I attended our first Chamber luncheon. We basically got the chance
to meet other business people and introduce ourselves. The whole purpose of these
luncheons is to network, and I guess that's where being actors comes in handy. All in
all, a positive step forward.
DEC. 10 We got a lighting designer! Tristan Decker, who came highly recommended,
has agreed to design lights for Turn of the Screw .
DEC. 11 Todd and I have realized that donations will most likely not come rolling in in
time for this production. We are going to have to fund it ourselves. Todd already sold
his new VAIO laptop for the company, and now he's put his brand new X-Box 360 on
eBay. He waited in line for six hours to get it the night it became available.
DEC. 13 Todd said he was going to sell the guitar that brings him so much joy. I talked
him out of it, needless to say. We've also discussed selling plasma, sperm.
DEC. 18 We went to Sam's Club today for household items. As I was perusing the half-
price Burberry sunglasses, Todd started asking about nonprofit benefits with the
customer service guy. Turns out that once the IRS grants us our final status, we can
get a credit card machine without the leasing fee, discounts on banners and signs,
insurance coverage for our space, etc.
We got into Out of the Loop! We're particularly excited because the show we're doing
for the theater festival is going to be a blast ... very irreverent.
I met with members of the creative team at the Stone Cottage. They had some ideas
for utilizing the space, including the fireplace, rafters, doors, etc., that should be
incredible. I get so bogged down by deadlines and multi-tasking, I forget to relax and
be creative sometimes.
DEC. 19 Todd is dropping his Actors' Equity status. With all of our expenses, having to
pay him a union salary was not going to help the company. He's pretty bummed out
about it. Being Equity was a big accomplishment for him.
We hired Andi Allen to direct our Out of the Loop show. She's going to be a perfect fit.
JAN. 9 We received the letter we've been waiting for: The IRS approved our 501(c)(3)
status! Thanks to our awesome lawyers, we have it much earlier than expected. Now
all donations will be tax-exempt (hopefully a major incentive to potential donors). And
it makes the theater feel more legitimate, somehow.
We've now had a week of rehearsals for The Turn of the Screw.. By the end of our
first five days we had blocked and developed the first 45 minutes of the show. Carl
Savering is a great director. He is able to provide a great balance of specific, pointed
direction and an openness to actors' ideas.
Todd is finding out how difficult it is to have a full-time job and rehearse a show at
night. Until this past fall, he had the luxury of being an actor only. Now he's teaching
middle school, which is EXHAUSTING! This past weekend, for example, we took our
competition drama kids to a tournament. After a week of teaching and rehearsing, we
had to wake up at 5 a.m., take the kids to Arlington, and shepherd them through their
long day of competing in multiple events like duet acting, humorous interpretation
and group improvisation. We got back home at around 8 p.m., just enough time to
look over lines before bed!
JAN. 23 (Todd Haberkorn picks up the story.) With things as busy as they are, I haven't
kept up with dates, but I'll do the best I can.
After eight hours of sweat and almost tears, the store on our Web site (theaterfusion.
net) is complete – well, phase one, anyway. Tickets can now be purchased for our
February show. We take credit cards. That's a big step!
Turn of the Screw is going well, but it's hard to get into the acting mind-set when I'm
thinking about where costumes will come from and how much they are going to cost.
Or I think: Where will we find period furniture? When should we get publicity photos?
It's hard to do the proper work on the script with all these questions in the
"producer" side of my brain. I see why theaters come and go.
This 15-hour-day schedule is good for me. It keeps my mind off other more painful
thoughts. Like my son. I don't get to see him nearly as much as I'd like. Every little
baby-related thing I come across in my daily travels makes me think of him. I see him
every other week, but there's always that couple of seconds when I go to pick him up
where he has to search for just a second about when he saw me last. Every minute I
have him counts ...
We've had some generous donations from family and some members of Fusion.
However, due to rising costs, we'll still be checking on this photo-finish as far as
budget goes, to see if we came out even.
We met with a Keller-area businessman who wants to help with the golf tournament.
He's very excited about our company coming to town. He's managed tournaments
before and is getting a large committee together.
A self-proclaimed millionaire – he could be related to Robin Williams as far as his
mystical, erratic energy – says he wants to donate to Fusion. Obviously, we are
skeptical ... more on this later.
So we're running lines and working as opening night approaches.
E-mail ltaitte@dallasnews.com
The Turn of the Screw Opens Friday at 8 p.m. and runs through Feb. 12 at the Stone
Cottage Theatre, Addison Conference and Theatre Centre, 15650 Addison Road,
Addison. $12 to $25. 469-644-7492. theaterfusion.net.
