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Curtain rising on new theater troupe

12/11/05

by Renée Beasley Jones
Messenger-Inquirer

A new theater troupe has formed in Owensboro.

Merely Players is a repertory company for all ages and experience levels. Its founding members are looking for 16 to 30 actors who will produce more avant-garde pieces of theater, such as sketch comedy, cabaret-style musical revues, material from emerging playwrights, radio theater and classics with a modern flair.

It will be a member-driven group, said founding artistic director Alan Velotta. Players will select the material, and they will take turns as actors and directors.

The main venue for now will be Zazu, a jazz-blues club on East Second Street. Performances will take place there on Tuesday nights, perhaps as soon as the end of February.

"The whole point of this group is to make theater affordable and accessible and to expose people who may never see live theater," Velotta said.

It is not in direct competition with Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, but rather a complement for it, he said. The emphasis is on reaching new audiences, which should prove in the best interests of Theatre Workshop of Owensboro and the RiverPark Center.

"What they do is fantastic, and they've been doing it for years," Velotta said. "This is more for an intimate setting with food and cocktails."

And the $5 cover charge makes theater affordable for almost everyone, he said. Some performances may be free.

Merely Players will present a different show each month. While one is in rehearsal, another will be featured at the nightclub. Rather than hosting auditions for each show, the troupe will select a talent pool through auditions a couple times a year.

Darren Cohen, a New York City conductor and vocal coach, has agreed to act as Merely Players' music consultant. Cohen and Velotta became friends when Velotta attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.

Mike Filbin, executive director of Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, likes the sound of Merely Players' plans. "What they're doing is promoting the arts, which is great," he said. "It may stimulate the arts."

Theatre Workshop of Owensboro has an outreach program in which the company takes one act shows out into the community. The program is well-received in the community, Filbin said, and there may be a chance for Merely Players and TWO to partner in the future.

Phoebe Athey is a founding board member of Merely Players. She's more interested in writing than acting, but she likes to support the arts when possible.

The RiverPark Center and Theatre Workshop of Owensboro each have their niche, and Merely Players will attract its own audience, too, she said.

"I would think it will be the most off-center, revolutionary venue. It will be at the absolute opposite end of the spectrum," Athey said.

To Join

Learn more about Owensboro's newest performing arts group, Merely Players, online at www.merelyplayers.org. An organizational meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at Healing America, Ninth and Allen streets.