Original Article at Review Plays
The most logical place to speak to a producer is on the stage of a production in progress.
We caught up with Paula Mitchell Manning on the stage of the Company of Angels as they prepare for an upcoming show, while she is deeply involved in the current production of Othello, playing at the Lillian Theatre.
We invite you to eavesdrop in our conversation with this fascinating and energetic dynamo who recently burst forth into the Los Angeles theatre scene.
We met Othello’s producer Paula Mitchell Manning at the Company of Angels theatre early in the morning. The dark house had the smell of sawdust and when we decided to sit at a table on stage for the interview, we were surrounded by half-built props in preparation for the next production.
Paula is a warm individual, with a contagiously friendly laugh, easy flowing speech and a demeanor that makes you feel as if you had been friends for years. If the stereotype of a producer is a cold, hard nosed, money chasing mogul, Paula instantly breaks that image with the first greeting and the twinkle in her eye.
She’s more like the neighbor who brings cookies just to say hello, and really means it when she asks “how are you?”.
[divider margin_top=”5px” margin_bottom=”20px”]
RP: Thanks for taking time to meet for the interview. First thing I’d like to bring up is this; when I read the playbill, there were three people listed as producers – John Cady, Marc Antonio Pritchett, and you, Paula Mitchell Manning. What is your role in the production?
PMM: Well, John and Marc put up the money (laughing) – None of them wanted to take the title of “executive producer”, but they put up the funds and each helped in certain areas in putting the show up. John was responsible for pulling the programs together, and he also was instrumental in helping with the ad sales, and mainly it was finance. Marc Antonio Pritchett was responsible for the production end of OTHELLO. He was the co-Producer, Director, Sound, Light, Set Designer, Edited the Video Segments and played OTHELLO
RP: And your role then –
PMM: Well they did the casting – John and Marc, with me screaming in the background “NO!” (laughing)
RP: What would make you say “No!?”
PMM: I was just kidding – that was a joke! Actually I was responsible for getting John and Marc together initially. Originally, Othello was supposed to be done at The Company of Angels, but in order for it to be fully realized, it needed to be in a larger stage. John Cady and his wife Candice used to own the building here, and I knew they put up productions from time to time in other spaces, so I put them with Marc when they decided that they were going to do it, they took me out to a restaurant and after a couple of drinks I said, “OK – I’ll help produce it”
RP: So what exactly has been your role in this production. I know that on opening night you were all over the place, with the concessions, the programs, the guest lists –
PMM: Right – press releases, trying to drum up audiences – I found a costumer and helped to hire some of the people we needed. John had found somebody to lay out the poster, hired the photographer – stood over poor Marc when he was taking the pictures hollering – “look sexy!”
RP: So what is the major duty?
PMM: Goodness, it crosses over all areas – keeping the morale of the cast and crew – being liaison between the cast and crew and the stage manager and the cast. I can’t even begin to think about everything, but I found the Lillian Theatre. My girlfriend was able to help negotiate, but I was able to find people to help us do it – we did a fund raiser before hand – I coordinated that with another helper. I think part of being a producer is finding people to help you get what you need. For example, I was able to negotiate with “Out of the Closet” for the costumes, and I was able to find a designer who could work with “Out of the Closet” and give us a look we wanted. We had a very, very skeletal budget – I mean a very small budget. Producing crosses over into so many different areas.
RP: Have you been a producer for other productions or plays?
PMM: Yes. I wrote a play at the turn of 1999 – 2000 and I really wrote it for this stage (The Company of Angels). It’s about a woman who is contemplating suicide.
RP: Oh my –
PMM: No – it’s OK – it turned out to be a musical! When I brought it to Company of Angels, they were going to produce it, but they were struggling as to whether or not they were able to pay the rent, so we pushed it back a year. Then they told me for the dance sequences they were going to get someone who was studying dance to choreograph it. So that’s when I decided to take over the producing. I had never produced a play before. In fact, I had never written one, but I was lucky. They were so many people who believed in it that wanted to help, and I had great support from the Board (of directors of Company of Angels). In fact, the president at that time helped me find a director – I wound up getting someone who had done sitcoms.
RP: Sitcoms ?
PMM: Yes, but it was great, because there’s humor in the play – but it’s dark humor and that’s how I fell into producing.
RP: Because you wrote a play ?
PMM: Because I wrote a play and I wanted to see it realized the way I saw it in my head.
RP: So what inspired you write that play in the first place?
PMM: Oh Gezzz – it’s interesting. I used to write a long time ago, and tried to get into television – I did that for a short time. But then I had an illness- I had a brain tumor so I had to stop writing because of the medication, so eventually Morty was the first piece that I wrote after five years of treatment.
RP: Morty is the name of the play?
PMM: The name of the play is ‘Flirting with Morty” – actually it’s “Flirting with Morté” which is flirting with Death – and the play is about a woman, Baby Hunter, who has lost everyone and everything in her life and the only person she has left is Morty – which is death, who’s been a friend to her throughout her life, because he’s familiar to her. So she has decided that today, because of the death of this character who is a kinda Martin Gay’ish type character, Martin Gray Jr. has died, so she decides that today is the day she wants to die. She takes the last of her money, goes to Rodeo Drive and shops, and she’s getting dressed, getting prepared for Morty. The play deals with a series of flashbacks. Throughout the play there’s this Martin Gray character who comes and sings to her, – whenever there is anything heavy or dark, there’s dance sequences, and there’s a voodoo princess who comes in and out, because the play is sort of set in the South. That’s kind of interesting because I was brought up in Harlem.
RP: Have you been to the South?
PMM: Not really – well, just Texas, visiting an aunt who was eighty years old, but I stayed in her house all the time. That was about the extent of my stay in the South. But the play did well. The cast got nominated for the NAACP best ensemble award, even though most of my cast was White. (she laughs heartily)
RP: No kidding
PMM: I got nominated with John Latham, who did the music for the 2002 Ovation awards – we got three Honorable Mentions with the Garland Awards for production, musical score and best actress – Holly Jenkins. We also were part of the Edge of the World festival, and we were Pick of Week with LA Weekly, and Mr. Blackwell gave us bravos.
RP: Mr. Blackwell?
PMM: Yes! Mr. Blackwell came on out, God bless him! And thanks to Davidson and Choi, Harlan Boll stepped up and helped my girlfriend Natalie Windsor to pull together the publicity for me. We were just very blessed. We had 22 actors altogether because I double cast. We kept losing sisters ‘cause they kept graduating and going to school. Originally we were to run for six weeks, then extended to eight weeks, but we would up running sixteen weeks. Then we had to stop because another production was coming in.
RP: That was here?
PMM: Yes – that was at this theatre. It was a great way to start out in theatre. I was mentored by this woman named Eileen T’Kaye. This was the first play I wrote, the first time I produced, so a girl friend of mine connected me with Eileen, saying I had one hour to talk to her. Well, Eileen made the mistake of answering her own phone, and I’ve never let her off the phone yet. So that was what happened with the first play. I’m hoping to bring it up again, because I’d like to see it in a bigger stage, so the dancers can have room and maybe I can get Frit and Frat Fuller to come on as choreographers.
RP: What are the names again?
PMM: Frit and Frat Fuller – Yeah I had twins – two for the price of one, as choreographers, can you believe it? Phil Ramuno, who’s a sit com director – he’s done “Grace under Fire” – in the business over thirty years stepped on as director and John Latham did the music. I sat down with John and said, “we need a song about what’s going on in her life right now and also in the life of the character Martin Gray Jr.”, and in an hour, we wrote a song sitting up front in the couch! I also told him, I need a song about molestation – a song that a father molesting his daughter would sing to her – ”
RP: A WHAT?
PMM: You know, that sounds like a fifty’s duwop, and he wrote this great song – “Candy Girl”. I would just tell him anything and he would write it! A lot of people believed in the piece and a lot of people were helpful. Producing is never about one person.
RP: All this was in “Flirting with Morty?”
PMM: All “Flirting with Morty”
RP: And after that – you’re involved with Othello?
PMM: Well, after that Eileen T’Kaye called and said, “If you can choreograph twenty-two actors by yourself, you can deal with twenty five actors with help”, and they hired me at The Theatre @ Boston Court as an associate producer, because visiting producers get the title of ‘associate producers’ and we put up, “Romeo and Juliet”.Romeo & Juliet: Antebellum New Orleans, 1836″.
RP: At the Theatre at Boston Court?
PMM: At the Theatre at Boston Court, with Michael Seel and Eileen T’Kaye and I’m so proud of that production as well. We just got nominated for the NAACP award for producing. And we were also nominated for the LA Weekly Awards and were still getting different awards – one from WTCA for acting as well. Romeo & Juleit’s actors are nominated for NAACP Theatre Awards, Tolucan Times, NoHo LA, SBV (Sutton Barthe and Vennari, my agency) and Carsey/Warner
RP: That’s impressive.
PMM: Then Eileen T’Kaye and Michael Field called me back and I worked with them on “Winter People” which is a take-off of Chekhov’s a Cherry Orchard, except it’s set in China. And then while that was going on, I produced a short, which is almost finished with post production, with Debra Wilson called “Bringing up BayBay”. I’m doing that with a wonderful woman, Florence Regina (of Soleil Films).
RP: So this is a movie that you’re doing?
PMM: It’s a movie short, about this entertainment reporter who’s trying to get an interview to save her job, with this woman called BayBay Girl who has an “Opps-Janet Jackson” moment at the Republican Convention.
RP: At the Republican Convention?
PMM: Yes –and while I was doing that, Othello started.
RP: You have a lot of things going on.
PMM: Yeah – I think it’s a little bit crazy, but I feel so lucky because I always have wonderful people working with me. And that’s all producing is –its just getting people to believe in you, and they all jump in and help.
RP: You have a fairly good size cast in Othello.
PMM: Yes- it’s about twelve or thirteen.
RP: When the production opens, you make a big issue of letting people know that this is the complete version following the Arden text. How did you decide to use this version? What brought about this concept?
PMM: That was part of Marc’s dream. Marc wanted to see it fully realized – he said ‘this is the 400th anniversary’ so he wanted to see the entire play done. This is part of his vision. We thought that was great because it’s very rare that people do the entire play. I realize it’s a long play, but this is all part of his vision. There are some scenes that are still to be put in the video.
RP: What else are you adding?
PMM: Marc envisioned a scene where you see Iago talking about the fact that Desdemona may be messing with Cassio, so on the big screen behind them you see a video of them together in the throes of each other’s arms. You see the psychological destruction.
RP: That part hasn’t been done yet
PMM: It has been done, but it’s in the process of being put in the show, even as we speak. What happened is that Marc is one of those people who had that vision for over a year and a half, and he’s so passionate about it and he couldn’t let go of the idea – he wanted to do it- hence you don’t see that part in the program; he was too busy. I did write a bio about him and a goat, but I decided not to use it.
RP: Wait a minute – you said you wrote something about him and a goat?
PMM: Oh yeah !!! (she laughs the laugh of someone who has a delicious tidbit of gossip and is bursting to tell it!)
RP: I don’t think I want to go into that.
PMM: Oh no! That’s why I didn’t use it.
RP: Let’s get back to producing. Talk about any down sides associated with being a producer.
PMM: It’s the most thankless job in America! If you do it right, nobody notices – if you do it wrong, everybody notices. Nobody really understands what you do. You’re choreographing several things at once – like I got one of the video directors to come in – and made sure everybody was set together to do the video segments. You wear so many hats, and you have to be aware of so many things, and it can be hard – meanwhile you still have to market the show. Like I have two ladies helping me call schools – let teachers know what we’re doing; mail out postcards and emails. That’s the down side. Nobody really realizes everything that you do – you know? That’s the down side.
RP: Do you foresee making a profit from Othello?
PMM: We would love to just break even.
RP: You have a large cast – are there salaries involved?
PMM: We’re under the 99 seat equity waiver – that’s the only way something like this could be done. It just the expense of putting up a show, even though we were able to get some things donated or free or reduced prices, it’s still hard. Los Angeles just doesn’t appreciate the work sometimes. You know that Los Angeles had more shows up last year than New York?
RP: Yes, we knew that.
PMM: Yet, we don’t get any respect. It’s amazing. With a play like this, especially with the length of the play, we’ll be lucky to break even and that’s what we hope. We really wanted to do an outreach to students – to seniors – to Shakespeare lovers. We’re also running up against other plays in the city. There’s a couple of other Shakespeare productions up and there’s an Othello in Fullerton.
RP: Is it the full version, like yours?
PMM: I don’t think so – I don’t know for sure. There’s a lot of competition for theatre. Even a popular show struggles in town, so we’re going to do our best.
RP: You had your first weekend last week. How were your Saturday and Sunday crowds?
PMM: The Saturday night show was about half-full. Sunday was a small house, because we ran against the Golden Globes. That’s why we’re not having a show on February 6.
RP: What’s happening on February 6th?
PMM: Superbowl Sunday. And we don’t have money for an advertising budget. So we rely on word of mouth, and the reviews.
RP: Who has reviewed it so far besides us?
PMM: We were fortunate to get Backstage West and LA Weekly as well as Toluca Times and NOHO.
RP: Let’s hope the other critics like it.
PMM: Well, we realize it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.
RP: Especially the three and a half hours.
PMM: I think that could be the challenge, but we’re still stepping up the music and putting up more multimedia, but Marc is wearing seven hats in this show – including being Othello.
RP: Definitely
PMM: And so it was very difficult for him to get everything done in time and how can you tell somebody (to change) when it’s their dream? Nobody can step in when it’s your dream.
RP: And your money! He is financing some of this, isn’t he?
PMM: Yes – John and Marc are splitting the expenses.
RP: So did Marc or John have the final word in selecting Desdemona?
PMM: You know, all three of us fell in love with her.
RP: Oh really, Victoria Ullmann?
PMM: Yes, she’s wonderful. And we’re lucky to have a very strong understudy cast. Oh my God, we’re very lucky to have these great actors.
RP: You have understudies for Iago and Othello?
PMM: Nope! They paying for it – they’re going to be at every performance! (again that contagious laughter fills the room). And it’s their dream. Iago is someone that John Cady has always wanted to play,- you could see he’s like a little boy up there playing. He has a passion for the words and a respect for it. Marc’s fantasy and passion has always been the same. They both have always wanted this to happen.
RP: Were they friends before?
PMM: They knew of each other, but the Company of Angels, let us come under their umbrella, brought everyone together and this is something they wanted to see it done as well. I used to be a board member and when I came to them and said we wanted to do this, they were extremely supportive in seeing this done. And company members are helping us do box office, and it’s really a nice loving atmosphere.
RP: It shows on stage that everyone is really tight. There are times when some conflicts between actors show up on stage, but not here. It’s evident that they all really get into this. So, what’s your next plan – your next project?
PMM: OK – finishing Bringing up BayBay which is my short film. In fact, I was just listening to the music, and I’m really excited, because Debra Wilson is so funny . . .
RP: That’s Debra Wilson, who was on MAD TV?
PMM: Yes – she’s so funny – that’s what’s taking us so long to edit it, because you just don’t want to lose anything. Somehow we managed to get that down.
(after a short roll of laughter, she gets very serious and declares . . .)
PMM: I’m, also now acting!
RP: You’re also an actress?
PMM: I just started like, last year. I decided – “Oh I think I’ll be an actress now!”
RP: Really?
PMM: What happened I was helping a woman who was doing a play here called “We Had A Dream”, and somebody didn’t show up for the audition, so I said, “Oh I’ll try it” – and I wound up getting cast! And then I got an agent (for commercials for SPB) and I was in another play which I also produced. And in this next play, I just act.
RP: What’s the name of the play?
PMM: It’s called “The Colored Museum”.
RP: That’s some name, The Colored Museum. What’s the play about?
PMM: The Colored Museum is written by George C. Wolf, and it’s a satire. In fact, it was one of the things that helped inspire “In Living Color”. It’s a satire of Black life and films and its just a very funny piece. Like, I’m playing a “wig head” – a talking wig head and it deals with Black women and their hair. I’m the Afro-Wig, and my counterpart Lee Sherman plays the Long Flowing Hair. And so we have this conversation, I’m representing the rebellious side and she represents the fantasy side and it mostly deals with Black women and their hair. We have some wonderful pieces, like one called “Get On Board” about a slave ship that has like an airline stewardess on it –
RP: You mean, like pointing out the exits and like that?
PMM: Yeah – the exits signs – all that. It’s a hilarious piece. I’m having fun with that. I love it. I’m also trying to put my play back up, because I eventually want to get it to Broadway – but I want to see it back on its feet in LA – because we couldn’t really do the dancing and weren’t able to fully realize it because of the confinement of the stage.
RP: Where would you ideally like to stage the play – if you could select any venue in LA.
PMM: I like the Lillian – I like the Ford – of course, I’m referring to 99 seaters, but my dream is to get it to Las Vegas and eventually Broadway – that’s my dream, and I think it has the legs for it.
RP: Would you use the original cast?
PMM: Some of them have aged out – but if we could get away with it, yes! In a minute. I had a phenomenal cast. There’s nothing about the play I disliked, and if I never did it again, I would still feel very proud of the accomplishment.
RP: Because you’ve done it.
PMM: Not only that – because they did a beautiful job. There were a lot of great people involved in it. You know, behind the scenes – my techie – all volunteers. They were at every performance – I mean they were there, I couldn’t pay – one of them was getting school credit, but for most part they were volunteers, the people who helped with the box and the lights and sets; I was so lucky with this. It’s all about being around good people. One person can’t put a show. And when I hear people say, Oh it’s me, and I did this and I did that – that’s so much crap! One person can’t do it!
RP: Yes – it’s a cooperative effort.
PMM: Oh yeah – and you either have to love it or leave it.
RP: So if you have dream for the future – like way off in the distance – what would you like be remembered for?
PMM: Well I’d like to have a series of television shows.
RP: You mean a regular series?
PMM: I would like to be “Carsey/Warner” – as a producer, as a writer, as an actor. I want to be the Lysol Lady.
RP: The Lysol Lady?
PMM: The Lysol Lady. Pine Sol has a chick – but I wanna be the Lysol Lady- so every time you turn the TV on you see me smiling – “Yeah! I can clean your toilet!”
(again, there is a roll of infectious laughter, enjoying the absurdity of the moment.)
PMM: Besides the Lysol Lady, I would love to do Broadway I want to be producing. I love theatre – I wish theatre paid, at least at this level. I love it. I have a deep passion for it, even though I’m fairly new at it – I’ve only been in it since 2001. I love the theatre community – the egos are not so big – everybody helps each other. It’s a loving beautiful community. I just wish there was money in it.
RP: Let me ask this in closing. When you were a little kid and people asked “what are you going to be when you grow up?” what was your answer?
PMM: First thing I wanted to be?
RP: Yes
PMM: A nun.
RP: A nun?
PMM: Well, here’s the interesting thing – I’m a Baptist.
RP: OK – That usually doesn’t work too well.
PMM: I didn’t want to kiss this boy – but now he owns a chain of record stores in Harlem. But one of the great things is – – – my husband. When I went to put this play up, when I went to put Morty up, he cashed his savings bonds he had even before we met. We went into credit card debt, he was at every rehearsal. He would go to work all day, and then come to every rehearsal and help me clean up – help me serve, because we weren’t paying the cast, so I served dinners and lunches, whatever meals they were here for. I provided their meals. He was here all the time, cleaning, helping in the building of sets, taking pictures – he’s a photographer. Everything I’ve ever wanted to do, Larry (Mitchell) has made it possible. Not just financially – he’s been right there. When we got nominated for the Ovations, I’m crying and I turn around and he’s crying too. I cannot tell you – even with Othello, he’s come in, he’s helped with the fund raising. Everything. We sat up and learned how to do the graphics because at the time we didn’t have a graphic person because we couldn’t afford it. I mean – he – has put his dreams on the backburner to help support me. I think that’s what keeps me going, because I can’t disappoint him. All the bills we’re still paying at high interest rates, can’t be for nothing.
RP: So is there anything you would like to say as a closing remark. Something you really want people to know about you or your philosophy?
PMM: Dare to Dream. That’s what my mother used to tell me.
RP: Thanks for taking time from your schedule to meet with us. Best of luck in your future projects.
[divider margin_top=”5px” margin_bottom=”20px”]
As a person who has dared to dream, Paula Mitchell Manning so far is batting 1000 in her theatrical dreams. The current project Othello may be the next giant step in her career – or depending on the crowds and critics, another obstacle that she must overcome.
Regardless of the outcome, there will be another show – another project – another dream, and we are certain that Paula will challenge it with the same dedication and sincerity she has shown so far.