Outdoor drama idea still kicking

By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

July 01, 2008 07:48 pm

— GENEVA — Plans for the proposed outdoor drama theater are still on the drawing board, as a committee takes major steps in developing the story and financial groundwork for the project, Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) president Tony Long said.
“We are working on two things: A story and the cost of development. We need a great story to bring people in and a great business plan to keep this thing on track,” Long said.
The committee includes Long, Geneva City manager Jim Pearson, school board member Ed Brashear, and councilmen Jeff Piotrowski and Rodger Fuller. Together the men have recruited the artistic minds of Ken Johnson and Mike Breeze to help weave a story for the show.
The outdoor historical dramas are original plays, often with music and dance, based on significant events and performed in amphitheaters located where the events actually occurred. The proposed Geneva drama would be set on a remote city property and would be managed, designed, directed and acted by professionals during 65 days of production and would be considered a nonprofit organization. The outdoor amphitheater would seat a minimum of 600 audience members. The story, which hasn’t yet been scripted, would always stay the same, Pearson said.
“It is important to realize that we are developing the story and the business plan independently of each other. To us they are two different, but equally important parts of the puzzle,” Long said. “We want something that is worthwhile to see but still makes good business sense.”
The city began its love affair with outdoor dramas last year and met with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Institute of Outdoor Drama director Scott Parker to discuss ideas. A small committee traveled to an outdoor drama convention, but returned with sullen news: Outdoor dramas rarely, if ever, make money.
“Make no mistake, the economic development around the outdoor drama is our interest,” Long said. “We won’t make money on it and we know that, but we still think an outdoor drama would be a great economic tool that would bring 30,000 to 40,000 people to the area every year.”
The committee will meet again July 14 to further discuss the future of the drama theater, Long said.
“We aren’t giving up on this idea. We have a lot of committed people working on it and we’ll just have to see where it goes from there,” he said.