It’s no secret that Dallas’ Wingspan Theatre has a smaller production season than many companies: one full-scale stage production, participation in the Festival of Independent Theatres at the Bath House Cultural Center, one staged reading of a new work. Entering its fourteenth season, the company has earned a sterling reputation and a loyal audience for producing classy, thought provoking, entertaining theatre. Alexandra Bonifield met with Wingspan Theatre’s creative driving force, Producing Artistic Director Susan Sargeant, to discuss Wingspan’s unique niche in the regional theatre scene.
Edward Albee's The Sandbox
Most companies produce a season of plays, so why just one? “I founded Wingspan in 1997, after working with Beverly Jacob Daniels’ New Horizons Theatre. Wingspan emerged as my regional acting and directing career took flight. One major production and reading were all I had time for, in addition to participating at FIT. Horizon taught me to strive for balance, use my resources well and create manageable challenges. Wingspan is self-sustaining; our strict budget allows us to mount artistic, professional shows that pay for themselves and accrue loyal audiences.”
Wingspan Theatre focuses on “plays by, for and about women”, “nurtures new work and the development of local playwrights” and employs mostly female directors, including you: Marjorie Hayes, Sally Vahle, Niki Flacks, Cheryl Denson, Cynthia Hestand, Margaret Loft, Pam Myers Morgan, Molly Moroney. Why is this your mission? “It grew out of New Horizons. I am dedicated to producing exceptional art, plays with exceptional women’s roles. I committed from the start to providing a creative space for female artists — actors, directors, designers, and stage managers. Theatre is highly competitive, with fewer roles and leadership positions for women than men. Wingspan offers a focused space where female artists can flourish.”
Tennessee Williams' “A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot”
The Festival of Independent Theatres: you’ve participated every year. How does FIT keep you engaged? Wingspan is a FIT founding member; I can’t imagine not participating. There is an amazing cross-pollination of talent, support and audience base here…it’s positively regenerative. FIT at ‘age 13’ is much more than the sum of its parts, eight independent companies—it’s exciting, challenging, fast-paced, inspiring! This year we paired two tiny works in our “slot”: a Tennessee Williams comedy with absurdist leanings (A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot) and a full-on absurd one-act with dark humor by John Guare (The Loveliest Afternoon of the Year). Both informed Wingspan’s aesthetic and offered wonderful women’s roles.”
In October you open Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, considered by many the Western canon’s finest comedy. What challenges does it present? Will it resonate with today’s audiences? “Last November I walked down a London street and came face to face with a poster for the recent hit revival of The Importance of Being Earnest, presented subsequently to much acclaim at New York’s Roundabout Theatre. It stuck with me, even as I dug through my tall pile of possibilities back home. Was I mad to select a show with such complex period scenic and costume changes and production challenges for the Bath House black box theatre?
The Importance of Being Earnest
With my trusted design/tech team (Rodney Dobbs, Barbara C. Cox, Dan Schoedel, Lowell Sargeant, Robin Coulonge and Maggie Belanger) and a desire to inspire our audiences with a rich yet intimate production, I embraced Earnest. I’ve never had such response to audition notices; I could have cast this show five ways happily. Relevance? Romance is never out of fashion! And its superb comedy lampooning British society – it’s our season of Heart & Comedy: Earnest is the ideal vehicle.”
How does your yearly staged reading at the Bath House Cultural Center work? “Our next play reading takes place in Spring 2012; we need submissions now. It’s rewarding to see plays that we presented first as readings go on to full production. We support local playwrights, like Isabella Russell Ides, whose exotic play ¡CENOTE! we read in 2010. Submissions need to be complete, full length or one act, not standard musicals, adhere to our mission statement. Send treatments or full script.”
What’s in Wingspan Theatre’s future? “More fully-realized productions of plays that entertain and illuminate, from classics to modern works! We stay close in tune with our audiences. They tell us they enjoy the artistic challenges we present and leave satisfied and elevated, looking forward to more.”
Wingspan Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest opens October 6, and runs through October 22 at the Bath House Cultural Center. For more information or to reserve seats:
www.wingspantheatre.com 214-675-6573
1102 High Country Drive Garland, TX 75041
Link to Roundabout Theatre’s production: http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/broadway/theimportanceofbeingearnest/
Photos by Lowell Sargeant:
1) The Sandbox by Edward Albee – Lulu Ward, Elly Lindsay, Barry Nash
2) Tennessee Williams’ A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot – Cindee Dobbs, Nancy Sherrard
3) The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde – Nancy Sherrard (Lady Bracknell), Andrew Milbourne (Jack Worthing), Lisa Schreiner Goss (Gwedolen Fairfax)
As published in Arts&Culture DFW Magazine ‘s Sept. 2011 issue
criticalrant.com Alexandra Bonifield 
a very nice feature on Wingspan…and good to have you back writing again Alexandra!
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