Rock On OBERON

Harvard students waiting outside Berryline for their favorite frozen dessert are in for an entirely different kind of treat these days—the sight of seventies-clad revelers waiting in line to see “The Donkey Show,” the premiere of Diane M. Paulus’ ’87 inaugural season as artistic director of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.). Recently extended to January 2, 2010, “The Donkey Show” is the first production in the newly-renovated theatrical club space OBERON.

Previously known as the Zero Arrow Theater, the venue was rebranded as a complement to Paulus’ notoriously non-traditional approach to theater. “I’m interested in bashing apart any limitations of what theater should be,” Paulus said in a previous interview with The Crimson. With its disco lights, fully stocked bars and liberal cell phone policy, OBERON’s transformation from the black box Zero Arrow to its current state as a nightclub-theater fusion has stimulated the largely dormant theater scene at Harvard. With time, the A.R.T. hopes that the experiments conducted at OBERON will have a greater influence on cultural production, changing the course of theater and re-casting the A.R.T. as a lead actor on the national stage.

BREAK (A LEG)!

The A.R.T. opened the Zero Arrow Theater with goals similar to those motivating the creation of OBERON, albeit without the disco lights and Studio 54 vibe. As the A.R.T.’s satellite theatrical space, Zero Arrow produced experimental fare in an adaptable and intimate space. “Zero Arrow was originally developed to be an incubator for new work, with different theatrical offerings on any given night,” OBERON program associate Daniel R. Pecci ’09 says. “It was a flexible space and the seating was supposed to change. You would see one show and then the next night, see another.”

As recently as 2004, then-artistic director Robert Woodruff assured the theatrical community of Zero Arrow’s renewed commitment to experimentation. Uncannily citing an experimental production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” as inspiration, Woodruff envisioned a space that would be “friendly and hospitable” during the day and theatrical at night. To that end, it remained a performance venue, but humanitarian groups were invited to use Zero Arrow during work hours.

“This new space is going to become a landmark space in the American theater where new forms get born,” said Gideon Lester, the A.R.T.’s then-associate artistic director.

Yet such optimistic hopes proved futile. In recent years, Zero Arrow lost sight of its roots, falling into a pattern where a show would run for a set period of time and then close, leaving the space empty until the next show loaded in, and the social activists have since re-located. “It froze and basically became a traditional regional theater, but smaller,” Pecci says.

While remaining devoted to Zero Arrow’s initial intentions of innovation, OBERON is taking a different approach—engaging directly with audiences, starting with students.

PLAYING WITH POSSIBILITIES

OBERON’s transformation into a pseudo-club is one way of enticing the Harvard crowd, offering a novel, interactive theatrical experience superior to any dorm-room party. “People are expecting to sit down in seats and follow the story of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ like you would anywhere else,” Pecci says, referring to “The Donkey Show.” “And they pregame and think they need drinks, and I’m like, ‘No, no, you can drink in here.’”

To effectively redefine the notion of “seeing a play,” the A.R.T. not only needs innovative productions, but also a new kind of performance space. For “The Donkey Show”—the groundbreaking hybrid of disco and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”—this meant a place where people could dance.

Randy Weiner ’87-’88, Paulus’ husband and collaborator, was initially hesitant when she approached him about bringing “The Donkey Show,” with its particular environmental requirements, to Cambridge. “My show needed a club level sound system, club level lights, and a fully stocked bar,” he says. “The place needed to really have a nightclub’s energy and edge.” Weiner—now the creator and producer of OBERON—used his experience developing his own New York City club theater, The Box, to transform Zero Arrow into a full nightclub environment.

Working with set designer Scott Pask and lighting designer Evan Morris, Weiner revamped Zero Arrow into a hotspot of non-traditional theater. Starting with the Zero Arrow’s frame of a black box, the team installed the set of a nightclub. New set pieces for the space include cocktail tables, a mirrored wall, fully-stocked bars, a DJ booth, a lit “OBERON” sign, and a dance floor. In the spirit of audience engagement, the A.R.T. held a public vote to name the club in late July, finally settling upon OBERON. Adding to the appeal of this alternative theater for the younger crowd, OBERON encourages the use of cell phones and cameras during the performance. The bars stay open throughout the show, and the venue turns into a full-blown nightclub after the final bow.

“It’s always exciting to play with the possibilities of what theater is,” Weiner says. “There’s a whole world of theater that can happen as what people consider to be a nightclub. Clubs are theater, but they’re theater that’s 360 degrees around you and goes in time from the moment you wait in line outside to the moment you leave. It’s complete freedom, with a rock and roll kind of energy. It allows the audience to engage with each other.”

“The Donkey Show” at OBERON was opened in the hope of ushering in a new era of theater—and nightlife—in Cambridge. “OBERON is fascinating because there are so many people in Boston who want to go to a disco,” James B. Danner ’12 says. “And it’s a piece of real estate where there’s a damn good DJ and a really entertaining and sexy show, and you feel utterly transported. In an environment where people think way too much, OBERON gets them to go to a disco and have fun, and hopefully understand that that is a show. That’s the magic of it. I’ve seen ‘The Donkey Show’ four times already.”

Despite its unique decor, OBERON remains as flexible a venue as when it was Zero Arrow. Much of the disco feel is created by sound and lights, which can be changed depending on the needs of the current production. While many non-profit theaters across America have adaptable black box second stages, OBERON and its club set are, according to Weiner, “the second stage of the future.”

In addition to “The Donkey Show,” OBERON has plans to host myriad non-traditional theatrical events including Boiling Point Burlesque, horror cabaret show “47 Ways to Die,” The Steamy Bohemians’ “Jerkus Circus,” and circus band act Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band. It also recently presented a naked comedy showcase and “Waterboard: a play about torture,” followed by Muslim punk band The Kominas.

“The idea of OBERON is to, as long as it feels vital, have it in a club configuration and club set and find shows that make sense in that set-up,” Weiner says. “We want to have artists come and get inspired by the power of it. The audience can be free and drink and dance and have a communal experience different than what they’re used to. It has a long future.”

INCUBATOR OF NEW WORK

Though the recent makeover of Zero Arrow brings it back to its initial purpose of hosting innovative work, OBERON is also determined to revitalize the theater scene, becoming a central part of the recently impassioned dialogue about the arts at Harvard.

There is no fixed plan for what will take place and Weiner hopes that he has created a venue where people can simply try things. “What’s nice about OBERON is that it’s achieving a lot of what Zero Arrow was initially trying to do,” Pecci says. “The fact that this space exists in the first place is a testament to seeing change in the arts at Harvard.”

“It’s gotten people talking about the arts,” Isabel Q. Carey ’12 says. “I can’t remember the last time I heard so many people talk about a show at one time. I have friends who want to see ‘The Donkey Show’ that I had to drag to shows before.”

OBERON’s experimental and audience-engaging philosophy stems from Weiner’s personal belief in cultivating fresh ideas—especially of the non-traditional sort. “By creating this venue, we’re creating an opportunity for people to make shows for this type of venue,” Weiner says. “Opportunities create artists. There are people doing strange performances all over Boston but they don’t have a venue to express it. When they have a venue, they’re going to do it better and inspire audiences.”

Weiner’s desire to encourage original art and connect with students led to the creation of Dramatic Arts 113: “The History and Practice of Non-Traditional Theater in America.” He teaches the course in OBERON, with Pecci as his teaching fellow. Weiner hopes to engage the Harvard student body in an active dialogue about innovation in theater and art. “I’m interested in creating an environment where creative things can percolate up and be discovered,” Weiner says. “This class is my dream, to be inspiring these kids to try different things, because in a selfish way, I like to see new, exciting things. One of the joys of going to theater is to see something new.”

The A.R.T.’s “experience theater” approach extends to this class, which asks students to immerse themselves in non-traditional theater of all forms: professional wrestling, haunted houses, circuses, torture porn, and vaudeville. “It’s very heavily involved with the type of theater they’re doing now at the A.R.T.,” says Megan L. Amram ’10, a student in the class.

“We’re getting at the root of what unconventional theater is and exploring and exposing that discourse and its practical applications in the artistic context, like OBERON itself does,” Danner, another class member, says.

The performers and creators of “The Donkey Show” are also teaching the class how to run the production. By the end of the semester, students will “ride the donkey,” or act in “The Donkey Show” themselves, in order to experience performing in a club atmosphere.

Dramatic Arts 113 provides an out-of-the-classroom experience unmatched by other dramatic arts classes. “Being taught in OBERON is fun because it immediately takes you out of the context of school,” Danner says. “It feels like you’re learning, but not in the way you would in a classroom. Your mind is fundamentally changed when you walk into a club. And that’s a point OBERON makes, taking something out of its context and putting it into a different space.”

Though currently focused on promoting its first production and finding its footing as a site of non-traditional theater, the team behind OBERON hopes to eventually nurture fresh talent and actively get students involved in theater outside of Dramatic Arts 113.

“Harvard has the smartest people in the world,” Weiner says. “By rationally discussing this type of performance and getting as analytical as possible about what makes non-traditional theater, Harvard students have an incredible chance to do new things in theater. I want to help inspire them. It can have a great ripple effect.”

The A.R.T. hopes to eventually see its influence extending beyond the Harvard community, with companies around the country becoming more dedicated to non-traditional theater.  “OBERON connects with Diane Paulus’ vision,” Pecci says. “Her vision is for artists all over the country to be engaging with audiences in new and different ways, to expand the boundaries of theater.”

NOT YOUR CUP OF G & “TEA”

While OBERON has made innovative theater and audience engagement its top priority, hoping to increase its cultural impact, not everyone appreciates this type of experience. “Different people have different preferences,” Elizabeth “Lisa” Schechner ’11 says. “I think I would probably prefer traditional theater.”

Despite the throngs of enthusiastically dancing audience members who frequent “The Donkey Show,” there are also some who choose to hang back and watch from a distance, clearly yearning for a chair in a regular auditorium. OBERON accounts for these individuals by offering non-dance floor seats at the cocktail tables.

Weiner recognizes that OBERON might not fit everyone’s idea of theater, but mass appeal is not the point. “Every show has an audience,” Weiner says. “We do these strange shows. Is it everyone’s cup of tea? No.”

“OBERON promotes a wonderful freedom,” Weiner continues. “In traditional theater, they make you sit and watch the whole show. I never feel boredom like I do in traditional theater. In all that long show, maybe there are 10 minutes that are boring and I wish I could go chill out and have a drink. OBERON allows for that. This isn’t the only way to do theater but it’s another way, an alternative.”

Regardless of whether this form of theater is immediately accepted, Weiner hopes that audiences will at least give it a chance.  “‘The Donkey Show’ is a flagship of what can happen here,” he says. “What’s so cool is I’m not sure where it’s all going to lead. I just want to provide a venue where people can try things. Come to the show, test it, and try it.”

The value of such a dynamic addition to Harvard nightlife is not lost on students. “A club opened up across from Berryline. And it’s a fantasy-land club with glitter and Mylar and blasting 70s music and lights and sex splashed all over it,” Danner says. “We’re in college; what more could we ask for?”

—Staff writer Ali R. Leskowitz can be reached at aleskow@fas.harvard.edu.