Principles

In an earlier post, I recall saying that the question, which always stumped me in interviews, was "What would I lie down in the road for?" I used to ponder this question long and hard and arrive at suitably appropriate replies, but my heart was never in them (and I suspect the questionners could feel that too).
However, when it comes to the existence and rationale of the Bench Theatre, I find I have a whole set of principles, for which I would be perfectly willing to lie in the road for, and to defend.
The current Arts Centre brochure has the Bench Theatre proudly proclaiming that we have "forged a reputaion for non-professional theatre of the highest quality. Our membership is made up of talented individuals from all walks of life and we are always keen to welcome new members."
Astute readers will notice the avoidance of the term "amateur". The word itself means a lover of what one is doing, and this love provides the reward rather than a remuneration. The word itself cannot cause offence, but, unfortunately, it has accrued connotations. Amateur theatre creates the image of a well meaning and enthusiastic group of people, who band together to put on and perform a play for the entertainment and enjoyment of their friends and families. They bring a range of abilities to bear on the play, but the prime aim is to enjoy themselves, forge friendships and to please their audience, thereby gaining their approval. If the group is successful in their first attempt ,they will continue to mount plays, until a new generation comes along to take their places, but who will change the group, beyond the recognition of its founder members, or the difficulties outweigh the rewards and the group go their separate ways.
One of the reasons that the Bench has avoided either of the two dangers, being changed beyond recognition or disintergrating, is that it began with a different set of principles from the majority of other amateur theatre groups. There are other groups as good, if not better, than us and who have made better use of their opportunities - members of the Little Theatre Guild, for example, who own and run their own theatres and put on monthly (if not more) productions (see The Questors of Ealing at www.questors.org.uk, the largest amateur theatre in Europe with its own 350 seater Playhouse and Studio). However, there are some unique qualities about the beginnings of the Bench, that have stood the group in good stead throughout its 38 years of existence ,and might yet see us through to our 40th anniversary. These unique qualities form the principles, upon which the company has built its "reputation" and which are constantly under examination, usually by well-meaning and well -intentioned proposals designed to further the general good, but are counter to those guiding principles.

What are these principles?

The Bench Theatre began as a further education class in 1969, in which a lecturer, Keith Milner, at the local college decided to mount the play, "Six Characters in Search of an Author". The actors, who took part in that play, were mature students in today's parlance and decided to form their own company, Theatre Union. Keith Milner, the original director of the first play, took no further part after that play. He moved away from the area for professional career reasons. Theatre Union was on its own but used the principles he had shown them in that first production to build their group. (It became the Bench Theatre when it took over the abandoned police station - rehearsal space/ workshop and dressing rooms in the cells - and magistrates court -auditorium; hence the name).
The first principle is that a director brought a play to the company. The director wanted to do the play. If he hadn't wanted to do the play, the company would not have formed. If the company had not wanted to do the play, the play would not have been performed. This is the first and most important principle! We change this principle and we change the company. The structure of the company has changed because of circumstances and you have to adapt. However, to have the idea mooted recently, that only certain types of plays should be offered in order to fit the demographic shape of the group, runs counter to this first principle.
The second principle is the choice of play offered. It seems to me that Pirandello's "Six Characters in Search of an Author" is not an easy choice even now and would not have been considered a suitable "audience puller" in 1969. The choice was made because the director wanted to do this play and was able to persuade the actors to join him (first principle). The play was not about the potential audience but about what the cast would get out of the experience. This is the second important principle! It would be better if the Bench disappeared from existence doing plays that met this principle than allowed itself to become a different entity. If this is what the membership decided it wanted to cater for demographic changes or audience tastes, it should form a new group with its own set of principles.
"Six Characters in Search of an Author", simply as a title, encapsulates the third principle and the reason why the company's first name was Theatre Union. Pirandello's play introduces the audience to the above mentioned number of characters who come on stage demanding that a playwright be found to put their stories into a play. From this I extract the principle that the Bench Theatre is a collection/collective of actors looking for a play in which to tell a story (their story?). We often get into heated debate about producers, backstage staff and front of house staff. These are all elements that can add to the ease, the end result and the comfort of the audience. But the Bench principle is that the only essential element is the actors - everything else is an add on. (This remark may need to be teased out in further postings.) The choice of Theatre Union as a name is also significant because it says so much about the intention of its founder members. They didn't call themselves the Havant Amateur Dramatic Society with its community overtones. They united to do theatre in its purest form, as a means of expression for its participants. Union has socialist connotations and no doubt these were intended knowing Tim Mahoney, who probably came up with the name.
The three principles are the director chooses to do a play, the play must offer the company of actors a unique experience or opportunity, and the company is based on actors. The commitment to these principles to date have produced a body of work that qualifies in the main as being of the "highest quality". There have been productions that fell below this standard but the reason can usually be found in one or more deviation from the above principles. The play was chosen to appeal to "an audience" (identified in the mind of the director or the company) or the production was used to give members parts rather than cast according to the needs of the play. The Bench Theatre has a huge turnover and not only of young students transient in their membership as they find themselves leaving to take up new lives at university etc. The company welcomes new members regularly and worries when they don't stay. The main reason is that the company cannot offer enough opportunities to act but other reasons is that for some joining a theatre group is a social activity and the commitment and determination to hang on in a play producing machine like the Bench is not for them. Some members cry out that the Bench has a responsibility to such individuals but my standpoint is that the Bench has responsibility to those founding principles, and to become a more sociable organisation offering parts to anyone who walks through the door would be to change it beyond recognition. If that is what they want, they should go and form the Havant Players or whatever they want to call themselves, but should leave the Bench as it was intended.
Ask not what the Bench can do for you, but what you can do for the Bench. (With apologies to JFK).