SPECIAL REPORT: Tech’s New Stages

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SPECIAL REPORT: Tech’s New Stages
Business of Entertainment: Tech's New Stages

How does an old-fashioned form of entertainment such as live theater survive and thrive in an era when so many consumers stream their entertainment at home and on mobile phones? That’s the challenge being met by the two most senior figures at Westwood’s Geffen Playhouse. Artistic director Randall Arney, who mainly handles the creative side, and executive director Gil Cates Jr., who oversees financial matters, spoke to the Business Journal about those challenges as the popular theater celebrates its 20th anniversary year.

He was a co-producer on the movie “Jobs,” in which Ashton Kutcher played Steve Jobs.

His late father produced the Oscars a record 14 times.

He is a cousin of actress Phoebe Cates.

He directed an episode of Matt LeBlanc’s “Friends” spin-off series, “Joey.”

He has taught acting and directing at UCLA and held master classes in Tokyo.

He was previously artistic director of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre.

In addition to overseeing the Geffen’s creative direction since 1999, he has directed more than 10 plays there including the recent “Outside Mullingar.”

Question: How do you two work as a duo to keep the Geffen Playhouse thriving?

Answer: RA: The key is that each must respect the other’s needs and goals. This means that as the artistic party, I need to exercise a certain amount of fiscal responsibility, and as the financial body, Gil must recognize the need for artistic risk. I think we both strive to create this balance and we’re having a really good time and great success working together.

GC: Randy has years of experience both as a director and artistic director and my experience producing film, television and theater, and with fundraising, makes a good yin to his yang. We did disagree about whether we should put nameplates on the office doors but we agreed to each pick bigger battles.

Everyone thinks of L.A. as a movie town, what challenges does that attitude present to you as a theater?

GC: It’s a blessing and a curse. Blessing in that what we do is so unique and that the shared live experience of seeing a show on stage can affect you unlike something on screen. A curse in that the revenue that comes from the film and television business most often trumps that of the theater, so the perception that money equals quality, like box-office results, can sometimes be misleading.

How can theater generate revenue in the Internet age?

RA: While part of the charm of theater is that it is antithetical to digital content, there are ways in which the live experience might be enhanced by new technology. Historically, we have used the program to give each play context, but now we have the ability to reach out (digitally) to our audiences before and after each production to possibly elaborate on or enhance what they’ve seen. Ideally, digital media can widen the audience that craves the live experience. More people, more tickets, more revenue.

GC: I think there is an unexplored path to be developed here both in terms of audience and revenue. Sharing theater, streaming theater and raising the curiosity of thousands, if not millions of people, while simultaneously keeping what is beautiful about the live experience in tact … and then hopefully driving new audiences to come experience it in person.

What was the lowest point of your career here and how did you turn things around?

RA: In 2008, after the Geffen underwent a huge renovation, the bottom fell out of the economy. Afraid that we were going to have to close our doors, we were narrowly saved by a very generous gift from an anonymous donor. In the wake of that tumultuous time, we witnessed theaters around the country select work that seemed safer, or carried less fiscal risk. Gil Cates Sr., the theater’s founder, had a completely different point of view and believed that the only way to thrive was to continue to stretch ourselves artistically, to take risks, to continue to do plays with large casts and big designs. He was entirely right. That was an enormous period of growth for the Geffen and moved us onto the national theater scene in a new way. I’ve since been a big believer in artistically doubling down at every opportunity.

What is the biggest challenge facing your business?

GC: Trying to balance the art and business. Taking calculated risks. Also audience development. Introducing the richness of theater and keeping it relevant to our current audience, while building and curating a new and younger generation of theatergoers.

What are you doing to combat that challenge? 

RA: I think the most effective way to appeal to young audiences is to tell their stories. We are focused on cultivating relationships with young writers who are storytelling in ways that are representative of their generation of theatergoers. There’s an element to which we are responsible for educating our audiences and introducing them to diverse perspectives. If we want to continue to expand the body of work we produce, we have to make sure our subscribers are invested in that as well, and that might mean more discussion, more preparatory materials, any number of ways of building their desire to see something new and different.

GC: Broadening our approach and appeal. Creating a more robust and innovative social media approach, and looking at ways to create and generate new content on the stage and on the Internet. I’m also a fan of the grass-roots approach to counteract the more traditional marketing and advertising approaches.

What is the future of theater in Los Angeles?

GC: Very bright, very challenging and very exciting. … I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world right now.

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