A Sit-Down with the Players Circle Theatre

>> FOR MORE ON THE ARTS IN OUR AREA, WE'RE JOINED BY ROBERT CASTILLO BOW AND TED WINDS. CHECK FROM THE PLAYERS CIRCLE THEATER IN FORT MYERS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WELL, AS FOR THE PAST THAT TO BE HERE, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH MCGREGOR AND THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR AND I DID NOT KNOW THAT YOUR THEATER WAS LOCATED THERE. CAN YOU GIVE US A HISTORY AND >> KIND OF WALK US THROUGH HOW IT CAME TO FRUITION. >> AT THIS LOCATION WELL OF WE FOUND THAT A PLAYER CIRCLE OF IN 2020 AND WE WERE KYLIE HOUSE OF THE SHELL FACTORY. BUT THE LOCATION WE FOUND THAT THE LOCATION ON MCGREGOR BOULEVARD NEXT, THE SPOT ON NEXT TO FIRST WATCH. NORMAN LOVE CHOCOLATE OPPOSITE. THE LANDINGS WAS SO IDEAL AND ALSO 2 MILES FROM MY HOUSE, THAT LITTLE AREA, THERE'S NO PROFESSIONAL THEATERS RIGHT IN THAT AREA. SO IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL LOCATION SERVING THIS PART OF THE COMMUNITY. NOW, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US WHY YOUR THEATER IS UNIQUE? >> WELL, I'D SAY NUMBER ONE OUTSIDE A LOCATION IS THE INTIMACY. SO RIGHT NOW IT'S 120 SEATS AND EVERY SEAT IS THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE. I MEAN, THE ACTION IS ONLY 5 ROWS RIGHT FOR MY VERY STAGE. SO WHEN YOU ARE IN, FOR INSTANCE, OVER THE TAVERN, THE PLAY WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE IN A LIVER, HIM PLAY. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN THAT LIVING ROOM. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LIVING AMONGST THOSE CHARACTERS. YOU CAN HEAR EVERYTHING YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING AND YOU REALLY BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE PLAY. >> HOW DO YOU SELECT PERFORMANCES FOR A THEATER IN THE ROUND? DOES THAT CHANGE HOW YOU SELECT? >> WHAT PLACE WHAT IT DOES AFFECT? BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR MISSION AT PLAY A CIRCLE STILL WIDE VARIETY OF WORK. I SAID I LOOK AT HOW YOU FOOD, BUT I DO WANT TO 7 NIGHTS A WEEK. I LIKE CHINESE FOOD. SO WE LIKE NEXT SEASON WITH DOING 2 COMEDIES TO MUSICALS, 2 DRAMAS AND A NOSTALGIA RADIO PLAY. SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A WIDE VARIETY TAKING 180 DEGREE. TURNS ONE SHOW TO THE NEXT. I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED WHERE YOU GET YOUR TALENT. THERE ARE. THERE ARE AMAZING ACTORS AND ACTRESSES THAT PERFORM AT THESE. >> A PLACE. WHERE DID THEY COME FROM? ARE THEY LOCAL? WELL, WE GET PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. SO WILL FLY PEOPLE IN HOUSE WILL BRING IN A PERFECT ACT. US FROM NEW YORK CITY. >> BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN ENSEMBLE. WE HAVE LIKE 5 TED AND HIS WIFE, MY WIFE. AW, THAT ARE JUST INCREDIBLE. AND WE PICK THE SEASON FOR THEM. THE OTHER DAY THAT TED'S WIFE SHE FIRST ENTERED ROBB, A FARCE COCKTAIL HOUR. BUT THEN I WENT ON A WEBSITE AND SAID SHE CAN SAY SHE'S IN THE TROUBLED SINGER. SO TO SEE ACTORS GO FROM COMEDY TO DRAMA TO MUSICALS, THE AUDIENCE BECOMES FANS OF YOUR ENSEMBLE. THAT'S FANTASTIC. AND YOU YOU ARE GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT SEASON AND YOU'RE HERE TO UNVEIL IT GO AND I GO AHEAD AND SELL A STAKE. >> IF IT MAKES GOOD, HAS A WIDE VARIETY WILL OPEN IT UP TO THE PLATE. I ALWAYS LIKE TO OPEN UP WITH A BIG COMEDY AND THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN OCTOBER. AND AS COLIN NERD AS BY A GUY NAMED LARRY SHUE, WHO WAS ONE OF THE GREAT PLAYWRIGHT OF THE 20TH CENTURY. UNFORTUNATELY, HE DIED IN A PLANE CRASH AT 39 YEARS OLD AND HE ONLY HAD 2 MAJOR PLAYS. ONE WAS CALLED THE FOREIGNER, WHICH I DIRECTED 3 TIMES AND IS A STAPLE OF REGIONAL THEATERS. AND THE OTHER WAS THE NERD AND IS AN AMAZING SWITCH. COMEDY. BUT AFTER LOWRY SHOES, DEATH, IT WAS ON BROADWAY IN 1987, DIRECTED BY CHARLES NELSON. REILLY. AND IT WAS A GIGANTIC HIT, RAN 400 PERFORMANCES YET IT'S HASN'T BEEN DONE IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND SO IT WILL BE EXCITED TO DO THIS NEW COMEDY AND THEN WE'RE DOING THE NEXT SHOW. YEAH, OUR NEXT SHOW IS IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, A RADIO PLAY SO THAT THAT EXACT IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. YOU KNOW, THE MOVIE OF YOU ARE ALRIGHT, I KNOW YOUR EYES, BUT WE FOUND THAT LIKE. >> IT IS SUCH A PERFECT TITLE BECAUSE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, YOU KNOW, JUST THINK OF A LINE OR MOMENT, IT'S REALLY TIED TO A MEMORY. YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST >> A PART OF OUR IDENTITY. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. SO THIS IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT'S THE RADIO PLAY. SO BY THAT, I MEAN, IS WHEN YOU THE AUDIENCE STEP INTO THE THEATER, YOU'RE NOT STEPPING TO THAT. STEPPING INTO PLAYER CIRCLE ANYMORE. YOU ARE PART OF THE LIVE STUDIO THERE'S APPLAUSE SIGNS ON AIR SIGNS. THERE'S A RED CARPET. THERE'S AUTOGRAPHS TO BE HAD. WE HAVE A CIGARETTE GAL GOING UP AND DOWN THE AISLES AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY WATCH BEDFORD FALLS COME TO LIFE RIGHT BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES. AND WE ACTUALLY DO IT THROUGH FULLY ART. SO WHAT'S AMAZING IS YOU GET TO ACTUALLY SEE THE SOUNDS BEING CREATED. WE SAY TO US IT'S LIKE CREATING SOUND CHOREOGRAPHY BECAUSE THE SOUND OF THE SNOW FOOTSTEPS ON THE GROUND, YOU KNOW THAT THE THAT BEAUTIFUL BELLS IN THE CHOIR, THAT IT'S ALL BEING MADE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. SO YOU REALLY GET TO BE APART OF THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE. YES, EXACTLY. ARE THEY TO STORY TIME? AND THAT'S WHERE WE SAY, YOU KNOW, IT IS. SENTIMENTAL IS NOSTALGIA, BUT ITS ALSO COMMUNAL BECAUSE YOU THE AUDIENCE ARE PART OF THE SOUNDTRACK. SO TOGETHER, YOU'RE REALLY BUILDING THIS PRODUCTION. >> TOGETHER WILL THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND SHARING ALL THIS FANTASTIC INFORMATION. WELL, IT'S SO GREAT TO BE HERE AND IT'S SO NICE TO SEE YOU. AND IT'S A THRILL TO BE ON THIS TELEVISION SEASON. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE YOU BACK IN SHORT. >> DUE TIME. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU.