The Outpost Repertory Theatre has launched. Founding artistic director Dean Nolen says Lubbock is ready for an equity theatre. The designation allows for equity members -- be they performers, designers and technical personnel -- to come to Lubbock for professional productions.
Outpost Rep has an agreement with Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the US.
“Because we’re members of equity, we can’t work in a theatre without a contract—not allowed to work at all, period, without our union affiliation, and I’m proud to do that,” he says. “It’s fine, it keeps us as artists on a path of pushing ourselves to be better every time we work. And certainly by surrounding ourselves with people who are practicing artists.”
Outpost Repertory Theatre staged its inaugural production last month, ‘Gloria,’ which Nolen directed. Its next production, ‘Tigers Be Still’ will be in June.
Nolen, who is an assistant professor of acting and directing and head of acting/directing in Texas Tech’s School of Theater and Dance, says any production Outpost does must have at least one equity actor in productions. There are various tiers of equity theaters across the country.
“For those of us who are starting out, like Outpost Repertory Theatre, we have a very very basic agreement so that we can just get started and build from there. But there are a number of tiers. We’re definitely at the beginning tier, which is more as a guest artist contract. When we do bring in three actors or more, we’re going to have an equity stage manager, so that increases the cost as well. But the purpose is so that folks will see a difference in the level of work all the way around.”
All theater groups in the Lubbock area – Lubbock Community Theater and Moonlight Musicals included - are vital, Nolen says, and the opening of the Outpost Repertory Theater does not change that.
“This is not to compare, or to say Lubbock Community Theater is inferior. That’s the last thing that’s true. That theatre company is so vital to the city, to the region because it gives people in the community an opportunity to get up and work when they have aspirations and talent and they want to do it,” he says.
Discussion about starting Outpost Repertory Theater began about three years ago, and in 2017 a business plan was hatched. That same year it officially became a nonprofit, meaning it was able to begin applying for grants.
Nolen says the equity theater could help Tech theater department students advance their careers.
“Part of the process of becoming a professional actor, is becoming a member of actors equity.”
Nolen and others involved in the equity theater have aspirations about where Outpost can go from here. He says the next equity tier is a Small Professional Theater and that it is feasible for Lubbock.
“That would mean that we would have a certain number of hours per week that we’re able to work, that equity after that cast. We would then have a certain number of performances we could have within the week and the run would cost a certain amount of money that would have to be set aside and paid in advance just to make sure that those equity actors are covered.”
Outpost’s performances during at least its first two seasons will be in the Firehouse Theater in the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts downtown.
“She was super excited about that possibility—actually passionate I would say. There was an effervescence that came out of her about this and it made sense for us to collaborate with LHUCA on a first season, at least first two seasons I think,” he says.
For information, go to www.outpostrep.org