Articles
Celebrating Ed Decker and San Francisco's New Conservatory Theater Center
by David Ortmann
Originally published in PASSPORT magazine, June 2005
http://www.passportmagazine.net/32/EdDecker.php
"Lily Tomlin actually had to push me out onto the stage." Ed Decker laughed, recounting one of his many hilarious interactions with the people who have helped to make San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre Center (www.nctcsf.org) a success throughout the years.
"It was during one of our 'In Conversation' programs and the stage setting, at that time, had these large opaque windows that were impossible to see through. Neither of us could tell whether the stage lights had come up or not, and, of course, there was no intro music or anything like that to prompt us, and we kept looking back and forth at each other, like,
'Should we or shouldn't we?' Finally she just said 'Let's go' in that wonderful voice of hers and she pushed me right out onto the stage."
From that push, to the daunting task of trying to keep the hysterical, but verbose, Charles Nelson Reilly's one man show under the two hour fifteen minute mark ("We managed to do it on opening night, and never again.") to hosting the international persona of Dame Edna/Barry Humphries, to the creation of a theatre company in San Francisco has been challenging, enriching, and never dull.
Decker has come a long way from being little Ed who hardly uttered a word between kindergarten and ninth grade, to Ed Decker, Founder, Executive, and Artistic Director of San Francisco's New Conservatory Theatre Center, which is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year.
"Now you can't shut me up!" he laughs sitting comfortably on the set of NCTC's hit show Mambo Italiano, which opened on January 14th and played to sold out houses, forcing NCTC to extend the run of the show. Mambo Italiano was just the latest in a long run of cutting edge queer theatre that forms NCTC's Pride Season, a program which gives voice to new playwrights and performers, as well as long established veterans.
Decker himself has taken the lead to direct such NCTC hits as Terrence McNally's Corpus Christi, Love! Valour! Compassion!, and the NCTC smash hit When Pigs Fly. "I particularly enjoyed doing Breakfast with Scott, which is about gay families and adoption, and also Thief River, about being gay in rural America. After Mambo Italiano, I'll direct Howard Crabtree's musical Whoop-Dee-Doo, which should be a blast!"
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Any other city might have a problem with a theatre company that stages gay-themed and sex-positive productions just down the hall from rooms where eight-year-old children happily engage in the theatre games that help them learn the basic craft of acting and movement, but this is part of the magic that is San Francisco and the New Conservatory Theatre Center.
Even in San Francisco, though, there were some obstacles, rooted in the usual misunderstanding about gays and gay culture. "I remember we had some negative response from one of our corporate sponsors, but, overall we haven't come up against much criticism or resistance. I think that has to do with the uniqueness of San Francisco. Of course, we are always mindful of what is appropriate for young children when discussing the erotic content of our Pride Season posters and advertisements because all our programs share the same physical space."
Being a space for both queers and youth, NCTC has the unique advantage of being able to confront and address issues of homophobia right in the moment they happen and in a manner that is both concrete and lasting. "Kids always use the phrase 'Oh, that is so gay'. As educators, as adults, as mentors, we are in the position, right there, to say, 'Hey, talking in that manner is not a productive way to relate to people, and let me explain why.'"
Decker elaborates, "Our gay kids feel that NCTC is a safe haven for them to be themselves, and gay-straight alliances between our children begin here."
"I think it is important that we not shy away from our sexuality, but there is more to people, to gay people, than just sex. We are also political and social creatures; we are leaders and followers; we fight wars and solve problems; we are a diverse people and we show that diversity on our stages. There is room for everyone in the circle now, which allows for a cultural cross pollination that is wonderful to experience."
Whether the subject of praise or criticism, there is no arguing Decker's continued success and unwavering commitment. He is a gay businessman who has kept a theatre arts center active and in the black for twenty-five years. No small achievement in the best of times, in this era of economic crisis and the devaluing of creative arts throughout the nation, it is almost a miracle.
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The New Conservatory Theatre Center, with Decker's guidance, showcases the Pride Season every year and an In Concert series that promotes the exploration of social issues and the development of community and diversity while giving voice to new playwrights and artists. In addition, he pioneered The YouthAware Theatre Program that educates the city's youth on challenging issues in a creative and interactive manner; the NCTC Conservatory Training Program that trains young theatre artists; and the Co-Production Program that provides a home to established performers such as Charles Nelson Reilly, Tim Miller, and the Kinsey Sicks while showcasing lesser-known or first time performers and writers.
These combined programs reach approximately 50,000 people annually, establishing NCTC as an irrefutable part of the artistic foundation of San Francisco, a foundation laid by Decker in 1981 in the basement of the Unitarian Center.
"I was the gay kid who got teased and was very quiet. My life changed, literally, in one year. Someone steered me toward the drama department-and the rest is history."
By the time he was a high school sophomore, Decker was running his own theatre company in San Rafael, California. His career in professional theatre leapt forward when staff members from the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) offered him a teaching position at the ACT Young Conservatory Program. Eventually becoming Director of the Young Conservatory, Decker then struck out on his own and opened the New Conservatory.
"In the beginning we were exclusively a young person's theatre program. We trained young actors up to the age of eighteen and we developed our YouthAware Theatre and Education Touring Program, which addresses hard-hitting social issues for young people. everything from HIV to nutrition education to substance abuse. We have an anti-homophobia program that is on tour right now. We use theatre as a tool to engage kids in a dynamic, non-textbook kind of way."
The journey from 1981 to NCTC's 25th anniversary fundraising gala "Ticket for the Tony's" which will launch the silver anniversary season this June, was not always smooth.
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Physical space has been a primary consideration since the beginning. Once established, NCTC had the financial challenge to sustain their 1,500 square foot, three-theatre facility, which meant generating sources of immediate income by renting out the theatres while running the children's program.
"We had stand-up comedy, drag shows, performance art, you name it, we did it. It was a period of finding ourselves, seeing what the community responded to and discovering our niche beyond the youth programs."
"The children's program is still very much at the heart of what we do and, in keeping with that commitment, we have a fine line to walk financially in balancing our artistic sensibility and integrity with the very real business of making the Center work on a day-to-day basis."
The state of the economy doesn't help matters. NCTC, like many arts organizations, has essentially lost all government funding. "The state is broke. The city is broke. The feds are broke. Our young people's educational and arts programs, which used to get a lot of funding from the government, have been hit particularly hard by this."
Keeping the money coming in, maintaining artistic integrity, and continuing to provide education and theatre arts programs for youth is the central mission of the New Conservatory Theatre Center; and, despite obstacles, the city itself is often a supporter.
"Theatre and the arts are misperceived as fringe activities but, in reality, the benefits of exercising young people's creative abilities are practical, necessary skills to have. We see literally thousands of children in San Francisco Unified School System every year and basically they come for free. There is tremendous value in this work and the city government cares about that. Local businesses and community-based organizations care about that."
Leading this organization with both a day-to-day attention to detail and a perspective on the larger picture is a significant challenge, and one that Decker rises to meet with the help of a dedicated staff and the NCTC Board of Directors.
"We just finished a five-year strategic initiative which expanded the organizational infrastructure of NCTC. Five years ago, the annual budget was just under half a million dollars and the staff consisted of myself and four other people. Today, the budget is at about 1.5 million dollars and there are thirteen full-time people. We needed to expand and get away from the small struggling non-profit model to the mid-size struggling non-profit model," Decker says with a laugh that is genuine and hearty.
As NCTC grows, the dream is to continue producing profitable work while maintaining an artistic vision that serves one of the world's most diverse cities.
"We have developed a reputation as a viable, commercially sound theatre center with great artistic integrity for works that are gay-themed in nature. Playwrights seek the opportunity to work here, which is very gratifying. If a production is heading to New York, playwrights think of us as a place to stop along the way to continue production development as they move east. Charles Nelson Reilly did this with his one-man-show before taking it to New York."
Decker is grateful for the fact that NCTC has the opportunity to work with what he calls "more and more extraordinary playwrights." From the world premieres of playwrights like Prince Gomolvilas and Mart Crowley (Debunking Love and The Men from the Boys, respectively), to in-conversation programs with Lily Tomlin or Terrence McNally, there is room at NCTC for both the established and the up-and-coming artist.
"We just finished a residency with Terrence McNally and will present the world premiere of his new play, currently titled Crucifixion, on October 8, 2005 to celebrate our 25th anniversary season. That is big for us, and a huge step from where we were ten or fifteen years ago. "
I can feel the wheels turning in the mind of the man sitting cross-legged next to me. The man who took children's theatre classes from the basement of a church and, with dedication, political savvy, sound business management, and a one-of-a kind personality, parlayed it into what is today one of the most respected theatre centers in California.