You may love your Drew friends now, but how will you feel about them in five years? If you're like some recent grads, you could become their co-workers. Five Drew graduates founded the Flashpoint Theatre Company, which, according to their website, is "dedicated to expanding cultural arts awareness ... through the production of socially provocative and emotionally resonant works of theatre."
Derrick Loafmann (CLA '01) Erin Lucas (CLA '01), Mike Osinski (CLA '01), Gigi Naglak (CLA '99) and Meghann Williams (CLA '02) all studied theater at Drew and kept in touch after graduation, ending up in the Philadelphia area. Originally conceived by Lucas, the group decided to start a company at a Fourth of July party last year. According to Osinski, the managing director and production manager, "We all got tired of working in our respective unfulfilling day jobs, and we wanted to be able to produce shows with people whose opinions and talents we already knew and respected." Each member has worked in professional companies for at least two years, which they say has helped them tremendously.
Based in Philadelphia, the group has seen a tremendous response to its inaugural season. It is an itinerant company, renting space at various theaters in Philadelphia. Osinski believes that it will take "about 15 years" to be able to afford an office and production space [of their own].
According to Artistic Administrator and Outreach Coordinator Williams, the office is now "either in me and Mike's front room or in Erin's front room." The group has relied upon friends and family for donations and hopes to learn more about expanding the business for the future.
Flashpoint's first show, Keith Bunin's The Credeaux Canvas, was quite successful, selling out on multiple occasions. Osinski was happily surprised about its reception -- previews appeared in the Philadelphia City Paper and the Philadelphia Weekly.
"There's been a good buzz about us in the Philadelphia community, and to be perfectly honest, I don't know how it happened," he said. The next show is an adaptation of writer David Sedaris' story The Santaland Diaries, which is about his experiences as a Macy's department store elf during Christmas time.
The group is constantly coming up with ideas to supplement its season, meet members of the theater community and publicize for the company. Flashpoint is hosting an evening of original holiday skits called Who're You Callin' Fruitcake? at the local Barnes & Noble on Wednesday, which is free. The final show of the season, Schoolgirl Figure by Wendy McLeod will premiere at the end of March. A workshop series is also in the works for next summer.
Long-term plans include traveling productions to schools, guest speakers and more workshops. Such hard work leaves little time for worry.
"I don't think it's really hit me yet that we're producing theater in a professional environment. I almost don't have time to let that all sink in," Osinski said.
The founders hold fast to what they learned at Drew. "Save guidance and occasional technical help, theater students are left to their own devices to make sure the set gets built, the lights get hung, the lines get memorized and that it all happens on time ... We didn't get bailed out when it didn't all work -- we had to fix it ourselves too," Williams said. Many of the designers for the shows are also Drew alumni. However, working all day with friends can also be difficult.
"We have to be careful not to mix business and pleasure," Williams said. Everyone involved has to balance their day jobs and their work with the company.
According to Osinski, "Learning how to work with friends has definitely been a challenge, [but] we had all worked with each other before, so there was an unspoken understanding and trust between the five of us. [It] has made it much easier for us to get through some of the more stressful times."
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