What we do, and a few ways we do it!
First, a quick introduction: The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol is a black box venue located in The Villages, FL, that seeks to inspire people with thoughtful and relevant storytelling. We seat roughly 125 patrons per show and our location is connected to the Tierra del Sol Bar & Grill. Our first season started in the Fall of 2016 and we have been producing exciting a groundbreaking stories ever since!
What is a Black Box Theatre?
Most theatrical venues fall into the same categories; usually they are fixed (like The Sharon) or they what is considered a “black box” (like The Studio). Being a black box means that we have the flexibility to change our seating arrangements for each show because there are very few permanent fixtures within the space. We tend to do very similar setups however, because we know that they are effective. The Sharon on the other hand, has the same essential seating arrangement, with only the pit section either set up or removed depending on the needs of any given performance.
What does that mean? What kinds of seating arrangements do you use?
This past season (2021-2022) we used 3/4 Thrust (Broadbend, Arkansas and The Cake), Proscenium (Urinetown), and Theatre in the Round (No. 6)! You can classify each type by the number of sides the audience can sit. For 3/4, the audience is on 3 sides; Proscenium has the audience on 1 side, and “in the Round” has the audience on all 4 sides. We have also done a “Wedge” style (audience in two sections in the same corner) and “Alley” (audience in two sections on opposite sides).
The style of the set and audience seating is determined by a whole team of people including the director, scenic designer, artistic director and several others. The vision for each show requires the full team to accomplish!
What about the shows you choose? How and why are those ones selected?
We have a Script Selection Committee that anyone on staff at The Sharon or The Studio may join. It is led by the Artistic Director Whitney Morse and Literary Manager Rachel Whittington, however the process is very democratic. All members pitch scripts that we then read, analyze and vote on. It is a long process, but we take pride in being intentional in our selections. Although each show may not be to everyone’s taste, we feel that the particular story/stories fulfill our mission and should be told.
We hope that we have established a form of trust with our audiences to provide high quality productions that they are not likely to see at other venues. In fact, we have had several regional premieres including: Bad Jews (2017), Neighbors: A Fair Trade Agreement (2019), Broadbend, Arkansas (2021), and No. 6 (2022). Our upcoming season has two regional premieres (In the Next Room and The Chinese Lady). Each show we produce is unique in genre, style, setting, and time period – and well-worth the trip!
How are the shows cast? Do you have open auditions?
Each year we have auditions that are open the public. Although general auditions for the 2022/2023 season have already come and gone, our process typically starts in the Spring of each year. You can find out more information and sign up to be notified of future auditions on our website.
Tell me about ticketing options!
We have a few different options for tickets: Subscriptions, Individual Tickets, and Preview Tickets. Subscriptions are for the full season (4 shows); new subscriptions are still available for a discounted rate of $130 per person in 2022. Individual tickets are $35/person for plays and $40/person for musicals.
Previews are not available for subscriptions, however they are a unique opportunity to purchase individual tickets at a steep discount. These occur the first few days prior to Opening Night and are priced at $15 for plays and $20 for musicals. For Preview performances audiences will see the full production, however some elements may not be fully finalized. Previews are fun because (1) you get a discount, (2) you can see the show before any reviews are written, and (3) because things are still changing you might get to see a part of the show that a regular audience doesn’t!
