Top News in Charm City 2007: Single Carrot Comes to Town

Just think.  This time last year, none of us had even heard of this news making company.  They started quietly with a press release and a very low-key festival of one act plays by local playwrights.  I remember thinking, "Well, start small and win over the locals."  The event went well enough, including one play called "True Blue" which I remember as vividly today as if I saw it last night.  That play was directed by a young woman and starred a young man whose names you will surely hear in the years to come – Ms. Giti Lynn and Mr. J. Buck Jabaily.  Next came the production that really put this group on the map – a sizzling hot Red Light Winter (Pulitzer Prize finalist by Adam Rapp).  In what years from now will be looked back on as maybe a turning point, but definitely a "I-was-there-where-were-you" fib when they become really well known, they presented The Baltimore Waltz in a unique venue (a party hall on Howard Street) with a unique setting (toilet paper was the main design element).  They went on to perform it for free to packed houses, but the going was rough.  And that, folks, is exactly why this little group that could WILL succeed, and why they are the number one news story in Baltimore Theatre of 2007.

Just before the holidays (and immediately before their completely unique "holiday show" La Muneca - another envelope-pusher), I had the honor and privilege to sit down with four of the founding members of Single Carrot Theatre to talk about how and why they came to Baltimore, their eclectic season, and all things charming about Charm City.  These members, J. Buck Jabaily, Giti Lynn, Brendan Ragan and Jessica Garrett (the other three original members are Aldo Pantoja, Genevieve de Mahy and Joey Bromfield) may very well be the most well spoken, passionate and genuinely talented 20-somethings I've ever talked with.  If I sound in awe, it is because I am – and painfully envious, too.  These men and women are doing what all of us always talk about.  They dreamed a big dream, fantasized about how to make it come true, and they stuck to it and did it!  Even if they fail (they won't), they have already won in my book.  Below is, I think, some semblance of an interview.  To me, it makes perfect sense – I was there, after all.  But these folks end each others' sentences, talk and say exactly the same thing at exactly the same time, and go off on well-intentioned tangents, all of which are easy to follow in person, but maybe not so much in print.  That said, their insight and style and their genuine fondness for each other comes through.

So, how did they find each other?  "We were all University of Colorado – Boulder theatre majors.  We were not necessarily all close friends, though," says Brendan Ragan.  "Only myself and Aldo [Pantoja] knew each other before college," adds Jessica Garret.  "Well, we did lots of shows together, and took some classes together," says Giti Lynn.  J. Buck Jabaily explains, "We – Single Carrot – really started out with 22 people, but that was way too many for an ensemble theatre company, which we all agreed we wanted to form.  Consensus was hard to have with so many.  Eventually, we got down to the seven founding members, which we have here.  The first thing we did was create a Mission Statement.  Then, about two weeks before graduation, we talked. 'We are graduating.  Where do we go from here?'"  Mr. Ragan continues, "In 2005, we 'unofficially' did some things in Colorado.  Some of us graduated in 2005, others in 2006.  So we took a year, intentionally, to do other things.  To make sure we tried things, and were sure about Single Carrot.  We also waited for others to graduate in 2006."  Some members worked in the local theatre scene, like the Colorado Shakespeare Festival.  Others travelled the world, from Maine, Chicago and LA here in the States to London, Peru and even Ghana.

Eventually, they all reconnected and it was decision time.  The biggest decision was to leave Colorado.  Ms. Garret felt that "eventually, we all would have left [Colorado]."  Brendan asserts, "We could have been there and have been successful.  But leaving forces you to WORK on theatre.  I don't think we'd have the same drive – waking up every morning in Baltimore has made us focus in Single Carrot."  Giti continues, "We didn't want to go to New York or Chicago.  We wanted to go where we could make an impact, be working actors, and not just blend in with everyone else."  Buck agrees, "New York would have been a wash.  It is over saturated, which is one of the considerations we had for picking which city we'd move to."

So, how did they find Baltimore?  The process sounds like a long one, but also belies the seriousness with which these Thespians take their company.  They started out with over fifty medium to small cities, and each member did thorough research on each.  Among the things they looked at were the saturation of theatre in the area, local and state arts funding, cost of living, and climate – economic, social, and political.  They then narrowed the field down to four: Austin, Texas, Baltimore, Maryland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Columbus, Ohio.  Baltimore, it would seem, is the most logical, logistically, being close to DC, Philadelphia and New York.  But the reasons they picked Baltimore are far more thorough than that.  Mr. Jabaily recalls, "Baltimore was by far the most responsive and welcoming.  We called theatres all over the country, and everyone here has been very helpful.  Jim Kniple, who was with Run of the Mill told us that Baltimore has a great 'Big City/Small City feel.'  He is so right about that."  Brendan admits, "We were very nervous and scared.  But here we are, two big shows in, and we fit in.  We needed Baltimore and Baltimore needs us."  Jessica adds, "We were really impressed with the arts movement here.  There is so much going on in this area.  Still, none of us have quit.  That's a plus.  I mean, consider the statistics of any new business, let alone a new theatre company!" 

Is Baltimore everything they thought it would be?  "Baltimore is a city of extremes, I think," muses Ms. Garrett, "It is industrial and urban.  The people here are charming.  In Colorado, if you stop a stranger to ask directions or even the time, they shrug into their coats, and step away from you.  Here, people stop, look you in the face and really talk to you.  I'll admit that when I looked at the study we did, I was concerned about the crime rate and race relations, but I really loved the arts scene, the cost of living and the history of this place.  Do you know how many people I've talked to here that have never even been out of the city!?  My concerns are still the same, but my love for Baltimore has really expanded."  Mr. Ragan adds, "The city itself is so beautiful in places – the architecture, the neighborhoods.  I don't think people who live here even realize what they have here.  They have no idea.  I think if people here knew just how much character and history is here – how great Baltimore is – it would really be a great city."  Since all of them have jobs to support themselves while Single Carrot grows, one thing they all like about Baltimore is the job market.  Giti sums it up by saying, "There is a lot of opportunity here, and jobs are easy to come by.  It is pretty easy to leave one job to move up to another.  It is much harder in other places."

In its first season, Single Carrot has really let it be known that it will be eclectic in its offerings.  So how do they decide what to do?  Brendan Ragan starts, "We first decided that Buck would be the Artistic Director – one person to really organize and make final decisions."  Buck quickly adds, "It is still somewhat of a consensus, but I get final say.  Someone has to we learned; we are really learning what works for this ensemble."  The process of selecting shows is pretty extensive.  Jabaily explained that each company member compiled idea lists – what they wanted to do (direct, act, produce, design), what plays they read that sounded interesting, what plays were a real fit for the group.  "We all picked, I think, good, challenging works that also fit our Mission Statement.  But there is no rhyme or reason to what was picked.  I didn't think 'let's do a comedy, a drama, a Shakespeare.'  I just thought about how to make it equitable."  Everyone agreed that it was interesting to do all of the jobs required to run a theatre company.  They also stressed the variety.  Jessica said, "You might see me in two plays in a row, like The Baltimore Waltz and La Muneca, but then not see me on stage for the next three shows.  I might design or direct or produce."  Giti speaks from experience.  "I directed one of the plays in our initial play festival, then I was in Red Light Winter, but I did backstage stuff for The Baltimore Waltz, and now I'm in La Muneca."

La Muneca marked the first full production to feature actors not part of the original seven.  Ms. Lynn explains, "we have four [actors] from outside the group.  It has really pushed our professional limits.  It is easy to get into a certain groove when you work with the same seven people all the time.  We developed our own sort of short hand in talking and directing, but now we are motivated to really really focus on rehearsal and how we talk.  Before, we'd rehearse in a living room when we couldn't find space.  Now we are having to find actual rehearsal space.  I don't know… it has a more professional feel with the new people.  They are all great, and we've learned a lot from them.

The original seven are concerned about how they are thought of in the Baltimore theatre community.  More than a few eyebrows were raised when the company announced its wish to be considered a regional/resident theatre from the start.  "Right now, we probably look and feel like a community theatre, with no permanent space and a smaller audience.  And we don't mind at all being thought of that way – most community theatre in Baltimore is as good or better than what was considered 'professional' in Colorado.  But we aspire to be a regional theatre.  We want this to be what we do, and only what we do.  We want to be established, not feel like this is a hobby.  It is a higher goal.  It is hard to get there, but worth it," explains Mr. Ragan.  Mr. Jabaily continues, "The talent is certainly here in this city, but the opportunities to be professional are fewer.  That is what we hope to be in the near future, a professional company in Baltimore.  And we figured when you say it, you have to make good on it.  We say we are a regional theatre company and that is what we will become.  I suppose that sounds arrogant – I think we are both arrogant and humble.  You have to be to succeed."  Mr. Ragan concludes, " I knew this would be a lot of work.  I thought we'd be a story.  But the work load and the size of the splash we made to start with - we are so lucky.  After Red Light Winter The Baltimore Waltz, at least now we know we'll still be here next year.  We know there will be another show.  That is more 'established' than I thought we'd be by now."

Optimism runs through their veins, and what they call arrogant in person is anything but.  No, they are inspiring and passionate – driven.  They all laugh when I suggest that I am envious that they are not just talking about it, they are doing it.  Brendan sums up this new formation succinctly.  "When you start it yourself, you have the right to screw up.  But we are learning how to do it all – administration and art – by jumping in and just doing it."  Jessica smiles, "Maybe we'll write the book on how to do this."  A moment of silence is shared by all, followed by a round of confident smiles, as they all at once say, "Yeah!"

 

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Single Carrot Theatre.  TOP to BOTTOM: The Original Seven: (left to right) Jessica Garrett, Brendan Ragan, Genevieve de Mahy, J. Buck Jabaily, Giti Lynn, Aldo Pantoja and Joey Bromfield; Red Light Winter; Red Light Winter; The Baltimore Waltz; La Muneca.