Theater company opens with plans to stage original works
By Cody Smith, Correspondent
Gainesville Sun
Friday, February 13, 2015
Michael Bobbitt faced some setbacks when pitching his original play to area theater companies, which deemed his play “Across The River” too controversial to produce, he said. Instead of giving up, Bobbitt decided to stage his own production, and with help from theater friends Mike McShane and George Steven O'Brien, Bobbitt is launching a brand-new theater company.
The Nitty-Gritty Theater Company (at The Salt) will become Gainesville's newest independent theater when it opens Feb. 13 in the newly-renovated venue The Salt, 2222 NW Sixth St., Gainesville. The theater opens with a production of Bobbitt's play “Across The River,” with performances planned today, Saturday and Thursday through Feb. 21.
“Across The River” follows the trials and tribulations of a father and his son. Inspired by Bobbitt's own real-life experiences, the play incorporates themes of life and death, parenthood, the afterlife and more. Bobbitt says the play's complicated motifs and a scene involving the butchering of a wild boar scared theater companies from producing it.
“We ran into some resistance with local theater companies,” he says. “Gainesville has a large vegetarian and vegan community, so the idea of the butchering was troublesome. We address it in a way that puts a positive spin on the idea.”
Bobbitt plays the lead character, and his real-life son, Liam Bobbitt, plays his fictional-counterpart's son. Director and Nitty-Gritty Theater co-founder Michael McShane says that the scenes between the two are very natural.
“Mr. Bobbitt wanted to have a shot at starring in the play, and after his audition I knew he had chops for the role,” McShane says. “The role is perfect for him because it's very much his own speak.”
McShane and O'Brien learned that Bobbitt faced difficulties in submitting “Across The River” to theater companies, and they reached out to him to express their interest in organizing a production.
The three approached The Salt owners and learned that they wanted to organize plays in addition to live music, which the venue was best known for. With renovations, the venue transformed from an empty building with a few microphones into a theater equipped with lighting and sound wiring and more than 130 seats, Bobbitt says.
“(McShane and O'Brien) are hardcore theater guys,” Bobbitt says. “They connected to the script, they sought me out and we decided to use the play as a vehicle to create a new theater company. We want to encourage local art, and do something for the community.”
Beyond the “Across The River” production, Bobbitt says that the theater is picking between three original scripts to choose as the company's next production. The theater will conduct four open calls throughout the year for playwrights to submit their original works to the company.
“We will give the play a budget and producer and the playwright will pick a director and cast,” Bobbitt says.
Bobbitt and McShane say they hope The Nitty-Gritty Theater Company's emphasis on original plays will promote local art.
“It's an experiment to show that art can stand on its own two legs,” Bobbitt says. “We may fail fantastically, but we believe in the concepts and hope that it become self-sustaining.”
Gainesville Sun
Friday, February 13, 2015
Michael Bobbitt faced some setbacks when pitching his original play to area theater companies, which deemed his play “Across The River” too controversial to produce, he said. Instead of giving up, Bobbitt decided to stage his own production, and with help from theater friends Mike McShane and George Steven O'Brien, Bobbitt is launching a brand-new theater company.
The Nitty-Gritty Theater Company (at The Salt) will become Gainesville's newest independent theater when it opens Feb. 13 in the newly-renovated venue The Salt, 2222 NW Sixth St., Gainesville. The theater opens with a production of Bobbitt's play “Across The River,” with performances planned today, Saturday and Thursday through Feb. 21.
“Across The River” follows the trials and tribulations of a father and his son. Inspired by Bobbitt's own real-life experiences, the play incorporates themes of life and death, parenthood, the afterlife and more. Bobbitt says the play's complicated motifs and a scene involving the butchering of a wild boar scared theater companies from producing it.
“We ran into some resistance with local theater companies,” he says. “Gainesville has a large vegetarian and vegan community, so the idea of the butchering was troublesome. We address it in a way that puts a positive spin on the idea.”
Bobbitt plays the lead character, and his real-life son, Liam Bobbitt, plays his fictional-counterpart's son. Director and Nitty-Gritty Theater co-founder Michael McShane says that the scenes between the two are very natural.
“Mr. Bobbitt wanted to have a shot at starring in the play, and after his audition I knew he had chops for the role,” McShane says. “The role is perfect for him because it's very much his own speak.”
McShane and O'Brien learned that Bobbitt faced difficulties in submitting “Across The River” to theater companies, and they reached out to him to express their interest in organizing a production.
The three approached The Salt owners and learned that they wanted to organize plays in addition to live music, which the venue was best known for. With renovations, the venue transformed from an empty building with a few microphones into a theater equipped with lighting and sound wiring and more than 130 seats, Bobbitt says.
“(McShane and O'Brien) are hardcore theater guys,” Bobbitt says. “They connected to the script, they sought me out and we decided to use the play as a vehicle to create a new theater company. We want to encourage local art, and do something for the community.”
Beyond the “Across The River” production, Bobbitt says that the theater is picking between three original scripts to choose as the company's next production. The theater will conduct four open calls throughout the year for playwrights to submit their original works to the company.
“We will give the play a budget and producer and the playwright will pick a director and cast,” Bobbitt says.
Bobbitt and McShane say they hope The Nitty-Gritty Theater Company's emphasis on original plays will promote local art.
“It's an experiment to show that art can stand on its own two legs,” Bobbitt says. “We may fail fantastically, but we believe in the concepts and hope that it become self-sustaining.”
Local entrepreneur to open ‘Nitty-Gritty’ theater Friday
Stella Heekin, Avenue Writer
Independent Florida Alligator
Thursday, February 12, 2015
When entrepreneur Michael Presley Bobbitt couldn’t find a home for his southern gothic play, he did what he’s used to doing as a poet, playwright and novelist: He created one.
Bobbitt, 38, is one of three founding partners of the Nitty Gritty Theater Company at The Salt on 2222 NW Sixth St. The company will exclusively produce four original Gainesville shows a year with the first one, “Across the River,” written by Bobbitt, previewing today before its opening night Friday.
The attempt to get the play, centered on a father-and-son relationship, to the stage through several venues, including the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, came to no avail.
“We immediately ran into some backlash about how controversial they thought it was and how some of the scenes were too difficult or too challenging for a Gainesville audience,” Bobbitt said.
Instead of letting the script sit on the shelf, he said he decided to produce it himself and bring Gainesville a theater for playwrights to showcase their work.
“Suddenly, we had a whole group of talented people in for that mission,” Bobbitt said.
Partnering with the owners of The Salt, a venue that caters to punk-rock shows, the company has struck a deal with a rate upfront for each night, and if projections of the turnout are close, the company could make a profit.
Bobbitt has invested $5,000 of his own money into building the company and producing the show.
Bobbitt said he hopes the company will lead a renaissance of creation for local artists. After the first production of “Across the River” finishes at the end of the month, the company will hold open-call auditions for playwrights to submit their work. A review board will then select one show for each season backed by a budget and a producer, Bobbitt said.
“We’re going to create a real model for how to put on art in town work. People get paid for their time and something of, you know, professional quality gets made,” Bobbitt said. “We’re about trying to make Gainesville a real cultural center of the state, of the Southeast.”
The culture and identity of a theater community is something Kelsey Côté, a UF theatre sophomore, said she’s noticed among her peers.
“We all want to be in a theater or be involved in the aspect of storytelling,” Côté, 19, said. “There’s a common goal there.”
Independent Florida Alligator
Thursday, February 12, 2015
When entrepreneur Michael Presley Bobbitt couldn’t find a home for his southern gothic play, he did what he’s used to doing as a poet, playwright and novelist: He created one.
Bobbitt, 38, is one of three founding partners of the Nitty Gritty Theater Company at The Salt on 2222 NW Sixth St. The company will exclusively produce four original Gainesville shows a year with the first one, “Across the River,” written by Bobbitt, previewing today before its opening night Friday.
The attempt to get the play, centered on a father-and-son relationship, to the stage through several venues, including the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, came to no avail.
“We immediately ran into some backlash about how controversial they thought it was and how some of the scenes were too difficult or too challenging for a Gainesville audience,” Bobbitt said.
Instead of letting the script sit on the shelf, he said he decided to produce it himself and bring Gainesville a theater for playwrights to showcase their work.
“Suddenly, we had a whole group of talented people in for that mission,” Bobbitt said.
Partnering with the owners of The Salt, a venue that caters to punk-rock shows, the company has struck a deal with a rate upfront for each night, and if projections of the turnout are close, the company could make a profit.
Bobbitt has invested $5,000 of his own money into building the company and producing the show.
Bobbitt said he hopes the company will lead a renaissance of creation for local artists. After the first production of “Across the River” finishes at the end of the month, the company will hold open-call auditions for playwrights to submit their work. A review board will then select one show for each season backed by a budget and a producer, Bobbitt said.
“We’re going to create a real model for how to put on art in town work. People get paid for their time and something of, you know, professional quality gets made,” Bobbitt said. “We’re about trying to make Gainesville a real cultural center of the state, of the Southeast.”
The culture and identity of a theater community is something Kelsey Côté, a UF theatre sophomore, said she’s noticed among her peers.
“We all want to be in a theater or be involved in the aspect of storytelling,” Côté, 19, said. “There’s a common goal there.”