Q&A: Landmark Theatre

Ben Miles

I recently conducted an interview, via email, with the Landmark Theatre Company’s artistic director, Megan O’Toole and the theatre’s marketing director, Jay Dysart. Ms. O’Toole also directs the company’s current production of “Rent.” Here’s what their collaborative interview had to state regarding the Landmark Theatre Company and its reopening after closing down in the spring of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic:

What Motivated the development of this newest Long Beach theater?

We are returning to the stage after our pandemic hiatus, but we have been creating theatre in Downtown Long Beach since 2014. Our inaugural Gala concert officially announcing our company as Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company in 2017.

Our company began in the heart of Downtown Long Beach; a small group of artists tasked with the creation of a musical celebration for the centennial of The First Congregational Church, a historic landmark, on the corner of Third and Cedar. We realized that we were not only surrounded by limitless talent, but by a collective of artists, technicians and volunteers fervently committed to serving our community. Talent met purpose in a place founded by those who built our city and Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company was born. We are steadfast in our pursuit of excellence, showcasing phenomenal artists and musicians, superlative set and costume design and inspired stage and musical direction. Landmark’s core Artistic team is comprised of professional artists all native to Long Beach.

What inspires you to be a part of the community theater scene in Long Beach.

Our theatrical community in Long Beach is vibrant, diverse and exciting. Landmark truly believes that community theatre can change the world and this belief permeates every Long Beach Landmark Theatre endeavor. We are a community theatre in the truest sense of the word; our work is created by and for those we serve. Landmark provides professional quality musical theatre experiences that engage our community in ways that make them feel essential to and profoundly invested in, the life of our company. Landmark envisions a more compassionate and connected world and we seek to realize it through the transformative power of live performance. We get to see this power at work. It flows through every part of our process from season planning to auditions, front of the house to behind the scenes. We intentionally create with joy, empathy and passion so that our message meets our audience. Through this connection, in the darkened theatre, we are all transformed. When the lights come up, we take that transformation with us out into the world.

Why did you choose “Rent” the 1989 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical to initiate the first show of the first season of the Landmark Theatre?

We are thrilled to bring this iconic show to the heart of Long Beach in the way only Landmark can. As always Landmark is dedicated to telling stories that reveal the human condition and resonate within the current social climate. Although “Rent” takes us back to the early 1990s, its story has incredible parallels to today. This group of friends struggle to hold onto their art, their ideals and their passion amid the AIDS epidemic and increasing financial insecurity in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.

Having experienced a global pandemic whose effect on the performing arts cannot be understated and with our 108-year-old theatre space dwarfed by brand new housing construction reaching ever-upward in both size and price Landmark is uniquely positioned to tell this story with a personal and current perspective. We know our audience will be profoundly moved, whether seeing the show for the first time, or seeing it again from this new vantage point.

With International City Theatre, Musical Theatre West, the two venues at the Long Beach Playhouse and the California Repertory Company at Cal State Long Beach, is there enough demand for live theatre in the community to fill seats at yours and the other venues?

Long Beach’s arts community is a vibrant one with so many facets. Landmark is incredibly proud to be among them. The pandemic has been challenging for all live performance and each organization faces a new and unpredictable environment, but there is huge support from the Long Beach community. I (Megan) am a product of Long Beach theatre. Growing up I (Megan) was able to perform at the Long Beach Playhouse and Long Beach Civic Light Opera and I feel so honored to now contribute to the rich theatrical tapestry that made me the artist I am today. We are excited to be among these incredible venues, to offer our unique perspective and an environment for local talent to shine.

What is the season schedule of the Landmark Theatre?

We will be finishing our current season this spring with Stephen Sondheim’s “Assassins.” Landmark was slated to produce “Assassins” in Spring 2020, just after theatre went dark due to COVID. This darkly humorous musical made extremely current for our presentation after Sondheim’s passing and our production dates less than 6 months prior to the Presidential Primaries. “Assassins” is a scathing indictment of the “American Dream” and the alienation and discontentment that comes from its impossible pursuit. This musical revue, set against a surreal carnival backdrop, depicts nine figures who set out to assassinate American Presidents. While some are successful and some are not, they all step up for their chance to “shoot to win” a spot in historical infamy. We are excited to bring Landmark’s unique perspective to this brilliant, challenging and engaging work.

What is the mission of the Landmark Theatre?

Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company connects, challenges and inspires local audiences with musical theatre and theatrical productions created by a diverse community that shares in the joyful pursuit of artistic excellence while cultivating an inclusive and nurturing environment that celebrates and empowers both established artists and emerging talent. Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company envisions a more connected and compassionate world realized through the transformative power of creating and sharing theatrical experiences.

Long Beach Landmark Theatre Company is located in the First Congregational Church of Long Beach, 241 Cedar Ave. Phone: (562) 366-0085 or visit lblandmark.org. 

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