Classic Theatre Designer Artists Awarded Tobin Arts Foundation Awards
Classic's Co-Artistic Director & Resident Designer for The Seagull Win 2015 Artist Foundation Awards
Our very own co-artistic director and costume designer, Diane Malone, wins the Tobin Theatre Arts Fund Award for Costume Design. "Malone is an artistic director and designer of sets and costumes. She will use her grant money towards purchasing material and designing the costumes for Anton Chekhov's 'The Seagull,' a play that was set and written in 19th century Russia. Malone's version will be produced by The Classic Theatre of San Antonio in February." -The Rivard Report
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The Play's the Thing
Classic's Artistic Director does it for love
Every new show brings the promise of fresh artistic possibilities, and nothing thrills Classic Theatre's artistic director more. Since co-founding Classic Theatre in 2008, Diane Malone has worked tirelessly to produce season after season of superb theatrical offerings. She, like several other co-founders of the young company, wears many hats, and often directs and/or designs sets and/or costumes for Classic's four-show seasons. Because she has a B.A. in math and "thinks in numbers" she was also the Board treasurer responsible for budgets, grant proposals, etc. Her dedication shows.
"I think all of our productions are labors of love," she says, "love of the classics, love of theatre production, love of working together to create a work of art."
For Classic's latest work of art, The Seagull, Diane is costume designer. Thanks to a grant from the Artist Foundation funded by the Tobin Theatre Arts Fund, the usual budget concerns are somewhat alleviated. However, space remains a constant challenge. The twelve-person Seagull cast requires multiple costume changes, and outer garments from a Russian winter scene take up a lot of the very limited off-stage space. Drawing on her considerable experience-her three-page resume lists directing or design credits for more than 50 productions and nearly two dozen awards-Diane solves the problem by depicting the passage of time and change of seasons with deft garment additions or removals to avoid a complete change of wardrobes.
Whether she's directing- her first love- or designing sets or costumes, Diane most enjoys " that creative period before you get into the nuts and bolts of putting it together: the research, script analysis, and total immersion into the project."
As a co-founder, along with husband Rick Malone, Terri and Allan Ross, Asia and Tony Ciaravino, and Chris Cheever, Diane is immensely proud of the fact that Classic is three quarters of the way through its eighth season. " For an arts non-profit to last more than five years is already remarkable," she says. "For a small company like ours to be looking ahead to our 10th year is truly extraordinary." While the company prides itself on paying stipends to all their creative team, Diane admits that in relation to the hours spent it amounts to a pittance. "We do it for love, not money," she notes, "but it's worth it when we are working on dramatic masterpieces like the works of Chekhov and Shakespeare and the many other dramatists whose plays make up Classic's repertoire."
- Mary Denny
Another win goes to our resident set designer for
The Seagull, Ric Slocum, who was awarded the Tobin Theatre Arts Fund Award for Set Design. "Slocum is an actor, director, set designer and educator who has been working in theater for over 40 years. He works at multiple venues throughout San Antonio. Slocum will also be using his grant money towards his involvement in Anton Chekhov's 'The Sea Gull,' produced by The Classic Theatre of San Antonio in February." -The Rivard Report
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"I think there are two types of people who are drawn to theatre: those who enjoy standing out as the "star," and those who enjoy working with others in rehearsal and production" So says Ric Slocum, who is clearly in the latter category. "I love the look of the finished set and working with the people who help build it," he admits.
A professor emeritus of drama-he retired as chair of Our Lady of the Lake University's (OLLU) drama department in 2007- Ric has also worked professionally in set design. In the course of his 40+-year career, his creativity has enhanced productions with the Dallas Theatre, American Repertory Theatre in Hollywood, California, and locally with First Rep, Jump-Start Performance Co, San Pedro Playhouse (now The Playhouse), San Antonio Ballet Company, and St. Mary's University Opera Workshop. Along the way his work has been supported with a Wurlitzer Foundation Grant and recognized with Alamo Theatre Arts council awards and the Jasmina Wellinghoff Award for contribution to theatre.
Ric's involvement with Classic Theatre stems from his association with co-founder and artistic director Diane Malone, who also taught part time at OLLU. This is his second show with Classic. Many of you may remember his set design for Ghosts last season.
As set designer for Classic's current production, The Seagull, he faced the challenge of creating both outdoor (Acts 1 and 2) and indoor (Acts 3 and 4) sets on a stage that has no wings and no storage, which permits only minor changes between acts. Incorporating elements from both settings, Ric was able to suggest exterior and interior scenes through the creative use of large empty picture frames. Describing how his set evokes the drama's mood, he says, "The Seagull has a memory or dream-like quality to it. Although the dialogue and action is realistic, it seems to have been filtered by time. There is a dramatic action, but it doesn't move in the sharp straight line of the "well made play.'"
- Mary Denny
We are beyond proud! Thank you both for your hard work and dedication!
More information about award recipients can be found on therivardreport.com,
and on The Artist Foundation of San Antonio's
[Text from Classic Theatre]