hat trick theatre: the draw of community
Saturday, I discovered a small, rundown building off the beaten path in Ybor. The paint is peeling, and cats wind themselves under the front porch and throughout the back yard. Still, of all the theaters I’ve visited in the area, Silver Meteor seems to have the most pluck.
I received the invite to Hats Off to the Arts, a fundraiser and art festival Hat Trick Theatre was 
holding in the theater from my friend, Paul McColgan. Paul’s a member of the troupe and their director of marketing. I took the flyer and decided to go for a few hours, just to support the local art community. I ended up staying seven hours.
From 3-6:30 p.m. was the family friendly potion of the evening. Once most of the kids went home to bed, the fun really started.
The highlight of the night for me was the last act, BAIT, or the Bay Area Improv Theatre. They had charm, wit, and a good amount of cheesiness, perfect for an improv troupe. Toby Martini looks a bit like Stephen King, which fascinated me. And, Darryl Knapp brought an intense and outlandish energy to the group.
My second favorite bit was the experimental scene My Dad is Nathan Lane, written and directed by Matt Frankel. The story revolves around Matt’s dad transforming into Nathan 
Lane, with a slew of outrageous moments culminating in a horrifying, if not unexpected ending which left the audience wondering if they should laugh or gasp in horror.
The most memorable piece was The Tableau Vivant Nouveau, an interpretive puppet show by my former coworker Adam Sageser and his own troupe. Michael Pucak was on hand, sketching the performance as Christie Lenee provided the music.
Adam said Tableau Vivant Nouveau did well in a recent performance where members of the Jim Henson Company were in attendance; the troupe is currently looking for a permanent studio space and applying for grants to keep them going.It should be noted that Hat Trick Theatre’s next show is starting on Nov. 16. Now I’ve had a taste of their talent and enthusiasm, I’m sure I’ll be in attendance at least once before the run is over.
Tags: actor, art, arts, entertainment, festival, laughing, music, theater, usf, ybor, ybor-city
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November 6th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
…a completely unbiased opinion.