What I want.

I want a theatre that treats the audience like co-creators. I want to honor the sacred space between actor and audience. I want to make people laugh so hard their cheeks ache and bellies hurt the next day. I want to hear grown men sob during the show. I want people's eyes to shine as they mill about the lobby at intermission. I want my actors to be incredibly proud of the work they do every night. I don't ever want to be satisfied. I want to sell out shows and have to extend them. I want to take big, big risks that scare the bejesus out of everyone. I want comfortable seats and enough toilets in the women's bathroom. I want a state of the art lighting system. I want a bar in the lobby. I want to change lives. I want to pay actors a decent wage. I want rabid fans and volunteers who feel like they own the place. I want to say "yes!". I want long, indulgent production meetings, where we have intense discussions about colors and textures and metaphors and myths. I want to bring my dogs to work. I want to laugh. A lot. I want plenty of money for productions. I want to produce the best theatre in Knoxville. Scratch that. The best theatre in Tennessee - in the Southeast. I want an advisory board that holds us accountable and demands our best work. I want to develop a national reputation. I want to produce new, astounding work. I want to find new audiences, new ways to involve current audiences. I want to make money - have I said that already? I want to find something essential and life-changing in every production and share that with the audience.  I want to kick some serious ass. Is that too much to ask? Tough. It's what I want.

Jayne