Interview: Ryan Dean Schoening And Aliza Bardfield of 2022 SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT at Oyster Mill Playhouse

For lovers of live theatre, this is an exciting time. After the pandemic shut down of 2020, when theatres all over the world went dark, the performing arts are gradually reemerging. Each theatre is taking a different approach to re-opening. Some are jumping right in with in-person performances, others are taking a hybrid approach with virtual and live performances, and still others are waiting for a few more months to officially open their doors again. It's a time of hesitant optimism. As theatres announce upcoming seasons, they do so with excitement, looking forward to bringing art to life once again and to seeing seats filled with those who love and support their endeavors. Oyster Mill Playhouse in Camphill just recently announced their 2022 season, and President of the Board Ryan Dean Schoening and Production Coordinator Aliza Bardfield took some time to talk with BroadwayWorld about how the pandemic impacted the theatre and what audiences can look forward to at OMP in 2022.

Bardfield has been a volunteer at Oyster Mill for over a decade. After taking some time off from the board, she is excited to be coming back as the Production Coordinator. The Production Coordinator, Bardfield explains, "encompasses everything to do with the productions...show selection, making sure sets go up, and ensuring that shows are fully cast and have a fully staffed production team. Basically, everything that happens on stage I'm sort of in charge of, but it all happens with the help of volunteers and other board members." Due to the way that their board elections take place, the incoming Production Coordinator actually begins their term with a slate of shows chosen by the previous Production Coordinator. The 2022 season, therefore, was crafted by Nina Cline but will be implemented by Bardfield.

As President of the Board, Ryan Dean Schoening is "responsible for managing the operations of the theatre. With this particular theatre, it involves asking the other volunteers and board members what they want to do creatively, how they want to grow at OMP, and how they see OMP being successful, and then giving them the tools they need to do those things." Schoening also takes on other side projects around the theatre, including, most recently, updating the lobby. "It's closer to our current brand colors, with a more sleek and polished look that's all tied together." As President of the Board, Schoening also makes sure that board members stay on task and have the tools and help they need to fulfill their particular roles at OMP. Schoening sees his role as working with and supporting the board as a team.

Before looking ahead to the new year, Schoening shared a bit about how the pandemic impacted OMP and how it will impact their new season. Taking stock of their situation, the board at OMP decided to largely stay quiet during the height of the shut down. Because they do not have paid staff or loans to worry about, OMP was in a position to give center stage to other theatres who needed financial support during the year of being dark. As they began to consider how to move forward, Nina Cline, the Production Coordinator at the time, suggested the idea of a short virtual season for 2021, as a way to get audiences re-engaged with the theatre. Their virtual season included The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World, and Driving Miss Daisy, which were all shows that could be done with a small cast and with minimal changes to the existing set for Barefoot in the Park, which was slated to open just as the theatre had to shut down, and which is planned to be their first in-person production opening in November 2021. Demonstrating just how difficult it has been to anticipate what will happen with the pandemic, Schoening explains, "we kind of missed the virtual window by mere weeks. Things were still shut down and still shut down and then one day the governor said it was okay to reopen and start doing things again. We'd all been working very had to put these virtual productions together through the winter months, so of course we moved forward with them. Critically, everyone who watched them gave us great feedback, but we didn't have as many people watching as we had hoped because things had started to reopen again." The saddest part of missing out on the 2020 season, for Schoening, was that it was to be a tribute season to the eight founders of the theatre. While it was frustrating and disappointing to have to cancel their 2020 season (and postpone Barefoot in the Park), the team at OMP is looking forward to 2022.

While every Production Coordinator has their own way of selecting the season's shows, one element that is always top of mind, Bardfield explains, is finding the balance between choosing shows that will appeal to the patron base while including different shows that will bring in new audience members. The 2022 season is unique in that it was crafted recognizing that the pandemic has led many of us into a time of serious reflection; therefore, the theme for season 2022 is "Reflection." It features a slate of shows including comedy, drama, and musicals that encourage the audience to think and question.

The 2022 season at OMP will be as follows:

A Murder is Announced (directed by Aliza Bardfield) Jan. 21-Feb. 6

Parade (directed by Ryan Dean Schoening) March 18-April 9

Moonlight and Magnolias (directed by David Payne and Michael Hosler) May 13-May 29

Little Shop of Horrors (directed by Eric S. Mansilla) July 27-August 9

The Glass Menagerie (directed by Michael Hosler) Sept. 9-Sept. 25

The Laramie Project (directed by Lois Heagy) Nov. 4-Nov.20

Schoening and Bardfield both look forward to Parade, as it will complete Alfred Uhry's Atlanta Trilogy (the other two shows in the trilogy, The Last Night of Ballyhoo and Driving Miss Daisy, were both produced at OMP in recent years). Schoening is particularly excited for The Laramie Project. It is a show that encourages us to confront our history of prejudice and ongoing discrimination while giving voice to the LGBTQ+ community. It also gives those who identify as LGBTQ+ an opportunity to see themselves on stage. As Schoening states, "a lot of people get to see themselves on stage-get to see characters that they relate to...that's one of the reasons I'm most excited for The Laramie Project."

Bardfield is most enthusiastic about The Glass Menagerie and Moonlight and Magnolias. They are both shows that will make audiences think. She explains, "The Glass Menagerie is a memory play. You get to see this family's dynamic and the damage people can do to one another...there are scenes between Tom and Amanda that are so visceral and deep that you can just feel the emotions Tennessee Williams felt when he was writing them." Moonlight and Magnolias, on the other hand, is a comedy that is topical and thought-provoking. "It's about the making of Gone with the Wind", and it addresses the controversies around Gone with the Wind directly, making us face them in a way that is really delightful."

This upcoming season at Oyster Mill Playhouse promises to be a beautiful and thought-provoking one. As they move cautiously forward into in-person performances, OMP does currently require all patrons to wear masks when inside the building. Their safety protocols are fluid and will change as necessary depending on the state of the pandemic. For those interested in getting involved at Oyster Mill, follow them on Instagram and Facebook and keep an eye on their website www.oystermill.com. There are opportunities for volunteers to get involved in numerous areas of the theatre, and for those interested in being on stage, audition information for the 2022 season will be posted sometime in September. Join Oyster Mill Playhouse for a season of Reflection as they open their doors for live performances once again.

*Original Artwork by Rosie Turner

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