BWW Q&A: Beth Wheat on The Big Bear Theatre Project's 2024 Season

The Big Bear Theatre Project has been producing shows in Big Bear for nearly 15 years with a relentless focus on continually improving the quality and impact of our programming

Our 2025 season is off to a thunderous start - a reference to our first production of 'Misery' which was very well received by a mix of Big Bear locals and visitors alike.

The  big summer musical, "Little Shop of Horrors" is not to be missed.  Featuring an impressive cast of Broadway veterans and upcoming stars, the show opens on August 22, and runs Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (matinee) until September 1. 

July 27 & 28, they present a gift to our community and visitors - an admission free, family friendly panto of Treasure Island featuring local favorites Katt Balsan (as Long John Silver) and Spencer Cassling (as...well...everyone else.)  Maximum laughs per minute, audience participation, mahem and memories for the whole family are included in the (no) fee for admission!

October 11 - 13 they proudly present 'Tesla - A Radio Play for the Stage' directed by Michael Arabian and written by Dan Duling, telling the story of Nikola Tesla's life as a brilliant but controversial inventor, with an all star cast:  Gregory Harrison, Tony Palermo, Dan Laura and Charles Shaughnessy with more to come!

The Big Bear Theatre Project finishes the season and 2024 with 'A Ghost Story of Christmas' - BBTP's original stage adaptation of this holiday favorite with relevant furvor and delight.

Beth Wheat is a co-founder and Board President/Managing Director of The Big Bear Theatre Project.  Beth has wwritten, produced, acted and directed theatre, television and film.  She is a former corproate executive with passion and experience creating expansive visions and helping organizations achieve them.  She believes in the power of story telling to heal, inspire and create community.

Can you tell us more about your journey from being a corporate executive to leading a theatre project?

I grew up in and around theatre and it was, for a time, my major in college. I've loved it for as long as I can remember. However, life led my career into a different direction, but I always remained strongly connected to story telling and theatre. And, I believe my background in theatre served me very well in the corporate world, where compelling story telling, esprit de corps, collaboration, compassion and empathy are very much in need, although not always traditionally acknowledged as such. My theatre background helped me develop a unique leadership style that served very well.

What inspired you to co-found The Big Bear Theatre Project?

Arts and culture are essential for healthy communities, and small rural places like ours often struggle to keep an arts scene thriving. Our intention for The Big Bear Theatre Project has always been to serve our community through thought provoking, inspiring programming and, further, to produce compelling and high quality theatre that would draw not only our local patrons but visitors from the large population centers just near us, like Los Angeles and Palm Springs. The mountains are incredibly inspiring, and for us, the combination of great theater surrounded by natural beauty and awe is a perfect pairing. We want to share it with everyone.

As a person who has acted, written, directed, and produced for theatre, television, and film, how do these experiences influence your role as Board President and Managing Director?

They say "jack of all trades, master of none" and that's probably an apt description for me, however I do believe that having experience and exposure in a variety of fields has helped me in many endeavors and especially in my role with The Big Bear Theatre Project. I can relate to most of the roles and duties we ask people to fill, have a functional understanding of how multiple medias work, and I believe this enables me to help our team make better decisions, to support all the diverse roles, and help set strategy for the group.

How has The Big Bear Theatre Project evolved over the last 15 years?

We've certainly grown in terms of wisdom and resources, and we've extended our horizon significantly, seeking to broaden our programming and help our community nurture a vibrant arts and culture scene that attracts visitors and supports our local economy. I think we've become very good at producing shows and, while we want to keep putting up great shows, we also want to encourage and nurture others in our community to express and share their art and talents and work together to create a truly unique to Big Bear vibe and scene.

Can you give us some insight into your strategy for producing exceptional theatre experiences?

Creating a strong core team that is high functioning and able to communicate honestly and constructively is an essential. From there, a core team can cast and hire talent that is compatible with its energy and ambitions, which means teams can come together more quickly and develop a rapport that makes communication and collaboration highly effective. For me, this is sort of the "secret sauce", I would say, although there are, of course, many essential "hard skills" that come into play as well, including the ability to run a resilient business.

How do you go about selecting the plays and performances for each season at The Big Bear Theatre Project?

We have always relied on our artistic director to make suggestions, then the team reads and comments. Some times we are swayed by available talent, subject matter that is particularly relevant to current events, and we also like to strike a balance between plays and musicals, lightheartedness and thought provoking. This year, we welcome our new Artistic Director, Christine Drew Benjamin, who will soon be helping us lay out our 2025 season and I sense we will have some exciting, fresh new programming with Christine at the helm.

Why must audiences come and check out all the shows this season?

First, I'd go back to that perfect pairing of theatre and nature. Many artists are drawn to Big Bear to be inspired and to create. To come here and experience local art and then take a walk around the lake or hike to an expansive vista is a rare and restorative opportunity. Art expands horizons, provokes questions. Nature creates awe and leads our thoughts to wander in our own creative nature. Most importantly, though, our remaining shows this season will be incredible. Little Shop of Horrors features Broadway and television artists and we guarantee a delightful escape from reality with a truly incredible cast. Tesla, about the life of Nikola Tesla, will be much the same, with powerful A list actors and a compelling story about this fascinating and controversial man. As an added bonus, patrons to Tesla will be delighted by our local Plein Air art exhibition as we culminate Big Bear's first annual Plein Air Arts Festival. Lastly, in December, Big Bear Theatre Project's own adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol' will be presented in a very unique way and setting. Each of these shows will take you out of the moment, give you great things to think about, and will linger long after your visit.

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