BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Stephen Foster & Chuck Pelletier who Recently Launched Round Earth Entertainment

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series on Broadway World which features interviews with some of the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the Arts alive in the City of the Angels. And just like all of us, I wondered how they are dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved.

This Spotlight focuses on Stephen Foster & Chuck Pelletier, award-winning creators of the musical "The Green Room," based on a one-act play written by Rod Damer, for which Rod and Stephen wrote the book and Chuck composed the music and lyrics. The couple, married since 2011, met through their mutual love of theater and have launched their own production company, Round Earth Entertainment, from home during the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Shari Barrett (Shari): What would you like readers to know about your theatrical background?

Chuck: I've been an actor in both plays and musicals, professionally, off and on, for my entire adult life. When I met Stephen, he had just started a theater company. I acted in a couple of their productions, and we soon went to work on a musical version of "The Green Room" which was the first musical I ever wrote. It was based on a one-act play that my friend Rod Damer had written. I'd been a music director of shows before, and in addition to being in a lot of musicals, I've been a songwriter since I was 14 years old. So it all just made sense and came together at that time.

(Shari): Tell me a bit more about "The Green Room."

Chuck: I love writing funny songs, and when I go to see musicals, my favorites are always the comedy songs. For the most part the songs in "The Green Room" are comedy songs, which move plot and character forward while also making you laugh. And I think audiences love that. That's the way musicals were written in golden age, whether it's "Guys and Dolls," "My Fair Lady," "Oliver," and "The Music Man," which are all fun and funny. They include the occasional love song or sad song when the plot warranted it, but for the most part, people continue to attend Broadway musicals to escape and be entertained. What makes me most proud as a lyricist is when I hear an audience laugh, really laugh, belly laugh, in the middle of a song, and then again, and then again, to the point they have to try to contain themselves just to keep up with what's coming next. That gives me more joy than anything. And audiences love the youthful energy of the story, with four characters in their 20s having fun in college.

(Shari): What production(s) were you involved with when word went out it needed to immediately be either postponed or cancelled?

Stephen: I had a production of my play "Legends and Bridge" set to open in London which got cancelled. I had another production lined up in a smaller theatre, as well. We had a few pending productions of "The Green Room" lined up, too. All cancelled. We were also about to begin production on our next comedy short which was delayed.

(Shari): How were the shutdowns communicated with the cast and production team?

Stephen. It was all done via email in a very professional understanding way. You know, we are all in the same boat here. All of us creative folks. We had to rebrand, remarket and rethink our plans. This impacted how we did business, and we ultimately created websites for "The Green Room" and "Awakening the Actor Within" (my acting workbook).

(Shari): Are plans in place to present the productions at a future date, or is the cancellation permanent?

Stephen: Luckily, they have all been postponed until next year. Some of them were not official so they are still pending until things steady out. We were a tad bit fortunate as we had ended our film festival run for "That's Opportunity Knocking" and were NOT right in the middle of production of anything.

(Shari): What future productions on your schedule are also affected by the shutdown?

Chuck: The film Stephen mentioned, "That's Opportunity Knocking," was the first thing I've written and directed. I have other scripts, and Stephen and I have scripts we have written together, that we would love to film or get someone to film. All that is completely on hold.

(Shari): How are you keeping the Arts alive while at home by using social media or other online sites?

Stephen: We are taking the time to tell people that our comedy short is on Amazon Prime and many are watching it now. We are active on social media, are doing online teaching and networking, and also using the time to resurrect some older projects and writing some new ones. We have participated in some Zoom readings. We also started our small production company Round Earth Entertainment.

(Shari): What thoughts would you like to share with the rest of the L.A. Theatre community while we are all leaving the Ghostlight on and promising to return back to the stage soon?

Chuck: Write! Ask yourself, do I have a plethora of ideas that for years I've been saying I'd like to write? If not, okay. But if yes, then ask yourself, "Why haven't I written them?" The answer is probably that you were never forced to stay at home and be with yourself. Writers are generally introverts. Right now, we are all being forced to be introverts. What better time to look inside yourself, and find out if you are a writer or not? You never know until you try. Meet the challenge of being alone. Embrace the challenge of looking at what's inside you, and, perhaps, expressing it.

Social media site links:

That's Opportunity Knocking on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B079KB7QTT/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

http://www.greenroomthemusical.com

http://www.awakeningtheactorwithin.com

for rights: http://greenroomthemusical.com/production-rights/

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