Curtains Up
Rob Crouse and the Capital City Players make themselves at home
By Pamela Marquis
Photos By Chris Hollaway
Anyone who gets excited by the mantra of actors Mickey Rooney and Judy
Garland- "Come on, kids! Let's put on a show!"-knows just how much fun a good,
old-fashioned musical can be. And it's that kind of magic artistic director Rob
Crouse and the Capital City Players happily create for mid-Missourians.
"We offer total entertainment," Crouse says.
The Capital City Players, who recently celebrated their first anniversary in Shikles
Auditorium, perform a full season of eight top Broadway musicals and plays in a
dinner-theater format enhanced by Donita's Cakes & Catering's cuisine.
"[Donita's does] it the way we knew we wanted it done-with china and class,"
Crouse says of the fine dining.
A veteran of the stage, Crouse always has been involved with showbiz-from
starting a theater in Cameron, Mo., to performing in summer stock at the Starlight
Theatre in Kansas City and the Mule Barn Theatre in Tarkio. He earned a
master's degree in theater at the University of Missouri-Columbia. There he
shared the stage with actor Chris Cooper, who went on to earn an Academy
Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2003 for his work in the motion picture
Adaptation.
"I played his father in a production of The Boy Friend, " Crouse says.
Since moving to Jefferson City, Crouse has performed at many venues, but he
and his theater group never had a permanent home before last year. The players
often found themselves with mere days to stage a play in a rented venue or with
odd rehearsal spaces, such as a funeral home.
"We all put in many late nights with much sacrifice," Crouse says. "We knew we
had to find a permanent home."
Then an opportunity to use Shikles Auditorium came knocking on the door. And
though it was made of cement blocks and had less-than-ideal acoustics, the
group decided to move ahead with plans to turn the space into a theater. Crouse
and a core group of participants spent many nights planning how to proceed.
They figured the project would cost $50,000 to $60,000.
Their first major sponsor was Central Bank, and FAB Building Center of Jefferson
City provided a generous in-kind donation to make the theater fly. In 2007, the
Capital City Players opened their season with a production of The Full Monty.
"It was a baptism by fire in the world of business," Crouse says.
But the play was the first of many resounding successes for the hard-working
theater company.
"This is such a great area for theater. We have the Little Theatre, which does
more traditional theater, the Stained Glass Theatre, which does religious theater,
and Scene One, which does more cutting-edge works. And, of course, us,"
Crouse says. "I've been to lots of theaters in many different communities, and I
know I'm prejudiced, but this is one of the finest bases for theater you can find
anywhere."
Crouse is dedicated to the dramatic arts in part because he enjoys the
collaborative process.
"Doing this kind of work just creates lots of joy," Crouse says. "Movies are great,
but live theater is about risk taking. It's a fresh and alive form of art. It's all about
discovering and connecting audiences with the human condition. And though you
probably won't see Death of a Salesman here, this is just a great place to escape
from work and your problems."
Rob Crouse and the Capital City Players make themselves at home
By Pamela Marquis
Photos By Chris Hollaway
Anyone who gets excited by the mantra of actors Mickey Rooney and Judy
Garland- "Come on, kids! Let's put on a show!"-knows just how much fun a good,
old-fashioned musical can be. And it's that kind of magic artistic director Rob
Crouse and the Capital City Players happily create for mid-Missourians.
"We offer total entertainment," Crouse says.
The Capital City Players, who recently celebrated their first anniversary in Shikles
Auditorium, perform a full season of eight top Broadway musicals and plays in a
dinner-theater format enhanced by Donita's Cakes & Catering's cuisine.
"[Donita's does] it the way we knew we wanted it done-with china and class,"
Crouse says of the fine dining.
A veteran of the stage, Crouse always has been involved with showbiz-from
starting a theater in Cameron, Mo., to performing in summer stock at the Starlight
Theatre in Kansas City and the Mule Barn Theatre in Tarkio. He earned a
master's degree in theater at the University of Missouri-Columbia. There he
shared the stage with actor Chris Cooper, who went on to earn an Academy
Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2003 for his work in the motion picture
Adaptation.
"I played his father in a production of The Boy Friend, " Crouse says.
Since moving to Jefferson City, Crouse has performed at many venues, but he
and his theater group never had a permanent home before last year. The players
often found themselves with mere days to stage a play in a rented venue or with
odd rehearsal spaces, such as a funeral home.
"We all put in many late nights with much sacrifice," Crouse says. "We knew we
had to find a permanent home."
Then an opportunity to use Shikles Auditorium came knocking on the door. And
though it was made of cement blocks and had less-than-ideal acoustics, the
group decided to move ahead with plans to turn the space into a theater. Crouse
and a core group of participants spent many nights planning how to proceed.
They figured the project would cost $50,000 to $60,000.
Their first major sponsor was Central Bank, and FAB Building Center of Jefferson
City provided a generous in-kind donation to make the theater fly. In 2007, the
Capital City Players opened their season with a production of The Full Monty.
"It was a baptism by fire in the world of business," Crouse says.
But the play was the first of many resounding successes for the hard-working
theater company.
"This is such a great area for theater. We have the Little Theatre, which does
more traditional theater, the Stained Glass Theatre, which does religious theater,
and Scene One, which does more cutting-edge works. And, of course, us,"
Crouse says. "I've been to lots of theaters in many different communities, and I
know I'm prejudiced, but this is one of the finest bases for theater you can find
anywhere."
Crouse is dedicated to the dramatic arts in part because he enjoys the
collaborative process.
"Doing this kind of work just creates lots of joy," Crouse says. "Movies are great,
but live theater is about risk taking. It's a fresh and alive form of art. It's all about
discovering and connecting audiences with the human condition. And though you
probably won't see Death of a Salesman here, this is just a great place to escape
from work and your problems."
Jefferson City, Missouri
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| Jefferson City Magazine March/April 2008 www.jeffersoncitymag.com |
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