Fairfield residents Steve Benko and Eli Newsome are the collaborators behind Fairfield Center Stage, a roving theater company launched in Fairfield in 2017, whose goal is to provide a quality, accessible, and affordable theatre arts experience for the community by the community. Each show is a unique and fun, inclusive experience; one notable show is their annual immersive production of A Chrismas Carol, performed at Burr Mansion. Take a peek behind the curtain to learn more.
FLM: What are your roles with the theater?
Steve: I have been a performer and Board member, rising through the ranks to my current position as Board President.
Eli: I serve as Founding Executive Producer, which means I oversee the day-to-day operations and serve as the ‘coach’ of the company. I also wear different hats on each production, depending on the show, sometimes serving as Director, Music Director, and/or Lighting Designer.
FLM: How did Fairfield Center Stage start? What is the origin story?
Steve: It was formed by Eli, his wife Christy, and a few other friends back in 2010 as a non-profit corporation. It was then known as Bridgeport Theatre Company and operating out of the Playhouse On the Green in downtown Bridgeport. When the landlords closed that facility a year later, it moved to the Downtown Cabaret Theater. That's when I joined the company. When those arrangements came to an end seven years ago, we relocated to Fairfield and renamed ourselves Fairfield Center Stage, developing relationships with several venues around town as we do not have our own physical location.
FLM: How would you describe the company? What is the mission?
Steve: We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit community theater company dedicated to providing a creative outlet for the local community of performing artists of every color, age, orientation, gender, ethnicity, walk of life, religion, etc., forming bonds as they work together, mainly on a volunteer basis, to produce high-quality entertainment. This includes mainstage productions, concerts, and after-school and summer youth drama programs and camps.
Eli: I would describe us as an inclusive community theater group that strives on producing high quality local shows at affordable prices -we try to keep ticket prices around $30. We pride ourselves in utilizing local artists and the depth and diversity of our talent pool is one that I’m very proud for cultivating over the years. Each year we work with 100-200 artists, all local, with a nice mix of new and returning company members.
FLM: Can you give readers an overview of the process of putting a production together - from show selection to opening night?
Eli: Not having a permanent theater has inspired our creative choices since we launched. My wife, Christy, our Artistic Director, has been instrumental in some of our more memorable ideas for shows or unique, non-traditional locations. Sometimes, we find the venue first and then brainstorm what show might work well there, or sometimes, we choose a show that we think would be good for our group and then try to find a place to do it! I hire the production staff (Director, Music Director, Choreographer, Scenic Designer, Lighting, Sound, etc). We hold open auditions for all our productions and rehearse our bigger shows for around 5-6 weeks, in the evenings and on weekends. We bring everything together through a tech rehearsal process and publicly present our shows for usually 2 or 3 weekends. Some of our concerts or new works events are one-night presentations. The actors are all volunteers, and we provide modest stipends for some of the critical artistic positions and musicians who play in our bands.
FLM: What role does the Board play each season? How are you involved with the theater?
Steve: The Board holds regular meetings to discuss and decide on all aspects of our programming, with each member contributing their particular skills in a very hands-on way to individual productions -designing and building sets, running the website and social media, directing shows, performing -they generally have to audition like anyone else- coordinating and hosting events. My particular skills, apart from performing and acting as master of ceremonies at different events, are presiding over the meetings, budgeting and financial matters, filing annual government reports, working on grant applications and venue negotiations.
FLM: What do you find most rewarding about being a part of Fairfield Center Stage?
Steve: When I first started in community theater strictly as a performer, I found acting to be a fun way of expressing myself, and there was nothing quite like the applause and appreciation. Over the years, through that process and then becoming more involved on the production side, it became more about the sense of teamwork and bonding in making something joyous for the cast, crew, and audience alike happen with a community of quirky, diverse, dedicated, passionate group of talented artists literally from ages 4 to over 80 from all kinds of backgrounds.
Eli: I love our company, as it provides a container for people to cross paths with others from our community that they might not normally ever even meet in life. We provide an opportunity for deep connection with other fellow humans, through the structure of artistic collaboration --- in short, I think theater is the most rewarding team sport out there.