I recently had the privilege of speaking with T. David Rutherford. He is the president of the Colorado Theatre Guild, a wonderful actor, and one of the most well known faces in the state. He is constantly striving to support live theatre in Colorado, with his devotion to the community and the Theatre Guild. His love of theatre has even extended to his daughter Andrea - a working actress in New York. I really enjoyed speaking with him, as he had some very interesting things to say for this week's Acts and Answered.

Q. What is your favorite theatre to visit as a patron and why?
A. Oh, You’re going to get me in trouble on this question.  I enjoy attending shows at the Aurora Fox. They put on very high quality shows with respect to production quality and the performance itself.  And of course I know many of their staff.  The same is true for Spotlight Theatre which is now based at the John Hand Theater on the Lowry campus.  I was very impressed with the recent production of Twelve Angry Men produced by Spotlight. 
          
Q. For someone that has not heard of the Colorado Theatre Guild, can you explain what it’s purpose is and how it serves the community?
A. One thing that makes the Colorado Theatre Guild unique is that we have three different constituencies.  First, we support the theatre producers serving as a resource for information and personnel. We support individuals in the theatre community by being a conduit to jobs, auditions and opportunities in the community.  Lastly, we serve the theatre going public by providing information and discounted tickets to member shows.  Our weekly newsletter which includes job opportunities, audition announcements and general news of interest to the Theatre community reaches several thousand subscribers. 

Presenting T. David Rutherford

The ‘Theatre Night Out’ program is a subscription package for discounted tickets to member shows and has been very popular.  New works are given an audience through the New Ventures Series.  This program presents free staged readings for new works by Colorado playwrights.  Each year the Guild produces the Henry Awards to acknowledge the best in Denver area theatre for the previous year.  The Colorado “Tony Awards” are presented in July during a Gala presentation to sold out crowds.  An evening not to be missed. And lastly, the Guild web site is the "Go to" place for information and news about the Theatre and happenings in the theatre community for all of Colorado. As you can probably tell, I enjoy being a part of the CTG.

Q. What makes a “bad” show? What makes a “good” show?
A. If I don’t have thoughts of suicide during the first act, it’s a good start. Seriously though, good theatre begins with good writing.  If a play is poorly written, there is no amount of lighting, sets, costumes or actors who can fix it.   Conversely, even a mediocre cast and production quality can do little to dim a well written show.  Well, almost. 

I should say at this point, that I try and hold theatre to a pretty high standard.  I believe that the ideal for a show, whether it’s a musical, straight play or even simply a reading, is to touch something in the audience, to make them think, or to reach beyond themselves.  Each show has a message and as performers we try to communicate the intent of the author and touch something in the audience.  We strive for a “Promethean Moment” where both the audience and performers are uplifted by the experience.  This is ‘good’ theatre.   A ‘Bad’ show for me is simply a pedantic performance of going through the motions. 

Q. What made you decide to join the Colorado Theatre Guild?
A. That’s simple, I joined to support theatre and support the Guild programs.

Q. How can we get more people excited about live, local theatre?
A. This is the challenge isn’t it?  In today’s world where we’re all about

CTG president, T. David Rutherford

marketing it’s important for theatre companies to have an on-line presence and be up to speed with the new avenues of ‘getting the message out’.  It still boils down to word of mouth though.  I would ask anyone who is in a show to help promote that show through on-line groups such as MySpace and Facebook.  In order for us all to survive in these days, let’s work together to help get ‘backsides’ in the seats.

Q. What is your favorite play or musical?
A. Oh, I have so many.  I must admit that I love the ‘classic’ musicals of the 40’s,  50’s and 60’s.  Lerner & Loewe, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Comden & Green, Jerry Herman.  Of course I can’t not mentionStephen Sondheim.  For my favorite musical of all time, I think Les Miz.  It’s so well written.  It also invokes emotions very effectively.  I can listen to that score for hours.  As far as plays go, I love farces.  But my favorite play has to be Thornton Wilder’s Our Town.  I can’t even read the third act without breaking down in tears.  I saw an excellent production on cable the other day starring Paul Newman.  Wilder touches on the essence of the human situation and Our Town is I think one of his best works. 

Q. What does the average theatre patron not know about live theatre?
A. It’s like the old saying, “you get what you give”.  A responsive, appreciative audience will see a better show.  I always make sure that I’m one of the first to applaud and to laugh when I’m in the audience. 

Q. What have been your favorite roles?
A. It’s hard to pick just one.  I’ve done The Music Man several times over the years.  I always get cast as Charlie Cowell, the anvil salesman.  I’m not sure why.  At least he gets to kiss the girl.  I’ve also played Saunders in Lend Me A Tenor.  I just love that show.  I was also in several productions of Little Women: The Musical at Littleton’s Town Hall and at the Nomad in Boulder.  I played Mr. Laurence.  There was a wonderful duet Lions at the Gates that brought tears to everyone in the room.  That might just have been my singing though.  

Q. Where can we see you next?
A. I will be opening in The Lying Kind at UCCS/Theatreworks in Colorado Springs on Dec 4th and running through Dec 21st.  It’s a British farce with mistaken identities and lots of physical comedy.  Great fun.  I play Reverend Shandy the Vicar.  Now I don’t want to give away the plot but the Vicar does have a rather dark secret that I’m told has something to do with fishnet stockings.  Yes, well you’ll have to come and see it to learn more, a lot more.  Also in the show are Billie McBride, Michael Kane, Dylan Mosley, Geddeth Smith, Alysabeth Clements and Emily White.  It’s directed by Murray Ross.  You don’t want to miss this one!
 

Dylan Mosely and Michael Kane in TheatreWorks The Lying Kind

Q. What’s one movie can you recite line for line?
A. There are several ‘guilty pleasures’ that I watch again from time to time, a couple of westerns and a bit of film noir.  If I was forced to pick one it would have to be something completely different.  “I’m not dead yet!”, “Your mother is an hamster and your father smells of elderberries!”,  “It’s only a flesh wound”,  Monty Python and the Holy Grail.