Stephen Kaliski is On the Move

“The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.” –Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

Name: Stephen Kaliski

Age: 26

Occupation: Founder and Artistic Director of Page 121 Productions

Where are you from?
Originally from Charlotte, NC. I have been living in New York now for three years.

Did you go to college? Where? Davidson College, a small liberal arts school near Charlotte, N.C. I’m also currently an MFA Directing student at Brooklyn College in New York.

What did you study?
I was an English major and theatre minor. I took a brief sabbatical from these disciplines my sophomore year and studied Classics in the Mediterranean (the origin of Western theatre!).

Where do you work?
I’m currently the Artistic Director of Page 121 Productions, a New York theatre company dedicated to emerging artists. I co-founded this organization in 2008 in the hopes of providing valuable creative opportunities for actors, playwrights, directors, and designers in between their collegiate and professional careers. We are in the midst of our busiest year yet. We just had a successful run of my new work “His Minute Hand in Los Angeles.” And from August 14-26, we will present “West Lethargy,” our acclaimed original play from the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, at this year’s New York International Fringe Festival. This play features one of the most gifted ensemble of actors and collaborators I’ve ever worked with. It’s a truly endearing and original piece of theatre, and I’m confident this reincarnation will be a huge coming out party for Page 121. There are plenty of seats for all, so check us out at www.page121productions.org and westlethargy.blogspot.com!

Why did you pick this career?
I’ve known for a while that I wanted to work in the theatre, but the idea to start my own company didn’t occur until I’d been living in New York for a while. My co-founder Jeffrey Feola and I were getting frustrated by all the closed doors in the industry. Unless already in, emerging artists seemed to have precious few ways of making their voices heard. So instead of waiting for someone else to let us in, we decided to open our own doors.

What are your future plans for your career?
I would like to keep expanding Page 121 until it is a fully functioning off-Broadway theatre company with a 3-4 show season.

How did you get involved in this career?
I learned all the ins and outs of New York theatre by working on the administrative staff of an established off-Broadway theatre for two seasons. This was the perfect way of taking a pulse of the industry before diving in headfirst.

How did you prepare yourself for this career? Before Jeffrey and I started producing, we made sure we were very clear about our mutual values. A non-profit enterprise means nothing without a resonant and necessary mission, and we were passionate about providing new opportunities for an often ignored talent niche. Once we were on the same page here, we could begin the grind with an enduring sense of purpose.

What are the downsides to this profession?
It continues to be a long, slow grind to building a name for ourselves. Our first production in 2008 had a few people come. Our second had a few more. Our third got reviewed. Our fourth sold out. Each time we put a product together for an audience, we have to focus on our next benchmark and not try to achieve universal success in one fell swoop. This profession requires endless patience, but the thing that carries Jeffrey and I through is the belief that we are making vital voices heard in the arts community.

What is a typical workday for you?
I’m a graduate student at Brooklyn College now, so Page 121 is full-time summer gig and an on-the-margins gig during the school year. That’s the rub and the thrill of beginning something new and magical in the arts. You have to love it so much that you’re willing to live two lives for it.

How might this job be a stepping stone to other professions?
Every time you produce a play, someone will notice you. It’s impossible to say whether that will be a long lost uncle or the artistic director of a major theatre. But suffice it to say, work begets work. New and completely unexpected opportunities will come to us as long as we keep working.

What is the single-most important piece of advice you can offer a person pursuing this career? Create your own opportunities. Don’t depend on the random and whimsical kindness of others to help you through the door. Open the door yourself.

What steps do you recommend to someone who is planning to pursue this career?
Find a mentor, someone who’s been where you’ve been and wants to take an active interest in your success. And become a part of as many theatre families as you can. Paint sets for company A. Intern with company B. Usher for company C. Every new theatre professional you meet is one more person who could create work for you down the road.

What professional or community volunteer organizations are you currently a member of?
The Field, an organization that fiscally sponsors Page 121, and A.R.T./New York, a wonderful resource center for small theatre companies.