Syracuse resident has worked his way through different positions at Syracuse Stage
Jingyu Wan | Staff Photographer
Kyle Bass is currently helping Syracuse Stage with their production of “The Christians." He discovered the play two years ago and pressed the stage to perform it.
When it comes to the Syracuse Stage, Kyle Bass has done it all.
Starting with the theater company in the early ‘90s, he’s shuffled from playwright to publications manager, from associate artistic director to literary manager. Now, he is settling in his current role as dramaturg.
The role of dramaturg isn’t a cookie cutter job found at every theater. Instead, Bass said it’s defined by the person in the job.
Bass defines that job broadly.
“I think of dramaturgy as the art of thinking about theatre,” Bass said.
He works with colleagues at the Syracuse Stage/ SU Drama Complex to select shows that will make up a season, put together panel discussions and create lobby displays, among other tasks.
Not only does Bass help choose shows — he said he serves as an in-house critic to those currently in production. He’s constantly asking himself and colleagues what the Stage’s vision is for each performance.
Right now, the Stage is working on a production of Lucas Hnath’s “The Christians,” something Bass has been excited about since he discovered the play two years ago.
“I was running down the hall saying, ‘We’ve got to produce this play, we’ve got to produce this play,’” Bass recalled. “I got it on the docket, I got it on the menu.”
When it comes to choosing productions like “The Christians,” Bass lets his past experience guide him. Bass said he’s been able to get shows that may not have been produced if there wasn’t a playwright helping to pick them.
“That’s where the deepest part of my professional passion lies,” Bass said of his playwright background.
Transitioning from playwright to the production side of things hasn’t been without some changes. Bass said he can no longer just watch a play and let it wash over him. He sees the same plays over and over as they’re produced, always looking to see what works and what doesn’t.
To gauge it all — and to add variety to watching the same performance over and over— Bass looks beyond the stage. He looks to the audience.
“The joy I take in the art form is watching the audience watch,” Bass said. “That’s the unfolding drama that is new to me.”
Published on March 30, 2016 at 12:01 am
Contact Kathryn: kjkrawcz@syr.edu | @kathrynkrawczyk
