Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerry Bisantz.
Jerry, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2005, I and my partners Ann Garvin and Steven Gilbane acquired Image Theater from Ron Ritchell and Polly Hogan, the original founders of The Lyric Stage of Boston. We decided that a non-profit theater company that specializes in ONLY producing works by local playwrights was a good fit for The Merrimack Valley area. Today, Ann and I remain, and we have produced over 100 playwrights, authors, poets. Our first production was “Mill City Minutes”, 21 ten- minute plays done over two weekends and it was a big hit. We have produced many full length plays… “Kerouac’s Last Call”, directed by Ann Garvin, was nominated for an IRNE Award when we brought it into Boston Playwrights’ Theatre (I portrayed Jack Kerouac). Our most-known festivals are “Femnoire: The Women’s Playwriting Festival”, and our adults- only comedic “The Naughty Readings”. We are essentially homeless, and have lights, sound, and setup anywhere that works all over Lowell. Our audience is wonderful, and The Old Court Pub upstairs is one of our homes, as is The Whistler House Museum of Art, to name a few places we have performed.
The City of Lowell has been great to us. Audiences are always open to new works with no name recognition. Grants have been given for much of our work from the Lowell Cultural Council, and Image Theater co-produced two films “Memories For Sale” and the documentary “Fred and Emile” with Breaking Branches Pictures, films that have been seen all over the world at film festivals.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s always tough. Getting actors up here in the Merrimack Valley area is not as easy as Boston… many actors do not have transportation, but we have really been lucky. We have always managed to get amazing talent to come “play” with us. Finding rehearsal space can be tough. The good folks at The Old Court Pub have been amazing… the space that they allow us to use is wonderful, and they pour a mean Guinness!
We are non-profit… we do pay our actors a stipend for our full length works. We have had changes of venue at the last moment, crazy playwrights, crazy schedules. Ann is a full time nurse, and I work days as an optician, we do this for love, not for money. It’s a crazy business, no one gets rich from live theater, but when you look out at a packed house, and the playwrights see and hear their works for the first time in front of a live audience, it’s worth its weight in gold.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Image Theater – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We only produce local playwrights. We don’t do published works. We ain’t doing “The Odd Couple”, or “Fiddler On The Roof” for the 9,999th time. It’s risky, but it’s worth it.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We may venture into showing original short films. We purchased a beautiful projector recently and it is begging us to use it. WE did have two nights of short, locally made films and both those nights were quite successful.
Contact Info:
- Address: 68 Oakland Street, Lowell, MA
- Website: Imagetheater.com
- Phone: 978-441-0102
- Email: imagetheaterlowell@gmail.com
- Facebook: imagetheater
UML_Altman_Aronson. Photo by Tory Germann
Image Credit:
performance is me as Billy Flynn in “Chicago”, Greater Lowell Music Theater, two person picture is my partner at Image Theater,, Ann Garvin
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