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THE ARTS theatreTheatre ThinkerIn the online dialogue about the art of the stage,Travis Bedard is a starBy Dan SolomonIf you’re reading this at two o’clock in themorning, there’s a good chance that TravisBedard is awake and on the Internet.He’s probably poring over a vast assortmentof theatre blogs from around theworld, but he might be on Twitter. If he is,he’s either telling the more than 2,500 theatremakerswho follow @TravisBedard about thebest things he’s read on those blogs or treatingthem to cranky, pithy bon mots framedas advice. (“Approaching what you do asthough it’s holy can be the beginnings ofbeauty. Forcing others to do the same neveris.”) Or he could be preparing a post for2amtheatre.com, the theatre discussionblog for which he serves as managing editor.But it’s a safe bet that, if it’s the middleof the night, Travis Bedard is awake, online,and thinking about theatre.The amount of time that Bedard spendsthinking – and talking – about theatre hasbuilt him a not-insubstantial international following.Searching for his name on theGuardian’s website nets you results in thedouble digits from coverage by the Britishpaper’s theatre writers. The people who participatein discussions with Bedard onlineinclude names like National Endowment forthe Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman andGoodman Theatre ArtisticDirector Robert Falls. TheGuardian cites his “wisewords” and “vehemently passionateresponse[s]”; currentWashington Post and formerNew York Times theatre criticPeter Marks says on Twitterthat Bedard’s “input [is]always valuable.” There’s afascinating ongoing conversationhappening online aboutthe future of this old, endangeredart form, and Bedard isin the thick of it, serving asAustin’s representative.Which is a little bit strange,when you think about it. Inthe online theatre community,Bedard is an importantfigure who gets cited in the Guardian andfollowed by the head of the NEA. But ifyou’re enthusiastic about the stage workactually happening in Austin, you could livea full and varied theatregoing life withoutever encountering any of Bedard’s work.He’s artistic director of CambiareProductions, the company that he co-foundedwith playwright/director Will HollisSnider and stage manager Amanda Gass,but since the beginning of 2009, Cambiarehas staged just two shows: that year’s premiereof Snider’s new script for Orestes and,in 2012, Messenger No. 4 (or … How toSurvive a Greek Tragedy), also by Snider.After Orestes, Bedard didn’t take part inc o u r t e s y o f b r e t b r o o k s h i r eBedard as Doctorroyer-Collard in Quillsanother production for a year and a half,when he acted in the Capital T Theatre productionof Spirits to Enforce.He hasn’t made much work, but if youwere to ask someone on the Internet whomakes theatre in Austin, Bedard’s namewould probably come up before, say, KenWebster’s or Bonnie Collum’s.Bedard is aware of the disconnect betweenhis body of work – especially as a producer– and his influence in theatre discussionsoutside of Austin. “I don’t make enoughtheatre in town to match my reputation,” hesays. “I’ve been covered more in theGuardian than I have in the Chronicle. Ican go to New York and sit in on a rehearsalfor [award-winning off-Broadway company]Flux Ensemble. If I walked up to an averagegroup in Austin and said, ‘Can I sit in on arehearsal?’ I’d have to show ID. But if I callGus Schulenburg, who runs Flux TheatreEnsemble, he’d be excited. They’d make anextra cake.”They may not be making cakes for Bedardhere, but he’s finally begun to match thetime he spends discussing theatre onlinewith the time he spends creating theatre inAustin: In the past seven months, he’sworked on five productions, beginning with7 Towers Theatre Company’s’Tis Pity She’s a Whore andthe Hidden Room Theatre’sRose Rage last summer, andculminating with his currentperformance as DoctorRoyer-Collard in Quills forDifferent Stages. He’s alsoputting his money where hismouth is as a producer oncemore with Cambiare’s entryinto the FronteraFest ShortFringe, premiering New Yorkplaywright Mariah MacCarthy’s “All Abouta Boy” on Jan. 17. After all this time talkingthe talk online about what he wants theatreto look like, Bedard is walking the walkhere to help make it that way.So, of course, it’s time for him toleave town.nThere’s a reason why Bedard’s name hasbecome closely identified with Austin theatreon the Internet: He has big ideas and ispassionate when talking about them. Youdon’t capture the ear of artistic directors atmajor national theatres like Chicago’sGoodman or Washington, D.C.’s WoollyMammoth, as Bedard has, unless you’rej a n a b i r c h u mIn the online theatre community, Bedard is animportant figure who gets cited in the Guardianand followed by the head of the NEA.saying something interesting. A conversationwith him quickly becomes a two-and-ahalf-hourexploration of his hopes anddreams for the possibilities of theatre.Bedard can talk about the results of theexperiments that he’s been able to put intoaction. (“I was so happy [on Actor BenefitNight for Orestes]. Everyone showed up, andKim Mead brought beer to sell, like, ‘I hadthis beer in my fridge. Sell it and give it tothem.’ It felt like fucking Stone Soup or theend of It’s a Wonderful Life.”) He can connectthe dots between companies working inAustin now and groups in other cities doingsimilar work, expressing sincere admirationfor companies like Austin Playhouse: “I lovethose kids: ‘We’re in a tent! We’re in a mall! Idon’t care – we’re doing a show!’ It hasn’tbeen done since St. Louis, 10 years ago. Ilove it so hard.” He can distill what he’sobserved about our most successful companiesinto advice for those who aspire to theirsuccess: “Here’s why all of the Rudes’ workswork: They never once pretend that they’redoing anything other than what they are.They work in their space and work withthings they have. If they can’t do more, theydon’t do more. That’s it.” He can summarizewhat makes Austin unique among U.S. theatrecities: “It’s cheap to make theatre here,so interesting people make theatre here. Youdon’t get Rubber Rep in San Francisco,because their first couple shows would havecost so much for them to put up, they neverwould have done it. The Mechs wouldn’thave lasted five years, never mind becomean institution. No one would have giventhem a warehouse in San Francisco – there’dbe a dot-com start-up in that.”In other words, Bedard is smart abouttheatre and passionate about the way peoplemake it in Austin – and he uses the factthat he’s part of an international dialogueabout the medium to offer some uniquetravis Bedardinsights into what’s happening here.Bedard moved here from San Franciscoin 2004 so his wife, lighting designer MeganReilly, could pursue her master’s degree atthe University of Texas. In S.F., he learnedthe basics of nonprofit theatre as assistantproduction manager of the EXIT Theatre.Moving to Austin was a rough adjustmentfor Bedard; paid jobs making theatre arealmost nonexistent, and his first attemptsat finding work as an actor were less thaninspiring. “I just didn’t have time to get intoit,” he says. “I had done one audition, and Igot to do four sentences and was cut.”Bedard’s fortunes turned in 2005 when, atReilly’s urging, he joined a team in theArtSpark theatre competition. His teamrehearsed next to Snider’s, and the twobegan a friendship that led to the formationof Cambiare. “I met Will, learned that Iliked devising theatre, and started readingtheatre blogs, all in the same week,” hesays. “That was a pretty good week.”That week led to a new focus for Bedard.It’s a focus he’ll need to maintain. Aftereight years in Austin – the last two of whichsaw him involved in 10 plays, as either anactor or a producer – he’s preparing to pullup stakes again, as Reilly has begun asearch for a full-time teaching position thatincludes colleges outside of Texas.“Everything’s going great,” he laughs. “I’vebeen in production for two years, so ofcourse we’re looking for new places to be.”While there’s no firm timetable for theirdeparture, Bedard is confident that his wifewill find the sort of job she’s looking for.And while there’s a certain sad irony to thefact that someone who spent much of thepast several years simply talking about theatreis preparing to leave town just as he’sgathered momentum to make work himself,there’s also an opportunity. Because the factthat Bedard’s reputation outside of Austinexceeds the influence he wields within thecity isn’t for lack of trying.Bedard has approached directors fromyoung companies like Palindrome Theatre,Hidden Room, Capital T, and Poison AppleInitiative with scripts from young playwrightshe’s found working nationally and28 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E JANUARY 18, 2013 a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m