Woo hoo! It’s time to unveil a new season of shows for Abrams Spotlight Productions. How exciting! But
how did we get this pivotal moment in the history of the universe? (I mean, the history of the theater.)
Well, it takes a small community to select the shows for the large community who then presents the
shows to the broader community. This is “community” theater times three!
Role of the Production Advisory Committee
Let’s look closely at the role of one of the small communities at ASPI, the Production Advisory
Committee, comprised of a group of seven theater experts. The Production Advisory Committee (PAC)
researches and selects the shows for ASPI to produce.
Kelsey Steeno is one of the PAC members.
“It is great to serve on this committee because I like to do research on shows to see what would be a
good fit for this theater,” she said. “We work together as a team to put together a great season.
Everyone’s input helps.”
Director Submissions & Brainstorming
The PAC, which meets in the spring and summer, helps determine the structure and schedule of the
upcoming theater season, which is announced in the fall. The committee asks directors to submit their
ideas and reviews the scripts that directors suggest. They also brainstorm ideas for other scripts that
would be a good fit for ASPI.
“There are a lot of shows that I would love to do, but the show has to fit with the theater mission and
talent and audience type,” Kelsey said.
How ASPI Chooses its Shows
When selecting shows, the PAC considers a lot of different elements including director availability, cast
size, number of roles for each gender and age group, royalty availability and costs, revenue calculations,
and the cohesiveness of the season as a whole.
One of the shows on the PAC’s “Wish List” is Mamma Mia.
“This show is performed a lot, so it is harder to get rights. Plus, now it is touring again,” Kelsey said.
While Mama Mia waits in the wings, ASPI unveiled three other amazing shows for the 2025 season:
Godspell, The Play That Goes Wrong, and Dickens Jr. We can’t wait to see how these shows unfold.
Gathering Your Input for Community Theater
What show would you like to see performed at the Nancy Byng Community Theater? Let us know, and
the Production Advisory Committee will add it to their list of possibilities.
