Meet Ellen Geer | Co-Producing Artistic Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ellen Geer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ellen, how does your business help the community?
Theatricum Botanicum is an outdoor theatre and educational nonprofit organization that benefits all ages in Topanga, the greater L.A. area, and beyond. Our summer repertory theatre is at the core, taking place every summer from June through October with five plays running in rotation. We choose plays from the classical canon that reflect life and people of many different eras and different societies. Theatre is beyond important in this digital age; the focus on a small device inhibits the world of imagination. The theatre is a school where people can gather together to witness great literature and stories in the company of others. In addition, we train and develop teachers and future actors through our apprenticeship and young actors’ programs, which offer opportunities to watch and study the plays, perform in them, crew for them, help to develop them — all adding to our knowledge of humanity.

Each year, Theatricum Botanicum creates a community made up of all ages and kinds. From spring until fall, our actors and educators are ensconced in serving our audiences and students by introducing and presenting the stories of the world through Shakespeare and classical plays, concerts, and relevant works. Each year we select plays that reflect the times to encourage thought, laughter and consternation about humanity. We offer summer camps for kids aged five through teens. During the winter, our Academy educational programs for all ages reach out to schools and venues in the LA area. Our School Days education program began with a hard-to-get small grant of $1,800 to bus 180 students to experience Shakespeare at our unique outdoor venue under the California Oaks. Our educational programs now serve 10,000 students every year and, like the theatre, have enriched L.A. schools with our in-class programs for over 50 years.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My mother, Herta Ware, and my father, Will Geer, gave me a deep understanding of the world and of the complexities of being human. They endured the difficult period in American history known as the Blacklist, which affected many artists who spoke out against the political repression of the 1950s. Watching them face those challenges with resilience, optimism, and unwavering spirit while continuing to move our family forward taught me the importance of generosity, service, and supporting fellow artists. Their example showed me how to help create opportunities for others and to encourage creativity, even in difficult times.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Building and running and preparing Theatricum for the future and the day-to-day of family, keep one from driving into town. Gas is very expensive in L.A. Come to Topanga. There are shops, restaurants and parks to walk about in and look high over the ocean. There is a campsite above our theatre. The digital world can guide anyone to what they desire in LA, much better than I can.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout # 1 to Oscar McGraw, architect, who led us through the difficult, “other world” (to us) of building permits, bathrooms, safety, CUP’s, parking lots, and more. He was our guide to creating a legitimate, safe theatre space here in our haven in the Topanga Mountains. It was not an easy thing for artists to comprehend. We are now over 50 years in existence, and the next generation of artists, educators and staff are excited and moving Theatricum forward.

Shoutout #2 to MaryAnne Dolcemascolo, our first managing director. She had me dress in “purple,” a “money color” as we drove downtown to fancy board meetings where many people in suits heard us “doing a pitch” that would hopefully give us money for our work. She held our hands through the “no’s,” and we celebrated the gifts when they came. Our goal was always to form a professional repertory theatre and educational space for now and for the next generation. Theatricum would not have happened without her care, stamina, and incredible knowledge. God help her, she is still on our Board!

Website: https://theatricum.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theatricum_botanicum/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theatricum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theatricum

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/will-geers-theatricum-botanicum-topanga

Image Credits
Photos by Ian Flanders, Molly Burke, Melissa Curtin