Keep an eye out for Ohlook Performing Arts, a suburban theater company with an edge
Ohlook doesn’t offer your mother’s idea of community theater. Shows like ‘Debbie Does Dallas,’ ‘Vampire Lesbians of Sodom’ and ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ (pictured) definitely give edge to the ‘burbs.
A conservative bedroom community like Grapevine, Texas, isn’t the first burg you think of when you consider a hotbed of nightlife. Maybe you can get a nice dinner, do some shopping, even drinks. But late-night theater with vampire lesbians? That doesn’t seem much like a suburban offering.
But almost defiantly, and with fascinatingly good reason, the folks behind Ohlook Performing Arts Center embrace the idea of edgy shows in the ‘burbs. And, as it turns out, the community seems to be following suit.
“I’m surprised that we haven’t had more of a backlash,” says producing artistic director Jill Blalock-Lord. “But we have a board that supports what we’re doing and hey, there are gay people in the ‘burbs, too!”
In recent months, Ohlook has produced some very queer shows that even urbanites in Dallas proper might drop their jaws at. They just came off a double-feature of Charles Busch plays — Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Psycho Beach Party — that ran back-to-back as part of Ohlook’s late-show adult series, as well as productions of Debbie Does Dallas and Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.
All that begs the question: How are their neighbors in the GOP-friendly ‘hoods of Grapevine, Southlake and Colleyville adjusting?
“Well, the city hasn’t given us a lot of support, but they leave us alone,” Lord says. “We were worried with Trannie, but even in this community, we haven’t had any problems.”
Yes, Trannie.
In February, Ohlook debuted Trannie: A Musical written by Lord’s husband and Redneck Tenor founder Matthew Lord, about a cross-dressing prostitute who searches for the men who gave her up when gay couples were denied adoption rights. But the surprise was on Ohlook: People came out for the show.
Still, the company isn’t specifically gay-centric. In fact, Blalock-Lord says it’s really just been a coincidence — not that there’s anything wrong with that.
“I don’t think gay content is the quantifying factor, but I tend to like the message [it] bears,” Blalock-Lord says. “Honestly, we’ll do anything out there because we will do any kind of edgy show.”
They took the gay-themed play Dog Sees God to the American Association of Community Theatre play festival in Rochester, N.Y., and won six awards for it, including best overall production.
Blalock-Lord clearly gets the unbelievable wackiness that her theater company has undertaken. But she wasn’t trying to necessarily step out of the box and be something other community theaters were not.
“Ohlook started as an educational program with student shows,” she explains. “As my kids were growing up, they wanted to be in more adult shows. And so actors that started with us as children are growing into adults in our shows.”
“That’s part of the reason we do those shows,” board member Julie Hahn adds. “We have some talented and serious young people and we offer quality training. These are the shows they wanna do.”
This next season, Ohlook plans to present three shows: The Who’s Tommy, Evil Dead and they’re deciding between Christmas Rocky Horror or Scrooge’s Groovy Christmas. There has been some difficulty in planning because Ohlook is looking for a new home.
“Yeah, we’ve been given our notice so we’re on the lookout,” Blalock-Lord says. “We’re hoping to stay in same area, but we have friends who say come to Dallas. Well, they got theaters in Dallas!”
With a fan base already set, they have every intention of staying close by and they will be in their original space for Tommy, even though it starts later than planned. (“We didn’t want it to open here and then close there,” she laughs.)
Regardless of their struggles, Blalock-Lord feels like Ohlook will always have its peculiar take on theater. And for gay audiences, including some of Ohlook’s students who have made their own self-discoveries, there’s always going to be a place for campy theater — even if it’s way up north.
“I noticed people came from all over to our shows,” she says. “We wanna do shows that bring in an audience and we have revenue from our classes that allows us to be more adventurous. It’s ideal. Part of theater is to educate, but you gotta have fun. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
For more information about Ohlook, visit OhlookPerform.com.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 26, 2011.
I just think they should pay the actors who helped them keep the doors open and helped build the fan base with both word of mouth and most recently using the Internet, Facebook, tweet, etc. The time and cost for these young adults is high and many can’t afford to buy the gas to get there much less be there when they should be working for money. Their call of course but I don’t think it will last forever for ohlook if they don’t start paying some of the “company” actors at least a cut,of the house , who without them would not exist.
Patty, that is definitely a valid point. However, just for the other side of that argument, I did shows with Ohlook from when I was 14- to 22-years-old, before I moved to Chicago. I commuted 4-7 days a week for 40 minutes for almost 8 full years, and it wasn’t for the hope of eventually being a paid company member. What Jill and Matt have done with Ohlook is something incredibly special. Beyond what the community and audiences think, there are countless kids who, like Jill said, grow up in Ohlook. If I had to choose between a paycheck and the experience and relationships I formed through Ohlook, I wouldn’t think twice.
More than that, though, Ohlook is a non-profit theatre. Ohlook is Jill’s full time job, and I can guarantee that there has never been an excessive (or not) amount of box office profit for her to pocket in the first place. She puts so much time, energy, and money into keeping Ohlook up and running, and what “profits” the theatre does see often go into creating exciting opportunities for students. How many community theatres that are open to children ages 3 and up have the ability to bring in working professionals from Broadway and elsewhere for workshops and Q&A’s? It’s a rare and amazing thing.
I have seen Jill covered in paint at 4 in the morning, working to finish a set in time for tech week. I have seen her digging through storage units in 110 degree heat for the right costumes for actors. I have seen her give much and more of herself so that her students, me included, could have a place to create art and feel valued. Ohlook gave me more courage, self-respect, and hope than any other educational experience in my life.
So yes, in a perfect world, Ohlook would be making enough money to compensate its performers, but I feel I can say for not only myself but for countless of other pupils and performers who have gone through the ranks that Ohlook has never been about money. I only hope that someday I have the means and ability to give back even a fraction of what Ohlook has given me.