Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation’s mission is to stimulate excellence in theater arts. One way the nonprofit does this is through an annual festival.
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The fourth Theatrepalooza is set for Jan. 14 at Theatre Northwest at Indiana University Northwest’s Arts & Sciences Building in Gary.
“Typically when you go to theater you see one production. By going to Theatrepalooza you can see a bunch of different theater,” said Becky Jascoviak, president of Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation.
“You won’t see the whole thing so you’ll need to go to the actual theater to see the whole show. This just gives you a taste to whet your appetite. It does show the breadth and depth of theater across the region.
“We like to say, ‘You can get Chicago-quality entertainment close to home. We like to show off. There are all kinds of things here. There’ll be comedy. There’ll be improv. There’ll be musicals, singing and dancing — all of it.”
Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation has tweaked how member theaters will present for this go-around of Theatrepalooza.
“Typically it is two full acts of short excerpts but this year we’re doing longer excerpts with more time. It’s not necessarily one full act and a second full act. It’s more spread out,” said Jascoviak, of Valparaiso.
“The idea is it gives people time in between to visit the theater booths in the lobby. What used to be five- to eight-minute segments and four of them stacked together now will be 15 segments and five-minute breaks.”
Members scheduled to perform include 4th Street Theater from Chesterton; the Genesius Guild from Hammond; Hammond Community Theatre; Improductions, LLC’s Makeshift Up and the Tony Stanzas; Seedlings Theatre Company and Valparaiso Theatrical Company.
“We are billing it as our spring preview of shows coming up. I do know there’s at least one that is so far in the future that they have chosen to do a show they just completed. For the most part, it will be things that are upcoming,” said Jascoviak, who mostly directs and stage manages regional productions.
“It is a grant-funded production. That’s why we’re able to offer it for free to the community. It is a grant from the Indiana Arts Commission and South Shore Arts.”
Northwest Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation includes member theaters featuring talent from several towns including Cedar Lake, Crown Point, Highland, Hobart, Merrillville and Michigan City as well as some Illinois towns.
“We promote all of our member theaters across Northwest Indiana,” said Jascoviak, noting that the foundation’s website, www.nietf.org, offers several resources.
“We’re a one-stop shop for finding theater information whether as a patron because you want to go see a show and see what’s happening on a certain weekend or as a performer or someone who wants to produce part of the art. There’s a whole section for people who want to audition and get involved.”
Jascoviak most recently directed the Genesius Guild’s “The God Committee” in spring at First United Methodist Church of Hammond.
“What I love about theater especially is that it draws people into a space and time that is not their own. It forces people to look at a situation different or walk in someone else’s shoes for a minute, and it’s a space that creates dialogue,” she said.
“It’s also one of the very few art forms that requires collaboration.”
Parking is limited on campus and some spots are metered.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Theatrepalooza
When: 2 p.m. Jan. 14
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Where: Theatre Northwest at Indiana University Northwest’s Arts & Sciences Building, 3400 Broadway, Gary
Admission: Free
Information: 219-331-2071; http://www.nietf.org