8 Incite / Insight Network Spotlight Summer / Early Fall 2018
On The Road
Again by Pat Haines-Ainsworth
In 1999, the school districts in our area experienced a kind of financial“ perfect storm.” The tax base had dipped, federal funding was cut, insurance rates went up, and there was a shortage of school bus drivers. These factors meant students were no longer able to go on the kind of field trips as they had done in previous years. Some of those lost trips included bussing them to see the wonderful professional theater companies nearby in Seattle, Kirkland, and Everett. It was sad. Even though those cities were only thirty to fortyfive minutes away, they( and the great programs they presented) were out of reach for the children in our area.
During the three previous years, I worked as an art docent in the district and had gotten to know the students well. I hated the idea that, because of the distance and the lack of funding, these students couldn’ t have the same access to the educational advantages live theater and the arts provide. Washington State is like many states in the west and Midwest. We have several large cities along the Interstate 5 corridor, plus Spokane on the eastern side of the state where there is amazing theater available for young audiences. But in between, we have mountains, farming and ranching communities, and lots of small rural towns that can’ t support a resident theater for young audiences.
My friend and fellow teaching artist and actor, Alexandra Clark, and I decided to create a touring company called Last Leaf Productions. I had experience as a writer, producer, and visual artist. Alex had costuming experience and worked with a touring company in Los Angeles before she moved to Washington State. Both of us worked professionally for a number of years as stage managers so we knew the ins and outs of putting on a show. Our goal was to create a touring company, Last Leaf, that was able to perform anywhere on a very tight budget,