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Interview with Blake Yelavich, general manager of Arts On Real conducted by Joel Dorr, Editor-in-Chief, DramaBiz Magazine


JOEL DORR: Tell us about your theatre background?

BLAKE YELAVICH: By the time I was 35, I had performed in over 60 productions, including regional tours of two shows and several long runs. I also had begun my own fledgling theater company called "Naughty Austin." As the runs of shows became longer for the shows I was involved, I found myself more and more interested in the business of shows, and I watched as I saw producers and directors make decisions that, whether good or bad, the actors didn't understand. I developed a keen sense and quick understanding of why the audience is more important to the production of a show than the individual actor. (I can hear gasps already from "artists" everywhere.)

I took that balance of "show business" as well as what it is like to be a young yet veteran actor, and blended what I knew into my stage productions and theater management.



JOEL DORR: What is your current title (Artistic Director, General Manager)?

BLAKE YELAVICH:I am General Manager of Arts On Real Theater, which is strictly a venue used by 25 theater and film groups in Austin. (Theater is spelled ER in our case for two reasons; it is indeed a THEATER for use of films and stage, and while the "artistes" might strive for that -RE, in my book -RE is the Art Of Theatre, and no one should label themselves artists; that should be awarded to them and then forgotten.)

I am Artistic Director of Naughty Austin Productions, one of the most award-winning theater troupes in Austin. The name Naughty Austin is not to suggest that all the plays we do are for adults only. The name initially came from our twist on Manhattan's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; our first shows were full length parody shows that skewered whatever current shows were running in Austin.



JOEL DORR: Take me back to the time you realized you wanted to build a theatre/complex. What was going on at that time that made you decide you needed to build your own theatre/complex?

BLAKE YELAVICH: I was blessed in this regard, in a highly unusual way. By 2002, Naughty Austin had built quite a reputation for its shows. For our production of MAKING PORN (our highest selling show to this date*) we were able to bring in two of the biggest male porn stars of that time, Ryan Idol and Chris Steele, and we paid the regular producers of the show (Caryn Horwitz and Ronnie Larsen) to NOT be involved. With that arrangement, MAKING PORN catapulted Naughty Austin to (believe it or not) a more legit and established theater company. We did, however, pay out more than $30,000 to the rental of the theater, a hole-in-the-wall with one bathroom (shared between actors and audience), very limited seating, and absolutely no grounds personnel to assist. However, on the flip-side, that production drew the attention of HBO, Showtime, and many high-dollar patrons/donors who were interested in seeing our self-effacing "don't take anything too seriously" form of public theater grow.

If we were going to grow from a six-week run of six shows a week, we would have to be managers and in control of our own destiny; something renting crumbling black-boxes would never afford us.

*MAKING PORN may very well be eclipsed by our current production of PSYCHO BEACH PARTY, running through October 28th. The first weekend broke MAKING PORN'S attendance and gross revenue records by 6-8%.


JOEL DORR: When you made the decision to try and raise the money for a theatre, what was your strategy? I understand you went to extreme and interesting lengths to raise the money to start this theatre. Tell me more about this.

BLAKE YELAVICH: Shortly after MAKING PORN, I was sitting at my nine-year office at a State Association (as graphic artist), and I received a telephone call from the casting people for a Comedy Central game-show called "Win Ben Stein's Money" - a game where you competed against the genius speech writer / actor Ben Stein for his cut of the salary. It was to be the second to last episode of the show using MENSA members (which I am); the final one was to be filmed with Playboy Centerfolds.

The questions were ridiculously hard but the answers to questions ("Mille Bourne," "Jason Alexander") came out of the grey area somewhere in the back of my head, and I won. I would have won thousands more if I would have answered "San Antonio Spurs" instead of "San Antonio Stars" - especially embarrassing being from Austin.

Little known fact: One does not get paid for a game show until the show airs. Six months later, the production company was not certain it would ever air, so assumably, they gave my name and stats to the producers of CBS's "The Weakest Link" - another game show where contestants quickly answer questions to a belittling school-marm and at the end of each round of questions, a contestant is voted off the show. I was an actor, I've been to theater parties, I know bitchiness. How bad can this be?

The 22 minute show took 3 1/2 hours to film and one of the contestants standing beside me started crying and pleading to be voted off the show. This backfired for this first year high-school teacher, because the other contestants kept her "alive" because they each knew they could beat her if it came down to two.

It came down to the two of us, the sobbing teacher and I, and we went into double over-time — or whatever they called it. Eventually I won with the answer "Cedar Chest."

Long story short - both game show episodes aired, and I was awarded two checks which helped significantly in the raising of funds. I look at my unlikely award as an investment. It's not money that I expected to have, and it is certainly money that I probably would have squandered away by now, however carefully. I didn't want to be "that guy" who had a chunk of money at one point, and twenty-four months later, had nothing to show for it.


JOEL DORR: Why did you select this location/town/block? What was the area like before you built your theatre and how has it changed since you built your theatre?

BLAKE YELAVICH: East Austin was a scary area that most people would (did) dismiss before even considering. Just four years ago, the corner of Alexander and MLK - our closest intersection - was the headquarters of crack and prostitution.

However, producers and other wise businessmen know that the greatest successes come from the risks, come from thinking what could be, rather than what is. Too much activity in the area, too many citizens invading the dark corners, will chase the crime away. My opinion is when dealing with crime, you don't shy away into the safer areas, you turn the lights on in the unsafe areas.

Cleaning up the neighborhood was not without a very personal and literal fight of determination and will and personal commitment. Our first Christmas (2003), the theater was burglarized of more than $12,000 in equipment. Our insurance company did nothing to help us; the City of Austin police department turned a blind eye for various reasons. Tracking down and stopping a thieving crack-(prostitute) takes a committed police detective, and ours was not interested in assisting us, even with witnesses who could finger her. Our detective's response in the city's newspaper? "They need to get a better burglar alarm."

This is where my determination and commitment kicked into overdrive. Just weeks thereafter, I personally enrolled in the Citizen's Police Academy offered by the Austin Police Department. It is an 18 week course which I was committed to take - not with the interest to be a police officer - but instead to be that "better burglar alarm." I graduated as President of the Class, got myself very involved and visible to the active duty police officers and protected the theater in the long run better than any burglar alarm, or detective, could ever do.

Now, four years later, the theater has two new neighbors (one on either side) - a guitar and music school with a tie-in with the Austin Music Channel now called ME TV, and an arts-minded day-camp for home-schooled kids with space for artisans and visual artists.

One day this past week, one of the managers from the brand new guitar school came over with her idea to make our small section of town recognized as "The East Austin Arts Collective." I started to say something, but changed my direction. I smiled and told her I think her idea is a wonderful one. I mused as I shut the door, recognizing that the neighborhood has come a long way in four years, and learned the risk takers don't always need to be recognized as such in the greater scheme of things. No one really wants to remember the bad.


JOEL DORR: What was the building like before your renovation, what was your game plan for renovating it and how long did it take to complete the renovation?

BLAKE YELAVICH: In 2002, Arts On Real was the shell of a 5900 square foot cinderblock warehouse, left empty by a set of ice manufacturing companies. (Most of the companies that made ice for the downtown bar scene made it all under one roof. But as Austin expanded, so did the need for ice. The ice companies outgrew the warehouse and only one office was being used while they looked for a renter or buyer.)

When I found the building, the site had huge potential — again, going back to being able to see "what could be" rather than "what is." The location had its own parking for 60 cars, its own fence surrounding the perimeter, only six upright pillars / poles holding the ceiling up and all this electricity already piped through the ceiling truss system. With my DMX lighting system, the power for each light does not need to be snaked back to one huge dimmer box at the back of the house. Instead each light is powered by local power and controlled by a local dimmer box which receives a simple signal.

There may have been prettier buildings on that day - but not one with the kind of special (and costly) amenities truly needed by a small theater. Besides, we in the theatrical fields excel at making things pretty - aesthetics is never the problem.


JOEL DORR: Do you use the theatre to produce in-house productions or do you use it as a rental house for traveling shows or other theatre groups in your area?

BLAKE YELAVICH: Arts On Real is, again, strictly the venue - and Naughty Austin is the key theater troupe. It has to be differentiated as such for tax purposes, which means that Naughty Austin (my own theater troupe) must contractually rent Arts On Real (the venue), just like any other group renting the venue. Naughty Austin uses the venue about 30 weeks out of the year, the other 21 weeks are rented out to other theater troupes. Front-Of-Week use is also very popular for our renters, especially the independent film screeners, script working classes, and cabaret style performances or comedians. We truly rent all 51 weeks out of the year to theater companies desperate for affordable space - yet receive no City Of Austin supplementary funding because the Cultural Arts Contract group still doesn't qualify us as beneficial to the arts scene.


JOEL DORR: How many people on your staff?

BLAKE YELAVICH: While we are currently a popular choice for Austin audiences, competing against the biggest of the regional theater companies in Austin (Zachary Scott Theater Center) and its several million dollar a year budget - we do it with two full time staff people, and one hundredth of their budget.


JOEL DORR: What computer software does your organization use and for what purpose?

BLAKE YELAVICH: We use Apple G4s in our offices. We also use Macs to run our sound and lighting programs, and to manage our ticket sales. We use a LanBox (www.lanbox.com) to control our DMX lighting systems, and Cricket (www.cricketsound.com) for our sound cues.

On-line we use Mollyguard (www.mollyguard.com) and Paypal (www.paypal.com) for our on-line ticket sales, Dreamweaver and Fireworks for our website (www.macromedia.com) and good ol' fashioned Office Depot to provide us with our actual physical tickets!


JOEL DORR: What is the background on your name Arts On Real?

BLAKE YELAVICH: The theater is located on Real Street - but it also plays into Arts on Real Theater and Soundstage, which in turn is also our phone number 512.472.ARTS.

Because Arts On Real is not the only theater or film venue I would like to open, I can use Arts On (fill in the blank) for the next franchise of the business within Austin.


JOEL DORR: What is the single most reason for your success thus far?

BLAKE YELAVICH: Can I say "tenacity and big balls?" Even when the most committed of the flock is looking at you with contempt, wondering how in the world you think you might pull yourself out of this one, you have got to be the last man standing on your side. Somewhere inside, there is the power that propelled you this far. Always remember that drive is an asset, never a liability.


JOEL DORR: What is the toughest part of your job?

BLAKE YEALVICH: There is an unexpected loneliness that came with opening a theater at this level. Many friends fled early in fear of failure, surprising as it may seem. Many friends always have a handy excuse to be absent. Many friends show up for the good times and are no where around for hard times. Some friends only like the gala openings. And many friends want roles and are friends solely because of that.

The solution would be to have friends separate from the theater — completely separate. But for the countless hours you will spend making your (and their) dreams come true, having friends beyond the realms of your commitment is very difficult.

So the true solution is to be very comfortable with yourself and know, somehow know, there will be a payoff someday. Get ready for long, lonely nights; don't be too disappointed when people let you down; and stay committed to what you and only you want to get done. And find peace in that.


JOEL DORR: Are you a union theatre?

BLAKE YELAVICH: No. The whole South is a strange place when it comes to Union / Equity rules. We abide by them as a sort of guide to being the most professional at our theater — to our abilities. But at the same time, with our limitations, we expect a sort of communal understanding that professionalism does not lapse when limitations kick in.

Every member of the production team has a contract, modeled after the Equity contracts; we have had several guest Equity performers (who we proudly cause to be pleasantly surprised); and we pay professional rights on the royalties for shows we produce. Not sure how much more Union you can get in Texas without being Union.


JOEL DORR: What is the biggest lesson you have learned and what advice would you willing to give to a young person or group of young people who want to start their own theatre?

BLAKE YELAVICH: Gauge your commitment. If you are 100% committed now, but only want to be committed for a few years, or if you are not sure if your commitment can stay strong, then rethink your plan. Surround yourself with people who can be, who are, and who can stay as committed as you. And as for advice, allow only the advice of the committed to influence your dedication; many selfish people will try to dissuade you from your commitment because they are unable to keep up.


JOEL DORR: What is the most inspirational experience you have ever had in theatre and why?
BLAKE YELAVICH: I hope I haven't had it yet.

JOEL DORR: Is there anything else you’d like me to consider for this article?
BLAKE YELAVICH: Arts On Real and Naughty Austin has survived for forty-two months on nothing but individual patron support, one-at-a-time ticket sales and lean, mean, productions with a whole lot of heart. We don't fall into the fringe category, yet we don't fall into the "Oklahoma!" category. When one high ranking theater critic once told me "Blake, you don't do art, you do popular theater," I was offended at first. But now, three-and-a-half years later, when the Austin theater scene has digressed from some 200 theater troupes to perhaps 50, with only a successful handful pulling in 90% of the audiences, it shows me that it is tenacity and drive that keeps the business of show business alive. Arts On Real and Naughty Austin may be the underdog that doesn't DO art, but we're keeping the art alive.

JOEL DORR: I don’t want to push you for actual dollar amounts, but when you won your money from the game shows how did you use the money to start the project in motion?
BLAKE YELAVICH: From both game shows and my 401k and some early donations - added to the ticket sales from MAKING PORN - I had about $75000 to spend on renovating the building AND staging and promoting the next show (and marketing the new location.) Being a set designer and graphic designer, I saved a lot on interior design and construction as well as my marketing costs. I came from nine years of working at the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association, being their one and only graphics and marketing idea guy, so I tell people I had nine years of "making dirt look pretty." With that kind of background, show business was easy!

JOEL DORR: Did you go out and lease or buy the building you are in now and what percentage of the winnings did you use for this purpose?
BLAKE YELAVICH: It's a lease-to-own situation with an building owner who is compassionate for the arts (though not involved in the arts world at all) but moreover, seemingly, passionate about "underdogs" - whoever they may be. I have 15 more years of payments...

JOEL DORR: Did you use other portions of the winnings for other items such as renovation cost, equipment purchase etc.?
BLAKE YELAVICH: Completely. The money was not "earmarked." Money went where money was efficiently used. Visitors to the place will tell you that the interior looks nothing like you find on the old "East Side." It looks as though we've spent ten times the amount. Then again, that's the miracle of stage, making the details so good you either notice them, or don't see them at all - whichever you choose.
JOEL DORR: When you went into the building what was the business model you were looking to create? Did you think you would build a theatre to house your Naughty Austin, while renting out the film a movie/performance space and what other revenue streams are there?
BLAKE YELAVICH: There was not exactly a local business model I could hitch my thoughts and ideas too - In fact, it was the opposite. There were the couple of big theaters in town - Zach Scott, the Paramount, the State - with the millions in funding each year, and then there were smaller "warehouse spaces" that would come and go, run by artists who (shhh!) had only themselves at the heart of their intentions. "Let's have a space so we can put on plays that I can star in." At Arts On Real, we have a phrase we use to describe some of these troupes - "masturbatory theater." These artists are doing their shows for themselves in disguise of "for their art" - and the audience is an afterthought. Artistry does not often equate to watch-ability in our region. I certainly never want to do a show that people leave asking themselves "What the hell?" But frankly, the Austin arts elitist performers clique loves that stuff, despite the audience. (I fear that the heavily funded program at the University of Texas might actually be at fault for the snobbery.) If an arts troupe is wondering where their audience is, perhaps they should watch themselves from an audience perspective. Needless to say, that is exactly why I built Arts On Real - not to follow a model, but instead to BUCK the system and show there is another way.

I also came from the background of an actor, and audience member, as well as producer. So I frequently make sure all three sides are kept in check - every day that I am in the office. Are we doing satisfying material for the actors, for the audience, and for the continuation and growth of the theater?

JOEL DORR: If you were to do this again is there anything you might have done differently (in terms of the business model)?
BLAKE YELAVICH: Yes and no. Starting a theater troupe and space takes a whole lot of determination and strength and balls to "stay the course" - a phrase which Bush has completely ruined, but I'll use it anyway. So in the beginning, I had to be welcoming and gracious and appreciative to volunteers and board members and the artists (many of whom were subversive, or instantly in disagreement, or just plain lazy - not realizing the depths of their commitment or how much work it would actually entail.) So I could say I would have liked to have started with a stronger board of ten or twelve corporate execs who had already qualified their commitment and signed on to one plan and one plan only; and none of them would have been artists with intentions of self. But then again, on the flipside, I think the guts of the operation, the soul, the lessons learned may never have happened, and in the "corporate exec" whitewashing, many of the horrible horrible struggles may never have occurred and therefore may never have needed to be overcome.

I'll confess, in those first days, weeks, months, I could easily become a total bitch. It was not the "I got a theater and you don't" type of bitch, but moreover it was the fierce protection sort of bitch, much like the mother alien that Sigourney Weaver faced in ALIENS. It was never for protection of self, it was for protection of my off-spring, the theater. I was not going to allow it to become "one of the rest." I did not want it to be "okay" for actors to linger after shows smoking pot in the parking lot, which in Austin is a staple of theater gypsies. I did not want to work with any board member who wanted their name on a list but did not want to pick up a paintbrush or a phone. I even lost a best friend when he didn't get the role he wanted, even when he was admittedly not the best for it. I did not want the theater to be brought down to "the ordinary" by letting it be over-run by the mindset of the other small venues. I expected everyone to maintain and demand a standard for the theater, otherwise I really didn't want them around. I felt that if I didn't weed that out at the beginning, I would never get it back. It has left me with a reputation (even three-and-a-half years later) with the gypsies I embittered. Its unfortunate that drugs, lethargy and ego are held with such value, and I wish instead they could have seen my goal for the bigger picture. In the end, my goal is coming true, but there are some wounds out there.

So, yes and no. It's hard to stay strong, firm and committed to the end product in a future so far away. It's hard to lay that all down on paper for a board to consume, process, and sign on. It's hard to tell friends you are not opening this theater to make them a star. It's hard to be the only one who stays up all night long folding, stapling and stamping promotional materials. It's really really easy to be "one of the rest" and have a nice shiny reputation in the end. Yes I would change some of the beginning board structure, lay every single one of my ideas down on paper while remaining flexible, had a million dollars to spend, massage my contacts and network for 100% commitment to my cause... If I could have. But I am not sure anyone has those answers. Waiting for those things to fall in place might have in turn made me inactive. Nothing might have happened, ever. And that would have been my biggest mistake of all.

You can't wait for it all to fall into place. No one is owed a tomorrow; today is all you've got. I have a plaque on my desk - "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" I think that sums up the impetus. As for the dedication and commitment - I can't exactly tell you where that comes from, but I know you need it.

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