When Mikel Rouse takes over New York City's John Jay College Theater as the charismatic TV talk-show host, Dennis Cleveland, in early May 2002, audience members will be experiencing the tip of a one-of-a-kind creative iceberg. An interactive, multimedia, contemporary opera existing simultaneously as live performance and as live TV production, it's cresting into vision atop Rouse's solid twenty-year composing, directing and acting career.

Dennis Cleveland is conceived, directed and written (music and libretto) by Rouse. Set entirely on a television talk show in the late Twentieth Century, it's the second opera in a trilogy on contemporary incidents. Failing Kansas, the first, is based on events surrounding the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, "and inspired by the examination of those events in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood," explains Rouse. The End of Cinematics, the third, explores the nature of corporate entertainment.

The protagonist, Dennis Cleveland, is the catalyst and provocateur of the opera as well as the vehicle through which the story of the opera is told. "The various soloists (placed in the audience) and chorus (guests who appear onstage) are linked together by the talk-show host," states Rouse, in program notes. "Though the guests appear to be telling their own stories of lost love, obsession, crimes and regrets, what soon becomes clear is they are telling the story of Dennis Cleveland as well.

"Like the various talk shows that abound worldwide, the audience and the stage become one under the constant unrelenting television studio lighting. What I'm trying to show here is the way television has become the kind of ceremony we once associated with religion."

Dennis Cleveland cast/crew member holds Applause sign. Image courtesy Mikel Rouse / Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

Rouse has been described as "drawing an eloquent musical idiom from the popular vernacular. He watches TV, he observes couples at greasy spoons, and he makes his art from what he sees and hears. At any given measure his songs seem to fit pop genres, yet their lyrics are embedded within dauntingly complex rhythmic structures," reads the introduction to the compact disc. "Dennis Cleveland advances Rouse's commitment to the use of electronic music technology as an alternative to historical methods of sound reproduction in performance," comments Marian Skokan, manager of publicity at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Marshall Sella, writing in the New York Times Magazine, March 17, 2002, cites Rouse's unique quality as a seeming hindrance to accessibility for a diverse audience. On the other hand, an eye.net commentary in March 1997 states, "Too few musical works address the way we live as directly as Dennis Cleveland does; too few are brave or smart enough to question the collective dreams sold to us on a daily basis."

"Maybe it's an opera, maybe it's something else for which no name has yet been coined; whatever, I found [Cleveland] irresistible, exhilarating," said the LA Weekly reviewer for the November 1999 issue.

Kyle Gann of The Village Voice cited Dennis Cleveland as "the most exciting and innovative opera since Einstein on the Beach," following Cleveland's 1996 New York premier at The Kitchen.

However, despite critical acclaim from reviewers and audience members alike, no other producer in New York clamored to move the show to a larger venue. "It languished for two years before Dean Corey and the Eclectic Orange Festival helped bring it back to life," recalls Rouse, "[but] the tireless efforts of Mike Ross, [director of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts] and the Krannert Center brought Dennis Cleveland to the present level of production."

And therein lies the compelling reason for looking below the surface of a strikingly original American composer's work. Mikel Rouse is becoming equally known for creating career and educational opportunities for emerging professional artists at colleges and universities and for at-risk high school students.

In April 2001, when the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign produced the Midwest premiere of Dennis Cleveland, officials at the U of I declared it "a perfect vehicle for Krannert Center's dual mission of education and presentation." "Krannert really took Dennis Cleveland to another level," explains Mary Anne Lewis, Mikel Rouse productions' spokesperson. And it is this production format that is traveling back to New York and the John Jay Theater.

"The challenge was in recreating the feel of a television studio - a seamless environment between the 'onstage' elements of the opera and the 'TV studio audience' in the theater," recounts Tammey Kikta, public information manager at the Krannert Center.

"The entire theater is the set of the Dennis Cleveland Show, complete with video monitors, teleprompters and camera people showing live close-ups and audience reactions. Rouse, playing the slick Dennis Cleveland - half host, half-televangelist - and mobile camera people must be able to move freely throughout the theater. The ninety-minute musical score is pre-recorded, but all singing and speaking is live in the moment of each performance, as is the video mix."

Kikta describes Dennis Cleveland "coming to life at Krannert Center through the collaborative efforts of Rouse and New York-based scenic designer/video producer John Jesurun; an eight-member ensemble of professional actors/singers from New York; the University of Illinois Department of Theatre faculty, staff and students in design, management, and acting; professional production staff members of Krannert Center; singers from the U of I School of Music Opera Program; and U of I College of Communications students and faculty in television production and videography."

Added to the Urbana-Champaign mix were personnel and technical assistance from public television station WILL-TV and local CBS affiliate WCIA-TV.

"The thing that was so unexpected about Dennis Cleveland is the good will it engenders," commented Rouse in an e-mail exchange. "Every crew member, musician and actor has spoken about what this project did for them, in terms of changing the way they think about collaboration, performance, and art in general. Of course, the Krannert experience was even more exceptional. Mike Ross [Krannert Center director] and the whole Krannert team were looking for a way to merge many departments that hadn't worked together before. A lot of the credit goes to them for wanting to break the mold. I'm also very proud that students and people from Krannert have continued to work on the show. Most notably, CarolynAnn Cubit has worked with me in numerous productions since the Dennis Cleveland shows at Krannert."

What makes this experience unique is its blend of presenting with producing. Mikel Rouse came with his already tested direction of the work and a core company of actors from the original production. John Jesurun came with his set and video design, for the Krannert designers to enlarge upon and adapt - to the Tryon Festival Theatre in Urbana, the John Jay in New York, as well as any other presenting house in the future.

How and why this Midwest-East connection came about is as much Dr. Mike Ross's story as it is Mikel Rouse's. "Mike Ross brought Dennis Cleveland in," affirms Tammy Kikta. "Mike and Jon Nakagawa at Lincoln Center worked this project out together."

Ross came to Krannert Center as its director in 1997, from heading up the Kathryn Bache Miller Theatre at Columbia University in New York City. He remains active as a composer. His associations with a wide range of national and international organizations place him in the company of other people daring to step out of prescribed boxes.

Krannert's entire history has been interlaced with cutting-edge technology, with staff members who revel in being the first to attempt and carry out new challenges in production and presentation of performing arts. The Center is a laboratory for about 1,000 students in theater, dance and music pursuing bachelor's, master's or doctorate degrees in various disciplines, says Kikta. At any one time, two or three productions might be in performance, ten to twenty in rehearsal, and six to eight under construction. "In addition to this intense resident production schedule, Krannert Center also hosts touring productions throughout the academic year."

But what makes this kind of collaboration possible is Krannert and Lincoln Center being part of the national association of arts and presenters with Arts4All, Ltd. A K-12 interactive digital arts and arts education content developer and distributor, Arts4All videoconferencing technology enabled Krannert and John Jay personnel to "speak" with each other without ever having physically to travel to each other's sites. Krannert's design and construction simply had to fit comfortably, if not flawlessly, into the John Jay.

"My theater is a pure road-show house," says Randall Etheredge, technical director of the John Jay. "We load shows in and out back-to-back. Lincoln Center is producing in the John Jay. [I] didn't know much about Dennis Cleveland but the idea is to turn the theater into a TV studio."

Etheredge and members of his staff made the short trip from the John Jay to Lincoln Center where its live hookup with Krannert enabled Krannert designers to show accurately exactly what the theater looked like during production. "I've had many videoconferences in my life, and even with a slight delay, it was virtually real time and with great clarity for details," said Etheredge during a telephone interview from his New York City office. "Krannert was able to show accurately everything I had questions about and certainly everything I needed to know about for any special preparations prior to the load in during mid April. When I asked people for specifics, they were able to aim a camera to show precisely, accurately."

"There are different kinds of energies," said Mike Ross during an interview at the Krannert Center. "Context is the energizing factor. I just love the unexpected energy coming through this technology. Krannert Center needs to be engaged in technologies on all fronts - to enhance education, build and retain audiences and advance the arts and artists. We are located geographically in a place that doesn't bring [national] artists in readily," acknowledges Ross. "Every experience with Arts4All has been different. One of our dreams is to be able to provide source material."

With Dennis Cleveland, part of this dream is awakening. However, the physical applications are not the only aspects of production moving to New York. So are some of U of I's MFA students and graduates, including Nicholas Russo as one of the two dozen cast members, lighting designer Andrew Duff, costumes designed by Mary Nemecek Peterson, and the newly married CarolynAnn Cubit-Tsutsui as production stage manager. CarolynAnn was a third-year MFA candidate in stage management when she stage-managed Dennis Cleveland at Krannert. "Mikel was so impressed with her, he invited her to continue as Dennis Cleveland stage manager for Lincoln Center; actually, to be production stage manager for all of his productions immediately underway," says Mary Anne Lewis.

With the ink on her MFA hardly dry, Cubit-Tsutsui is an established professional. During a telephone interview from her New York City home, Cubit-Tsutsui admits it's kind of a giddy experience. "I was lucky enough to be chosen to work on Dennis Cleveland. [In Illinois] a year and a half in advance of the April 12 and 13, 2001 performance dates I started production work with Mikel and John [Jesurun]. I adored working with them. When you do a show you fall in love with, that wipes you off your feet, you put in a lot of hard work. I put in 200 per cent," states Cubit-Tsutsui. (John Jesurun received a MacArthur Foundation "genius" award in part for his work on Dennis Cleveland.)

With talk of the show moving to the John Jay during 2002, Cubit-Tsutsui says she "happened to talk to Mikel Rouse," confiding in him she was trying to decide between Chicago and New York for her career move. "'I want first dibs on you,' is what he said," she recalls. "And I said, 'You've got me.' I now work for Mikel Rouse for all of his shows."

Cubit-Tsutsui describes her University of Illinois experience as "beyond the best of both worlds" with the hands-on opportunities at Krannert coupled with the academic program through the theater department. "I lay it on Mike Ross," she says. "He sees and makes opportunities. Then it's up to individual students to grab on to opportunities within the context he provides." Equal praise slips onto Mikel Rouse from Cubit-Tsutsui. She cites his loyalty to those with whom he has worked previously, and to the fair and open way he treats students just as he does seasoned professionals. "Mikel is the most generous person," states Mary Anne Lewis, who also serves as project director for "Meet the Composer/New Residency" in Ruston, Louisiana, where Rouse currently is completing the first of a three-year initiative. "Mikel takes students on, gives them his time to help them learn about the business, gives them credit for their contributions. It's been a struggle for him getting all of his work accepted. Knowing this, he gives back. He's making [the system] work for young people."

For the Krannert Center production, a mix of graduate and undergraduate students auditioned for the acting roles of people planted in the audience. Rouse made those choices. On the other hand, department of theater faculty and Krannert technical staff members designated students who would work on the production and design. While most will not physically be going to New York, their names remain part of the ongoing list of credits.

For the past year, the Dennis Cleveland set and costumes have been stored at Krannert Center. When they are loaded onto the truck on its way to the John Jay, Andrew Duff, now a third-year MFA candidate in lighting design, will be on hand to assist and will himself be making the trip. It's the kind of opportunity you just say thank you for, quipped Duff during an interview at Krannert Center.

It's been a huge learning experience agreed four members of the Krannert staff during a recent interview. They each talked about how both the Dennis Cleveland experience and Arts4All opportunities are influencing work at the Center and benefiting students. Nevertheless, for technical director Tom Korder, audio director Jon Schoenoff, lighting director Michael Williams and events coordinator Stephen Cummins, this was only one of many assignments they had to deal with simultaneously. Randy deCelle, department of theater professor of theater technology, recalled how a web diary was created in 2001 to keep the campus and community apprised of what was going on for this unique project. It not only documented the process as an invaluable tool for any touring company, but it became a marketing device to entice students to attend something they'd never before heard of.

"The University of Illinois has stepped into specialization in the arts. We're being at the forefront of mechanization, but we're also a mix of old and new, training our students for all eventualities. There are different levels of creativity. We train people for realities of what's in any particular theater. So no matter what technology is available, keeping it simple is the best advice," said deCelle, adding "I'm trying to get people not to be afraid. Dennis Cleveland is a particular experience. It means a lot to all of us to have been a part of it."

A child of the heartland, Mikel Rouse definitely is self-motivated, constantly seeking ways to connect classical with contemporary, old expectations with new technologies for both the themes and techniques of his work. Rouse moved to New York from Missouri in 1979. At the University of Missouri he had studied film with Larry Hope and Stan Brakhage and music composition with Raymond Luidicke and Leroy Pogemiller. In New York City he immersed himself in African and other world musics, commenced study of the Schillinger Method of Composition and formed the Mikel Rouse Broken Consort, a contemporary chamber ensemble consisting of keyboard, electric guitar/bass, woodwinds, and percussion.

With Etudes, in 1981, he launched his composing and recording careers, always working in multiple genres and mediums, including stage and film direction. In 1984 he composed Quorum, the first piece of its kind for sequencer. Ulysses Dove choreographed Vespers to Quorum. Since 1987 it has been presented in repertory by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Filmed by David Hinton in 1995, Vespers was aired on PBS' Great Performances Dance in America series and received two primetime Emmy Awards.

Rouse constantly is expanding his vocabulary and his reach. His new work includes the recently commissioned string quartet, Sarah's Kitchen, inspired by a photograph of Sarah Albritton of Ruston, Louisiana, taken by New York City photographer Susan San Giovanni. San Giovanni is one of several friends of Rouse who come to Ruston to round out his residency.

At the John Jay for a brief run, the opera Dennis Cleveland is a bit of a mirage - miracle time where, according to one set of lyrics, "Everyone is involved. Everyone participates." In truth, it's a lot deeper; there's plenty more to this iceberg.

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About the Author:

Rita Kohn, playwright and journalist, is a regular contributor to the Newsletter. Her previous articles can be found in the Newsletter Archives.

Resources:

Dennis Cleveland - A Talk-Show Opera by Mikel Rouse is presented in New York City as part of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' Great Performers / New Visions Series. Performances are at John Jay College Theater, 899 Tenth Avenue (Amsterdam Avenue between 58th and 59th Streets), Wednesday through Saturday, 1-4 May at 8:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday matinees, 4 and 5 May at 3:00 pm. Tickets are available at the Alice Tully Hall Box Office at 65th and Broadway, through CenterCharge at 212 / 721 6500, or by visiting Lincoln Center's website at www.lincolncenter.org, now with instant ticketing. Important phone numbers: Programs and Services for People with Disabilities 212 / 875 5375; Great Performers Hotline 212 / 875 5937; Group Sales Office 212 / 875 5475.