THE FILIGREE THEATRE
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ABOUT THE FILIGREE THEATRE
For Press Inquiries, please contact Juice Consulting Public Relations.
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READ: Planning, artistic vision guide Filigree Theatre through first season
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Planning, artistic vision guide Filigree Theatre through first season
April 26, 2018
​By Andrew J. Friedenthal   Special to the American-Statesman
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Elizabeth V. Newman says Filigree looks for thematic links between classic works and new plays in an effort to appeal to both traditional audiences and younger viewers.
Contributed by Filigree Photo: Special to the American-Statesman
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Careful planning was an important part of Filigree’s first season. Stephanie Moore says she once had a professor who “drilled it into us that even if you’re not a business major, you always have a business plan.”
​Contributed by Filigree Photo: Special to the American-Statesman
The world premiere of “Trio” is the final production in Filigree Theatre’s inaugural season, which was built around the theme of love triangles. Filigree artistic director Elizabeth V. Newman discovered “Trio” on the National New Play Network’s New Play Exchange website. ContributedIt’s difficult to succeed as a new theater company in Austin. With performance and rehearsal space at a premium, funding often nonexistent and a panoply of long-established companies claiming much of the limelight, it can be a major challenge to get a company off the ground. Many an Austin theater group has had a first production; far fewer have made it to a second.

Filigree Theatre, however, is now mounting its third production at the conclusion of an ambitious first season that, by design, featured a fall production from the theater canon, a winter production from a playwright living and working today and a spring production that is a world premiere, all tied together by a shared theme.

“The concept for starting a company with a sense of past, present and future plays connected by a theme as an organizing principle had been kicking around in my head for a little while,” said Elizabeth V. Newman, the company’s co-founder, co-managing director and artistic director who directed all three productions of this first season.

That union of classic and new plays speaks directly to what Newman says is “the anxiety of the past few years about losing audiences. Younger people don’t go to theater, and the people who do go are baby boomers who are aging out and prefer to see things they’re familiar with rather than newer work.”

Elizabeth V. Newman says Filigree looks for thematic links between classic works and new plays in an effort to appeal to both traditional audiences and younger viewers. To try and appeal to both that traditional audience as well as younger viewers, she wanted to “find connections between plays that are part of our collective theater history and new works and new writers that tie back to each other. For audiences that are more familiar with established works and writers, maybe if they understand that there’s a through-line, a thread between what they’re familiar with and people who are working today and things that they’ve never seen yet, then that adds a sense of familiarity. And for audiences who are more accustomed to new works and experimental theater, it can link backward to our shared history of theater.”

Newman and producer Stephanie Moore, co-founder and managing director of the company, worked together to produce a pre-season show, Daniel Arnold and Medina Hahn’s “Any Night,” which they premiered in Los Angeles. When “Any Night” proved a success, they moved on to create the initial season of productions in Austin, which included last fall’s “Betrayal” by Harold Pinter and February’s “A Delicate Ship” by Anna Ziegler.

“Most of our demographics so far have been either in the 36- to 45-year-old range, or college students,” Moore says. “That age range is really nice because that’s sort of the ‘lost generation’ of art, and it’s good to see them coming back to the theater.”

REVIEW: ‘A Delicate Ship’ looks at love in the shape of a triangle

Careful planning was an important part of Filigree’s first season. Stephanie Moore says she once had a professor who “drilled it into us that even if you’re not a business major, you always have a business plan.” Contributed by Filigree Photo: Special to the American-StatesmanPart of Filigree’s success is due to Moore’s behind-the-scenes work, inspired by a “terrifying professor” from Texas State University who, she says, “drilled it into us that even if you’re not a business major, you always have a business plan.” For Moore and Newman, this meant starting out with an advisory board, a public relations plan, careful risk analysis and a close partnership based on shared recognition that parenting needs come before professional needs.
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“From the get-go we’ve asked ourselves really tough questions,” Newman says. “Who, exactly, are we? Who are our audience? What is our mission? What are our one-year, three-year, five-year goals? We realized that for season one a lot of it was going to be that the proof is in the pudding, and we had to focus on working our tails off to make the best theater that we could make and holding ourselves to standards of accountability.”

Filigree’s current production, the final work in a season based around the theme of love triangles, is Sheila Cowley’s play “Trio,” which Newman discovered on the National New Play Network’s New Play Exchange website, where theater companies can read playwrights’ work to find pieces that fit their needs and limitations as a company. “Trio” is described on the site as “a play that inspires adventurous theatremakers. The play wrestles with the cycles we all struggle through, as parents die and children have to take their place.”

REVIEW: Secrets, lies and revelations in new theater company’s first production

Cowley herself expands on this, noting, “The play is about changing roles in families, and how your position in the family changes as people die. And this is the endless age-old process that we all wind up going through at a certain point, which is never an easy process, and you’re often thrust into a new role in the family that you weren’t looking for as people pass away.”

This exploration takes the form of three speaking actors and three silent performers telling the story of “a three-way romantic triangle (that) takes shape through swords and masks and monsters,” as two friends, Tim and Leslie, work to create a monster play for children as a way to distract Leslie from her mom’s hospitalization. When “an old college love” intrudes upon their world, Tim and Leslie are forced to “forge a way to face the real world, even if you’re only armed with a wooden sword.”
Newman says the moments of performative creation in “Trio” mirror the themes of love and memory that have been at the heart of the entire season. For instance, there’s a moment where Tim creates for Leslie “an experiential memory to remind her of something beautiful and happy” during a time of sorrow. Indeed, the entire text features “moments where characters just being in each other’s presence causes an intrusion of memories and nostalgia.”

This production is also the next step in what Newman calls a “learning curve” of facing new, unique challenges with each new work. “Whatever the crisis is,” she says, knocking on wood, “we will rise to meet it.” As for what’s driving the co-founders of Filigree to meet those challenges, Moore says, “Part of it is that somebody told us we can’t, so we’re going to prove them wrong.” “Don’t mess with Texas women, right?” Newman says. Moore counters with what might be the secret motto underlying the duo’s successful collaboration: “Nah, just don’t mess with women.”
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READ AUSTIN MONTHLY: Past and Present Meet in Anna Ziegler’s "A Delicate Ship"
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READ BOSS BABES: Filigree Theatre Is Austin's Newest Women-Led Company
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READ: ATX WOMAN: TAKE A BOW
Take a Bow
By Lauren Jones, Photo by Riley Krauss
 December 21, 2017
Elizabeth V. Newman and Stephanie Moore, co-founders of The Filigree Theatre, talk about life in the spotlight.
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Elizabeth V. Newman and Stephanie Moore are the women behind Austin’s Filigree Theatre. Friends and colleagues, they work in tandem to produce shows that highlight Austin’s collective of artists, and connect theater’s past with the present and its future. While the pair has worked on each coast, they agree Austin has a particularly alluring charm. 
“What’s wonderful and unique is that there is a community here that is very tight-knit and supportive,” Newman says. “People legitimately wish each other well and support one another. It’s a special mindset here in Austin.”
Austin is known as the live music capital of the world, but Newman and Moore are turning the spotlight on other visual and performing artists, such as actors, filmmakers and dancers.  “We want everyone to take notice,” Newman says. 
Both women have backgrounds in theater. A Yale graduate, Newman has produced critically acclaimed shows in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto, while Moore recently co-produced a show with Newman in Los Angeles. 
For Newman, the idea to open a theater had always been lingering, but it wasn’t until she met Moore that it became a reality. Both single mothers with young children, the women were introduced by a mutual friend. What began as meeting for coffee and playing with their children at the park led to an equally enjoyable working relationship. For Newman, meeting Moore couldn’t have been more serendipitous.  The two bonded about their love of theater and began writing a business plan, deciding on the name Filigree, which means both “thread” and “seed” in Latin. The name encapsulates Newman and Moore’s mission of connecting Austin artists with those from throughout the country. The Filigree Theatre had its opening show in September, Betrayal, written by Harold Pinter, which was met with overwhelming applause. “With such an accomplished first production under its belt, we can only hope to see continued work of such quality and excitement as Filigree Theatre continues to make itself known throughout Austin,” says Andrew J. Friedenthal, a writer for austin360.com.  Newman and Moore are currently working on the Filigree’s winter show, A Delicate Ship, a play the two are excited to watch come to life onstage.  When it comes to casting, they have a unique process. 
“We are not an actor-driven theater,” Newman says. “The three-show season is set by theme (past, present and future), which creates conversion with the audience. Instead of being wedded to shows that are great for casting particular actors, we pick the shows and have auditions more like the process for film casting.” The women also regularly host workshops to further immerse themselves in Austin’s theater world. “[Workshops are] a great way to connect the community at large here in Austin and get to know new talent,” Newman says.  So, what do Newman and Moore do when they are not working on their next show?  Moore, the quiet managing director, prefers to decompress by sitting down with a good book, while Newman loves diving headfirst into all the city has to offer.  “I watch everything from high-level student productions to improv, sketch comedy, musicals to teeny independent shows,” Newman says. “I am fortunate to have a pretty good sense of the theater community in Austin.”  For performance dates and ticket information, visit filigreetheatre.com.
READ: Women-led Filigree Theatre Honors Past, Present, Future Through Productions
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Women-led Filigree Theatre Honors Past, Present, Future Through Productions
APRIL 10, 2018 BY VI CHETAN
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Scene from “Betrayal,” the first production by Filigree Theatre in 2017 (Credit: Joshua Scott)
Set of “A Delicate Ship” by Anna Ziegler (Credit: Nicolette Mallow)
When Elizabeth V. Newman and Stephanie Moore met, neither one anticipated founding a theatre company together. But all the hard work paid off and Austin-based Filigree Theater came to be. With Newman as Artistic Director and Moore as Managing Director, the women-led artistic group has produced several critically-acclaimed shows. Newman and Moore have worked diligently to shine light on Austin’s visual and performing arts that go beyond the music our city is known for.

Playdates Turn Into Plays
Newman had always humored the idea of opening her own theatre. But she never imagined a chance meeting with a fellow single mother, Moore, would make her vision a reality. Playdates and coffee soon evolved into a serious effort to open a theatre. Their friendship translated to an equally healthy working relationship.
Both Newman and Moore have backgrounds in theatre. Before Filigree, Newman spent time in New York, Los Angeles, and Canada, expanding her directing and producing prowess. Those experiences, she said, taught her “first-hand the ups and downs of small theatre in different locales.” Meanwhile, Moore was gaining her chops in the film industry. She spent time as first assistant director and producer of several short films, music videos, and web series. When the two met, their mutual love for the performing arts quickly formed a bond. They began writing up a business plan and settled on the name Filigree. The name, which refers to a delicate type of jewelry metalwork made with twisted threads, resonates with both of their goals: to grow creative projects and nurture artists, as well as connect artists to larger theatre communities across the country.


Connecting Past, Present, and Future
What’s special about Filigree Theatre’s programming is Newman and Moores’ creative take on the plays they produce. Truly embodying the meaning of “filigree,” they’ve chosen works that weave together the rich history of theatre, bring present-day playwrights’ works to life, and plant seeds for the future of theatrical performance.

The seasons are structured to reflect this philosophy. With the theatre’s opening in Fall 2017, the debut show brought Harold Pinters’ “Betrayal” to life, a nod to the rich history of theatre. The following winter, the focus turned to the present, with a production from a playwright who is living and working today: Anna Ziegler’s “A Delicate Ship.” Spring 2018 will feature new work by Sheila Crowley, titled “Trio” (April 26-May 6, 2018). Newman and Moore pride themselves on not being an actor-driven theatre. Instead, they believe their three-show seasons keep bringing audiences back for more. Rather than creating shows that are suitable for particular actors, they choose shows that offer opportunity for any talented actor. Because of this model, Newman and Moore are always eager to meet new talent.
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Future of Filigree Theatre
Newman and Moore hold workshops and recently started an internship and volunteer program. These are both valuable opportunities for anyone who wants hands-on experience helping run a theatre company. Filigree Theatre’s debut show, “Betrayal,” was received with enthusiasm and positive reviews. With this success and powerhouse leaders at the helm, Austin’s local theatre company has a promising future. Less than a year old, Filigree Theatre is on its way to becoming a known name in our creative community.
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  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • OUR MISSION
    • OUR TEAM
    • OUR COLLABORATORS
  • SEASONS
    • SEASON ONE
    • SEASON TWO
    • SEASON THREE
    • SEASON FOUR
  • PRESS & REVIEWS
    • SEASON ONE REVIEWS
    • SEASON TWO REVIEWS
    • SEASON THREE REVIEWS
    • FILIGREE IN THE MEDIA
    • FEATURE STORIES
  • 'GOLD AND SILVER' GALA
  • SUPPORT
    • GOLD & SILVER GALA COMMITTEE
    • FILIGREE PROMOTIONS COMMITTEE
    • JOIN OUR SUPPORTERS
  • CONTACT
  • STAGE ONE READING SERIES
  • AUDITIONS & SUBMISSIONS
  • RESOURCES
    • COVID Protocols and Policies