IN RETROSPECT, BY MICAH HARVEY
I think at this point in society - particularly in my millennial age group - it's not very common to stay with a place for more than 5 years, let alone 10. So I found it surprising when Craig mentioned to me the other day that I had been working with Seat of the Pants for 11 years now. Because of this, I’ve had the rare gift of some insight into this company: where it’s come from, where it is, and where it looks to be headed.
The first show I did with Seat of the Pants was back in 2015 - PICNIC at GlenOak High School. The team then was rather small, and at that point nearly every decision had to go through Craig. This is not surprising considering it was his company and he was fully hands-on in overseeing its success. I also thought the idea of a theater company not having a physical home that audiences know about to be a little, well frankly, odd. But even then, it was clear the vision for this company was to focus on doing something different and challenging, which should always be celebrated.
Fast forward to the opening of THE CHILDREN and we do see some interesting changes. No longer is Craig the head chef in the kitchen controlling the menu and making sure everything comes out correctly. Rather he is one of many artists, and still, I see him empowering others and releasing more and more control every production. We also see that the itinerant model I initially thought rather odd proving to be a successful model for surviving a pandemic which tragically brought an end to a lot of theaters that we love. We also see the reach that this company has not just in Canton, but branching out to Akron, and more recently lingering in the Cleveland area.
Seat of the Pants has always embraced the story of storytelling, and really focuses in on the purpose and “why” of every show they produce. I appreciate the “all in” approach to process over production. Not only does it still deliver exceptional theatre to audiences, but it also allows actors and designers to really hone in on craft and technique in a way that normal timeframes don’t always allow to flourish and grow.
From my viewpoint, I believe the future of this company is far bigger than Craig. My mother-in-law told me once the best thing someone can do is work themselves out of a job. It shows growth on your own part and it allows opportunities for other people to come in. I believe in a way this is what Craig is doing - slowly working himself out of having to be completely involved in every production while keeping a standard of what it means to be a Seat of the Pants production.
As a young artist, it has been such a gift to have the opportunity to start a process with one person running the show. Then, overtime, I’ve been able to slowly branch out to work with many other amazing artists. It has really helped my understanding of how proper collaboration can be done. If you have an opportunity to either audition or work the technical aspects of a Seat of the Pants show, I would highly suggest you do it. You will be introduced to so many different artists that you may otherwise not have met; you'll be introduced into processes that will challenge you but help you grow; you'll be amazed what you can produce when you fly by the seat of your pants.