Director and previous SAST playwright, Tia Glomb, talks about her favorite moments from shows past and what to expect this year.
Tia Glomb wears many hats here at Garfield Center. From box office to playwright to director to self-proclaimed “Program Bio Wrangler”, Tia finds time to get involved in nearly every GCA production – including our upcoming 10th year of Short Attention Span Theatre which opens June 20th.
“I’ve been working with SAST for at least five years. Originally, I was brought on as a director’s assistant in 2009. It was really helpful because it showed me the inner workings of Garfield Center for the Arts and I started learning how to put shows together from the beginning to the end.
Also in 2009 I got involved with Live Playwrights Society and attempted to write plays. Prior to this I had dabbled, being a part of the theatre group in college, in writing sketch comedy. But LPS and the GCA was a whole new thing for me. My roommate Becky and I, both being writers, had wanted to collaborate on a project for a while. So we took a shot in the dark and decided it would be fun to try and write a play. It was selected for Short Attention Span Theatre in 2010 and now “OMG WTF GPS” is somewhat famous in the SAST circle.
In 2011 I decided I was ready to step up and start directing and I have done so for three years running; SAST 2014 will mark my fourth year.
The best part of SAST is that it shows off local talent in a different way than just acting. It gives the playwright the spotlight and allows the community to see another facet of artistic expression. If you look back through old playbills you will see local playwrights directing random plays, directing their own plays, and even acting in a play they wrote. Things like that are what make SAST so special.
It is a big undertaking, but having so many people involved just makes it better. Having 8 -10 directors and shows means there will be a great variety of things put on that stage and no one in the audience should be bored. It’s a testament to the family that SAST has become, learning to share rehearsal spaces, rehearsal times, and actors. The real secret is communication and everyone working together to put on the best show possible.
It’s hard to pick one favorite moment from the past years of SAST, but for me there are two very high points. The first was in 2010 when I first saw GPS go up and I sat there in the audience and said: ‘Becky and I wrote that’. My second favorite moment was seeing A Modern Day Confrontation come to life last year. That play had more rewrites than I care to remember. But, eventually, it made it to the stage and I was able to direct it. By that point it had become my baby and it felt great to see it come full circle.
I was not involved in SAST when it came about ten years ago, but I have seen huge changes from when I got aboard. The inclusion of local scripts was a huge step forward and that is something to look forward to in the 10th year. There will be forgetfulness and language barriers, parodies and curses. famous people and a history lesson, the old and the new trying to contend with each other and maybe another trip to the DMV.”
Short Attention Span Theatre runs through June 29th and will include The DMV One by Nick Zagone which Tia will be directing.
For Short Attention Span Theatre information and tickets click here.