Monday, August 09, 2010 -

Tom Wilemon - The Daily News -

People stumble across Hattiloo Theatre performances without getting near its playhouse.

The venue could be a library, a public park or even a chamber of commerce luncheon. Sometimes, you have to leave the stage behind to gain recognition, said theater founder Ekundayo Bandele.

“The Hattiloo can only succeed if it is truly supported by the community,” he said. “We cannot do theater in the walls. We have to go outside of these walls.”

Founded only four years ago, the black repertory theater has achieved a level of support that has allowed it to thrive during bad economic times.

“We have fared quite well, primarily because we have individual support,” Bandele said. “While we may not have 100 people giving $1,000, we may have 1,000 people giving $100. That goes back to the fact that the community will support those who support the community.”

Hattiloo also has received significant support from donors including Jeniam Foundation, Hyde Foundation, Turley Foundation, Links Inc. (Memphis Chapter), Hohenberg Foundation and Rebecca Adelman.

Hattiloo began August with a children’s performance of “Captain Hook’s Revenge” last Sunday afternoon at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. In September it will stage performances at a different public park every Saturday.

Linda Johnson was in the music room of the library on Sunday, looking over a photographic exhibit of jazz artists, when a representative of Hattiloo talked her into watching the hour-long performance. She laughed as the children delivered on the puns heavily sprinkled throughout the comedy.

Hattiloo suddenly had a new fan.

“I’m enlightened to see what it’s about and I’m glad I’m here,” Johnson said.

The playbill included information about the theater’s upcoming season, which begins Aug. 19 with “The Wiz.”

The first show of the season got a plug in June when one of the Hattiloo actors provided entertainment at a luncheon for the Greater Memphis Chamber. After the performance, Bandele spoke about theater.

Although community outreach events are a key part of his marketing strategy, Bandele said it’s also a way to give back to a city that has created a nurturing environment for the theater.

“I’m from Brooklyn, N.Y., and I lived in Atlanta, which is right now being hailed as the mecca of the South of sorts,” he said. “When it comes to the arts, Memphis has abundantly more than Atlanta has.”

Bandele praised Memphis for having two ballet companies, an opera company and eight or nine community theaters.

“Oftentimes, we talk about that dividing line in Memphis – about race,” he said. “However, this city is supporting a black theater. It is supporting other black arts organizations like Ballet on Wheels and the Black Arts Alliance.”

Hattiloo’s other shows this season include “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” “Tartuffe,” “If Scrooge Was a Brother,” “The Old Settler,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” “The Trial of One Shortsighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae” and “Crowns.”

Hattiloo is at 655 Marshall Ave., one block west of Sun Studio on Union Avenue.

The theater has two educational programs geared toward youth: Camp Awareness for children ages 10 to 13 and the Hattiloo Children’s Theatre, which is primarily for older children.

The Camp Awareness participants put on last Sunday’s performance of “Captain Hook’s Revenge,” but the summer learning experience is actually an acculturation camp. The children also learned about sushi, kung fu, opera, bookmaking and other arts.

The Hattiloo Children’s Theatre, which has two classes a year, is run by the participants.

“What we’re trying to do is create a microcosm of what it is to operate a theater, both artistically and professionally,” Bandele said. “There are kids who may not want to act, but they do want to be involved in the arts. They may have the acumen to do something with numbers or have good customer service skills. What we are trying to do with the children’s theater is develop the professional side and not just the artistic side.”