Bet on Wilson’s ‘Fences’ at the Doolittle; ATLAS Readies Its 99-Seat Theater Plan

The theater is already on hold and an official announcement could be coming as early as Friday, but you can just about count on “Fences” to come to the Doolittle Theatre for 10 weeks--Sept. 24 to Dec. 4.

James A. Doolittle, who will be presenting August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, all but confirmed the news Wednesday, saying, “We’re in discussions on it. There is still a situation or two to be ironed out, and we’re reassembling the best people who have played the roles.”

Among them: James Earl Jones in the lead, Courtney B. Vance as his son, Lynne Thigpen as his wife and Ray Aranha as his friend.

RIPPLES IN THE WAIVER: ATLAS (formerly known as the Equity Waiver Theatre Operators Committee--and an organization that now includes operators of 60 small theaters) has completed the drafting of an ATLAS 99-Seat Theatre Plan, which it hopes to offer as an alternative to the Actors’ 99-Seat Theatre Plan formulated by Actors’ Equity.

This is part of an ongoing effort by Waiver producers to stave off the implementation of the Actors’ Plan, which was approved in a referendum last April by the local union membership and which, on Oct. 3, will replace the 16-year-old Equity Waiver Plan (whereby Equity “waives” rules in theaters with fewer than 100 seats).

Members of ATLAS maintain that the Actors’ Plan, which spells out a reimbursement schedule of pay for actors and other restrictions, is unworkable.

In a Tuesday press release they broadly outlined their own ATLAS 99-seat Theatre Plan. Instead of the fixed fees requested by Equity, their plan would offer actors “healthy percentages of gross box-office receipts” throughout the run of a play, with percentages to increase as the run lengthens.

It would enable theaters to continue to produce, and actors to act in, large-cast shows, something they claim would be virtually impossible under the Actors’ Plan.

It would outline specific steps for moves into mid-size houses. And it would allow actors to participate in the financial success of a show and provide non -hits “the chance to run until audiences build.” They estimate that, in the case of hits, actors could end up receiving more money than under the Actors’ Plan.

Also included would be a schedule of rehearsal reimbursement for each actor (something not included in the Actors’ Plan) and a range of provisions to cover open calls, safe and sanitary conditions, liability insurance and other issues.

Why so vague? “Our lawyers advised us not to get into specifics now,” said actor and ATLAS spokesman Tom Ormeny of the Burbank Victory Theatre. Whether this plan has a chance of replacing the other is questionable. According to Ormeny, it hinges on an Equity membership meeting to be held at the Doolittle Theatre on July 15.

“If I am reading the (Equity) constitution correctly,” Ormeny said, “if (a minimum of) 750 members attend and two-thirds of them vote to rescind the (Actors’ Plan), that plan should not stand.”

Equity’s Western Regional Director, Edward Weston, has disputed this contention, however, documenting the reasons why, in his interpretation of the constitution, a referendum outrules a vote taken at a membership meeting.

Ormeny counters that the group may have “other recourse.”

NEW ONE: A new Theatre League Alliance (Theatre LA) has been formed by the merging of two theatrical service organizations: the Los Angeles Theatre Alliance and the Producers League of Greater Los Angeles. Karen Rushfield, a former community relations manager for the Los Angeles Theatre Center, has been named its executive director. Among other things, the new organization (headquartered in the old firehouse at 644 S. Figueroa St.) will explore a new theater marketing plan, co-operative advertising and business support programs.

Election of board members and officers will take place at Theatre LA’s first official meeting Sunday at the Groundling Theatre.

Information: (213) 614-0556.

GOING, GOING, GONE: William Wingate, executive managing director of Center Theatre Group for 19 years, has resigned to become executive director of New Musicals, a New York-based company dedicated to the development of--guess--new musicals.

“Personally and professionally, it was the right move,” said Wingate, who grew up in New York and who had been on a six-month sabbatical since January.

Wingate’s new partners are producer Marty Bell and financier William Suter. “The craft of musical theater isn’t being passed on,” he said. “We’ve suffered huge losses--Michael Bennett, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion. It’s become impossible (because of high cost), even for someone like Hal Prince, to develop a ‘Follies’ or a ‘Company’ anymore. We’ve come to rely too much on British musicals.”

Wingate said New Musicals will primarily commission works and has six projects under development. “Some are serious and some are fun. Fundamentally, they must be interesting to us. We won’t just be a launching pad for Broadway. Some of the material may be tougher and find a life in regional theater.”

As to who might replace him at Center Theatre Group, “I’ve recommended to the board that they not fill the position. Things are different now. The board is very well organized. We no longer have the Doolittle Theatre or a video department to run and the theaters are more competently staffed.”

THE RUMOR MILL: Call this one a non-rumor. The Nederlander winter spring Playgoers Series has hit new snags. It stopped considering “Steel Magnolias,” the Off Broadway hit set in a Louisiana beauty shop, when the Pasadena Playhouse announced plans to launch its 1988-89 season Sept. 25 with this Robert Harling play.

Nederlander vice president Stan Seiden also said that Howard Korder’s “Boy’s Life,” once under consideration, is now almost “sure not to come.” So the Playgoers’ Series is again, quoting Seiden, “up in the air.”

On the other hand--and despite endless rumors to the contrary--Seiden insists that “West Side Story” is “still very much alive” as part of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera’s coming season:

“We’re still looking for a star.”