DETROIT – From the outside, the Russell Industrial Center on Detroit's east side seems to mirror much of Detroit's once-fabulous, but now-decaying manufacturing infrastructure. But a walk through the main gate and onto the complex reveals a secret shared by many on the fringes of society – one few outsiders would ever suspect: There's a revolution going on at Russell Street, and 21-year-old Wayne State theater student Kyle Holton is among its artistic leaders.
"I wrote an artist's statement once about how there are all these wars today in society," the tall, lanky founder/producer of art4artillery Theatre Company said while sitting on a palate near the space where his new theatre company will soon stage a unique production of "Angels in America" by Tony Kushner. "There's a war on family values, a war on drugs, a war on terror. What are the ways that we fight these things? And what are the ways that we address them?"
For Holton, there was only one answer. "The best way I know how is through art. That's a way I can affect people. Without getting too cynical or crazy, I think it's a much safer venue to explore these things – through art – than though the way our society currently explores them.
"It's guerilla theater."
Holton's space – still under construction – sits at the end of a hallway populated by local artisans whose work can be found decorating the timeworn walls. "It's a gem in the middle of Detroit. Just the energy walking the halls – there's not a person here who isn't invested in what they do. That's exactly the type of person I am," Holton explained.
Holton formed art4artillery with fellow WSU students Brian Tony Yakoo and Rachel Elizabeth Porter at the beginning of the year.
"I wanted to start something that was a real artists' community – a place that was open for experiments and for exploring different types of theater," he said. "Especially in a community like Detroit, (theater) is not thriving like it should. So something like art and the arts community could really bring people to the city – and bring people together. And as a gay male, I'm very interested in re-examining pieces of theater with a new perspective – something that hasn't been explored in that way before."
The trio worked quickly – between classes and exams, of course – to make their dream a reality. "By January we decided on 'Angels,' by February we had the venue and the cast," he said.
What they didn't have was approximately seven hours to stage both halves of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama. So Holton set about to carefully trim "Millennium Approaches" and "Perestroika" into a manageable – and sensible – story about the early days of the AIDS crisis. "It was extremely difficult," Holton admitted. "I tried to look at the heart of the piece and cut major plot lines and characters that I love. But as a producer, director and editor, I had to make sure I was being very select with the scenes. But I think I accomplished trying to get parts of the story across pretty successfully."
To introduce his 80-seat theater to the community, all performances of "Angels in America" are free. "We want to start mobilizing people who can't afford to see theater, or wouldn't go if they had to pay $20 a ticket," Holton said. "But we're hoping to make SOME money from donations."
Earning an income isn't Holton's objective, however. "This is such an important story for me to tell, that it's beyond putting a monetary value on it – as idealistic as that sounds."
PREVIEW:
art4artillery Theatre Company
art4artillery Theatre Company will present "Angels in America" at the Russell Industrial Center – Bldg. 4, 3rd Fl., 1600 Clay St., Detroit. 8 p.m. May 21-23 & 28-30. Free; donations accepted. {www.ricdetroit.org}
