Balagula Theatre



Ryan Case has been appointed the first Artistic Director of the newly reorganized Balagula Theatre. The Theatre and Bistro are owned and managed by Natasha and Gene Williams. The Theatre has now attained nonprofit status and will continue to mount performances in Natasha's Bistro, located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Past shows include Copenhagen, a number of performances of Surprise Theatre, Power Plays, and The Dresser.




Ryan Case with Natasha's Cafe co-owner, Natasha Williams
(Photo by Mark Cornelison)



The mission of Balagula Theatre is to provoke thought and communication about social issues while simultaneously educating and entertaining our audience through community theatre. They want to challenge attitudes, stereotypes, and preconceived notions about society and theatre by exposing their audiences to international plays, addressing issues such as peace and justice, race, sexual politics, war, immigration, and contemporary concerns.

More information on Balagula Theatre can be found on their website, HERE.


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Bistro theater: alive and 'unstoppable'
By Rich Copley
The Lexington Herald-Leader
September 9, 2007



Troupe gets new artistic director, non-profit status


When Natasha and Gene Williams opened their restaurant in the heart of downtown Lexington, they knew they wanted to have theater there.

But what kind of theater?

"We didn't want to do dinner theater, or what traditionally is associated with dinner theater," Natasha says, recalling an animated conversation during a drive from Atlanta to Lexington. "We were debating art versus entertainment. We wanted to do serious theater that was thought-provoking, that could be entertaining, but would also challenge people intellectually. We were wondering if there was an audience for that."

An audience for that in a restaurant.

Three years later, the Williamses and a group that includes some of Lexington's strongest theatrical talents have found out that there is indeed an audience for their brand of dinner theater.

While customers dine at Natasha's Bistro, Balagula Theatre has treated them to works such as David Mamet's American Buffalo, Michael Frayn's Copenhagen and the venue's signature event, Surprise Theatre. The venture has been successful enough that Balagula has gained not-for-profit status, and this summer it named a new artistic director, Ryan Case.

Case has been featured in several of Balagula's most successful shows and enjoys the atmosphere the theater in a restaurant creates.

"There's a lot of creative freedom here," Case says over lunch at the bistro.

"There are only a certain number of shows chosen each year by theaters in Lexington, and there aren't enough roles to go around for actors. The ability to create your own work as an artist is heaven, and to be able to have the time to get it down right is even better."

Acting at Natasha's isn't what it's like at a lot of other theaters. The rehearsal period is longer, in part because the venue is a restaurant six days a week, meaning there's a big reliance on extended Sunday rehearsals. And the environment can be unpredictable, with people dining as the show goes on.

But the serious artistic atmosphere has had pluses, including a play-reading group that meets to review scripts that might work for the theater.

Playing a non-traditional venue also has allowed Balagula to easily take its shows on the road, doing Copenhagen in Harlan, and Elaine May and Alan Arkin's Power Plays for a group of retired Broadway and film producers at a hotel in North Carolina. On the latter show, a van breakdown forced the troupe to act without props or lights, but they earned raves.

Case and Natasha, Balagula's managing director, say that becoming a non-profit group will help them raise money to beef up future productions, although thus far, modesty has suited them well.

"When we started, we had one light," Case marvels.

Williams says, "And now, we have full lights, and we even did a show with a curtain."

Case grins and declares, "We're unstoppable."

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