The Cat debuts in familiar spot

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By Mark Ambrogi

Will Wood was looking for a place to rent to hold his musical in August.

ND 0314 New Warehouse tenants
The Cat summer interns, Ball State theatre department students Emma Rund and Tristan Zavaleta take a turn at painting. (Submitted photo)

When The Warehouse, formerly a Carmel concert venue at 254 1st Ave. SW, went out of business in January, the spot became open. Wood thought perhaps it might be a good rental site.

“We ended up renting it for three years so we kind of overshot the mark a little bit,” said Wood, who signed the lease in February.

Wood and his wife Deborah are in the processing of starting Carmel Apprentice Theatre.

Wood is friends with John and June Clair of the Carmel Theatre Company.

“They lost their space (Studio 15) after their December show and were looking at a place to put on a May show,” Wood said.

The CTC will present “Side by Side by Sondheim” May 4 to 13.

There are 150 theater seats in the location, which Wood has named The Cat. While Wood is using lower case letters in Cat, it also will serve as an acronym of sorts for Carmel Apprentice Theatre.

“We probably won’t have a Carmel Apprentice Theatre show for several months now,” Wood said.

Wood said The Cat can be used by other theater companies, musical recitals, show rehearsals, business meetings and private events.

“We’re going to open the building to entire Carmel arts community and beyond,” said Wood, who hopes Carmel Theatre Company will become a regular tenant.

Wood’s production company, Amalgamated Stage Productions, will present “You Never Know” with music by Cole Porter in August. Wood said a December show will likely be an Amalgamated or Carmel Apprentice Theatre one.

The name Apprentice was chosen very specifically, Wood said.

“We want people to get involved who have never acted before or are trying to do it,” Wood said. “There might be people who think they are too old (to start acting).”

Wood said with the talent pool so deep there are students who might want to act at Carmel High School but would never get the opportunity there.

“We’ll never have auditions because that scares a lot people,” said Wood, who modeled it after New York’s AfterWork Theater.

Performers will pay a fee to be in the show to cover costs.

“Some people call it pay to play, which I guess it is,” Wood said. “But we’re giving opportunities to all ages and all abilities.”


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