Humans of the Alliance Theatre: Patrick Myers
Patrick Myers, Management Assistant
Without using the words in your job title, what do you do at the Alliance?
"I guess you can call me the theatre therapist. I'm part of the central hub of the company—disseminator of information between multiple parties. Staff, artists, crew, patrons and the like."
How did you get involved with the world of theatre?
"I did an Oscar Meyer commercial audition when I was four. I actually booked a national Walmart commercial when I was nine. A little known fact. Am I going to regret telling you that? You can find it online if you look hard enough. I did school theatre since middle school, so I've always been involved."
What is it about theatre that you love?
"I grew to love theatre through the practice of it. It became a lot about engaging in stories in a way that felt more alive than just words on a page. But as I grew older, it became less about that, and more about the community-building aspect. Experiencing the same story in the same room. What that allows you to do. And also, who doesn't love a good musical? Every time Beth Leavel sang "The Lady is Improving" [from The Prom], I lost my darn mind."
What is your first theatre-related memory?
"When I was four years old, I went to see my cousin perform in Man of La Mancha. We were sitting in the school gymnasium and there were these fold-out seats. Not the comfy ones with the cushions, but the dented beige metal ones that looked like they had been there for 30 years. I remember the show had started and I wasn't really clocking anything in my mind because there was so much going on. But then the actor who played Don Quixote entered from the back of the room and he was illuminated in a pool of light. Just him and his shadow. I was so transfixed with watching him walk on stage. Something about his presence just stuck with me. I think that's why I'm actually in theatre today."
What is your biggest struggle?
"Balancing my creative ambition with the necessity to survive on a day-to-day basis."
How did you arrive at the Allliance?
"I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2013 and then I became an acting intern at Actor's Express, thanks to Freddie Ashley, whom I love and adore. As part of the program, you take classes. And one of the classes was a dramaturgy class and it was taught by Celise Kalke, the Alliance Theatre Director of New Projects. I had done some literary work in college and I had a professor who told me I should look more into dramaturgy, so I started experimenting and fell in love with the art of it. And here was this lady who just knew anything and everything I could've ever wanted to know about the field, not just practical, but artistically, too. Her class was amazing. The play she had us read was knock-out brilliant and something I had never heard of before. And I thought: 'I have to know you.' So I asked via email to shadow her one day and she let me submit my application for her literary internship after the due date. And then I started working for her in 2014."
What does the off-site season mean to you?
"A ton of work. But really, it's a fun opportunity to push outside of our comfort zone. Engage with audiences in a way we've never been forced to engage with before. And that's off our home turf. And I think for an organization that is as storied and institutionalized as ours is, having the opportunity to play with more local artists and venues, it's a positive way to mix-up our culture."
A little known fact about yourself.
"I've held the Olympic Torch! Well, my dad did while I was on his shoulders. When the Olympics came to town in 1996, we were outside the city along the torch route. The torch carrier came over and offered for my dad to hold the torch. And I remember that I kept fighting with myself wondering if I should actually touch it or not. Then something came into my five year old brain that said 'If you don't do this now, you're never going to have the chance again.' So I finally did. I ended up with a photo of both my father and I holding it and it's one of my favorite pictures."
A little known fact about the theatre.
"The Atlanta History Center has a few boxes of old Alliance photos, flyers and files stashed away. There's also a history of the Alliance dissertation from 1993. It's a fascinating read. You can get in their library. I've only read the first 20 pages, but I already know much more information about the theatre."
What is your hope for the future?
"I hope we can continue to use stories from the theatre to be able to help build empathy. The idea of radical empathy through storytelling. Not presuming to know anything about someone else and allowing them to tell you. I think theatre is the best vessel for doing that. I hope we can continue to pursue that.
Describe the best theatre-related project you've ever done.
So I drive my mom's car I inherited. 'Baby Nilla.' The official color of the car is 'cool vanilla' and my mom came up with the name. Thanks to the grocery runs I do for my job, I'm proud to say that my car now has earned an EGOT. I've had an Emmy winner, Grammy winner, Oscar winner and Tony winner in my car. I'm so honored to have chaperoned so much talent.
What's a show that has changed your outlook?
"I took my first trip to Broadway when I was 24. I saw Fun Home because, of course I did. The experience is still so fresh. Growing up as a gay individual, not seeing yourself reflected in any capacity in popular forms of media, I didn't have any way of being able to recognize myself, which made it harder to grapple with my reality. Having the opportunity to see that show on stage, in my artform, the way I choose to tell stories, it deeply affected me. I remember crying so much."
What makes you feel fulfilled?
"Honestly, I'm going to real with you. Pandas. Every time I see a panda video, my heart just feels full. I should just live at the zoo and pay rent."
by A'riel Tinter, Brand Journalist
