‘Out of Line Concept’ breaks with norms

By Shari Goldstein Stern

You thought you had boarded all the pirate ships around town, with thrilling memories of Nicole Neely’s “Stede Bonnet: a f*****g pirate musical” earlier this year at Theatre Three. Who knew another pirate ship would dock in White Rock, northeast of Theatre Three, during this sweltering summer?

A rare band of pirates sailed into East Dallas Arts (EDA) Aug. 11, where it docked for a four-day-run of “The Old Man and The Old Moon” (OMOM). Every matey onboard at EDA is still chanting “Ahoy!” after experiencing the newfangled-style of live theatre. Founded and managed by 17-year-old Tilda Grace, Out of Line Concepts (OLC) puts the focus on developing characters and ideas in collaboration with the whole cast rather than the director managing the entire show, as you will see in each actor’s performance. 

What you saw opening night of OMOM was a bonded cast of 15-20-year-olds owning the kitchy, small stage of the unremarkable brick-and-mortar theatre next door to a furniture store in a Northeast Dallas shopping strip. EDA is owned by founder and artistic director Tom Parr, who is a dedicated mentor to the OLC company. Every company member appreciates his tutelage and their ownership of the production.

This was OLC’s third production, with “Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare in Motion” in January 2021 and “Lord of The Flies” in June 2022. The cast included Hayden Elliott, who is a junior at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), who has performed in theater for more than 10 years. 

Hayden plays a mysterious sailor and passionate story teller, Matheson. He narrates portions of the musical play. The young artist has created sound design for multiple productions at HSPVA and EDA, and is a charter company member. 

The actor describes the show as very folksy, laid back, and with a rustic side. “It’s mystifying, and shadow puppetry adds to the magic. The direction style gives actors more freedom than any other production. There are moments between actors that you wouldn’t otherwise see. There is a lot of improvisation. You can create your own version of the character and make him your own.”

The actor/musician/technical artist continues: “Tom encourages directing with his methodology in which you think of each scene as a tennis match. So when you’re directing a show, especially in a community theater environment, the director serves whatever they are going to serve towards the actor, the actor hits the ball back towards the director. So it’s the back and forth dichotomies of bouncing ideas off the director and the actor, which allows them to create instead of catering to the director’s predetermined vision.” 

According to Hayden, “This makes the cast more connected to the show and everyone comes out feeling that they had a much larger role of making the show what it is. They have a sense of stewardship. The opposite is what Tom refers to as the chess board method, which is looking at your actors as chess pieces to be moved in a way to reach your own vision or your own end goal.”

Also appearing in the cast are Adam Koch, Davis Chen, Arabella LaFond, Diana Wolfe, Elora McLeod, Bee Falcone, Ayden Lacey, Pyro Divoky, Tilda Grace, Phoenix Clasby, Audrey Webb and Romir Bose.  

“I’m excited to work with such a talented cast and have ‘The Old Man and The Old Moon’ guided by Hayden Elliott, a Booker T. Washington HSPVA student, accomplished actor and musician who will be lending his expertise in band and technical direction,” said director Tilda Grace.

According to Tilda, the “Out of Line Concepts” name was born from an idea to create a new way of making performance art. OLC makes art that strays from the norm. The company gives each member a chance to develop their characters and contribute to the final piece. “We use unusual music choices, choreography and movement theatre to bring the story to life in a unique, more meaningful way. The goal is always to express feelings that the audience can experience and relate to.”

According to multi-tasking EDA Board member Alexandra Elliott: 

“This cast of The Old Man and The Old Moon” is comprised of fresh new talent who want to bring a whole new outlook, as well as push the boundaries of live theater. When you go to an Out of Line Concepts show, you’ll experience things that you won’t see anywhere else, which is why it’s called Out of Line Concepts.”

Alexandra added, “And Tilda Grace — she is a story in herself at 17. She is a gymnast, actor, circus performer and director with experience in commercial, industrial and promotional films and television. She is an accomplished performer in live theatre.”

“I look forward to reading more about this inspirational, influential, smart young woman with talent in her bones and leadership in her DNA,” the friend and fan concluded.

EDA is located at 10620 E. Northwest Highway. For tickets and additional information, visit eastdallasarts.org.