Company Objective

On The Rocks: America’s First All-For-Profit Theatre Company is a For-Profit theatrical corporation (un-incorporated) whose aim is to reexamine classic dramatic work through the use of The OTR Aesthetic. High concept, low art is our mantra. Uptown meets Downtown—our creed.

A Brief History of the Company

One cannot help but reflect on the rich history of the Company. We hearken back to that magical summer of 1979 on the oasis of inspiration that is the Isle of Catalina. It was there, over that life-changing bottle of Dewars, that On The Rocks was conceived. Who knew that four Bill Withers’ albums, one ounce of cocaine, three fifths, a dozen packs of camels, a tube of SPF 45, a round of Pina Coladas, one kick-line and a few ti many martoonis would spawn the revolutionary dream that would change our lives forever. That dream being a simple business venture: O.T.R. We are proud to have become a corporate enterprise that has changed the face of theatre while still maintaining the heart of that truly remarkable summer.

Soon after returning to the mainland we found ourselves in a whirlwind of Drink Tanks, international travel, promising job offers, rehab facilities, real estate ventures, legal battles, tax deductible charity work and divorces which eventually, in 2007, brought about the alliance of O.T.R. with DeBeers© and Dewars©: our ever supportive corporate sponsors. The irresistible combination of Scotch and Diamonds seemed an unlikely marriage with a fledgling theatre company, but eventually it proved to be an ideal match with our multifaceted vision.

After almost thirty goddamn years away from Catalina we returned to ring in 2009. January marked O.T.R.’s first annual business retreat—conducting meetings in both the San Fernando Valley and twenty-six miles off the coast on Catalina. In attendance were Chief Financial Officer, Theodore S. Fox, and Lady Madam Chair of the Artistic and Trustee Boards, Laura Jean Fox. Theodore and Laura are exemplary members of the community. We remember the days when Theodore Fox carried thousands of dollars in a brown paper bag through the casino of the Flamingo in Vegas at the bequest of Meyer Lansky –one of the great Jewish mob bosses of the 1950’s. A theatre legend in his own right, Mr. Fox is best known for executive producing L.A. hit Watergate! The Musical (book by David Edgar, music by William Schimmel) in 1974. Laura Fox, a Theatre major, having graduated in 1980 from UCLA, quickly abandoned the Los Angeles theatre scene for a more financially fruitful career in commercials and music videos. Ms Fox has worked with such notable artists as Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Aerosmith, Blink 182, Whitney Houston, Coldplay, Janet Jackson, No Doubt, N’Sync, Madonna, and My Chemical Romance along with major corporate clients including Kodak, Diet Coke, Direct TV, GE, Milwaukee’s Best, Coca Cola, GAP, Tyco, Home Depot and Verizon. Her opposing sensibilities truly exemplify the On The Rocks character and have always aided our noble attempts at juxtaposing uptown and downtown aesthetics in a pastiche of genre. This business retreat reminded us that both company members live the On The Rocks life style at a level which all of us can only hope and dream to reach.
While on the island we held Drink Tanks with local professionals Les Brown, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Dick Dale, Tony Dow, Gregory Harrison, Jack LaLanne, A.C. Lyles, Peggy Moran, and Kathleen Quinlan at the world famous Marlin Club©. These inspired conversations enlightened us as to what Americans today want from their theatre. Armed with this knowledge, the team hit the ground running. Sequestering ourselves in room 305 of the Catalina Canyon Resort and Spa, the four of us read countless scripts until finally coming upon an old chestnut of the theatre: The Persecution and Assassination of Jean Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of Monsieur De Sade by Peter Weiss.

We had the distinct honor of work-shopping Marat/Sade with 47 of the best child actors the San Fernando Valley had to offer. Performer’s ages ranged from 4-14 years and we are incredibly grateful for their commitment, ideas and strength. Over the course of three weeks during 15 hour days we pushed the children to explore movement, crack open the text in bold, new ways, experiment with blocking and verse, and engage in dialogues about the political and sociological undertones of Weiss’ masterpiece. Unfortunately, due to child labor laws and equity rule the performers were unable to perform in the ’09 New York re-mount. We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the children who made their special mark on our production. 11 year old, Margaret Cherniak of Wonderland Ave Elementary School gave a chilling performance as the fated Charlotte Corday. 9 year old, Reid Kleinman of Carpenter Ave Elementary School inspired us with his rousing monologues of revolution in the role of Jean-Paul Marat. And who could forget 8 year old, Shane Helstrem of Lake Grove Elementary School, who remarkably embodied the original Sadist. Special thanks also goes out to the Bob Baker Marionette Theater of Echo Park, CA for continual support.

Marat/Sade was a critical darling (“From the people who brought you nothing since 1979, comes a harrowing tale of 19th century France…” Applauds TheaterMania; “High Concept, Low Art…” Raves LAWeekly) but a box office failure. Stripped of our financial means, support and friends we find ourselves in a nearly identical predicament as that of 1979. Armed with only our genius and the clothes on our back we embark on this season in hopes of rebuilding the foundation of On The Rocks. For those of you who are still reading, we are beyond grateful. For it is your passion, commitment and Trusts that have built our dream and will continue to bolster On The Rocks.