We were lucky to catch up with Dori Salois recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dori, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

As the Executive Artistic Director of a theatre, the projects I choose to produce and direct must be meaningful to me.. Considering the time and energy it takes to take a script from development to full production, one must have their whole heart in the project. I get sent plays that are comedies, dramas and musicals, but if a play doesn’t present something in a unique way, have that Aha moment… I am not interested. I did two projects recently that I feel embodied the Aha moment. The first was a new play which we developed and produced the world premiere of The Color Of Light by Jesse Kornbluth that told the story of Matisse’s creation of the Chapel at Vence. The story dealt with the meaning of art and spirituality. We were able to work with Matisse’s great grandson and had access through many major museums to breathtaking images and projections that gave a full Aha moment with the creation through light, color and a beautiful unfolding set to make the audience feel they were in the chapel at the finale.That project moved on to a New York production.
The second piece The Spin Doctor, I set up as a special two day staged reading performance much to the consternation of our production team. The play was overwordy, with many diatribes with an absurdist style written by a Vietnam Vet recluse struggling with physical and mental health issues, but I wouldn’t give it up. Quite frankly, I couldn’t give it up because the premise that Goebbels and Hitler are still powerful influences in the form of insidious insects and slugs,hiding in the dark corners of us, was so compelling. The first time and maybe only time playwright sent a deluge of odd emails, sometimes angry, sometimes poignant. Most artistic directors would have given up, but because I recognized his illness,( I was a psychiatric nurse), and I could follow his schizophrenic thought process, I persevered, and together we honed his script into a doable piece. The play, about Anti-Semitism and Racism asks the question… How does it happen that we are all so complacent, so distracted, so easily influenced, that we allow evil to continue? This was before George Floyd. The staged reading sold out, received press coverage, and the talkbacks afterwards were enlightening.
Prior to that I brought Joel Drake Johnson’s Rasheeda Speaking to San Diego which dealt with racism in the workplace which pre- dated the BLM movement. I was cautioned to bring that piece downtown for a more racially diverse audience. Instead I set it in a primarily white extremely affluent community. I created the performance space which was attached to a historic church. We were packed every night for the full run with talkbacks that lasted over an hour every night with presentations by Pastors. Labor Law Lawyers, Hospital Administrators, and Athletic coaches .
As a playwright, my play She’s at the Library…it could have been a wonderful life… was produced by a local theatre( not mine) The premise of the play was a fun feminist take on what was Mary’s Life like without George and what happens when he show’s up. Mary, without George, completes college, is a lawyer, is living with Vi and is taking on Potter. I wrote the play because every year we watch It’s A Wonderful Life and though I love the film, I always cringe at the part where Clarence says in response to George’s question… “Where’s Mary?” Clarence says,” You’re not gonna like it George she’s just about to close up the library”… so I thought, wait a minute what’s wrong with that! The play ran November 19th thru Dec 5th 2021 with many sold out houses and I am hoping will become a holiday

As a novelist, Mrs Bennet’s Sentiments, Pride and Prejudice told from the mother’s point of view was chosen by People Magazine as a top fictipn pick in 2016 .I was contacted by a British producer and actress for permission to record the book. The audio book was completed in February2020 and both the hardcover book and audio book are still selling.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started as an actress in my hometown playing Louisa in Sound of Music. I continued performing locally, then off to college at Lowell where I continued performing and was lucky enough to work with people like MaryAnne Plunkett, and sing in the speciality choir. However my major was not music but Nursing .I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree and headed for New York. At that time, there was a shortage of nurses so many New York Hospitals were competing for staff. Memorial Sloane Kettering offered a modern apartment with a terrace. practically rent free. I worked on the Chemo research floor, and the bone marrow transplant team and at night I studied at the Lee Strasberg institute… Needless to say if I had to cry in a scene, all I had to do was recall my day. I continued with the dual career. When I opened in Bill Gibson’s Butterfingers Angel as Mary at the Quaigh Theatre, one newspaper chose the headline ALSO A PSYCHIATRIC NURSE! I would take my bow and quickly grab a cab uptown, throw on a lab coat over my costume to open the night psychiatric section of the emergency room at Metropolitan hospital.

The main theme for me in my artistic career as theatre producer, director, actor and writer is bringing a different vantage point to my work. As Executive Artistic Producer,I really only like new work..

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As Executive Artistic Producing Director of a small theatre, I often gravitate towards big projects, perhaps too big. I had worked with Anna Deavere Smith years ago, I saw her latest show Let me Down Easy about health care in New York. I sent flowers and a note back saying I wanted to produce the show in San Diego. ( years ago I ran into her at Samuel French’s in LA and I was assoc Prod Dir for a theatre but the work they were doing was at that time very run of the mill comedies etc and I had no venue for her and she hadn’t written the pieces that we all know and love her for then….) Anyway I sent the note back and there was interest.
Problem: I saw the show as Anna. a lightbulb and a chair, I called around to rent a space…. She saw the full show from NYC coming to San Diego… Arrgh panic!!!!. But I took a deep breath and pitched it as partnership with SDREP and they said yes, Then we were asked to join the partnership in the budget of the national tour which started at Arena, financially impossible for Vantage, and too much of a stretch for SDREP ‘s budget then thank goodness La Jolla Playhouse joined. So now there was the first ever partnership between a small, mid size and a large theatre in San Diego. which had never happened before, BUT there were 13 production people from NYC that needed housing ( plus a dog) Plus Anna…. Working with Anna before, I knew what was needed, a pool to swim in before the show etc… I thought of pulling out…. how could we do this… but I raised my hands to the universe and then got to work calling friends. realtors, hotels etc… Amazingly, from a cold call a nearby boutique hotel, the Sofia hosted all the rooms and suites and provided an opening night party in their restaurant with fabulous food and a signature cocktail all donated… They were terrific with all the different arrivals, departures and the dog! The nearby health club gym that Obama played basketball in provided access for Anna’s swims. All was coming together. However, though those in theatre know Anna and her work, the average person doesn’t. Even though we promoted her with her Nurse Jackie cred we still needed more attendance. Because of my continual dual career status in health care and theatre , I had access to healthcare administrators, facilities, doctor and nurses groups. We set up talk backs, and I was able to sell out an entire 300 seat house with one hospital group.. We also offered continuing education credits and I had strong connections from my previous work in the black community so churches and special groups that had never been to the Rep came out for the show.
My philosophy about any endeavor is W. H Murray’s quote from the Scottish Himalayan expedition
“Until one is committed there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative or creation, there is one elementary truth…that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves. too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man would have believed would have come his way.
Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace, and power in it.”
So to quote a producer with his feet to the fire in the film Much Ado… why does theatre work…it’s a mystery but it does.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Theatre should ratchet up the culture.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vantagetheatre.com
• Facebook: Vantage Theatre or Dori Salois

Image Credits
Marti Kranczberg