Creative Duo's Collaboratives Mesh Styles

By Jonathan Farrell

Jeffery and Mark Nishimura are two brothers in the neighborhood who are determined to bring original theater work to the public - regardless of obstacles.

Steps away from his Richmond District flat, Jeffery walks to his favorite spot for a morning cup of tea: Cool Beans Cafe, on California Street near Sixth Avenue.

With autumn sunlight streaming onto a table by the window, Jeffery talks about "Chasing the Blues," a production the brothers just completed. The show ran for five weekend performances in October at the Rasselas Jazz Club on Fillmore Street.

"That was our first musical," he said.

"We try to do something different each season. Since we hadn't done a musical before, we decided on that." Jeffery said. "Chasing the Blues" is the Nishimura brothers'17th production since they formed Theater Rhubarb in 1996.

"I didn't care much for theater when I was a kid," Jeffrey said. He said that was Mark's ambition. "My goal was to be in the academic world."

Jeffery, while composing his dissertation in January of '96 for a PhD from UC Santa Barbara, decided to visit Mark to overcome a case of "writer's block."

Mark received a degree in Theater Arts at Sacramento State University and was pursuing his Masters Degree at the University of San Francisco. His focus was script writing and he challenged his twin brother to share in a writing exercise.

"Mark challenged me to write and write, just to get it out. I wrote as much as I could," recalled Jeffery, who wrote a one-act play a day for an entire month

"He wrote some and I wrote some," Jeffery said. "When we got to about 30 or 31 plays Mark decided we had enough material to start a theater group.

"We did not know how to start a theater group," Jeffery admitted. "We just did it!"

It seems the two brothers where fortunate enough to find supportive people to achieve their goals.

Jeffery explained it is crucial to work with people who can be trusted.

"The theater community works together. What draws me to theater is people working together," said Jeffery, making a comparison to the academic realm.

"In academics it's about the individual in competition with other individuals. They are all worried about who is better, smarter, etc."

He said this sense of community was felt most at the Exit Theater, where "the people there were most helpful," Jeffery said.

Christina Augello, founder of the Exit Theater as well as the annual SF Fringe Festival, praised the Nishimura brothers for their efforts.

"I am really impressed with them because they are willing to take risks and give artists opportunities to explore new material."

Augello is pleased they have been able to endure difficulties, maintaining "their own signature on the work they do."

At the cafe, Brian Bonham stepped in the door eager to share his experience. Bonham has been with the theater group since its inception.

"Penses" (from the word pensive), was the very first production by the Nishimuras and it debuted at the Exit Theater in November of ''96. It was composed from some of the one act plays Jeffery and Mark had written. They named the production after the 17th century philosophical writings of Paschal.

"A friend referred me to the audition," Bonham exclaimed. "There was no specific training - I got to make love to a beer bottle on stage"

Jeffery laughed at the remark and yelled, "yes! That was one of the skits in a series of 14 that made up the production."

One of the most memorable and daring of the Theater Rhubarb productions was "Offending the Audience," the Nishimuras' fifth production.

"It was outrageous!" Jeffery said.

Bonham agreed. "Yes, definitely unique!"

"We set the lights on the audience," Jeffery explained. "The stage was dark, and then the actors emerged berating the people in the audience."

"People were taken aback, you could read it on their faces," Bonham said. "But then, once they got the concept, the audience participated."

One member of the audience who did not get the concept was theater critic Michael Scott Moore of SF Weekly. Moore advocated boycotting the show.

"It did not make sense," said Jeffery. "He did his review after the show had finished its run."

The conversation turned to theater critics, contracts and some of the obstacles Theater Rhubarb has faced.

"Critics," said Bonham, "live in their own self-centered world."

"That is why we do not invite critics to our productions any more," Jeffery added. "With about 300 nomad theater groups in San Francisco, major theater critics stay away from small productions. Our real objective is reaching the audience. Critics can forget it."

"Chasing the Blues" was set at Rasselas. The owner and manager were open to the idea and it really turned out well. Setting up in an alternative space is good; it gets theater out to more people," Mark said.

The brothers are of one mind, when they say theater is "really about business" because creative endeavors require money.

While earning a living is a concern, the joy and sense of accomplishment is much greater. This is what keeps them going.

"We enjoy producing works that no one else has done," Mark said.

"What inspires us to scripts is the interesting aspects of the human condition. It's not so much about plot as it is about that certain kind of logic/truth that unfolds," Mark said.

"Is commercial success a goal? If that happens, I guess we'll just flow with it, but that's too lofty for us right now," Jeffery said.

For more information about Theater Rhubarb, call (415) 751-0439 or visit the website at: www.theaterrhubarb.com.