Director reveals life behind the curtain

Addiction is a dirty word.

It is fair to say Joe Jefcoat, director of the Center for the Performing Arts (CPA), is addicted to his goal of improving the CPA. He immerses himself in his work every day. His office consists of a brutally cluttered desk, several posters left over from the last director and countless videos and compact discs filling every nook and cranny of the room.

Overseeing the CPA has kept Jefcoat extremely busy since his arrival at Penn State in the fall of 1995. He is in charge of all events in both Eisenhower and Schwab Auditoriums and is also responsible for making sure the CPA executes its mission statement by bringing educational programs, lectures and other community outreach programs to State College.

Fulfilling his obligations at work leaves him little time for much else, he said.

"Social life? What social life?" he said, joking about his lack of free time. "Well, the hours are very irregular, but it's always exciting and never dull."

The tall, slender man reflected on his past with no regrets. During his college years, he said he took time to try out different classes in order to give him a better idea of the world in which he lives.

"I took a long time to figure out what I wanted to do, but I'm glad I did it now that I look back," he said. "I think students need to explore in college. I come from a rural town in Alabama just like a lot of kids here are from rural towns. There's so much to do and explore here and so many classes to just try out."

Jefcoat's passion for the arts is what brought him to Penn State. The enticing opportunity to work with students and the University's nationally recognized program are two of the main factors that convinced Jefcoat to take on the position.

One of Jefcoat's objectives is to make the center a major supporter of original art work. But the red tape involved with arts funding is a major roadblock in the way of realizing that goal, he said.

"I think the University is enormously bureaucratic and inefficient in operating what would be a non-profit arts organization," he said. "That is the toughest thing. The College (of Arts and Architecture) is supportive of what the center is trying to do. Simply put, we could do what we do a lot easier."

"There's no question that Joe is devoted to this enterprise," Porterfield said. "He's highly personable to deal with, even when there are times when there is a lot of pressure. I always see him with a smile on his face."

An example of the red tape Jefcoat said he must cut through is the fact that the CPA has a multitude of budgets that it operates under instead of just one overall budget.

"We spend a lot of time bookkeeping and it is time that could be better spent on other things," he said.

A lack of sufficient funding for the arts leads to other obstacles for Jefcoat and the CPA. Many students express concerns about the exorbitant prices of tickets for productions at Eisenhower and Schwab, he said.

Most people don't realize ticket prices here are about half the price of many theaters in major cities, Jefcoat said, adding that people need to realize revenue from ticket sales represents 70 percent of the CPA's budget, while only 23 percent comes from the University and 7 percent from donations.

The insufficient funding makes it extremely difficult to support original work, Jefcoat said.

"The selections are limited because (the arts community is) not creating a whole lot of new work. Audiences don't want to take a gamble because it's too expensive," he said. "It's a constant balancing out on what choices you make artistically and financially."

One idea to solve this catch-22 situation is to use some money from the student activity fee, he said.

"Most centers for the performing arts get money from the activity fee and we've had some wonderful conversations with some of the student leaders," he said.

If the opportunity ever presented itself, Jefcoat said he would allocate additional funding toward structural improvements to Eisenhower Auditorium.

Improvements on such things as lighting in that auditorium would allow the CPA to keep up with the quality of work other organizations are presenting.

"We want to maintain what we've done artistically. That doesn't sound like a goal, but with all of the funding cuts it becomes a goal," he said. "We don't want to become an organization that just does musical comedies."

The CPA strives to present a wide array of productions and Jefcoat's ability to listen and work with his constituents has had a positive effect on the CPA, Porterfield said.

"We want as many people to come in but we also want educational content and a variety of diverse programs," he said.

Although he seeks to provide a diverse series of events for the CPA, Jefcoat unabashedly admits he is partial to musical theater because he likes the mixing of music, theater and dance into one performance.

"It's the ultimate American art form," he said.

One of the more recent in-house productions the CPA was involved in was a collaborative work with the School of Theatre Arts. Jefcoat and Dan Carter, director of the School of Theatre Arts, co-produced an adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol.

The experience with Jefcoat was totally positive, Carter said, adding that he was optimistic about working with Jefcoat in the future because Jefcoat's ideas were both exciting and vibrant.

"Like any really good producer, he's found a way to channel the creative impulses that got him into theater with great humor and humanity," Carter said. "It's the hallmark of a good producer to have that."

"The very first Broadway show I ever saw was A Chorus Line. I saw it in college before I became a theater major," he said. "I thought it was a brilliant piece of work."

The first revival of Leonard Bernstein's Candide was the second show Jefcoat saw and it had a profound impact on him.

"It was innovatively staged, brilliantly performed and I was just in awe," he said. "I knew I was hooked."

Jefcoat also knew a career in performing arts is a very unstable career. However, with his degree in arts management and years of theater experience, Jefcoat has found a comfortable balance at Penn State.

He is a person who likes to experience new things and he admits he doesn't have a penchant for staying in one place for a long time. However, Jefcoat made one commitment in State College when he bought his first house in town.

"The project when I came here was buying a house because I always lived in apartments or condos all my life," he said. "I'll be glad when all of the renovations are over. I've been meeting all of the plumbers, carpenters and other people in town."

Even when Jefcoat puts the finishing touches on his house, he does not plan to fill it with children.

"I've never been interested in having children. I just don't have the patience . . . that sounds so bad because I'm a teacher," he said. "I love teaching but I also like to go home in the evening."

Jefcoat also wants to make the most of his time in the State College. The area is perfect to explore two of his favorite hobbies -- hiking and camping, he said.

"It's just such a beautiful area. I love it," he said.

This theater lover is also a film buff, but he doesn't go to nearly as many movies as he used to. Hollywood is full of people who are out to make money instead of an artistic product, he said.

Jefcoat plans to leave the University if he ever starts to focus on anything other than putting together quality artistic products.

"The world is a big place to see and I want to experience it," he said. "When it becomes run-of-the-mill, I'll know it's time to leave and it will be someone else's turn to expand the program."