Bringing theater to the masses

Not fitting the mold has never stopped T.J. Dawson from doing what he loved.

A self-described “callback king,” Dawson auditioned for movie and stage parts, making it to final callbacks before losing out on the part because of any number of things. Too tall. Too young. Too old. Too fat. Not fat enough.

“Whatever it is, I wasn’t it,” the Huntington Beach resident said. “How do I continue working with what I’m passionate about?”

When he moved into directing, Dawson found it difficult to infiltrate area theater companies, which often hired the same directors and choreographers for their productions.

“We found that we couldn’t break into the local big-time,” he said. “I thought, ‘Well, if we can’t do that, we have to pave our own way.’”

So six years ago, Dawson, his wife, Jeanette, and two others founded 3-D Theatricals to bring their own brand of musical theater to Southern California.

Today, the recently minted nonprofit organization is expanding with a much-anticipated move from Fullerton’s Plummer Auditorium to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts for the 2016 season and the upcoming launch of a youth program that would allow young people to learn from professionals in the theater industry and work on a full-scale youth production.

3-D is known for putting its mark on classics like “The Sound of Music” and introducing off-the-beaten-path shows like “Side Show,” a musical about the lives of conjoined twins who became famous stage performers in the 1930s.

“We’re in the business of making people feel,” Dawson said. “We want you to come and experience something and leave talking about it.”

Dawson describes 3-D Theatricals as “a full-service” production company. It basically brings a show to life by doing the casting, procuring the sets, hiring the choreography and renting the venues.

“We do everything from the ground up,” he said. “We could produce for anyone that wanted our services. For example, we produced an acapella group, called WestBeat, also known as the Downtown Holiday Carolers, specifically for the Disneyland Resort. We have done a murder mystery event for a client ... we can do nearly anything, but our main focus is on large-scale musicals at the moment.”

Dawson’s love for the theater comes from his mother, a children’s theater major at Cal State Long Beach. He attended the Academy for the Performing Arts in Huntington Beach before going to the College of North Colorado for directing and acting.

After trying his hand at acting, Dawson started directing local productions, then producing shows.

In 2009, in the aftermath of the nation’s economic crash, Dawson and his family decided to take the leap and start 3-D Theatricals.

They started it as a for-profit entity, which was the quickest way to begin, Dawson said.

“It was such a needed thing and theaters were closing down,” Dawson said. “It was a wrong and right time to start up a theater company.”

The company opened in December 2009 with “Peter Pan,” at the OC Pavilion in Santa Ana.

After Orange County High School of the Arts purchased the OC Pavilion a year later, 3-D Theatricals moved to Plummer Auditorium, where it has grown a loyal following. In 2012, the company also began performing at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.

Many years ago a friend told Dean Mancina to see a play directed by Dawson. Mancina liked the play so much that he watched for shows directed by Dawson and became a patron when Dawson started his company.

“3D Theatrical shows are regional theater but are as professional as Broadway shows I’ve seen in NYC and better than other professional local theater,” Mancina said.

Leslie Stevens has been associated with 3-D Theatricals since 2013, when she auditioned and was cast in 3-D’s production of “Parade,” a musical about the 1913 trial of Jewish factory manager Leo Frank. Since then, Stevens has performed in three productions and choreographed two others with 3-D.

Stevens, who has worked as a full-time performer for over three decades, said that while she had wonderful experiences on Broadway, she also found it to be very hierarchical.

“Most often I found a ‘prove to me you are worthy’ attitude, even after you’d gotten the job,” she said. “In my observation, this created anxiety, ego-driven behavior and performers who pushed for attention. For me, it got old and soul-draining, making me wonder why I had chased so hard after this golden carrot.”

Performing and creating with 3-D has been some of the most satisfying work she’s ever done, primarily because of the attitude and commitment to making an excellent story, Stevens said.

“The tone is set from the top of the organization,” she said. “T.J. is a smart, intuitive communicator who creates a great balance of task-master and creative game host. No one is treated as though they are less of an artist or human than any other member of the company.”

Last year, 3-D received its nonprofit status to become Broadway OC, doing business as 3-D Theatricals.

He said there is rarely a profit even in commercial theater, but he got into the venture because he felt that he could fill an important need.

“Nonprofit is exactly that. You don’t make a profit, but you aim between the donations and ticket sales to break even,” Dawson explained of 3-D’s new status. “The costs of everyone’s salaries ... are built into the annual budget, so if you break even, you make a living while giving something special to the community.”

But the switch from for-profit has been difficult, Dawson said.

“They [donors and sponsors] see that the productions are continuing at a high level, so people don’t feel the need to help,” he said. “But eventually that help runs out.”

3-D’s biggest donor is pulling back $1 million this year, leaving 3-D to cover about $2.3 million needed to fund an annual operating budget of about $3.5 million to produce a season of shows and keep them affordable for the public, Dawson said.

3-D recently hosted a gala to raise funds and is also working to form an independent entity to help drive fundraising.

“We’re facing a huge, huge budget cut and not really making up the deficit yet with other donors,” he said. “We are actively seeking the help of the community and want to be able to continue producing theater at a high caliber.”

Meanwhile, 3-D is moving its shows from Fullerton to Cerritos, which will better accommodate its productions and its patrons, Dawson said.

“We’re looking forward to the transition, but we’re going to miss Fullerton in so many ways,” he said. “It’s become a home for us. We love the people there and downtown Fullerton. It’s going to be bittersweet, for sure.”