Jame Kuhl is also a 2009 Wilde Awards nominee for his performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the Hilberry Theatre. Photo: Hilberry Theatre

A FEW MINUTES WITH: James Kuhl, new producing artistic director of Tipping Point Theatre

By Donald V. Calamia

Northville's Tipping Point Theatre recently announced the hiring of Jame Kuhl as its new producing artistic director effective later this month. Kuhl, who just completed Wayne State University's Hilberry Theatre graduate program, has quickly risen to a major leadership role within the industry that many in the theater community believe is a perfect fit for his skills and outgoing personality. EncoreMichigan.com talked with Kuhl earlier this week about his background and what his plans are for the popular Metro Detroit theater.

Congratulations, James. What's it feel like to get your master's degree in the spring and, only a few months later, find yourself in running one of Metro Detroit's Equity theaters?

Thank you. I feel very blessed. But actually I'm not the only person to accomplish this. Last year at this time, Jeff Thomakos became artistic director of Water Works Theatre just after completing his master's degree - and by the way, Water Works is opening the Scottish Play in Royal Oak very soon, free advertisement, you're welcome Jeff.

But for me right now, the amount of support that I have had, both through the interview process and during this transition period, is overwhelming. I'm very thankful for all of the individuals that are prepared to go an extra mile because they believe in me.

Was moving into the administrative side of the business always a goal of yours? And if so, why?

It has always been a goal of mine to serve the theatrical community in this capacity, yes.

I don't like to divide the business into sides. There is an artistic element to every aspect of theater, and so I don't feel like I have given that up at all. I've always aspired to this position because of the necessity to have that balance and understanding of all of the elements that are combined to create a theatrical event.

I believe very strongly in the necessity of being a well-rounded theater artist. An artistic director at their core must be a motivator, a person that inspires others to want to be better, that leads by example, has a fundamental passion and seemingly unending energy for the art of theater as a whole entity. These are qualities that I have always excelled at.

What do you think convinced the board to hire you rather than a more seasoned veteran – especially one with previous hands-on management experience?

I have a deep respect for all of the applicants that were in the final considerations. Several of them are good friends, but even the candidates that I haven't had the pleasure of working with were known to me, because the theater community is a pretty tight-knit group. And I have to say that it is very difficult to directly compare us. All of us have different strengths and draw backs, and I'm sure that if the Tipping Point had unlimited funding, they could have put together an incredible dream team of leadership.

But unfortunately that isn't our current economic climate, as many of our theaters know only too well, due to the drastic cuts in arts funding from the state. I think what it came down to is that the board felt that at this specific moment in the life of the Tipping Point, that my drive and passion and fresh approach was a more fitting combination.

During the application or interview stage of the process, did you present any sort of business plan or philosophical treatise to the board that may have moved you ahead of the other candidates?

Well, I initially applied for the job due to the encouragement of my wife. I mean I was interested in the position, but how it often goes in this type of process, my application would have been discarded simply because I was young and therefore deemed unqualified.

That isn't a slam against anyone, but these searches can be overwhelming with the number of applicants reaching into the hundreds. And even if five-percent of the people applying have 15+ years of experience, that is enough not even to look at other options. It is an unfortunate thing that our young theater-makers often get overlooked because they aren't as appealing on paper, but in fact there are some fabulous young artists that are just as talented as our veterans. It's my hope to help bridge that gap, so that our new theater-makers can learn and be guided by our more experienced artists, but also I hope the road will run the other way as well. I'm getting off track, sorry.

Why I think that my application wasn't discarded was because of one person on the board, MaryJo Cuppone. I had the pleasure to work with her in a show just after finishing my apprenticeship at The Purple Rose Theatre. It wasn't because MaryJo knew me, because I'm sure she knew many of the applicants. It was because she believed in me.

I have been fortunate in my career to have accumulated an amazing support structure of people that believe so strongly in me, and think that is due in part to the passion I have for theater, the integrity I place in my work and my work ethic, which I hold in very high regard.

So I received the first interview, probably as "the young voice" and very much an underdog in the process, and I talked a lot about why theater is important to me and my personal aesthetic and how I feel people should be treated and how I felt good managers should operate. All of it came from the heart, because the thing I love to talk about most is theater.

I couldn't tell you what exactly it was that put me into the final considerations. That might be a better thing to ask the board. What I tried to do is put out on the table exactly who I am and what I believe in, because that is what has always lead me in the right direction and helped me to gain the friendship of those people that do believe so strongly in me.

I know you haven't started working at Tipping Point yet, but what WILL be your philosophy for the company? And what are you hoping to achieve in your first six months on the job? The first year?

What I will continue to come back to, philosophically, will be the idea of family. So what are some elements of a family unit? Trust, integrity, reconciliation. Because as we all know, the road isn't always smooth with a family, but it will be through our trust of each other and the trust we place in the integrity of our work, that we will be able to accomplish the reconciliation of our differences that we need.

This is true of the artist and the audience. I want artists to want to work here, not just for a paycheck (which is important), but also because I want our stage to feel like coming home again. The same holds true for our audiences and donors. Tipping Point will be a theater that the community can believe in. I want it to be a "no ego theater," following examples I think that are being set by theaters like Williamston Theatre.

For me, the best theater comes when artists and audiences choose to come together and unselfishly give to the theatrical experience. It's never just a job for me. And if we can create this environment in our theater, then artist and audience will hopefully walk away with a greater appreciation of themselves as human beings.

Tipping Point is young – it was founded in 2007. And you're young – you were born in 1979. Do you foresee that your age will be a problem when dealing with the theater community – many of whom are old enough to be your parent? (laughs)

Well, I get along great with my parents, so I should be all set, right?

Yes, I’m probably not the typical demographic when it comes to this position, but I don't see age as barrier that precludes me from relating to our audience - firstly, because I'm not the sole artist contributing any given production. We have playwrights of all ages writing plays that will be acted by actors of all ages, being designed and directed by artists of all ages, and so on. Our productions will have an offering for every audience member to connect to if our audience comes in willing to be connected with.

Secondly, I think it is a common misconception that young is somehow synonymous with ignorance. I understand first hand what it is to be married seven years, wait, eight years, sorry. I understand what is to be a father, a brother, to lose loved ones, to have loved ones in the military, to feel responsible for others, to struggle financially, to trust in a higher power, to sacrifice. True, I have never been 55, and so I claim no experience with being 55, but we don't need to be the same age to relate to each other as human beings, and that is part of what we are trying to do with theater: to explore what it is to be human; to foster human interactions.

My son, he’s 5, said to me recently, "Dad, you're a thinker, you think a lot." So I asked him if that was good or bad, and he said "I don't know. That's just how God made you I guess." Five years old. It was beautiful. Then we played light sabers.

Let's talk about your background. Where were you born? Where did you get your undergraduate degree? And how about a quick overview of your theater career thus far?

I was born in Bay City. I spent a good chunk of years in the thumb, Bad Axe. My family then moved to Chesaning, and that is where my parents still live. I received my B.A. in theater from Alma College, a liberal arts college in the middle of the state, after which I entered the Purple Rose Apprentice Program where I learned basically every aspect of the operations of a nonprofit theatre.

I think a lot of times people view an apprentice as simply a toilet bowl cleaner. However, the practical education offered through that apprenticeship has been invaluable to me, and I will be forever grateful and appreciative for those individuals at the Rose that invested time in me.

After the apprenticeship, I spent a few years working as an actor throughout Michigan before returning to Alma College, but this time in a teaching capacity. I spent two years in the Alma College theater department, a program that is, by the way, one of best kept secrets of educational theater training. I worked along side the man I consider my mentor, helping to teach classes, mentoring students and discovering a passion for inspiring young artists.

I was then accepted into the Hilberry Theatre, the graduate acting program at Wayne State University, where I spent three years sharpening my skills as an actor through the intensive training. But one of the most fantastic and valuable things that I got from my time a Wayne was connections I made with our audience and donors. Because of the fact that the audiences at the Hilberry were the people funding my education, along with the college of course, they felt an investment and commitment to the program and the students. It was very rewarding for me to foster those relationships in return.

And now here I am. So that's the nickel tour of my resume.

When did you first know that you wanted a career in the theater? What brought about that decision?

Right away. Like so many of us, you know early on that theater is important to you and it is just a matter of the level of time you are going to put into it. It was really in undergrad that I committed fully to it. I was on track to be a business major when I realized about half way through that what I really wanted to do was theater. Even though I had a love for business, it was theater that I was always thinking about. It was really my mentor, Joe Jezewski at Alma College, that inspired me and helped me to see the possibilities that the theater could provide. If you are going to do something, do it with all of your being.

What is it about the theater that speaks to you – that gets you up each morning?

The thing that I love most about theater is that magical communion that happens between audience and actor. It doesn't happen all of the time, but when it does, there is this shared experience that we have together that is...well, indescribable. So I guess I shouldn't try to hard to describe it, because it ruins it a little, don't you think? But those of us that have felt it, audience or actor, understand what I'm talking about. It is a brief moment when we feel a part of something greater than ourselves...and we don't feel alone at all because we are sharing it.

So what are you looking forward to most when you start your new job?

The moment I'm looking forward to most is that moment when I feel like I have a handle on the whole picture. Right now, there is a lot of catching up and briefing and meeting people, all of which is fantastic, but I look forward to that deep breath I'll take when I can clearly see all of the elements of the Tipping Point Theatre working together. That will also be the moment when I know that our new family unit is heading toward a long and healthy relationship.

And what do think will be your greatest challenge?

The most challenging element will probably be the resistance I may receive because I am younger - but I don't think that will last long. My passion for theater is contagious, and I'm positive I'll infect my doubters soon.

I suspect you will!