Charmed, Fortunate, Or Lucky?

Our Interview With David

ELLENSTEIN, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, NORTH COAST REPERTORY THEATRE

By Bob Morey

We all know San Diego is one of the premier places in the world to not just visit but to live in. Athletes look forward to their playing away game here. Artists from all over the world often make San Diego a destination to perform in. Occasionally, a unique talent arrives here in San Deigo, believing they won’t be here for too long before the next great gig in another city calls. Then something happens. The stars come into alinement. The job they came to do turns out to be what they were groomed for since childhood. They fall in love with the city, and the roots begin to grow. Before you know it, 20 years have passed. Just as it happens in sports, it also happens in the performing arts, a player or artist comes to town, and then they stay, and they and the city become one. What Tony Gwynn became to the Padres, David Ellenstein is to The North Coast Repertory Theatre. Mr. Ellenstein is the Artistic Director of The North Coast Rep and is celebrating his 20th year in that position. With a new show, ‘Eleanor’, opening this week following on the heels of the recent announcement of a new collaboration with the Laguna Playhouse just last week, we were fortunate to get a few minutes with him, for you.

Mr. Morey: Mr. Ellenstein, I know you are running at full throttle this week, so I’m very thankful for your time.

Mr. Ellenstein: It’s my pleasure.

You were born to parents who were working in theatre and television. How old were you when you first knew theatre life was for you?

My father, Robert Ellenstein, was an actor and director in Theatre, Film, and TV his whole life. When I was 4 years old, he was starring opposite Juliet Prowse in the National tour of Irma La Douce - when I saw it, he looked like he was having so much fun up there that I decided then and there that was what I was going to do – and I never wavered. When I was 7, my Dad was the Artistic Director for The Company of Angels in L.A. They did a production of Telemachus Clay by Lewis John Carlino, which featured the voice of an unborn child from the womb, they recorded my voice for the role, and that was my acting debut.

What were some of your early jobs in the entertainment industry?

I got my SAG (Screen Actors Guild) card when I was 18 and my AEA (Actors Equity Association) card at 20, so I began working as an actor in film and theatre then. I did about 2 dozen guest TV gigs and worked extensively in regional theatres from coast to coast. I like to say I have worked in theaters from San Diego to Maine, from Miami to Anchorage, and most places in between. Like most actors, I held all kinds of jobs when I was younger to help make ends meet.

What path led you to the North Coast Rep?

I was married and living in Los Angeles, but with a career in regional theatre as both an actor and a director, I found myself on the road at least six months of the year. When it was suggested that I apply for the position at North Coast Rep, my wife, Denise, and I had just had our first child. I was skeptical about applying for a job at a small theatre that required us to move and then professionalize a company. My wife’s response was, “You’re applying, you’re getting it, and we are moving” Before I even applied, she began packing our house. I figured I would be here for 3 to 5 years. I have now past the twenty-year mark, and this has become my artistic home.

What are some of your most memorable productions over the years?

Playing Hamlet at the Los Angeles Repertory Company and then again at The Los Angeles Theatre Center was definitely a highlight. It was very impactful on me both as an artist and as a person. Directing Long Day’s Journey Into Night, The Chosen, and A Shayna Maidel have all been standout experiences. Working at historic theatres like Coconut Grove Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Off-Broadway, and The Alabama Shakespeare Festival have also been highlights. The opportunity to have worked with amazing actors on many of the greatest plays ever written has been immensely gratifying and rewarding. I was fortunate to have gotten to work with my father many times as actors, he directed me, and I directed him. That might be the most special memories of all. There have been so many standout productions at North Coast Rep during the past 20 years - it’s hard to play favorites with your children.

After all the years of crisscrossing the country doing over a hundred shows as an actor or director, now that you’ve been at the Rep for 20 years, are some of the people you met during your travels showing up at the Rep for a show or two? Over the years, I would think that some of the people that enjoyed the pleasure of working with you would have been a few of them knocking on your door from time to time.

I have been fortunate to work with so many amazing people throughout my career. Getting them involved in a production or a special event here at North Coast Rep has been a highlight. Also, the likes of Richard Dreyfuss, Leonard Nimoy, Lucie Arnaz, Ben Vereen, and Marilu Henner, have lent their talents to our company of amazing actors who work here regularly; they have lifted our profile and enriched the experience of our loyal audience.

One of the true blessings I’ve had was to be able to work with the San Diego icon Jonathan McMurtry. Not only was he a dear friend, but we worked together on over two dozen shows over the years. Jonathan was one of the few amazingly gifted artists who lent his talent and reputation to the North Coast Rep and was instrumental in helping us to elevate our reputation to a higher level. Today, The North Coast Rep has established a Patron Program, The Jonathan McMurtry Actors Fund, as a way to honor and remember him for all that he has given us not just here at the Rep but to so many of San Diego’s theatre companies over the years.

It was just recently announced that you and Bill Kerlin have taken on the Artistic and Management duties for the Laguna Playhouse. What effect will this have on the NCR?

Bill and I will remain as the artistic and business leaders at North Coast while assuming the same roles in Laguna. Though both institutions will remain distinct and separate in their identities, they will share some programming and other functions that will benefit both financially and organizationally. The North Coast Rep managed to navigate the pandemic and the tricky times for Arts organizations that currently prevail with great success. We will be devoting all the requisite time needed to ensure that this continues. The Laguna Playhouse, like most theatres, faced challenges during this time period. Bill and I plan and hope to bring the successful working model we have found to The Laguna Playhouse that will bring back audiences and continue its great 101-year history. It is an extremely exciting opportunity for both organizations.

There are some who would say about Mr. Ellenstein, “He’s led a charmed life; he was born into it.” Yeaaah, crisscrossing the nation back and forth with stops along the way in Alaska, going from city to city, theatre to theatre, and if you are lucky to work enough to earn a living, you might be home about four or five months a year, and not all for any long period of time. It’s called ‘paying your dues’ while you’re living those lean feast or famine years while building a career. It’s very much like walking a high wire outdoors on a windy day. Some shows are a great success, and others…well, not so much, and you never know until after all the time and effort is put in and the show opens. And when it closes, it’s off to the next show in a different town. Sure, having a Father who’s a successful actor-director can open some doors from time to time, but Mr. Ellenstein still had to deliver the performance that came from his own talent and skills.

Fortunate, yeah – I’ll accept that. Fortunate enough to have met Denise, who joined him on his adventure and became his Wife and Mother of his children. Fortunate to have been able to work so many times with his Father and create those special memories that they must be. Who did Fortunate smile on when Mr. Ellenstein applied for the job at the Rep? Perhaps both of them. Lucky? We’re the lucky ones. Lucky that Mr. Ellenstein is at the Rep, and over the years has given us so many memorable shows that we can cherish and will continue to do so for years to come. Congratulations to you Mr. Ellenstein, on your 20th Anniversary with the North Coast Rep, and Thank You for so many fond memories of our own.