Mitchell Maxwell (A '75) and his wife, Carol Castelli, spoke about their experiences in the entertainment industry on Friday, Dec. 2 in the Balch Arena Theater. Over the last 35 years, the award−winning producer's work has graced the arenas of Broadway, off−Broadway and film, and with his recently published "Little Did I Know" (2011), Maxwell can add "author" to his list of accolades. Castelli works with her husband and was the marketing director for several years at Disney Theatricals.
The event began with theater and movie trivia, giving the audience members a chance to win a signed copy of Maxwell's new novel. Maxwell proceeded to discuss his work as a producer before taking questions. Mixing anecdotes with advice, Maxwell made his passion for his work apparent.
In fact, musical theater got Maxwell into Tufts. Originally headed to Purdue University on a football scholarship, a car accident after high school changed that plan.
On a trip to Boston, he visited a friend at Tufts, saw a production by the newly founded musical theater group Torn Ticket (now Torn Ticket II) and learned that Tufts offered few musical theater opportunities. Excited about the school, he spoke to a dean and promised that if admitted to Tufts, he would make a difference in Tufts' theater scene. The rest is history.
Speaking from experience, Maxwell dispensed wisdom and encouragement, discussing pursuing one's passions and motivation. Principally, he told the audience to follow their dreams, even if those dreams change. As an artist and a producer, he stated that his motivation is always the words and the story that he wants to present. "You do it because you have to do it," Maxwell said.
Additionally, Maxwell discussed "finding joy in the journey," and shared stories of both success and strife, including his work with George Abbott, the librettist for the musical "Damn Yankees" (1955).
Three themes that pervaded Maxwell and Castelli's advice were emphasizing the individual as important, choosing a direction and creating art that will make you proud instead of trying to please an audience.
"If you do what you do well, you will please your audience," Maxwell said. As a corollary, he added that an artists must always be humble and willing to reinvent themselves, but only listen to people who share your perspective, especially when evaluating a work in progress.
Fondly recalling his time on the Hill, Maxwell says that everything he knew about producing theater he learned at Tufts.
He remains especially attached to Torn Ticket II. "It gives students the chance to do work they haven't earned yet," he said, explaining that those opportunities do not exist in the professional world. Furthermore, Maxwell credits the troupe for giving him the opportunity to create theater and develop his own plan to pursue the arts professionally.
Throughout the event, Maxwell turned to his novel, encouraging the audience to read it and take the message to heart. He explains that "Little Did I Know" is a coming−of−age story that chronicles his own experience immediately after graduating from Tufts, when he spent the summer fixing up the Priscilla Beach Theater in Plymouth, Mass. He wrote the book after a period of depression: After leaving a theatrical production due to artistic disagreements, he was tempted to leave show business when Castelli suggested he reconnect to what made him love theater originally.
Maxwell also announced that the story doesn't end with the novel: "Little Did I Know" will be adapted into a movie, which will be shot on location at the Priscilla Beach Theater. Furthermore, he and his wife bought the theater and, after shooting the movie, they plan to restore it and establish Plymouth as a cultural hub.
In the mean time, Maxwell is working on another project, an off−Broadway show which will open at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City this spring. Maxwell and Castelli not only dispensed stories and advice, but also hope to inspire Tufts' performing arts community, reminding its devotees that success comes if you pursue it.
