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One of our newest Connecticut Dramatists Guild member is a writer-producer-director-actor named Janice Luise-Lutkus. When I received the notice of her joining, a toothy grin crossed my face. You see, Janice and I go way back to the days of Vogel Junior High School and a production of Dracula, Baby, book by Bruce Ronald, lyrics by John Jakes, music by Claire Strauch. I can still hear us singing “Transylvania after dark. Rather grim and rather goulish!” and “Dracula, baby, don’t be coy. Face the truth you impetuous boy. You can’t go on like this, Dracula, baby!” It was a memorable eighth grade.

We have both, indeed, come a long way and as we sat down to chat one bright March day, we acknowledged that our theatrical beginnings were far from ghoulish and they led us exactly to where we are supposed to be.

Janice Luise-Lutkus studied theatre at the University of Connecticut. She began our interview by stating, “The one thing I wanted to be was an actress and no one could convince me otherwise.” I think many theatre artists can relate to that.

Janice went on to a career in management and over twenty years in human resources, which gave her a great base in business while she continued to pursue her acting career. During that time she was thrilled to join an improv company. However, the company was only using actors from Boston or New York City, buying into the old adage that there are no good actors in Connecticut. Of course, every Connecticut Dramatists Guild member knows that is completely false: Connecticut actors bring a level of talent as sharp and formidable as Dracula’s fangs.

With her left-brain analytical style, and her right brain creative side, Janice decided “…to put my money where my mouth was…” and began her own production company, AspenDream Productions, that only hires Connecticut actors. Janice’s first script was a murder-mystery loosely based on her family and growing up in an Italian household. Now, seven scripts later, all the stories are grounded by the character of Uncle Franco whom Janice referred to as “…based on someone in my family who shall remain nameless.”

The adventure of AspenDream starts the moment audience members walk onto the cruise ship, or into the room, or under the tent, or into any of a multitude of fundraisers AspenDream also supports. Audience members are fully immersed in the experience with an initial greeting from a “family member.”  And while murder and mayhem ensue, Janice notes that all the stories around Uncle Franco are relatable because they are the universal struggle between family and work.

Throughout 2016, eleven AspenDream shows will be running. Janice employs about 30 actors and her company is truly like family: they love, fight, support, laugh, and create wonderful art with their comedy and drama. And while Janice crafts all the scripts, improv is a big part of AspenDream Productions so the family dynamic thrives.

Janice has left her acting aspirations behind. She has gone on to study directing at Yale Drama Conservatory and make AspenDream Productions the longest running improvisational dinner theatre company in Connecticut.

“I never imagined, twenty years ago, it would be this big. I just started with a love of theatre. We all have problems—health, money—but I always looked at theatre for that hour, hour and a half, to just take us away from our problems. A tiny little piece: that was all I wanted to do and I thought if I could do that, it would be a success.”

Janice has made a success, indeed. AspenDream is running six more shows from October through December of this year: http://www.aspendreamproductions.com

You can go on like this, Janice, baby.

cdonaghy@dramatistsguild.com

Janice Luise-Lutkus