From Passion Project, to "Can’t Miss Theater", a sit down with theater and film star Jeanna Michaels, co-founder of Compass Players

by Monica Sampson

When I first saw Compass Players' world premiere comedy West Palm Prime, I was struck by the professionalism of the acting and its interesting script.

But beyond those elements, according to Jeanna Michaels, Compass Players' producing artistic director, it scores high on what she refers to as her "personal litmus test of quality work." Michaels adds she measures that level of engagement "when you can't hear people moving in their seats for the two hours of the play."

Michaels isn't new to theater. As well as being one of the co-founders of Compass Players, the West Valley's newest theater group, she's an actress, director, and producer too. Michaels is well regarded for her stage and screen work, most notably known for her soap opera days, Michael's has been in everything from Dallas, Knight Rider,  Matlock, and The Young and the Restless, just to name a few. Now, Michaels can be seen in the Valley, staring as the lead actress and director for West Palm Prime, a quirky, and lovable original comedy that follows the lives of two older people living together in an active retirement community in Florida.

"I knew I'd always have stories to tell, and talent to back it up" said Michaels, during her conversation with PHX Stages.

The Compass Players show, West Palm Prime has received positive audience feedback, and it's not the first Compass Players show to be highly acclaimed; however, what makes this such an impressive feat, is that Compass Players are only in their second season of performing. This success can be attested to leading actress, and theater entrepreneur, Michaels.

Jeanna Michales in Compass Players' West Palm Prime
photo by Barbara Whittaker

Michaels' desire to start Compass Players happened after she moved from L.A. to Surprise, Arizona. “Most of the older people out here play softball, they hike, or play cards, but it didn't really seem like there was a big theater community in the West Valley. I realized if people were hesitant to drive to Phoenix or Scottsdale for dinner, it would take a lot to get them to go see a two hour play” said Michaels, and that’s where her vision began, for a Westside-based theater company, with performances currently in Peoria at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts.

Although the Compass Players’ latest show targets an older audience and stars mostly retirees Michaels wanted to emphases that the Compass Players, aren't an “old folks theater” but a theater whose target audience is people of all ages who like good theatre.

Michaels says this mindset makes a difference when deciding what shows should make up a future season, she wants her audience to know they are being thought of in the creative process. Saying that, art is a two way street, a collaboration between the community, and the artists.

“When we look for plays,” says Michaels “ we look for three main components to make sure our audience is engaged, and entwined the whole time”

Megan Holcomb and Jeanna Michales in Compass Players' Agnes of God
photos courtesy Compass Players

Michaels broke down those comments to a successful season as:

1. A good story
2. Interesting Characters
3. Motivation

Most notably, motivation she said, is because a story can be well written, with fascinating characters, but unless an audience feels the motivation to root for or against a character, they don’t want to invest in the process, and for Michaels she’s all about audience investment.

As we spoke, Michaels confessed a long term goal is to see the Compass Players succeed as a destination theater, modeled after Ashland Oregon, or the Guthrie, she wants people to plan trips, and outings around seeing a Compass Players Show. Although ambitious, this isn't a hard feat for Michaels who trained under Stella Adler, and has experience running theaters in L.A. like the Road Theater, a former passion project of hers.

Now that zest for theater is getting sprinkled on Arizona and Michaels couldn’t be happier, and her audience seems to agree. Michaels told the story about a retired older man, who like the
majority of his peers in Sun City, spends most of his time playing softball, and would never come see a play. But the Compass Players works changed his mind. Michaels said that he came up to her after a show saying, “I never thought I’d see a play in my life, and now I can’t miss your pieces.”

In the final moments of the interview, Michaels stressed the significance of art and why she believes there is the need for more theater in the West Valley communities by saying, “Art is what makes a community, it's the finishing touches that a community needs."

For more information on West Palm Prime, which runs through this weekend, and Compass Players CLICK HERE.