Concerned about the lack of venues for new works, the three writers decided to create a space where artists could experiment with existing material and to workshop new plays.
"[1] The first staged production in SRT's history was Westlake's semi-musical The Foofy, Open-Toed Shoe: a Not Necessarily Politically Correct, Lesbian, Feminist, Mystery Farce, featuring Allison Coe, Mackenzie Wren, Patty French, and Holly Bennett.
The play opened on March 30 and Bob Hicks of The Oregonian remarked, "Westlake has fun blending the silly conventions of gumshoe drama with the dirt-between-the-toes political correctness of the radical gay community.
The Willamette Week's Bob Sitton wrote, "Proof that theatre can still be fun in an age of professionalization is found in Trial By Error, Rod Harrel's what-the-hell spoof...and it's refreshing to see new faces on stage along with some more familiar actors...".
"(Elmer) Rice's tale seems to be a grand exercise in black social comedy, but little humor sneaks into director Rod Harrel's production...To be done justice, the play needs the talents of a more professional company.
"Plays that deal with unusual subject matter, offbeat approaches or unique psychological insights are welcome, and staged readings of those kinds of new works will be performed during the season.
The season was advertised as an "adventure" to support a "remarkable risk-taking group," and used a quote from the Marquis de Sade: "We believe that every situation is at the disposition of the novelist...only fools will be scandalized.
True virtue was never frightened...by pictures of vice..." The season opened with two of Bertolt Brecht's Lehrstücke: The Measures Taken and The Exception and the Rule.
Politicized by her travels to Nicaragua during the Revolutionary regime, Westlake staged a tribute to the Nicaraguan people, Mothers of Heroes, featuring Harrel as White Guilt, Allison Coe as the confused autobiographical character Sam, and Brenna Sage as Hannah, Sam's partner, and multiple other characters.. Burroughs recruited Dave Demke to direct The Butcher Papers by Dan Duling, the beginning of SRT's long relationship with Demke and Myra Donnelley.
This was Stark Raving's Brave New Works season, including Aubrey Hampton's one-man play Mixed Blood, based on Cantwell's book about the AIDS conspiracy, starring Steven Clark Pachosa.
Burroughs stepped down as artistic director, leaving Westlake to manage the remainder of the season before passing the company along to Demke and Donnelley.
Originally written for the trio of Lois Weaver, Peggy Shaw, and Deb Margolin, Little Women pushed the limits of SRT's space and challenged its regular audience.
Westlake left SRT for graduate school and Donnelley and Demke moved the company to a new venue (Back Door Stage) on Hawthorne Blvd.