Life & Work with Jeff Croff of Lansing

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Croff.

Hi jeff, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After graduating from Michigan State University, I got involved with a a number of community theatre groups in the area. After a few years a friend and I felt that were wide swaths of stories not being told that we would enjoy telling and exploring. So we formed a small company called Icarus Falling. That group performed small, often gritty, plays for ten years throughout the Lansing area. Life happened and I had to shutter Icarus Falling.

I made it about two years before I began thinking about the collaboration with actors and writers and felt compelled to create another theatre, Ixion Ensemble. The name came from a chance visit to the Detroit Institute of Art, where an exhibit called the Four Disgracers featured an engraving depicting Icarus and three other Greek myths. One of the other myths featured a figure I was unfamiliar with, Ixion. From there the first production became contemporary retellings of The Four Disgracer myths penned by local playwrights.

Since then we’ve focused on building community through storytelling. Each year we invite storytellers to submit short plays around a theme. The plays are reviewed; scored and the top 6-9 are chosen and performed in the final slot of each season. This season’s prompt was Defiance. Scripts are currently being reviewed.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a small non-profit theatre, there isn’t the professional infrastructure for fundraising and promotions. That has always made each season a bit hand to mouth. Also, we’ve been a bit nomadic over our existence. Venues have come and gone until we were fortunate enough to be invited by Sycamore Creek Church to participate in their Stage One project. Getting a forever home and working with the supportive community has meant a lot to refocusing and stabilizing our efforts.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Most of my life, my professional career has been in marketing and communications. I’ve worked for non-profits, financial, manufacturing and other businesses in varying roles from community administrator to vice president of marketing. A few years ago, my wife and I walked away from the normalcy of an 8-5 in an office and launched our own business, Homebrew Tabletop Game Lounge.

This effort allowed us to take our passion for games and turn it into a business and space that builds/supports community. We’ve been thrilled to be open for over two years now and watched as a community has grown that finds us their go to place not only for a raucous game night, but also to simply chill with friends or quietly work on a puzzle while the hubbub of others goes on around.

Being the proprietor of a small business and seeing how much people appreciate a third space that they can make their own; relax in and ultimately find a spark of fun and energy has been great.

Pricing:

• Ixion Ensemble performances are $15 per ticket
• Homebrew Tabletop Game Lounge offers a date night package for $35, which is good for two unlimited gaming passes; two non alcoholic drinks and two shareable snacks
• Homebrew offers gaming $5 for under two hours of play or $10 for over two hours of play

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086474717702
• Other: https://homebrewgamelounge.com