Few people had a bigger impact on the founding and building of Theatre IV than Ruth Salisbury, retired Associate Professor in the Theatre Department at the University of Richmond. When Phil returned from the Navy to co-found the company in 1975, Ruthie gave him free housing in exchange for a little bit of weekend yard work. After Phil and I moved into our Grove Ave apartment/office, every time we ran out of money Ruthie invited us over for spare ribs, cabbage, and gin and tonics.Neither Phil nor I became skilled practitioners in stage make-up after taking Ruth's rigorous course at U of R--we're both extraordinarily untalented in that area. But when it came to theatre in general, Ruthie taught us more than she ever knew. Her professionalism, commitment and energy were second to none--and she demanded these attributes from her friends and students just as much as she demonstrated them herself.
Over the decades, we've seen and discussed well over a hundred shows with Ruthie--here in Richmond and also in D. C. and New York. We've spent endless evenings chewing the fat on her comfortable porch overlooking her showplace backyard. We've mourned with her over the loss of beloved pets.
Saying goodbye to Ruth Salisbury is like saying goodbye to Mr. Chips. She was for us everything an educator could and should be. We learned just as much from her life as we did from her lesson plans. She was a very dear friend. We will miss her and treasure her forever.
--Bruce Miller
1 comment:
I didn't know Ruth had passed. I remember very well taking her stage makeup course at U of R - rigorous is the right word for it! We were expected to practice until we could achieved effects with precision. Woe to anyone who expected to skate by with an easy grade in an arts elective; Ruth reserved her A's for exceptional work only.
I remember the final where we had to make ourselves look exactly like an image she assigned us. I was given a painting of Mary in the stable looking serene, but it was hard to hold that calm expression with Ruth examining my makeup so closely. She expected only the best, and her confidence that we would work hard was a great encouragement (and kick in the pants). She'll be missed.
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