Access - A Key to Success

Posted by Bruce Miller
One of the many wonderful things about theatre is that almost everyone likes it, from the Ivy League intellectual to the high school dropout. Of course not every Tom, Dick and Harry is going to be blown away by the same production. The show that is treasured by Tom and Dick is likely to be trashed by Harry and his lovely wife Harriet. But you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who, if he or she were to keep at it for a while, wouldn’t find one show or another to love.

Jill may prefer Tom Stoppard’s The Coast of Utopia while Jack gets his kicks from The Great American Trailer Park Musical. But with theatre, each boy and girl who makes it up the hill is going to find, in pretty short order, those particular shows that rock his or her world.

So it’s been for centuries. Theatre prompted many a spirited gathering at the well in days BC just as it encourages vigorous water cooler conversations today. Theatre is not elitist and never has been. It’s populist. And theatre companies, especially nonprofit theatre companies, belong not to the select few, but to the community-at-large.

It follows then that each nonprofit theatre has a responsibility to be accessible to the broadest possible audience—welcoming everyone, excluding no one. This is an easy tenet to write into a vision statement or embrace as a core value. But on a day-to-day basis, a commitment to accessibility is devilishly hard to put into action.

At Barksdale, we are addressing accessibility through five focus areas:
opportunity for leadership,
diversity of programming,
reduction of financial roadblocks,
elimination of physical barriers, and
commitment to broad-based marketing.

In 2005, Barksdale's Board of Trustees created and adopted a multi-year Accessibility Plan to help us organize our efforts and assess our progress related to our commitment to inclusion. We are now well on our way to enacting that plan. I invite you to join us in determining the extent to which our efforts have been successful or misguided, beneficial or detrimental to the overall strength of your theatre.

Over the next several days, I’ll be writing blog posts about what policies and practices we’ve put into place in each focus area, and what the results have been. Coming up first, we’ll discuss Opportunities for Leadership. Be thinking about that issue, and please comment on the upcoming postings if you feel so inclined.

Like all planning efforts, accessibility planning is always a work-in-progress. Hopefully we are learning from both our successes and our failures, and making changes accordingly. Your input is not only most welcome, it is invaluable as we attempt to build a theatre on the intellectual foundation of an entire community, not merely the opinions of a chosen few.

So, please read and respond to the previous post as well as this one. Until my next entry, I hope to see you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

The Galeski Foyer - Part II

Posted by Bruce Miller
Our foyer at Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn may not be as elegant as the foyer of the National Theatre of Prague (see Progress Continues on Galeski Foyer, posted below), but it’s becoming more impressive bit by bit. Our thanks go out for:
* the hard work, leadership, and financial contributions of Barksdale Board leader John Moon;
* the volunteer design support of Emmy-winning art director David Crank; and
* the major sustaining operational support of Carrie Galeski.

In no small part, these three are leading the charge forward as we continue to build an inviting and exciting entryway to our theatre at Willow Lawn.

That's our friend Carrie Galeski in the photo above and to the right. She's the one holding the award she earned for her work with the Executive Women's Golf Association.

In my last blog report on efforts to spruce up our Willow Lawn facilities (see The Clean Lobby, Sept. 23, 2008), I commented on the fresh crimson paint job, the new hanging lights outside the box office, the sparkling track lighting, the “etched logo” on the glass of our front door, and plans for several more improvements. Now that several of the “several more” have been completed, it’s time to take another look.

Foremost among the recent improvements is a flat screen TV (pictured above and to the left) that constantly runs a video loop of our Emmy Award-winning Barksdale commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5Pmj8iFxp0) preceded and followed by stills from currently running shows at Hanover Tavern (Sanders Family Christmas) and the historic Empire (The Best Christmas Pageant Ever). John Moon not only created the video montage, he also bought and contributed the flat screen TV and the professional grade digital player.

Now anyone waiting in line at the box office will have something interesting to watch.

Equally impressive, our tech director at Hanover Tavern, David Powers, has custom designed and built two bench/storage units to provide seating opposite the door of our elevator. Each bench is designed to store the various pieces of hardware employed by our new photo display system. There’s even a hand-crafted logo built into the benches, making them unique works of craftsmanship.

Our photo display area is still somewhat under construction, but it's coming along nicely. We’re continuing to try out various component parts during the runs of The Clean House and This Wonderful Life, determined to find out which components work best. Cast headshots now are hung individually from vertical rods in handsome new frames. We’re also in the process of replacing the large photo display units that ultimately will house the show shots of each production.

We’ll soon be adding headshots of all the volunteer members of our Board of Trustees, and activity shots portraying Barksdale’s various service initiatives that add so much to the cultural life of Central Virginia.

The vintage Barksdale sign is hanging proudly once again just inside and to the right of the front door. Soon there will be an informative plaque explaining the sign’s history. There’s a new rug inside the front door that bears the Barksdale logo in shades of gray. And there’s a new wooden rack card display unit mounted next to the box office window, better enabling us to promote upcoming productions in all our venues.

In an effort to improve accessibility, two bright overhead lights have been added directly over the box office windows, shining straight down, enabling customers to see clearly the paperwork that is presented to them at the box office. Two mini-blinds have been added to the interior of the box office windows, making it possible to secure our ticket center more effectively during non-business hours.

A museum-quality dedication display has been installed to the left just inside the entry door, recognizing the many contributions of Carrie Galeski and her late husband Ed. Carrie Galeski provided the generous gift that made it possible for us to construct the foyer in 1996. Her steadfast support continues to sustain our operations.

The dedication reads as follows:

“Barksdale Theatre’s Entry Foyer is Dedicated to Edward Whitlock Galeski and Carrie Taylor Galeski.

Ed Galeski was born in Richmond and graduated from M.I.T. with an aeronautical engineering degree. During World War II, he was an Army Air Force flight instructor and was instrumental in testing the B-28 Super-Fortresses which did so much in winning the war in the Pacific.

After the war he went into the photo processing business where he established Galeski Photo Center. Ed showed his intellectual and mechanical aptitude becoming one of the first companies good enough to receive the first color processing machines from Kodak. He continued to expand his business to such a high degree of efficiency that it was sought after and finally purchased by a national chain.

In 1971 he married Carrie Taylor. They enjoyed a deep and binding relationship as they worked together for mutual goals. 'Eddie and I moved to the Hanover Courthouse area in 1980, and there we forged a lasting friendship with Pete and Nancy Kilgore along with Muriel McAuley. This was the beginning of our relationship with Barksdale.'

Ed died in 1986, but Carrie continues to be one of Barksdale Theatre’s strongest supporters. We are eternally grateful.”

Indeed we are.

--Bruce Miller

Progress Continues on Galeski Foyer

Posted by Bruce Miller
Until a few minutes ago, this post was going to be about the great work that John Moon is doing to upgrade the entrance to our theatre. Most of you know John as an actor in The Clean House (see photo above and to the right) or as the director of our current, brilliant production of This Wonderful Life.

What some of you may not know is that John is also on our Board. In fact, he’s a former President of the Barksdale Board of Trustees. To our great benefit, John has assumed Board leadership of our commitment to improve and upgrade our Willow Lawn performance facilities.

Sometimes, when I'm writing for this blog, my meanderings don't go the way I think they will. In this instance, I wrote the title, and as I typed the word “foyer,” my mind began to race. I knew that “foyer” was the word selected by the Barksdale powers-that-be in 1996 to indicate the lower lobby I intended to write about. Nonetheless, before I could stop myself, I began Googling to make sure that "foyer" was the right word. Thankfully it was, and is.

But Google can be a harsh mistress. The deeper I followed her into lingua-land, the more questions I had, and the more discoveries I made about this slightly out-of-the-ordinary word, "foyer."

How would readers pronounce it?--I asked myself. How would I pronounce it if I weren’t thinking about it? Why is the correct pronunciation open to debate? Where did the word originate? What does it actually mean?

I know. I’m a freak. I’m sorry. But first things first.

This post is now going to be all about the word “foyer” and how it relates to theatre history. I’ll get to John’s wonderful upgrades soon. I promise.

“Foyer” is defined by Merriam-Webster as “an anteroom or lobby especially of a theater; also, an entrance hallway.” Adding more fuel to the fire—a little foreshadowing here—Answers.com posts this definition: “a lobby or anteroom, as of a theater or hotel; an entrance hall; a vestibule.”
Dictionary.com weighs in with a similar theme: “the lobby of a theater, hotel or apartment house; a vestibule or entrance hall.” That's a photo of the "foyer" of the National Theatre of Prague to the right.

"Foyer,” therefore, seems like the perfect word to indicate the lower lobby of Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn. After all, our upstairs lobby is our official “lobby,” and the lower lobby is the “anteroom” or “entrance hallway” through which one must pass if one is intent on reaching the “lobby" proper. From all accounts the word “foyer” seems to conjure up images of theatre. So, “foyer” it is.

But … actually, the phrase selected in 1996 to serve as the moniker for this illustrious space was “entry foyer.” The official name of this room is the “Galeski Entry Foyer” (more on “Galeski” soon, I promise, when I actually begin writing about John’s upgrades).

Now that I know what “foyer” really means, saying “entry foyer” seems akin to saying “entry entrance hallway,” which I think we all can agree is redundant. So, at least for me, this room will henceforward be the “Galeski Foyer”—the word “entry” being ... silent.

Now's when the fun really begins. How do we pronounce it? Here’s what I thought I knew.

There’s the American pronunciation: foi'ər ( http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?foyer001.wav=foyer ). Go ahead. Click it. It’s cool. It rhymes with “lawyer.” Well, almost.

And there’s the French pronunciation: foi'ā' ( http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?foyer002.wav=foyer ). It rhymes with Charles Boyer, except you’re probably not old enough to remember who Charles Boyer is.

So, based on what I thought I knew, I figured if you wanted to sound like “Joe Sixpack” you could use the American pronunciation, and if you wanted to sound like “the cultural elite” you could use the French pronunciation. To me, it was Red State Blue State simple.

Of course I was wrong.

If you really want to sound like an Ahtistic Directah, you would use the real French pronunciation: fwä'yā' (listen for the third pronunciation after clicking http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=foyer&submit=Submit ). But if you really went around saying that, not only would you sound snooty, you'd also run the risk of sounding stupid.

In French, the word “foyer” doesn’t mean what it means in English. In modern French, the word “foyer” means “home” or “hostel.” The most common use of the word “foyer” in modern French is in the phrase “femme au foyer,” which means “housewife.”

You see, “foyer” meaning the entrance hall that leads one to the lobby of a theatre is not a French word at all. It’s an English word. Who knew? The correct English pronunciation is foi'ā' ( http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?foyer002.wav=foyer ). Don’t take my word for it. Go to London and ask anybody.

Here's where the theatre history kicks in. In days of yore, early London theatregoers of means enjoyed a social meeting room that they could adjourn to when they wanted to warm up during intermission. The common feature of these rooms was a large, roaring fireplace. The theatres themselves were not adequately heated, being relatively cavernous spaces, so social rooms with hearths were provided for the upper crust. They were located off the lobby and you went there to get nice and toasty before you returned to your seat for Act II.

The English chose the word "foyer" as the name for these rooms because, at the time, referencing a little French every now and then was cool among the socially elite. And the Old French word "foier" meant "fireplace" or "hearth."

As more theatres were built, designers began to open up the "foyers" to everyone, not just the wealthy few. In more and more theatres, audiences began entering the "foyers" from the street. They'd enter, warm up, then proceed into the lobby, and finally into the theatre itself. Check out the fireplace to the right, located in the "foyer" of the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway.

Today, in modern French, the word for “fireplace” is “cheminée," the Old French word “foier” no longer exists, and the modern French word "foyer" means "home" and has nothing to do with theatres. So when we correctly pronounce "foyer" as foi'ā' ( http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?foyer002.wav=foyer ), we do so because that's how they say it in England, not because that's how they say it in France.

Of course, we're in the United States of America, and you can pronounce “foyer” anyway you want. All American dictionaries list the American pronunciation first and the English pronunciation second, indicating that both pronunciations are perfectly acceptable. I guess it's just another case of po-tay-to / po-tah-to.

But wait a minute. Isn't there a large fake fireplace in the upstairs lobby of Barksdale's Willow Lawn facility? Doesn't that mean that the real “foyer” at Barksdale is the upstairs lobby, and the downstairs lobby is more appropriately called a …

Fogetaboutit.

--Bruce Miller

The Clean Lobby

Posted by Bruce Miller
When you come to see The Clean House, opening this Friday, you’ll notice that our theatrical house is, in fact, noticeably cleaner. After a few weeks’ investment of sweat equity, our hardworking Board is about to complete a redesign of our downstairs lobby.

This is Phase III in the gradual renovation of our Willow Lawn theatre facilities. Phase I was the installation of our new sidewalk awning at the top of the 07-08 Season. Phase II was the addition of our new exterior signage last spring.

As you’ve no doubt discerned, we’re transforming our duckling into a swan step by step, as time and contributed funds allow. We began with those components that you first encounter when walking toward the theatre from the parking lot. Now we’re making our way indoors.

Phase IV will be the cosmetic renovation of our elevator, and then we’ll move onward and upward to our box office and, thereafter, the atrium that surrounds our stairway as it ascends to the theatre proper.

The work on the downstairs lobby is not yet finished, but we’re promising completion of at least the painting before the end of the week.

All thanks go to the two guiding lights of this noble effort:

John Moon (actor, director and past Board President), who has organized and implemented the work. When not laboring in theatre, John is engaged professionally as a designer of exhibits and installations at museums and other cultural institutions nationwide.

David Crank (set and costume designer and former Board member at TheatreVirginia), who has shared with us his design expertise. David just won an Emmy Award for his Art Direction of the John Adams miniseries. Before John Adams, David worked as Art Director of last year’s multiple Oscar-winning film, There Will Be Blood.

Both men have generously donated their time and talents to this project, and we thank them for their gracious contribution to the cause.

You may remember that the downstairs lobby was originally painted a peach / cream color. Various viewers have described the particular tint and its twelve-year patina as “Silly Putty” (Phil), “Band-Aid” (me), and “Nipple” (Page Bond).

Since last the roller met the wall in 1996, the interior surface has become markedly scratched, dinged and smudged, so it was time (past time really) for Extreme Make-Over: Barksdale Edition.

The new color is a deep, dramatic crimson, serving as an elegant background for new photo displays enhanced by new track lighting. A good deal of clutter has been removed from the lobby. We’re creating new, more coordinated and informative interior signage, and constructing a new, comfortable seating area opposite the elevator.

The work was performed on a volunteer basis by Barksdale Board members (ably assisted by Emily Cole from our development staff). David Powers, our Tech Director at Hanover Tavern, is constructing the new seating. Many thanks to all those who made this renovation possible.

As you experience our spruced up digs, please let us know what you think. The theatre’s public spaces are always a work in progress, just as are our continually changing stage sets. We welcome your input, and look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

(Notes on photos: top right - today's view of the wall where our photo boards will go, the church bench will soon be replaced with other seating; top left - the new "etched" logo on our glass front doors, reflecting this morning's sunny parking lot; mid right - Pardon Our Dust; lower left - new lighting outside the box office window; lower right - our staging area in the atrium, the vintage Barksdale sign will soon be re-hung by the front door with a plaque explaining its history.)

--Bruce Miller

Time to Remember a Pair of Novembers

Posted by Bruce Miller

On Monday, Sept 8, Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV will present the first Founders Award to Sara Belle and Neil November, recognizing their decades-long contributions to our two nonprofit theatres--a contribution comparable to the commitment of our founders—Pete and Nancy Kilgore, Muriel McAuley, Phil Whiteway and me. The award will be presented during a gala dinner event held at the University of Richmond Jepson Alumni Center, hosted by Suzanne Pollard, Marilyn and Jay Weinberg, Carole and Marcus Weinstein, Allison Weinstein and Ivan Jecklin. All proceeds from the event will be used to establish a Strategic Cash Reserve for Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV.

Sara Belle and Neil November have been instrumental in the success of Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV for decades. In her 1984 book, Going On … Barksdale Theatre – The First 31 Years, Muriel McAuley reports that the only reason Barksdale survived the early 80s and lived to celebrate its 30th birthday in '83 was because “Neil and Sara Belle November, longtime patrons and friends, headed up a fund drive. We already had The Barksdale Hundred (individuals who committed support of $100 per year). Neil established The Barksdale Thousand and raised enough money to get us through!”

That was the first emergency fund drive led by Neil November—followed by a larger one ten years later, and a spectacular capital campaign when Barksdale had to move from the Tavern to Willow Lawn in 1996. During these same years when Neil was saving Barksdale, Sara Belle was on the Board at Theatre IV, supporting our campaign to purchase and restore the historic Empire Theatre, and lending support to each and every annual campaign.

There are any number of people who have earned the right to hear us say, “Barksdale and Theatre IV would not be here today were it not for you.” Sara Belle and Neil November top the list.

And it’s not just about money. We have always been able to call Neil and Sara Belle for advice, contacts, shoulders to cry on, and jokes to laugh at. They’re at every opening night, and they cheer us on even when they don’t like a show (Neil – “What the hell was that about?!”; Sara Belle – “Don’t pay any attention to him!!!”)

Like all people of means, Sara Belle and Neil could have spent their money on themselves, and exhausted their time and talents on one big party. But throughout their lives, they have chosen instead to bestow their generous financial support and countless hours of hard work on any number of worthy community projects, including Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV, Westminster-Canterbury, the Science Museum of Virginia and the Virginia Aviation Museum, and many causes related to their Jewish heritage.

Let us say it again – Barksdale and Theatre IV would not be here today were it not for Sara Belle and Neil November. For that and so much more, we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

The physical award that will be presented to the Novembers on Monday is an original work of art commissioned from, designed and handcrafted by Steve Resnick, the world’s preeminent Judaic glass artist, living in Silver Spring, Maryland. Resnick’s original works have been presented to dignitaries worldwide including President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, Senator Charles Schumer, and Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir.
Resnick’s glass carving is characterized by its wonderful textural quality utilizing intricate organic motifs. The Founders Award is made from panels of celedon green glass (see photo to right), onto which olive branches have been gracefully etched (see photo to left). The award is inspired by the Tzedakah Box from Jewish tradition, signifying the spiritual obligation to give selflessly to others and work for justice. The olive branch design comes from Judeo-Christian and Greek traditions, symbolizing strength through peace. The award is hand-signed on its base by the artist. It can be displayed either on its pedestal or off.

If you see Sara Belle or Neil after Monday evening, please thank them for their life-giving support of Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV. And congratulate them on this most recent accolade.

--Bruce Miller

Taking Stock, Giving Thanks

Posted by Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. All of us at Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV have many reasons to be thankful.

We are thankful for:

the legacy of hard work, unflappable commitment and uncompromising artistic passion that is our birthright, a gift beyond measure that has been passed on to us by Pete and Nancy Kilgore and Muriel McAuley

a family of theatre artists whose number and talents belie the size of our community, who constantly challenge us to lead and to serve

an intelligent, energized audience that bucks all national trends and continues to grow year after year—an audience that celebrates our successes and pardons our turkeys—an audience that encourages us to risk failure and expects us to do our best

a large and vigilant staff that works selflessly and creatively behind the scenes to generate the energy needed to sustain a major institution (unless you’ve seen them work their magic first hand, you probably have no idea)

financial contributors who believe in the necessity of what we do and are willing to put their money where their hearts are—corporate and foundation donors who understand that it is only through their support that nonprofit arts organizations can work to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table (or at least in the theatre)

trustees who provide the expertise we need to provide ongoing and effective management, who serve as our eyes and ears in the community, who take personal responsibility for the care and feeding of our mission, and who form a bulwark that protects us when times get tough

volunteers who contribute that most precious commodity—time, and who lend encouragement with an unwavering smile

the Virginia Commission for the Arts, under the exemplary leadership of Peggy Baggett (pictured to the right), always caring, always communicating, always holding us to the highest standards

institutional partners like Greater Richmond’s many senior centers and retirement living facilities (Barksdale’s Bifocals Theatre Project); the Hanover Tavern Foundation (our Country Playhouse Season at Hanover Tavern); James River Writers and the READ Center (Virginia Arts & Letters Live); the Latin Ballet of Virginia (Latino Theatre Project); Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and the Virginia Dept of Social Services (Hugs and Kisses); Second Presbyterian Church (the Acts of Faith Festival); Bon Air Presbyterian, Forest Hill Presbyterian and Tabernacle Baptist (rehearsal space); and the Steward School (our summer High School All Star Musical)—all of which help us build capacity to better meet the needs of our community

esteemed colleagues at the African American Repertory Theatre, the Carpenter Science Theatre, the Chamberlayne Actors Theatre, the Firehouse Theatre Project, the Henley Street Theatre, the Richmond Ballet, the Richmond Shakespeare Theatre, the Richmond Symphony, the Richmond Triangle Players, Swift Creek Mill Theatre, Sycamore Rouge, the Virginia Opera Association and many other nonprofit performing arts organizations who help to create the critical mass that keeps all of us afloat

thriving university theatre programs at Randolph Macon, the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University—their faculty expertise and student talent adds to the lifeblood of our theatre

remarkable youth training programs including the Christian Youth Theatre, HATTheatre, SPARC and many others—enabling children to engage in the arts both as participants and appreciators

and most importantly, the hundreds of thousands of individuals who go nameless here, who buy the tickets, book the tours, assemble the groups, make the contributions, and simply do their part each year to ensure the success of Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV.

Thank you. We couldn’t do it without you.

Have a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving.

--Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway

Roy Burgess Plans Ahead for Barksdale's Future

Posted by Phil Whiteway

Congratulations and many thanks to Roy Burgess, former Barksdale Trustee, past Board President, and current poster boy for The Community Foundation. You may have seen Roy's beeming visage recently lighting up the pages of STYLE, the Free Press and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. His ad encourages giving to The Community Foundation. He also has a few great things to say about Barksdale Theatre.

The copy of the ad reads as follows:

"Why did I become a philanthropist?

'There are things I really want to help keep alive long after I'm gone--theater, great old Richmond neighborhoods, and my church.' -- Roy E. Burgess II

You make the difference.
We make it possible.

Roy Burgess has a vision of what he wants to happen. Fast forward to the future. Laughter fills the Barksdale Theatre. A tour guide shows off a beautifully revived old Richmond neighborhood to a busload of impressed visitors. On the Boulevard, the organist practices for the Sunday service at Boulevard United Methodist Church. Roy Burgess has established a legacy that will improve people's lives for generations in ways that reflect his personal passions. How did he do that? He found a partner called The Community Foundation and put a dream in forward motion. Could it be funded creatively through his estate, sharing proceeds also designated for his family? Yes. Could it be named after him? The Roy E. Burgess II Fund--done!

What things are special to you? What will you do to keep them alive?"

In addition to a great photo of Roy, the ad centers on a show shot from Into the Woods, featuring Hannah Zold and Rita Markova.

Roy has been a vital member of the Barksdale family for as long as I can remember. He acted (and sang) on the Tavern stage in the 1968 production of Oliver!, and in H.M.S. Pinafore in 1981. Whether performing on stage, governing in the Board room, or cheering in the audience (he hasn't missed a Barksdale production in decades!), Roy has come to understand that Barksdale depends on his participation and support for its very survival. So he has been a generous annual contributor year after year, and, about two years ago, he became the first supporter to let us know that he had included Barksdale in his will.

Now he's also designated Barksdale as an annual recipient of funding of the Roy E. Burgess II Fund that will be administered by The Community Foundation in perpetuity.

We can't thank Roy enough for acting on his commitment to Barksdale Theatre. For generations to come, it will be Roy's thoughtful planning that will keep Barksdale growing and going strong.

A big part of my job is working with supporters on their planned giving. If you'd like to support Barksdale today or in the future, please give me a call and I'll be happy to meet with you.

--Phil Whiteway

The Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center at the Virginia War Memorial

Posted by Bruce Miller

On Thursday evening, Phil Whiteway and I had the privilege of joining hundreds of Richmond’s finest to honor our very dear friends Paul and Phyllis Galanti, pictured on the February 1973 Newsweek cover to the left. As many of you know, Paul was a POW in the Hanoi Hilton for seven years during the Vietnam War. The story of Paul’s captivity and Phyllis’s international efforts to force the North Vietnamese to abide by the Geneva Convention provided the subject matter for the original musical Four Part Harmony, which received its World Premiere at Theatre IV in 1993.

On Thursday evening, it was announced that the new Education Center that is to be built at the magnificent Virginia War Memorial is to be named in honor of Paul and Phyllis Galanti. This is a tribute that is both fitting and well deserved. Phil and I could not be more proud of our friends. Phyllis has been an exemplary Theatre IV Board member for upwards of 25 years, and Paul has stood beside her in support every step of the way.

Ross Perot made the keynote speech at Thursday’s celebration, standing at the foot of Memory, the inspiring statue that is the War Memorial’s centerpiece. He spoke movingly of Paul’s heroism and Phyllis’s exemplary national leadership of the POW wives. Perot’s impassioned tribute and Phyllis’s and Paul’s gracious responses brought tears to many eyes, including mine.

In a time when the subject of torturing prisoners of war is once again making headlines, it was viscerally moving to be in the presence of men who were subjected to such torture (many of the American POWs were present) and a woman who fought with all her might on the national and international stage to ensure that the torturing of prisoners would not continue unopposed.

K Strong, who played a role based on Phyllis in Four Part Harmony, was also present and beaming with pride. Bruce Rennie, our highly respected Tech Director, was on hand to oversee the effective operation of sound and lights. Former Theatre IV Board President (and recent Theatre IV Board returnee) Bill Garrison and his wife Mary were in attendance, as were Barksdale stalwarts Tom and Carlene Bass.

The Galantis’ adult sons, Jamie and Jeff, were there, of course, to honor their parents, along with Jeff’s new bride. Jeff and his wife are in the photo to the left, along with Phyllis. Mayor Wilder, Dr. E. Bruce Heilman (my good friend and U of R Chancellor), and countless legislators and dignitaries added gravitas.

During our college days at U of R, Phil and I joined hundreds of thousands of students of our generation in wearing POW bracelets on which were etched the names of American servicemen who were being held captive in Hanoi. We pledged not to remove these bracelets until the POWs came home. The name on Phil’s bracelet was Cdr. Paul Galanti. When Paul came to speak at the University after his release, Phil, who had just completed his first summer as a Navy officer candidate, had the honor of giving Paul the bracelet he had worn for so many years. (That's Paul and Phil in the photo above and to the right.)

Because I’m about to mention politics, I’ll now speak only for myself. I am a liberal-leaning Democrat, and deeply embrace the principles that inform my political thinking. Paul and Phyllis Galanti are conservative Republicans, and embody heart and soul the tenets that lead them to their political beliefs. I hope I’m not being presumptuous in saying that, for over 30 years, the Galantis and I have been the closest of friends. I could not have more respect and affection for Paul and Phyllis than I do. Even when we disagree on politics, perhaps especially when we disagree, I treasure our relationship and will always value and honor their character and opinions.

The remarkable tribute that is being paid to Paul and Phyllis Galanti with the naming of the new Educational Center at the Virginia War Memorial is well deserved. I know first hand that both of them are leaders and citizens of the highest caliber. It was my honor to join them on Thursday for the unveiling of plans for the War Memorial expansion.

--Bruce Miller

Theatre Calendar - Sept 23 - 30, 2007

Posted by Bruce Miller

Here are the highlights of what’s happening at Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV this week.

Sunday, Sept 23:
in performance -
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn - 2 pm)
Deathtrap (Hanover Tavern - 2 pm)
auditions -
Children in A Christmas Story and Peter Pan (Empire - 5 pm)

Monday, Sept 24:
in rehearsal -
Hugs and Kisses (tour)
Jack and the Beanstalk (tour)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (tour)
The Song of Mulan (tour)
Stuart Little (Empire – Family Playhouse)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (tour)
The True Story of Pocahontas (tour)
class -
St. Andrew’s School
meetings -
Barksdale Theatre Board of Trustees
Training for Hugs actors with Prevent Child Abuse Virginia
Beulah Elementary after-school program
event -
Meet the Stars of The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn - 6:30 pm)

Tuesday, Sept 25:
in rehearsal -
Hugs and Kisses (tour)
Jack and the Beanstalk (tour)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (tour)
The Song of Mulan (tour)
Stuart Little (Empire – Family Playhouse)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (tour)
The True Story of Pocahontas (tour)
meeting -
Richmond Magazine Hugs and Kisses interview
event -
Volunteer Recognition Event (Willow Lawn - 6:30 pm)

Wednesday, Sept 26:
in performance -
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn - 2 pm)
Deathtrap (Hanover Tavern - 2 pm)
The True Story of Pocahontas (Chesterfield schools)
auditions -
Adults in A Christmas Story (Empire - 7 pm)
in rehearsal -
Hugs and Kisses (tour)
Jack and the Beanstalk (tour)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (tour)
The Song of Mulan (tour)
Stuart Little (Empire – Family Playhouse)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (tour)

Thursday, Sept 27:
in performance -
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn - 8 pm)
Deathtrap (Hanover Tavern - 8 pm)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (Henrico schools)
The True Story of Pocahontas (Hampton schools)
in rehearsal -
Hugs and Kisses (tour)
Jack and the Beanstalk (tour)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (tour)
The Song of Mulan (tour)
Stuart Little (Empire - Family Playhouse)

Friday, Sept 28:
in performance -
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn - 8 pm)
Deathtrap (Hanover Tavern - 8 pm)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (Loudoun schools)
The True Story of Pocahontas (Henrico schools)
in rehearsal -
Hugs and Kisses (tour)
Jack and the Beanstalk (tour)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (tour)
The Song of Mulan (tour)
Stuart Little (Empire - Family Playhouse)
event -
Bifocals - Sept program and lunch (Willow Lawn - 11 am)

Saturday, Sept 29:
in performance -
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn - 2 pm and 8 pm)
The True Story of Pocahontas (American Theatre, Phoebus)

Sunday, Sept 30:
in performance -
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn - 2 pm)
Deathtrap (Hanover Tavern - 2 pm)

See you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Theatre Calendar - Sept 16 - 23, 2007

Posted by Bruce Miller

Here are the highlights of what’s happening at Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV this week.

Sunday, Sept 16:
in performance -
Deathtrap (Hanover Tavern - 2 pm)
auditions -
Moonlight and Magnolias
in rehearsal -
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn)

Monday, Sept 17:
in rehearsal -
A Christmas Carol - red (tour)
A Christmas Carol - green (tour)
Hugs and Kisses (tour)
Santa's Enchanted Workshop (tour)
Stuart Little (Empire – Family Playhouse)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (tour)
The True Story of Pocahontas (tour)
class -
St. Andrew’s School
meeting -
Theatre IV Board

Tuesday, Sept 18:
in rehearsal -
A Christmas Carol - green (tour)
Hugs and Kisses (tour),
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (tour)
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn)
Santa's Enchanted Workshop (tour)
Stuart Little (Empire – Family Playhouse)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (tour)
The True Story of Pocahontas (tour)
meeting -
Bright Lights High School Internship Program

Wednesday, Sept 19:
in rehearsal -
Hugs and Kisses (tour)
Jack and the Beanstalk (tour)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (tour)
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn)
Santa's Enchanted Workshop (tour)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (tour)
The True Story of Pocahontas (tour)
meeting -
Ettrick and Beulah Elementary After-School Program

Thursday, Sept 20:
in performance -
Deathtrap (Hanover Tavern - 8 pm)
in rehearsal -
Hugs and Kisses (tour)
Jack and the Beanstalk (tour)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (tour)
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn)
Santa's Enchanted Workshop (tour)
Stuart Little (Empire - Family Playhouse)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (tour)
The True Story of Pocahontas (tour)
meeting -
Virginia Arts & Letters Live
event -
Touring Actor Kick-Off Party

Friday, Sept 21:
Opening Night -
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn - 8 pm)
in performance -
Deathtrap (Hanover Tavern - 8 pm)
in rehearsal -
Hugs and Kisses (tour)
Jack and the Beanstalk (tour)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (tour)
The Song of Mulan (tour)
Stuart Little (Empire - Family Playhouse)
Tales as Tall as the Sky (tour)
The True Story of Pocahontas (tour)

Saturday, Sept 22:
in performance -
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn – 8 pm)
auditions -
Children in A Christmas Story and Peter Pan (2 - 6 pm)

Sunday, Sept 23:
in performance -
Deathtrap (Hanover Tavern – 2 pm),
The Member of the Wedding (Willow Lawn – 2 pm)
auditions -
Children in A Christmas Story and Peter Pan (evening)

See you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Three Days at the Kennedy Center

Anne Murphy Douglas, President of the Board of Theatre IV, and Bennett Fidlow, new Board member at Barksdale Theatre, joined Phil and me for a three-day seminar with Michael Kaiser and others at the Kennedy Center. We returned yesterday afternoon after a highly informative, intensive and fun learning experience. We’re eager to put our newfound insights to good use here in Richmond.

For those who don’t know, Michael Kaiser (who also recently spoke at the University of Richmond’s Modlin Center) is a world-renowned arts leader. Prior to becoming President of the Kennedy Center in 2001, Michael served as Executive Director of the Royal Opera House (the largest performing arts organization in the UK), Executive Director of American Ballet Theatre, Executive Director of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater (the world’s largest modern dance organization), and General Manager of the Kansas City Ballet.

Spending two and a half days with Michael feels a little like cramming a year of arts administration training into 20 hours. Part of his brilliance is that he is able to speak clearly and simply, boiling down his extensive experience and research into comprehensible two-hour sessions. His focus areas at seminars such as this include Building an Effective and Energized Board, Strategic Planning, and Institutional Marketing. Other senior executives from the Kennedy Center staff spoke from their areas of expertise: Business Management, Development, Technology and Program Marketing.

Phil and I have been in our positions for 32 years, and never have I felt more in sync with a speaker. In point after point, it was clear that Michael knew exactly what he was talking about. And the points he made applied not only to mammoth international organizations (the Kennedy Center has an annual budget of approximately $160 million) but also to large regional organizations like Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV (combined annual budgets of approximately $5 million).

If you’ve been to many seminars like this, you know that experts can sometimes speak for hours in a theoretical realm, offering little practical advice. Michael knows how to cut to the chase—how to identify the challenges we face and then offer specific suggestions on how to address these challenges. It really was a terrific learning experience, very validating, mind-stretching and informative.

Special thanks to the Virginia Commission for the Arts for funding our participation through their Technical Assistance grant program, and to Anne and Bennett for giving up their time to join us. This is one seminar that I think will pay off handsomely in the futures of Barksdale Theatre, Theatre IV and the Metro Richmond arts scene in general.

Response to a Reader's Comment Regarding "Intimate Apparel"

We established this blog to enable an open conversation between Barksdale Theatre and others in the Metro Richmond family. We believe that open conversation is healthy and positive. Progress is never achieved through silence; understanding and respect come with patience and candor.

Today we received a comment from an anonymous reader responding to an earlier blog entry about Intimate Apparel. If you go to our archives and click on the “1 Comments” (sic) tab that follows the entry entitled “Intimate” Opening Wins Hearts and Minds, you will find it.

The comment reads: “Why is it that when white drama groups do plays about black people, they always show black women in their underwear and/or in sexually compromising positions with men? Living Word Stage Company, Richmond’s only black drama group, treats black women with respect. That’s why Living Word is so needed. Is this what we want our daughters to see?”

First, I agree with the opinion that Living Word Stage Company is needed. I believe that Living Word is a vital member of Metro Richmond’s cultural community, and we are all richer for their presence. In addition to working as Artistic Director of Barksdale Theatre, I’m the Artistic Director of Theatre IV, Barksdale’s sister company. Under my leadership, Theatre IV helped to get Living Word on its feet by allowing the young company to use our Empire Theatre home for free for their entire 2005-06 Season.

Second, I agree that black women have faced and continue to face cultural denigration that must be addressed. At the risk of alienating those who hold an opposing view on this complex issue, I am among those who support firing or boycotting entertainers who use their celebrity to promote misogyny and racism, whether it’s Don Imus or Snoop Dog or Nelly.

Finally, I applaud any parent who takes his or her responsibility seriously. I believe parents should always speak out when they feel like their child, or children in general, are being exposed to “entertainment” that is potentially hurtful or dangerous.

The deeply held principles that are reflected in the three paragraphs above are the same principles that make me so proud of our production of Intimate Apparel. Beautifully and sensitively written by a black woman playwright, Lynn Nottage, Intimate Apparel is, above all, a play about the respect that is due to every human being, even if an individual seems inconsequential or unimportant within the ruling social context of the day. The play is about the dignity and power of the human spirit, and the strength that can be marshaled by even the most powerless to rise above their circumstances and command their world. The play has universal themes, but chooses to focus on the power and glory of black women.

I do not know, but I suspect that our anonymous commenter has not seen Intimate Apparel. I suspect that she is reacting to photos that appear in our blog entry, depicting, as she says, women in their underwear and in positions with men that have the potential for sexual compromise.

The play uses these images and situations not to define black women as sexual objects or victims, but rather to exalt their ability to rise above the circumstances into which they have been placed by society. The play is about triumph. Is this what I want my daughter to see? You bet.

Perhaps this is a good time to mention my perspective on matters of race as they relate to professional theatres. Although I understand and respect the perspective of the commenter, I do not consider Barksdale Theatre to be a "white drama group" or a "white" theatre. I don't think theatres have color unless their mission specifically stresses a particular racial focus.

Barksdale's mission indicates a commitment to the entire community. It is this commitment that led Barksdale in the 1950s to become the first performing arts group in Virginia to admit racially mixed audiences, thereby breaking the back of the Jim Crow laws of that time. It is this commitment that led Theatre IV to become the first major arts organization in Virginia (with a budget of $1 million or greater) to elect an African-American Board President. In fact, Theatre IV has now been led by three African-American Board Presidents. Anthony Keitt, Barksdale's current Board President, is also African-American.

I thank and respect the opinions of all those who choose to comment on our blog entries. I encourage you to see our work, particularly Intimate Apparel, and hope that our plays will prompt continuing conversation.

Note: Subsequent to this posting, Living Word Stage Company changed it's name to African American Repertory Theatre. We have amended the labels to reflect this change and link this post with future posts for African American Repertory Theatre.

**Please be aware that some of the following comments contain spoilers. Some people who have not yet seen the show should be aware that comments discuss the show's ending.