Lustig

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin So I just got back from the Byrd Theatre (wait, wait, wait...don't hurt me for blogging about film on the live theatre blog just yet) where they were screening a short film called Lustig, which was filmed in Richmond.

I was told Lustig is a "Holocaust film." I don't know that that label really gives you an idea of what you're in for. The majority of the film takes place a year after the war has ended and all of the camps have been liberated. The rest of the story we see and hear in flashbacks. It is an absolutely stunning film.

I hear that it has been/will be submitted to the Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals, so you may have a chance to check it out and see it elsewhere. But just in case, you can contact them through their website.

Oh, my point...and I do have one (Ellen...anybody?)...is that Eric Evans is in the film. Eric Evans who is currently featured in Theatre IV's production of A Christmas Story (running through next Sunday, selling out, buy your tickets today by calling the box office at 344-8040 or visit the Theatre IV website)! Eric also appeared in Barksdale Theatre's production of Carson McCuller's The Member of the Wedding and in Theatre IV's production of The Wizard of Oz. (Busy guy.) AND, he was also in 365Days/365Plays by Suzan-Lori Parks produced by Barksdale Theatre, in association with K Dance.

Eric plays the boy whose father died in the last days of the war. His reaction to the news of his father's death is heartbreaking. An incredibly talented actor, this guy. If you get a chance, you should check out his work in Lustig, A Christmas Story, or any time he's on the boards. He's definitely one to look out for.

Also, the Byrd Theatre Foundation is going to be showing a locally produced film at least once a month starting in January. It's so exciting to see the arts scene in Richmond continue to grow!

The Good Side of Being Big: Dan Ruth to Direct "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" for Firehouse

Working collaboratively, Barksdale and Theatre IV have an annual operating budget of about $5 million. To put that in perspective, we’re about the same size as the Richmond Symphony, and about two times bigger than the former TheatreVirginia in its prime. In fact, we’re the largest professional theatre in Virginia history, in terms of both annual audience and annual budget.

The downside of all this is workload. If you don’t count the two weeks a year when we take vacation, we have to raise $30,000 in contributions during each of the remaining 50 weeks. That’s what it takes to raise the $1,500,000 we need each year in order to meet budget.

Equally daunting, we have to sell $70,000 per week in tickets and tour shows in order to reach our earned revenue goal of $3,500,000 per year. Needless to say, it takes a lot of work on the part of a lot of people to meet these goals. For 32 years, my workload has been about 80 hours a week. That's the challenging side of working for a large and successful organization.

But being big is good in that it gives you artistic opportunities. For recent and current productions, we were able to spend what it takes to bring in the likes of Harrison White, Dave Winning and Jay Lustig for The Full Monty, Liz Mamana for The Constant Wife, Kathy Halenda and Amy Prothro for Mame, Drew Perkins for Smoke on the Mountain, and Dan Ruth for Brooklyn Boy.

When we bring these seasoned pros into town, it helps not only Barksdale Theatre and the particular shows in which they appear, it also helps the entire Richmond theatre community. Richmond’s finest theatre artists benefit from having the chance to work and network with talented professionals from outside our community. Nothing stunts artistic growth more than working in a closed environment.

And sometimes, the artists we bring to town are then able to work for other local theatres as well. As one example, Dan Ruth (pictured above with Joe Pabst in Brooklyn Boy) began directing The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife for Firehouse Theatre Project while he was still performing in Brooklyn Boy. Now that Brooklyn's over and Allergist's Wife rehearsals are in full swing, Dan is still living in the house of Barksdale staff member Bob Albertia, and Barksdale will still be paying for his transportation back to New York, once Allergist’s Wife opens.

It was great to be able to bring Dan back to Richmond this season, and to see his wonderful work again in Brooklyn Boy. It will be equally great to see his directing expertise back in play at Firehouse. Richmond will enjoy two artistic efforts from Dan while only paying once for his housing and transportation expenses. This double-header represents an efficient use of limited community resources, and an excellent example of cooperation among two Richmond theatres. We’re proud to be a part of it.