McAuley-Kilgore Theatre Library Begins to Take Shape

Posted by Bruce Miller
When Theatre IV was asked by the Barksdale Board of Trustees in the summer of 2001 to assume artistic and business management of Central Virginia's longest standing professional theatre, we immediately responded with an enthusiastic "yes!" One of the programs that came with this new package of responsibilities was the McAuley-Kilgore Theatre Library, named in honor of Barksdale's legendary leaders: Muriel McAuley, David (Pete) Kilgore, and Nancy Kilgore.

In 2001, and throughout the decade that followed, the McAuley-Kilgore Library was distinguished only by a name posted in gold letters over the double doors that are positioned between the library and the lobby at Barksdale Willow Lawn. There were no book shelves in the library. There were no books--actually, there were quite a few old scripts and reference volumes, but they were all packed away in boxes.

As we marked the tenth anniversary of the Barksdale / Theatre IV alliance this past summer, we were able to shed a wee bit of embarrassment as we proudly noted that the Shameful Case of the Library that Wasn't was finally being addressed. Custom bookshelves had been installed last spring by David Powers, our über-hardworking tech director for Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern. And the treasured tomes that had once known the touch of Muriel, Pete and Nancy themselves had been released again into the fresh air and light of day.This fall we plan to organize more effectively the Library and its invaluable theatre collection. All of our books are being recorded into an on-line card catalogue, lending policies are being established, bookplates are being designed and printed to acknowledge all individual donors, and, most importantly, additional volumes are being sought to add to our growing collection.

The photo posted at the top of this article shows mostly empty shelves. It's an old photo. The shelves are now actually filling up quite nicely (see photo below)--but there's always room for more.

Anyone who has ever tried to locate a script or theatre reference work in the Richmond, Chesterfield or Henrico public libraries knows that there is a definite need in Central Virginia for an expanded theatre collection. It is our goal for the McAuley-Kilgore Theatre Library to help to address that need. We are confident that Muriel, Pete and Nancy would be pleased, proud and honored to know that their books and their legacies were being put to good use.

If you have any scripts, theatre recordings (audio or video), theatre reference works or texts, stage novels or biographies etc. (and who among us doesn't?), and you would like to donate these pieces and parts of your own legacy to the McAuley-Kilgore Theatre Library, either now or in your will, please contact my assistant, Brittany Taylor, at 783-1688 ext 1113, or at b.taylor@ (insert the name Barksdale here) Richmond.org. We will be grateful to receive your tax deductible donation to Central Virginia's newest public access, lending and perusal library for the theatre arts.

Also, we are seeking to expand our significant collection of Richmond theatre playbills, posters, etc. into a comprehensive, readily available, theatre archive representing ALL of Richmond's theatrical endeavors. Unique originals will be copied and donated to the official archives at the Library of Virginia. Copies and duplicate originals will be kept in regular (not archive quality) files in the McAuley-Kilgore Library, for perusal only.

No matter which theatre your old playbill collection may represent, if it's a theatre with a Richmond connection, we'd love for you to consider donating your programs to the Library.

All donations to Barksdale Theatre are fully deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Finally, we are also seeking Library volunteers. If you'd like to put in a few hours every now and then, cataloging the collection, please let Brittany know. We'd feel honored to work with you.

Thanks for helping support Richmond's nonprofit, resident professional theatre as we seek to improve the McAuley-Kilgore Library and its collections.

--Bruce Miller

Little Bits (Bytes?) of Barksdale History

Posted by Bruce Miller
Our two nonprofit theatres are currently engaged in a branding study that will help us determine the future paths of Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV. Two MAJOR thank yous go out to Kelly O'Keefe, Managing Director of the VCU Brandcenter, who is donating his leadership of the study pro bono, and The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia, providers of the grant that funds the research component of the study.

As a part of this strategic exercise, we've been engaging randomly selected audience members in focus groups to learn their opinions about our two stage companies. It's been fascinating to learn what John and Jane Q Theatre-Lover do and don't know about Central Virginia's oldest (Barksdale) and largest (Theatre IV) professional theatres.

It is becoming clear that our illustrious histories are fading, for many if not most, into virtual obscurity, so I've begun to recount the legacies that serve as our foundation by posting a brief new snippet from our theatrical scrapbooks as my "status" on Facebook each Monday morning. I don't know who or how many people actually see these tidbits, so, from time to time, I'll post them here as well.

Here's the story thus far, including the date that each item was posted:

Aug 12, 2010
B'dale / TIV History (Part 1) - Barksdale Theatre was founded in Virginia's historic Hanover Tavern by six NYC actors in August 1953. We're 57 years old! And I think (hope) the founders would be proud. Maybe even a little amazed. I feel the presence of Pete, Muriel and Nancy (pictured below) every day. A blessing.
Aug 13, 2010
B'dale / TIV History (Part 2) - Barksdale Theatre was Central VA's first professional performing arts organization of the modern era. Founded in Aug 1953, Barksdale came 2 years before the Virginia Museum Theatre (TheatreVirginia), 4 years before the Richmond Symphony and the Richmond Ballet, 12 years before Swift Creek Mill Theatre, 21 years before the Virginia Opera, and 22 years before Theatre IV.

Aug 16, 2010
B'dale / TIV History (Part 3) - Before they'd heard of Hanover Tavern, the founders of Barksdale brought their dream from NYC to Richmond VA on Feb 4, '53. Tom Carlin and his partner Stewart Falconer, Pete Kilgore and his wife Perky, their 2 children Kate and Beau, Muriel McAuley, Pat Sharp, and a dog named Rags moved into the home of Aline Miles (Falconer's mom). They lived there rent-free for 6 months as they searched for a home for their new theatre.

Aug 23, 2010
B'dale / TIV History (Part 4) - During a 4-month search, the Barksdale founders found Hanover Tavern. On May 26, '53, they signed a contract to purchase the Tavern and its 4+ acres for $25,000 (that's $202,199 in today's dollars), with $5,000 down. $2,500 was paid on signing. Pete Kilgore cashed in his veteran's life insurance to close the gap on that first $2,500.

Aug 30, 2010
B'dale / TIV History (Part 5) - After paying down the first $2,500, the Barksdale founders had 2 months to come up with the second required down-payment of $2,500 (that's $20,220 in today's dollars). Co-founder Muriel McAuley wrote: "In July we saved over $1,000 by not eating, not smoking and not drinking two fifths of Italian Swiss Colony on Sat nights."

Sept 6, 2010
B'dale / TIV History (Part 6) - Borrowing from each of their families, and pawning everything they had, the Barksdale founders finally came up with the final $2,500 down-payment by the deadline date of Aug 1, '53. The last $10 was in change. Penniless, they moved into their new home. Monthly mortgage = $250 (that's $2,022 in today's dollars), plus interest at 5%.

--Bruce Miller

What's "News" at Hanover Tavern?

Posted by Bruce Miller
All of us at Barksdale Theatre are proud to be lighting the fuse of our 5th Anniversary Season back at Hanover Tavern--our 57th Anniversary Season if you overlook the ten years we were away!

I know this sounds cliché, but how can it be possible that we've completed four full seasons since returning to our ancestral stomping grounds? It seems like only yesterday that Phil and I were sitting with Pete Kilgore, sharing the tremendous pride and joy he felt from knowing that his theatre was returning, finally, to his HOME.

It was with Pete's blessing, and the strong support of the leaders of the Hanover Tavern Foundation, that we decided during our negotiations of 2005 to position Barksdale's work at Hanover Tavern as a Country Playhouse Season--the equivalent of the purposefully commercial Pops Series offered by symphony orchestras nationwide.

There were (and there still are) three good reasons why we chose to pursue this business plan.

1 We believe it would be foolhardy to compete with ourselves. We think each of our two seasons needs to have its own artistic identity and attract its own audience. In our Signature Season at Willow Lawn, we focus on theatre as an art form. In our Country Playhouse Season at Hanover Tavern, we focus on theatre as entertainment.

Of course there is overlap. We work hard to make everything at Willow Lawn entertaining and everything at the Tavern artistic. Our experience tells us there are large numbers of Greater Richmond theatre patrons who actively avoid the likes of Boleros for the Disenchanted, The Clean House, James Joyce's The Dead and Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, while enthusiastically embracing Barefoot in the Park, Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, Butterflies are Free, and their seventh visit to Nunsense.

And vice versa.

Barksdale is a big tent theatre. We want everyone to feel welcome and at home. We offer two different experiences on our two different stages because we want to appeal to the broadest possible base of theatregoers. One day, if we can find the time and money, and if we believe it will do no harm to our colleague organizations, we may re-institute Theatre Gym as a third season for a third type of audience member.

2 The second major reason to have a Pops Series is to create an entryway for new audiences. With Nunsense, a musical comedy with very broad appeal, we hope to attract and earn the trust of new ticket buyers who may have such a good time that they choose to return to see another Barksdale production with a lesser known title, or perhaps one that challenges their existing sensibilities. Part of our nonprofit mission--part of every nonprofit theatre's mission--is to educate the community about the art form. You can't educate anyone until you first get them in the door.

3 A third reason to want to attract a broad-based rather than a niche audience is to increase the attractiveness of sponsorship opportunities. Sponsorships are part of the life blood of every large professional nonprofit theatre in the nation. When seeking sponsorships, it's all about market share.

No performing arts organization in town--no other theatre including the "Broadway" series at CenterStage--comes close to Barksdale and Theatre IV in terms of market share and audience diversity. If a corporation wants to support the arts and get its good name out there to a large and discerning audience, they won't find better sponsorship opportunities than the ones offered by the boisterous bunch at Barksdale.

We know there are good people out there who question the business assumptions that inform our programming at Hanover Tavern. There are arts aficionados who prefer niche theatres that focus on one type of programming and/or one segment of the audience. There are arts advocates who would prefer that seriously-intentioned theatres not produce commercial work from Nunsense to Neil Simon, that symphony orchestras with aspirations of greatness not dedicate programs to The Hollywood Hits of John Williams, that ballet companies that seek artistic excellence not feel compelled to remount annual productions of The Nutcracker.

I certainly understand and respect their opinions. However, I believe that in markets the size of Richmond, artistic integrity is job number one, and keeping sufficient cash in the coin purse is job number one too.

After the closing of TheatreVirginia, Barksdale assumed the responsibility to develop and sustain the professional infrastructure (staff, freelance artists, facilities, equipment, production stock) that is required to support not only our theatre but also Greater Richmond's professionally-oriented theatre community at large. With such a heavy commitment on the expense side, financial health cannot be taken for granted.

Maintaining market share is vital for a major professional theatre, particularly when national competition enters the community determined to take it by storm. All of us can name five or six or more beloved businesses that once seemed to be invincible Richmond landmarks. Ultimately, these great businesses faced increasing national competition, lost significant market share, and suffered the dire consequences that inevitably followed.

At Barksdale and Theatre IV, we're working our hardest (and smartest) to continue to make our companies invaluable assets to the Greater Richmond community. We appreciate your support. We believe having a major theatre in Central Virginia that can sustain a professional infrastructure is essential, not just for us, but also for every theatre in town and the community in general.

So what exactly are we offering on the 2010 Country Playhouse Season? Five shows that I LOVE! I'm very excited about this year's lineup. You can find it on our website: http://www.barksdalerichmond.org/. Or you can wait a day or two and I'll outline our upcoming Tavern shows here on the Barksdale blog.

Hope you'll consider subscribing to our wonderful Country Playhouse Season at Hanover Tavern and our inviting Signature Season at Willow Lawn. We need and cherish every subscriber we can get.

After all, subscribing is the best way to guarantee that ... I'll see you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

What to Do When You Have No Power?

Posted by Bruce Miller
About three or four times a year we lose power at Hanover Tavern on a show night, causing the cancellation of a performance. Last night was the first time we’ve ever had to pull the plug on an Opening Night. Bus Stop by William Inge is now set for a delayed debut this evening at eight.

Power at Hanover Courthouse is a sometimes thing. Years ago, Barksdale co-founder Muriel McAuley, an avid student of ancient cultures, explained it this way.

Thor (not the Marvel Comics superhero but the ancient Germanic god of thunder, lightning and electricity) flew in his chariot over Hanover on the first of August, 1953. As all you scholars of ancient Germanic mythology remember, Thor’s chariot is powered by two billy goats named Toothnasher and Toothgrinder. As all you scholars of Richmond theatre history remember, August 1, 1953, was the day the six NYC actors who co-founded Barksdale Theatre moved into the Tavern.

The goats looked down as they flew over these hallowed grounds and noticed two sows being dumped unceremoniously into the back yard of the historic property. The two porcine princesses were named Sheba (after the titular pet in William Inge’s first Broadway hit, Come Back Little Sheba) and Tallulah (after the celebrated star who, in Souvenir, laughed so hard during Florence Foster Jenkins’ legendary recital at Carnegie Hall that she had to be carried out of the theatre by friends). Or was that Greta Garbo? Hmmm.

Anyway, the ever optimistic co-founders of Barksdale had acquired two piglets weeks before actually purchasing the Tavern, sure that their dream would soon be a reality. They planned for the pigs to be a thrifty way to “take care of the garbage and provide meat.” However, between the dates of piglet purchase and hog transport, the two sows had grown to 70 lbs each.

On August 1, the pigs were chauffeured to the Tavern by co-founders Muriel McAuley and Pat Sharp. (Pat would play Cherie in the Tavern's 1958 production of Bus Stop.) Quoting from Muriel’s book, Going On … Barksdale Theatre, The First 31 Years: “Until you’ve driven 30 miles with two trussed up, screaming, crapping pigs in the back of an overheated station wagon, you’ve missed one of life’s unique moments.”

Toothnasher and Toothgrinder apparently looked down, saw, heard and smelled the roly-poly garbage disposals, and collapsed in laughter. They knew full well that the co-founders should have foregone the purchase of pigs for the far more sensible choice of goats. This moment of hilarity caused the chariot to jolt, and in retribution, Thor sent a bolt of lighting thundering down onto an unsuspecting Hanover.

Along with the lighting came a curse, which has been buzzing and sizzling along the power grid ever since.

Our policy is this. If the electricity has been out for at least two hours, and it continues to be out three hours prior to showtime, we will cancel the show. It’s the only way we have a prayer of reaching the majority of ticket holders, all of whom we try to call within 30 minutes of the decision to cancel.

Last night’s call turned out to be a good one. As of this morning at 8 a.m., power had returned to the community of Hanover Courthouse, but there was still no power in the Tavern. As of this writing, I'm pleased to report that everything is finally back up and running.

Cancellation policies have not always been so practical. I remember performing in Old Wives’ Tale at the Tavern, three decades ago almost to the day. It was a fun vampire mystery comedy written by former Richmonder Ed Sala and directed and designed by Pete. I co-starred with the late Carol Chittum, the late Will Keys, the late Anne Goodwyn, and the very much still with us Glenn Crone.

One night the power went out in the Tavern during dinner. Rather than cancel the show, Pete, Nancy and Muriel asked every table to carry their hurricane-globed candle with them into the theatre. The candles were placed around the perimeter of the stage, and we performed the entire show in candlelight. Nancy sat to the side and hummed the incidental music and Pete made all the sound effects (wind, thunder crashes etc) by mouth.

It was one of the most fun and exciting performances I’ve ever been privileged to be a part of. But in these more practical days of fire marshals and liability litigation, it will never happen again.

Now that the lights are back on, I look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Pocono Playhouse Burns to the Ground

Posted by Bruce Miller
I have a good and talented young friend, Ben Houghton (pictured in A Chorus Line below, fifth from the left). Last spring, he turned down a role with us in Thoroughly Modern Millie with regret because he had already accepted roles in Disney’s High School Musical 2 and A Chorus Line at two legendary summer stock theatres in Pennsylvania. He was excited about his summer gig, because he would be performing both shows on the revered and well-worn stages of the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA and the Pocono Playhouse in Mountainhome, PA.

Little did he know at the time that he would be among the last to trod the nearly hallowed boards of the Pocono Playhouse—theatrical home since 1947 to such heralded actors as Betty Grable, Walter Matthau, Jean Stapleton, Steve McQueen, Shelley Winters, Hal Linden, Gloria Vanderbilt, Larry Hagman, Cybill Shepherd, Richard Kiley, Kaye Ballard, Ted Knight, Bonnie Franklin, and John Travolta.

The 500-seat Pocono Playhouse burned to the ground early Friday morning. Flames broke out around 1 a.m., sending sparks flying across the wooded mountain landscape. A neighbor spotted the blaze and called 911. By the time firefighters arrived the building was just about destroyed. The first responders of Barrett Township remained on the scene for hours, putting out hot spots. A state police fire marshal has been called in to determine the fire’s cause and exact point of origin.

By all accounts, the destruction of the Playhouse represents a tremendous loss to its rural community, both culturally and economically.

According to the Pocono Record, this is not the first time that the theatre’s owner, Ralph Miller, has had a burning problem. Miller owns both the Pocono Playhouse and the Buck’s County Playhouse. Previously, he owned the Woodstock Playhouse in New York, destroyed in a 1988 fire, and the Falmouth Playhouse on Cape Cod, Mass., destroyed in a 1994 fire.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined both fires were set by an arsonist using kerosene, but no arrests were ever made in either case.

The Pocono Playhouse was built and opened on July 7, 1947 by USO show manager Rowena Stevens, who moved from NYC to Mountainhome to “bring professional theatre to the Poconos.” It was success stories like hers that prompted Muriel McAuley, Pete Kilgore and Barksdale’s other co-founders to move from NYC to rural Hanover only six years later to bring professional theatre to all of Greater Richmond in 1953.
Apparently the Pocono Playhouse had changed little since its original construction. We remain thankful that community support has enabled Theatre IV to install sprinkler systems and other fire safety devices in the historic Empire, built in 1911, and that the Hanover Tavern Foundation is performing a thorough restoration of Muriel, Pete and Nancy’s beloved Hanover Tavern, built in the late 18th century.

Long may our nation’s historic theatres be protected and thrive! Hope to see you at one soon.

--Bruce Miller

(The photo above and to the right is of a 21st century production of Camelot at the Pocono Playhouse.)

August 30, 2009

Posted by Bruce Miller

Resonance.

Richness or significance, especially in evoking an association or strong emotion.

Intensification and prolongation of sound, produced by sympathetic vibration.

Yesterday was a wonderful day. It was the last show of Fully Committed and a packed house once again leapt to its feet in appreciation of and wonder at Scott Wichmann’s talent.

It was also Scott’s 36th birthday. Twenty-six of his family members were there, along with over a hundred friends from Richmond’s theatre community. Love, friendship and respect were palpable.

Immediately after curtain call, Scotty made a heartfelt speech about how special this all was. “I moved here ten years ago,” he said. “I had no intention of staying. I also had no idea of the community I was joining—a community that immediately embraced me and has supported and sustained me. A community like family, that even introduced me to my beautiful wife. This is an amazing birthday because all of you are here.”

After the show, we celebrated with Scotty and each other during a picnic in the Tavern’s back yard. As you all know, yesterday was also Scotty’s last day before joining the Naval Reserve. He checks into a hotel room this evening and hops on a bus tomorrow morning for basic training.

I arrived at yesterday’s festivities leading a van filled with young actors who had just travelled from their homes in New York to connect with the Richmond theatre community for the first time. They are amazing actors, and all of them are Latino. They came here on faith to perform in our upcoming production of Boleros for the Disenchanted.

Our six Boleros actors have to be wondering … What is this Richmond theatre community like? Did I make the right choice to leave my home in New York to come here?

The minute I saw the Tavern, as I was driving up, my heart and head filled with … what? Fifty-six years ago this month, six actors from New York came to Richmond, saw the derelict tavern for the first time, and made the decision to pool every penny they had in the world, buy it, and devote their lives to saving this building and building this theatre.

Before the Richmond Symphony or the Richmond Ballet, before the Virginia Museum Theatre, these New York émigrés founded Central Virginia’s first professional performing arts organization. As they wove their passions and perspectives and talents and intelligences into the very fabric of our community, they changed it forever.

They heard about the Jim Crow laws that made it illegal to admit black audience members into their new theatre. When the county sheriff came to tell them, they offered themselves up for arrest, saying that there was no way in hell they were going to welcome some of their new neighbors into their theatre and home while excluding others. They broke the back of those insane laws by becoming the first Virginians to simply stand up for what was right.

No arrests were made.

How proud Pete, Nancy and Muriel would be, I thought, to know that Barksdale is about to launch Richmond’s first Hispanic Theatre Project. How pleased they would be to welcome these six new New York actors into the home they loved. How thrilled they would be to witness Scotty’s amazing performance, to meet his family, to see the Richmond theatre community gather here again to honor the great spirits that live in this place, in Scotty’s talent and in his heart as he ventures off to join the Naval Reserve.

I saw Phil when I arrived, and shared these thoughts with him.

As he was packing up after the wonderful day and getting ready to drive home to Ashland, Phil's heart and head also filled with a sense of ... connection. He turned the steering wheel of his car, and for the first time in four years, he visited Pete and Nancy’s burial site, located just a few minutes from the theatre. He had thoughts to share.

When he arrived, he looked down at their markers and discovered something that neither of us had remembered. Yesterday was also Pete Kilgore’s birthday. And Nancy’s birthday is Sept. 18, opening night of Boleros for the Disenchanted.

Standing in the dusk in the churchyard, Phil called me on his cell so that I would know.

Resonance.

A subatomic particle lasting too short a time to be observed directly.

I hope to see you at the theatre.

--Bruce Miller