The Themes of Karen Karen Zacarías's "Legacy of Light"

Posted by Bruce Miller
It's cliché, but nonetheless true. You'll never please all of the people all of the time.

More and more I believe this is particularly true with theatre, that most accessible of art forms. Virtually everyone considers theatre to be something they "get." Thank God for that. Theatre has never been highbrow or esoteric; it never will be.

Sure, there are the Waiting for Godot's and Rhinoceros's of the world (Beckett's Godot will be produced this spring by Henley Street, and Terrie and I saw Ionesco's Rhinoceros last Saturday at William & Mary). But even with these purposefully nebulous masterpieces, most audience members join in on the laughs and then have further fun discussing the deeper meanings of these multi-faceted literary classics.

And there are high caliber contemporary works like Stephen Adly Guirgis's The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (currently under co-production by Henley Street and Triangle) and Tom Stoppard's Arcadia (produced earlier this season by Richmond Shakes). These great plays let the audience know early on that they intend to intellectually challenge and, perhaps, spiritually provoke. The audience "gets" this, and winds up loving the show (or not) based at least somewhat on whether they like to be invited into the fray.

Then there are plays like our current production of Legacy of Light by Karen Zacarías. Everyone seems to be appreciating this production. But some people walk away LOVING it--over the top in all caps--while others walk away with something like a shrug.

Legacy is not purposefully nebulous; it doesn't seek to challenge or provoke. So within the first few scenes, some audience members think they "get" what Legacy is all about, or they try to "get" it, and then some of them sit through the rest of the 2 hour 5 minute production somewhat indifferent as the unfolding action fails to further amplify the theme they think they "got."

Part of this may be my fault. Early on I've discussed with our various marketing staffers that Legacy can be viewed as a "girl power" play, focusing as it does on the lives of two great women scientists. I've called it a "mother/daughter" play, and indeed it is. "Girl power" and "mother/daughter" are two strong marketing themes you can hang your hat on. Those people who study these things tell us that, unless you're the Triangle Players or mounting a production of Lombardi, between 70 and 80% of all your ticket buyers will be women. And so, as we've attempted to sell Legacy to the Richmond theatergoing public, we've been hyping the "girl power" and "mother/daughter" themes.

Maybe this is why some people think that Legacy is principally about women trying to balance their personal and professional goals, or gender equality. Certainly the play addresses those themes, and was inspired by the playwright's personal experience of those issues. But I don't think that's what the play is principally about. And the trouble is, if one decides that Legacy is meant to thoroughly discuss those concerns, then the contemporary scenes, as Karen Zacarías has written them, may fall a little flat. In the contemporary scenes, "gender equality" is more or less a given.

May I humbly suggest that the principal themes of Legacy of Light are:
1 legacy - what do we get from our forebears and what do we leave to our children;
2 life, death and immortality; and
3 the interconnectedness of all things across time and space.

Among the many who LOVE Legacy of Light, these three themes are the ones most frequently discussed. The play examines these themes in terms that are scientific, spiritual and personal.

Like our previous productions of Boleros for the Disenchanted, The Clean House, Well, Melissa Arctic and James Joyce's The Dead, Legacy of Light is about lots of things. With plays like these, I think there is a danger, while watching and after, in trying to pin them down. They are best experienced, in my humble opinion, by allowing them to wash over you and lead you simultaneously on two or five different spiritual and intellectual journeys.

The fun, for me, comes at the end, in trying to piece all the various journeys together.

These productions are not esoteric, but, like great poetry, or music, or art, or dance, they also may take a while to pin down.

That is their strength.

--Bruce Miller

Who's in the pics? - 1 Ricardo Melendez and Patricia Duran, 2 Tamara Johnson and Maggie Horan, 3 Larry Cook and Tamara Johnson

Betting Our Bottom Dollar

Posted by Bruce Miller
Between December 2007 and March 2008, the Boards of Trustees, Phil and I made two big, proactive decisions. We scheduled the elimination of five positions from the staff of Barksdale/Theatre IV, and we announced three Depression Era plays/musicals for our upcoming seasons.

It may not have been clear to everyone at the time, but for those of us whose job it was to keep our eyes on the books on a day to day basis, the writing was on the wall.

The positions we eliminated amounted to approximately 11% of our total administrative workforce (staffers, not actors and other theatre artists). Like all RIF actions, these eliminations were painful. They continue to strain our operations.

The eliminations were also necessary. They reduced annual expenditures by approximately $140,000.

The five positions that were eliminated, two by attrition, included Associate Artistic Director, Special Projects Manager, Marketing Associate, Group Sales Manager, and Receptionist/Bookkeeping Associate. If and when the economy rebounds, we hope to be able to restore each of these sorely needed positions.

The shows we announced related to the Depression, but they were all upbeat and inspirational, and reflected the current zeitgeist. They were Barksdale’s productions of A Sanders Family Christmas at Hanover Tavern and This Wonderful Life at Willow Lawn, and Theatre IV’s production of Annie, which just opened on Friday at our historic Empire.

The public seems to appreciate our decision. These have been three of the four biggest hits of our 2008-09 Seasons (Driving Miss Daisy being the fourth).

Susie Haubenstock’s review of Annie appears in this morning’s Metro section. “In tough times,” the headline trumpets, “this musical is just what the doctor ordered.”

“Think that Annie is just for kids? The 1977 powerhouse musical by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin is a favorite of young audiences, surely, but rarely in history has it seemed so appropriate for older ones as well. Theatre IV’s current production is big and stylish and full of fun—and loaded with Depression-era nostalgia that’s all too pertinent today. But being Annie, the attitude is sunny, hopeful and positive—a real tonic for us veterans of bailouts and layoffs.”

“The story of those plucky orphans under the yoke of the tippling Miss Hannigan still works like a well-oiled machine. There’s a super-sized cast of 26 people and one irresistible dog, and a sumptuous scenic design by Mercedes Schaum. No skimping here. Robin Arthur’s direction hits just the right note—she’s an ace with the orphans, who are cute but never cloying, and her choreography (especially for Easy Street) is fresh and funny.”

Susie continues to praise the entire cast, the remaining designers, and the production as a whole.

So no matter what your age, if you need a lift from the recession-riddled headlines, trundle on down to the historic Empire and take part in Barksdale and Theatre IV’s own stimulus program. You’ll have a GREAT evening in the theatre, laugh and cheer, and help our nonprofit companies triumph, God willing, over this economy that continues to kick us in the shins.

We need you. Hope to see you at Annie, Well, I Ought to be in Pictures, and all our other upcoming productions.

--Bruce Miller

All is "Well" at Barksdale

Posted by Bruce Miller
One of the strongest influences on my notion of what distinguishes a great theatre from the rest of the crowd comes from the 20 or so years I subscribed to Arena Stage, the granddaddy of all major professional theatres, still going strong in Washington D. C. I began my Arena journey in my junior year of college, 1970 – 71. Two of my professors and mentors were subscribers—Jack Welsh and Ruth Salisbury. They were looking for someone to round out the car pool. If memory serves, Jack fronted me the money and I paid him back bit by bit over the school year.

I renewed my subscription annually after that, working my way over two decades into the best seats in the house. For many years I continued to subscribe with Jack and Ruth (Phil Whiteway joined our intrepid group sometime in the early 70s). Later Phil and I struck out on my own, eventually recruiting our girlfriends / wives, Donna and Terrie. Dianne Graham was with us for several years. Then Phil and Donna dropped out around the time that PJ was born in the early 80s, and Terrie and I called it quits when she became pregnant with Hannah during the 1989 – 90 Season. After the kids, who had the time or money?

Anyway, one of the things I learned during this double decade experience was that some of the shows I enjoyed the most were the ones I knew the least about. They may or may not have been “great” plays—time is the only judge of that. They were “of the moment,” almost ephemeral, often loosely crafted works of whimsy and/or drama, not necessarily meant to stand the test of time. They were part of the zeitgeist. They gave us lots to talk about on the ride home.

I particularly recall History of American Film and The Marriage of Bette and Boo, both by Christopher Durang, Pueblo, Isn’t It Romantic? by Wendy Wasserstein, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window by Lorraine Hansberry, Moonchildren by Michael Weller, Status Quo Vadis by Donald Driver, Streamers by David Rabe, and Nightclub Cantata by Elizabeth Swados, among many, many others.

I LOVED the fact that Arena, under the brilliant artistic direction of Zelda Fichandler, had the daring to mix it up. Interspersed with the Arthur Millers and Thornton Wilders, with the Ibsens and Chekhovs and Brechts, would be young and current writers who were testing the boundaries and breaking the molds.

At Barksdale Theatre, my artistic decisions are influenced absolutely by Zelda’s aesthetic. I wish we had the resources to do more Millers, Wilders, Ibsens, Chekhovs and Brechts. I’m proud that we have the daring to include in each season new, lesser known (at least in Richmond) works such as our current production of Well by Lisa Kron, and our recent productions of The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl, The Little Dog Laughed by Douglas Carter Beane, Brooklyn Boy by Donald Margulies, Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage, The Drawer Boy by Michael Healey, and Melissa Arctic by Craig Wright.

Only by exploring new work do we grow as artists and audiences.

If you’d like to join us on the journey, we invite you to round out the car pool.

See you at the theatre.

--Bruce Miller

"Chicago," "nor.mal" and "Well." Oh My!

Posted by Bruce Miller
I'm just winding up another great theatre weekend right here in River City. I had the pleasure of flying solo to the Opening Night of Chicago at TheatreVCU on Friday. Hannah and I made it to the second weekend of nor.mal at Stage 1 on Saturday (I was at the Fairy Tale Ball for last week’s nor.mal opening). Tonight I caught the first dress of Well, which we open at Willow Lawn this Friday.

I love going to theatre in Richmond, and found lots to admire in these three productions.

At VCU, Maggie Marlin co-starred with Kim Exum, lending their triple-threat talents to the showgirl femme fatales, Velma and Roxie. This summer Maggie will be starring with us in the titular role of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Mike Rieman charmed his way into the hearts of America as the song-and-dance attorney, Billy Flynn. And Jake Ashey stole the show as Amos, Roxie’s long suffering husband.

Patti D’Beck’s creative and energetic choreography showed off the strengths of her talented cast. And Ron Keller’s terrific set provided all the visual jazz (and pizzazz) anyone could want. Patti and Ron directed / choreographed and designed last summer’s Guys and Dolls, and will reprise their roles in this summer’s Millie.

At Stage 1, despite nagging laryngitis, Julie Fulcher acted her heart out as a mother trapped in a downward emotional spiral. Knowing as I do that Ford Flanagan (who plays the dad) shies away from dance roles, I’m pleased to say he looked right at home in the “boxing” choreography given to him by Chase Kniffen. Ali Thibodeau and Dave Amadee turned in persuasive performances as the brother / sister teens. Dave is that commodity that is all too rare in professional theatre: a handsome, masculine young man who can act, sing and dance. He has a career ahead of him if he wants it.

Sandy Dacus did her usual masterful job as music director. And Debra Wagoner proved yet again that she has a voice made for musical theatre. The new music created for nor.mal, like a lot of new theatre music, combines dissonance with unusual harmonies and unexpected intervals to create a contemporary feeling. Those who sing this music best have perfect intonation, hitting pitches dead on rather than sliding into them or approximating them. Debra Wagoner gives a master class in nor.mal in how to do just that.

Chase loves this new and complex musical, and deserves special congratulations for daring to bring such a challenging work to Richmond audiences.

We at Barksdale deserve some of those same congratulations. Well by Lisa Kron is not your usual comedy. Ms Kron is an established memoirist—an acclaimed master of the one-woman show. In this first Virginia production of her new Broadway hit, she plays fast and loose with the form, inviting her mother to join her onstage, and hiring several guest actors to play the roles of people from her past.

Watching the show is like peeling back the layers of an onion. It’s fun and funny, with a quirky sensibility. Jenny Jones Hundley and Jody Strickler are gonna be great as Lisa and her mother. And before the evening ends, there will be more than a few sniffles as mother and daughter resolve their issues with warmth and humor.

Next weekend I hope to make it out to Pulp, Altar Boyz (Mill version), and, of course, the opening of Well. Hope you too will make the effort to support professional theatre in Richmond. Call a box office, buy a ticket or two, and then go spend some time where the acting is.

Hope to see you there.

--Bruce Miller

U-Tkts Help Students Escape the Box

Posted by Bruce Miller
Beginning Wednesday, April 15, we will launch at Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV a new ticket discount program designed to enable and encourage more college and university students to attend our productions. The tickets, to be called U-Tkts (for University Tickets), will cost $10 each. Normal ticket prices at Barksdale are $38 for a non-musical and $40 for a musical.

Students can reserve U-Tkts in advance over the phone or in person for any performance, pending availability. A student may purchase two U-Tkts to be used by himself/herself and a guest. The guest may be a student or a non-student. A student may not purchase a pair of U-Tkts and give them to a pair of theatergoers who are not students. Students must show a valid student ID at the box office when they pick up their U-Tkts.

It practical terms, U-Tkts will be on the honor system. If you’re not a student, please don’t try to cheat the system just to save a few bucks. We all know how tough the economy is right now. Neither Barksdale nor Theatre IV can afford to lose revenue.

The first shows to be covered by our new U-Tkts program are Well, opening at Barksdale Willow Lawn on April 17, and Annie, opening at the historic Empire Theatre on April 24.

Information about the new U-Tkts program will be distributed next week to all colleges and universities within a 60 minute drive of one of our theatres. The colleges and universities include Hampden-Sydney, J. Sargeant Reynolds, John Tyler, Longwood, Mary Washington, Randolph-Macon, U of R, UVA, VCU, Virginia State, Virginia Union, and William & Mary.

The U-Tkts program was designed with input from 14 university theatre students from throughout the community who responded to questions posted on Facebook.

TenSpot tickets ($10 tickets for high school students) have been in place for the last year and are made available to any high school student who joins our high school connections group, Barksdale Theatre Workshop. More info about this program will be posted soon.

As Greater Richmond’s leading professional theatres, Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV remain committed to being accessible to all theatre lovers, regardless of financial means or physical disability.

--Bruce Miller

Special Events, Mona's... closing 4/5, & WELL opening 4/17

Virginia Arts & Letters Live this Saturday, March 28 ONLY! 8 PM at the Empire Theatre
In the tradition of NYC's celebrated "Selected Shorts," an A-team of Virginia’s finest actors, authors, and musicians mixes it up in a lively and literate celebration of theatrical derring-do, all taped live for broadcast on WCVE-FM.
Buy Tickets

Mona's Arrangements closes Sunday, April 5 at Hanover Tavern
so get your tickets and head over to the Tavern before you miss this world premiere musical comedy that's received 5 rave reviews! Jan Guarino, Scott Wichmann and Audra Honaker star in a musical comedy that’s as charming as it is funny. A successful business woman (Guarino) and a “wild and crazy guy” who is 20 years her junior (Wichmann) connect in this hilarious and tuneful love story set in a flower shop. When the free-spirited niece (Honaker) begins playing Cupid, opposites not only attract, they ignite!

WELL opens April 17 at Willow Lawn.

Lisa just wants to put on a nice, orderly play about growing up and how she was cured of her allergies. But her mother, watching from her La-Z-Boy, keeps offering snacks to the audience and interrupting with her version of events. Soon Lisa loses control of her autobiography when the actors she hired to help tell the tale begin siding with her mom, and a bully from elementary school crashes the narrative. “Wonderful and delirious. Well has warmth and accessibility that make you want to recommend it to everyone.” - The New York Times.
Buy Tickets


Lots more coming up in April:
Theatre IV's Fairy Tale Ball at the Empire, Sat. April 4
Coffee & Conversations at Willow Lawn, Tue. April 14
Stretchin' Musicians at Willow Lawn, Sun. April 19
Bifocals Theatre Project for Seniors at Willow Lawn, Fri. April 24
(and Bifocals also meets this Friday, March 27 as well!)


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Wear Black for Broadway??

Posted by Bruce Miller
On Facebook—yes, as many of you know, I’ve ventured recklessly into that brave new world—a “global rally” is being promoted. On Jan 4, it is suggested, any and everyone who loves theatre should show their support by wearing “Black for Broadway.” A black show tee shirt is recommended, but any black garment will do.

My friend Lizzie Holland—no one loves Broadway more than my friend Lizzie—has signed up for the event. Facebook being the fervent social secretary that it is, I was informed immediately. That's Lizzie below and to the left with Raúl Esparza.

The well intentioned ideas behind this pro-Broadway, pro-theatre demonstration are these:

Sunday, Jan 4 will mark the closing of four Broadway musicals and one comedy: 13, Boeing Boeing, Grease, Hairspray and Young Frankenstein. Closing notices have also been posted later in January for Gypsy, Spamalot, Spring Awakening, Forbidden Broadway (Off Broadway), and “many others.”

The creator of the event, which was originally listed on Facebook as a “protest” and later changed to a “rally,” believes that the closings are premature and the result of our troubled economy. I doubt that this is actually the case, nonetheless ... “This event,” he or she writes, “is just a bunch of theatre fans showing our love and showing our support for something we care about during these difficult times. It’s a day of honor.”

I'm certainly in agreement with that sentiment, and so I'm getting my black Peter Pan tee washed and ready.

As of this writing, 7,548 theatre lovers on Facebook have signed up for the event, a figure that will no doubt increase exponentially over the next few days.

One cogent commenter, Chris Leavy of Orlando FL, added, “I'm actually going to a show on the 4th. Not on Broadway, but still—the best thing we can do to rally support is to keep seeing shows—any shows we can, as often as we can. Broadway is killing itself with $120 ticket prices. Hopefully some good will come of this recession and soon many more people will be able to afford to see live theatre.”

Apparently Phil and I are on the same wavelength with Chris. Hefty ticket prices are a problem not only in NYC, but also right here in River City. When the economy tightens, people look for bargains. At Barksdale and Theatre IV we’re trying to address these current realities by launching our Entertainment Stimulus Package, announced in a news story last week on Channel 12. Click here for more information and to view the YouTube coverage of the news broadcast: http://www.barksdalerichmond.org/stimulus.html#12

So what are we up to? The truth is this—thus far, ticket sales are doing really well. We’ve exceeded budgeted goals for Driving Miss Daisy and Sanders Family Christmas at Hanover Tavern, This Wonderful Life at Willow Lawn, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the Empire.

But as we look to the future, we’ve come to believe that additional stimulus will be needed if we’re to match projections for Children of a Lesser God and Well at Willow Lawn, the World Premiere of Mona’s Arrangements and I Ought to Be in Pictures at the Tavern, and Sideways Stories from Wayside School and Annie at the Empire. With the exception of Annie, these shows have less name recognition that our recent hits. And if any of you are wondering if name recognition is a factor in ticket sales, I assure you in all caps, IT IS.

So we are continuing to sell our best seats at normal ticket prices (appromimately $38), reducing our second best seats to a very affordable $20 (you must purchase by Jan 31), continuing our $15 rush tickets for any and all theatre lovers who don’t mind waiting until 3-hours before curtain to purchase their seats, and providing Hanover County Students with $9 (same as a movie) tickets to all shows at Hanover Tavern.

And if these prices aren’t low enough, we welcome folks to write to me, tell me how much you can afford (on the honor system), and we’ll find a way to make tickets available to you for the price you name. This has always been our policy. We’ve never turned anyone away because of inability to pay.

It goes without saying that we need to continue to sell tickets at all price ranges in order to stay afloat. And we WILL stay afloat. I say this emphatically because literally every time we announce a new fundraising campaign or ticket sale initiative, friends and supporters suspect that we’re going under. Such is the legacy of the surprise closings of TheatreVirginia in 2001 and Broadway Under the Stars in 2006.

Friends. I promise. We are in no danger of closing. We’re merely trying to address strategically the economic challenges that ever business is facing.

So, you can wear your black show tee shirt on Jan 4, or you can pull out a $20 (or two tens and a five if you want to wait for Rush) and show your support by buying a ticket. This is a time for all of us who love theatre to stand shoulder to shoulder and rally behind the art form and the several nonprofit theatres that make our lives so much more fulfilling.

All of Richmond's nonprofit theatres need your support. I hope to see you soon at one of them!

--Bruce Miller