Goodbye to "Becky" & "Kimberly"; Hello "Frog and Toad"

Posted by Bruce Miller
On Friday of this week, we'll open one of our two Broadway for the Holidays musicals, A Year with Frog and Toad, directed by Steve Perigard and choreographed by Leslie Owens Harrington. This is one of those times when we can shout out "Fun for the Whole Family" and really mean it. Please make plans today to treat your children and grandchildren to this joyous classic.

On Saturday evening, we will celebrate the final performance of Kimberly Akimbo, and on Sunday we'll bid a fond farewell to Becky's New Car. We hope you won't let either terrific show pass you by.
All week we'll be putting the final touches on our new lobby paint job at Willow Lawn. Many thanks to the terrific volunteers at Altria for choosing this as one of their community volunteer projects. After 15 years, our Willow Lawn lobby definitely needed a little sprucing up. In all sincerity, Altria, we couldn't have done it without you.

Olives on the Front Porch, our first Bifocals show of the season begins touring this week to senior centers and retirement living facilities throughout Greater Richmond. I'm so proud of the wonderful theatre artists who are pouring their hearts, souls and talents into this exceptional service initiative.

All told, we'll be presenting 68 live performances this week--our busiest week so far this season. Here's some of what's happening at your theatre.

Monday, Oct 31
FIELD Arts Project - 2 classes Chesterfield Co VA
Olives on the Front Porch - 3 pm Beth Sholom
Hugs and Kisses - 2 shows Westmoreland Co VA
Little Red Hen - 1 show Chesterfield Co VA
Sleepy Hollow - 2 shows Martinsville VA
Tales as Tall - 2 shows Harrisonburg VA

Tuesday, Nov 1
Kimberly Akimbo - 7 pm Theatre Gym
FIELD Arts Project - 1 class Henrico Co VA
Frog Prince - 2 shows Cedar Falls IA
Hugs and Kisses - 1 show Fairfax Co VA, 1 show Prince William Co VA
Sleepy Hollow - 1 show Louisa Co VA, 1 show Hanover Co VA
Snow White - 2 shows York Co VA
Tales as Tall - 1 show Halifax Co VA, 1 show Mecklenburg Co VA

Wednesday, Nov 2
FIELD Arts Project - 2 classes Chesterfield Co VA
Olives on the Front Porch - 1 pm Lifelong Learning
Frog Prince - 2 shows Oelwein IA
Hugs and Kisses - 1 show Prince William Co VA, 1 show Fauquier Co VA
Sleepy Hollow - 2 shows Accomack Co VA
Snow White - 2 shows Halifax Co VA
Tales as Tall - 2 shows Nottoway Co VA

Thursday, Nov 3
Becky's New Car - 8 pm Hanover Tavern
Kimberly Akimbo - 8 pm Theatre Gym
Olives on the Front Porch - 7:30 pm Cedarfield
Hugs and Kisses - 1 show Amherst Co VA, 1 show Bedford Co VA
Little Red Hen - 2 shows Vera Beach FL
Sleepy Hollow - 1 show Hanover Co VA
Snow White - 2 shows Richmond VA
Tales as Tall - 2 shows Chesterfield VA

Friday, Nov 4
A Year with Frog and Toad - 7 pm Willow Lawn (opening)
Becky's New Car - 8 pm Hanover Tavern
Kimberly Akimbo - 8 pm Theatre Gym
FIELD Arts Project - 2 classes Chesterfield Co VA
Olives on the Front Porch - 2:30 pm St. Francis
Hugs and Kisses - 2 shows Prince William Co VA
Little Red Hen - 1 show Lecanto FL
Sleepy Hollow - 1 show Loudoun Co VA
Snow White - 2 shows Halifax Co VA
Tales as Tall - 1 show Richmond VA, 1 show Chesterfield Co VA

Saturday, Nov 5
A Year with Frog and Toad - 2 pm and 7 pm Willow Lawn
Becky's New Car - 8 pm Hanover Tavern
Kimberly Akimbo - 8 pm Theatre Gym (closing)
Snow White - 1 show Dublin OH

Sunday, Nov 6
A Year with Frog and Toad - 2 pm Willow Lawn
Becky's New Car - 2 pm Hanover Tavern (closing)

Hope to see you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Barksdale's Bifocals Theatre Project Opens Today

Posted by Bruce Miller
Barksdale produces nine mainstage productions each year in our Signature Season, presented at our intimate Willow Lawn theatre and at the historic Empire, and our Country Playhouse Season, presented at Hanover Tavern. For most theatres, producing nine mainstage shows would be plenty.

Not so for the “little theatre that could.” When Pete Kilgore, Muriel McAuley and their four co-founders created Barksdale in 1953, and for the forty years that followed under Pete’s, Muriel’s, and Nancy Kilgore’s exemplary leadership, service to the community was always just as important as service to the art form.

Some professional theatres are arts for arts sake; some are arts for the community’s sake. Barksdale is the latter.

Barksdale may not be "little" anymore, but this component of the Kilgore/McAuley legacy lives on, enriching Greater Richmond today in many ways that are “outside the box,” and go well above and beyond the call of duty.

Barksdale’s Bifocals Theatre Project is one of the service initiatives of which we are particularly proud. (Pictured to the left: a previous Bifocals production.) Bifocals is a program in which senior producers, directors, actors, designers etc. are paid to create and present short theatrical programs for senior audiences. The name comes from the notion that these performances are presented both near, on the lobby stage at Willow Lawn, and far, on tour to senior centers and retirement facilities throughout Central Virginia.

The Bifocals name and mission was created about 15 years ago by Jewell Sanford and several other veteran theatre professionals, under the auspices of the Henrico Dept. of Rec and Parks. The original incarnation was 100% volunteer. Do in part to that fact, the program lost considerable steam after a season or two, and ceased to exist.

When Theatre IV and Barksdale joined forces in 2001, one of the first things Phil and I did was revive the defunct Bifocals Theatre Project, with permission and encouragement from its founders, under Barksdale’s banner—only this time, everything was and is structured so that these talented senior professionals are paid for their work, just as they are when they're involved in a mainstage Barksdale production.

The Community Foundation and Isabella Witt provided the seed money needed to launch the program. Today, the program exists without any additional funding from outside forces. All of the revenue needed to pay the senior artists comes from ticket sales and fees paid by sponsoring senior centers.

My favorite component of our Bifocals program is this commitment: no senior center that wants to receive programming is turned down due to inability to pay. All centers pay on a sliding scale, based on means. Everyone is served.

The three volunteer co-captains of Bifocals have made all the difference in the success of this program. They are Dr. Pat Walker, Ellen Bode, and Cindy Yuoconis. Greater Richmond should be and is extremely appreciative of their generous example of servant leadership.

If you would like to attend today’s opening of the Bifocals’ season, join us for a reading of The Cedar Chest Letters, produced by Ellen Bode and directed by Barbara Plymale. The performance will begin at 1 p.m. in the lobby of Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn. Tickets are $5.

Prior to and following today’s home theatre opening, this reading has toured or will tour to St. Mary’s Woods, Cross Ridge, Lifelong Learning, Dominion Place, Imperial Plaza, Cedarfield, Crossings at Bon Air, and St. Francis.

For more information about Bifocals, to book a performance, or to become involved, contact our staff liaison, Brittany Taylor at 783-1688 ext 1113.

I suspect it is difficult to appreciate the full value of the Bifocals Theatre Project until you’ve seen, as I have, your 92-year-old mother, who spent her entire life loving theatre, reaching the point where she can no longer sit through a two-hour production or leave her retirement home to venture out to a performing arts facility. Then a Bifocals performance comes to her new residence, and her face lights up like the Fourth of July just to have something different to do, and something theatrical to see.

The Bifocals Theatre Project is as important as anything Barksdale Theatre does. It is a star in our crown, and another reason why the “little theatre that could” is still such a unique, vital, irreplaceable thread in the fabric of our community.

--Bruce Miller

Oh What a Beautiful Morning / Oh What a Blustery Day

Posted by Bob Wall
Yesterday's Bifocals Monthly Meeting was a HUGE success, drawing nearly a hundred laughing theatre lovers into our Barksdale Willow Lawn lobby to hear the one and only Scott Wichmann talk about his lifelong association with A Thousand Clowns. (That's 13-year-old Scotty to the right, making his professional debut as "Nick" in a Pennsylvania production of A Thousand Clowns.) The record-breaking turn-out at yesterday's free monthly event (the previous record was somewhere around 40 attendees) was due to three factors:

1. Scott Wichmann - need I say more

2. a new influx of theatre enthusiasts recruited by our energetic Bifocals leaders, Pat Walker and Ellen Bode, to participate in and/or watch some free staged readings that immediately followed our Sandwich Fixin's Buffet, and

3. a group of 30 or so up-and-at-'em stage fans who came from one of our area retirement communities on a bus.

Word about our Rostov's Coffee & Conversations events (the second Tuesday of every other month), and our Bifocals Monthly Meetings (the fourth Friday of most months) is starting to spread. We hope you'll make plans to join us for one of these fun-filled upcoming programs:

Tuesday, March 8, coffee/tea/pastry bar opens at 9 am, panel discussion begins at 9:30 - Rostov's Coffee & Conversations, Strike Up the Band: A Peak into the Orchestra Pit of Barksdale's Musicals, moderated by Ford Flannagan, featuring three music directors from past and upcoming Barksdale shows (that's our pit band for White Christmas to the left)

Tuesday, April 12, coffee/tea/pastry bar opens at 9 am, panel discussion begins at 9:30 - Rostov's Coffee & Conversations, "All the World's a Stage" -- And I Manage It, moderated by Joy Williams, featuring three stage managers from past and upcoming Barksdale shows

Friday, April 22, lobby opens at 10:45 am, guest speaker begins at 11 - Bifocals Monthly Meeting, The History of Hanover Tavern: Bruce Miller will revisit the past glories and infamies of Barksdale's ancestral home

When yesterday morning went so well, we should have known we were headed for trouble later in the day. That trouble blew in, literally, at about 4:30 pm, when the high winds of yesterday afternoon swept down a tree in Hanover, knocking down electric lines, and causing the loss of power to Hanover Tavern. With a sold-out house eagerly awaiting last night's performance of Nunsense, Phil Whiteway stayed by his phone until 6:30 pm, when word came that the power was still off. Our terrific box office staff had already called each of our ticket holders, advising them of the situation, and telling them that the decision to cancel or not would finally be made by 6:30 pm at the latest. Phil passed on the bad news, and our valiant box office workers set to work, calling everyone again to cancel the show.

Fortunately, and by popular demand, we will be reviving Nunsense in July at Willow Lawn, so those who really want to see the show won't be disappointed, just delayed. The entire cast will be returning for the summer revival, with the exception of Shalimar Fields, who had long planned a family vacation to Rome during the month of July. Every good nun's dream, right?

Not to fear, the wonderful Ms Fields will be replaced by the equally wonderful Katrinah Lewis. Another blessing.

Fun Fun Fun Till Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away

Posted by Bob Wall
Yesterday we had one tightly-wound, sinewy ball of crazed comic energy at the Empire--I'm talking of course about Richmond's favorite high flying squirrel ... Nutzy! (Someone fire off the confetti cannons, please!)

Today we have that other tightly-wound, sinewy ball of crazed comic energy at Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn! You know who I mean. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I'm talking of course about Richmond's favorite high flying actor ... Scotty Wichmann!! (No confetti cannons needed, thank you very much.)

Now that I think of it, has anyone ever seen Nutzy and Scotty in the same room at the same time? Hmmm.

When we announced that Scotty would be holding court at today's Bifocals Monthly Meeting, discussing his lifelong attachment to A Thousand Clowns, the American comedy masterpiece opening at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern in just a couple weeks, the phones began to jingle like Christmas bells. Can we bring a bus of 30 from Varina? Will there be enough food at the lunchtime Sandwich Fixin's Buffet? Will he really show pictures of his 10-year-old self performing in A Thousand Clowns under the tutelage of a famous Broadway and Hollywood star? Is it really FREE and open to everyone with no reservations required?

Yes, yes, yes and yes!!

So, Scotty won't be throwing hot dogs or riding a flamingo up and down the aisles (if you were there yesterday with Nutzy you would understand). But this morning, Friday Feb 25, our own Scotty Wichmann will be entertaining for FREE beginning at 11 a.m. in our Willow Lawn lobby. And YOU are invited to join us.

Following Scotty's one-hour presentation (yes, they'll be time for questions and answers), we'll open our once-a-month Bifocals Sandwich Fixin's Buffet and EVERYONE is invited to join the great Mr. W for lunch. Everything is FREE, so please come. And if you feel able to contribute a free-will offering of $5 to cover lunch expenses, just stick your fiver in the jar with our gratefull appreciation.

See you later this morning! A fun time is guaranteed for all!!

No Extra Qualifier Needed

Posted by Bruce Miller
Thanks to Dave Timberline's blog, I found John Porter's blog, where John publishes print copies of his reviews. You can find it too, at John Porter's review of "Boleros" .

John wrote a very lovely review, which I appreciate.

So far we've received two raves and possibly the best word of mouth we've had in years. And the phone's not ringing. There's always a danger, when you reach out to an underserved part of the metro population, that your regular ticket buyers will think this play is not for them.

In my opinion, nothing is further from the truth. As Susie Haubenstock stated in her review, "Funny yet poignant, Boleros touches a universal chord." Jose Rivera is such a gifted writer that this very personal story about his parents becomes everyone's story. I LOVE the play, and I hope everyone will come.

Anyway, John Porter's entire review is worth reading, so I encourage you to click on the link above and check it out. Until then, here are the review quotes we're pulling to include in our future marketing efforts:

"Remarkable!

This play is one of the most exciting evenings I have spent in a theatre. No extra qualifier needed.

Who knows how long it will be until we are treated to something so beautiful again?"

John Porter, WCVE-FM

If you'd like to meet the amazing cast of Boleros, please join us tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. for our monthly Bifocals meeting. All six cast members will participate in a panel discussion entitled, A Long Way from West Side Story - What it means to be Latino in the USA Today.

Hope to see you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Random Ramblings on "Boleros"

Posted by Bruce Miller
I'm told by friends who heard the review on WCVE-FM yesterday afternoon that John Porter has written a glowing assess-ment of Boleros for the Disenchanted. This would be great. The show is getting amazing word-of-mouth, but it's a lesser known title. Every bit of positive PR helps. As of this morning, John's review is not posted on the WCVE-FM website. I'll let you know how to access a copy as soon as I can figure it out.

Two days from now, on Friday Sept 25 at 11 a.m., the cast of Boleros will assemble on our Willow Lawn stage for the first of two panel discussions: A Long Way from West Side Story - Being Latino in the USA Today. Two of our six actors are of Puerto Rican lineage, three have Mexican roots, and one is of Cuban ancestry. All are proud Latino Americans. I'll be moderating the discussion, and we'll be talking about the many gifts that their heritage has bestowed upon them. This panel discussion is one of the monthly meetings of our Bifocals Theatre Project. It is free and open to the public.

Immediately following the one hour discussion, we'll move to the lobby for a casual buffet lunch consisting of lunchmeats and cheeses, breads, lettuce and tomatoes, snack and dessert items, and beverages. A $5 free-will donation is suggested for lunch.

Jose Lorenzo, the Cuban balladeer who opens the show with his stirring rendition of the classic bolero Toda una vida, is also the artist who painted the beautiful and evocative landscapes on display in our lobby. More about Jose later.

We expanded our lobby stage by approximately 64 sq ft to create the Plaza Stage used as a performance space by the Latin Ballet during intermission of Boleros. Dance has been a central component of Hispanic and Latino theatre since its inception. In Hispanic tradition, the dancers are not confined to the stage of the theatre. The dances, always designed to reflect the themes of the play, frequently spill out into the audience and onto plaza stages constructed outside the theatres walls. Rather than invade the Willow Lawn parking lot, we’ve constructed our Plaza Stage inside. Audiences are enjoying this cultural exploration.

Simple platform plaza stages similar to ours have been growing in popularity over the last several years as the impact of Latino culture spreads nationally. You will find plaza stages in most major cities throughout the west, southwest and Florida. Perhaps the most well known plaza stages are the ones used by the Today Show for their summer music series, and the ones found at Disneyland in California and Universal in Orlando,

John Glenn, former artistic director of Barksdale, and R. L. Rowsey, former associate artistic director of TheatreVirginia, are in town to direct and music direct Souvenir, opening this Friday at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern. I was honored that both talented men were able to join us for opening night of Boleros. It was GREAT to have a few minutes to visit with these two friends, and to hear how much they enjoyed the show. For John, it was his first visit back to Barksdale since he left a dozen or so years ago.

Bernardo Cubria, the WONDERFUL Mexican American actor who plays Manuelo in Boleros and thrills audiences during two of the plays funniest scenes, is also a professional translator. It is his voice that can be heard speaking in Spanish on our pre-show announcement (along with Janine Serresseque, speaking in English). Bernardo is also creating the translation that will be used in October when we begin projecting the dialogue in Spanish super-titles onto the western wall of the theatre during selected performances.

Last tidbit—Michelle Guadalupe, the talented actress who charms as Petra, has now added a second “Whiteway” to her resume. Two summers ago, Michelle acted with the prestigious Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center in Connecticut. The Executive Director of the O’Neill is none other than Preston Whiteway, Phil’s super-achieving, 27/28-year-old nephew (pictured to the left). Those of you who knew Phil in his late 20s will note the strong family resemblance.

See you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Buzzin' and Bookin' to Beat the Band

Posted by Bruce Miller
I admit my relationship with the Barksdale Buzz has been an on-again, off-again affair. The reasons are several, having to do with the pull of other responsibilities both personal and professional, a fierce desire to avoid conflict, my tendency to become bored by routine, and a schoolboy’s response to the flirtations of other IT applications.

I believe it’s an important part of the job of the artistic director of any major professional theatre to communicate regularly and publicly about this most popular of all performing art forms. Like it or not, and I admit that I like it, there is a platform that comes with my position. I enjoy speaking in our Coffee & Conversations and Bifocals monthly programs. I’ve been known to get giddy leading walking tours in NYC or London during our annual theatre trips with Covington Travel.

But enjoying communication doesn’t make it easy or effective. Worthwhile, informed, articulate communication takes time and focus.

Not everyone agrees. Blogs and other new technologies encourage casual and free-wheeling correspondence. Several friends insist my writing is way too stuffy for a blog. But the minute I put on my artistic director hat, and more and more I’m realizing that I’m never allowed to take it off, every word I write becomes writ in stone. Sometimes people make judgements about Barksdale and Theatre IV based on little more than my syntax. Each of these judgments has a cash value, and I have 40 to 80 people counting on me every two weeks for their pay checks.

As I was contemplating all this last fall, the siren call of Facebook began to fill my ears. Facebook is not about writing; it’s about connecting. Perhaps here, I thought, I could continue to promote the two nonprofit theatres I represent without needing to pontificate. I kissed blogger goodbye, or at least farewell, and jumped into F’book like a skinny dipping kid on a hot night at the local swimmin’ hole.

Now, 1,575 friends later, I’m beginning to learn the ins and outs of Facebook. Without ever intending to, I’ve made people frustrated and upset; I’ve hurt feelings. I’ve learned to be cautious and to keep a much lower profile.

With only a couple early exceptions, I don’t play the Facebook games or take the surveys or join the causes or throw sheep at people.

Currently I use Facebook, professionally, as follows. I try to keep up with Theatre IV and Barksdale alum, to let them know they will always be remembered and appreciated. I try to befriend theatre students at VCU, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of Oklahoma, hoping they will audition for us as they grow their professional careers. I try to befriend professional actors in Broadway, Off Broadway and nationally touring shows, wanting to spread the names of Barksdale and Theatre IV widely throughout our national talent pool. I network with “friends” and supporters of other theatres in town, including the upcoming “Broadway” series at CenterStage, hoping that Barksdale and Theatre IV will show up on everyone’s radar screen. I keep in touch with a full roster of civic and business leaders, reminding one and all that Barksdale and Theatre IV are worthy nonprofits that need broad-based community support.

Will any of it work? Who knows. But I’m trying.

And now, perhaps, I’ll begin writing a bit again on the blog. If and when I do, I hope you’ll all begin reading again, and commenting. Most of all, I hope each and every one of you will become a constant player in the Richmond professional theatre scene. It won’t happen without lots of energy coming from lots of people in lots of places.

Hope to see you at the theatre.

--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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Chase, Steve, Catherine, Adam and Bob

Posted by Bruce Miller

As many of you know, last spring Phil and I determined that Barksdale and Theatre IV needed to eliminate five staff positions over the next year in order to responsibly face the declining economy. Assessing financial realities and accepting that we need to lose five valued staff members was the easy part. Deciding which positions to eliminate was tough.

We looked first at attrition. Who on staff had expressed an interest in leaving in the near to not too distant future. It’s much more supportive of staff morale to eliminate a position that has been voluntarily vacated than to yank a job away from someone who truly wants and needs it.

Chase Kniffen had already decided to leave Barksdale and Theatre IV to start his own company, Stage 1. The wisdom of that decision is now easily discernible to all. So we chose not to fill his position of Special Projects Manager. Among other responsibilities, Chase had managed Barksdale’s Bifocals Theatre Project and our SOAR high school externships. It was an easy decision to put Bifocals touring and the externship program on hold, at least during the first half of 08-09. His other responsibilities were divided among remaining staff members, adding to their already full plates.

Steve Perigard had been talking about moving on to other opportunities for at least three years. In the spring of 08, Steve told me that he thought that the time may have come. Who can blame him? Someone with Steve Perigard’s intelligence, initiative, job experience, talent and skill set can do much better than serve as an Associate Artistic Director year after year. Steve asked if he could contemplate the move during the summer. I said he could take all the time he needed. In the early fall, he made it official—he wanted to move on.

I’m told that the rumor mill is now putting forth the notion that Steve was “let go” or “fired.” That rumor is in no way true. Everyone should know of the friendship, respect and admiration I have for Steve. There’s no way in this world that I would have let him go or fired him. Steve made the difficult decision to move on from Barksdale and Theatre IV because he feels like it’s in his best interests to explore other opportunities. I wholehearted support him in that decision. Being an Associate Artistic Director is in many ways a thankless job. He deserves more, and I’m confident he’ll quickly find several wonderful, fulfilling and lucrative opportunities.

It is Steve’s stated hope, and mine, that he will continue to work with our two companies as a freelance director and actor. More about that in the coming weeks and months.

We did not decide to eliminate Steve’s position because we can afford to be without an Associate Artistic Director. We can’t. But his position can now be one of the five we need to eliminate, or at least put on hold. Not filling the position of Associate Artistic Director is a better option than firing someone else.

Simply writing down the many jobs that Steve has masterfully performed here is filling up a book. During January, we will finalize the determination of who will assume each of his responsibilities. It will not be easy to make these decisions. Frankly, I’m scared to death. I know that it will be rough going without him. However, I also know that we will make it work. We are blessed with many capable staff leaders who can effectively perform any task that is put before them. Institutionally, dealing with transition can ultimately strengthen a company. In our case, it can help prepare the company for Phil’s and my retirement in 7 ½ years.

The third position to be eliminated was Catherine Dudley’s position as Marketing Associate. Catherine had just completed her course work to be an ASL interpreter. She’d been talking for well over a year about leaving Barksdale to pursue her “dream job” working as an interpreter with deaf students. In June, I asked Catherine to consider making this transition earlier rather than later. I was confident that she would find immediate work in her chosen career. Because she loved working with us, and vice versa, it was a tearful conversation. But she understood and accepted my request. Sure enough, in September she began working as an interpreter for Chesterfield County Public Schools, and from day one she’s been thrilled by her new job—and enjoying a significant pay increase.

Best of all, Catherine has continued to work for us as translator and sign instructor for Sanders Family Christmas and Children of a Lesser God. It’s been a perfect transition. Catherine’s many responsibilities have now been added to the overflowing plates of Sara Marsden, our Marketing Director, and Billy Christopher Maupin, our Marketing Associate and Publications Manager.

The fourth and fifth positions to be eliminated were Adam Tiller’s job as Office Manager and Bob Albertia’s job as Group Sales Manager. Adam has been a favorite son and valued employee at Barksdale and Theatre IV for years, in many capacities. But his ultimate goal was to return to grad school. He’s a brilliant young man, and frankly, his many talents were somewhat wasted in his part-time job as Office Manager. His major responsibilities included manning the front desk as a receptionist, and accepting, recording and depositing all incoming revenue. At the top of the new year, we hope to be recruiting volunteers to fill the first of those two tasks. The financial responsibilities have now been shifted over to other employees.

Bob Albertia is one of Richmond’s theatrical cornerstones. He is and always will be irreplaceable. Bob has now retired, a privilege and opportunity that he well deserves. His group sales responsibilities have been split in half. Tony Foley is handling the aggressive sales work. AnnaMarie Epps in our box office is handling the more passive job of taking and servicing orders. No one can possibly assume Bob’s particular panache in dealing with enthusiastic group leaders. But we’ll all do the best we can, and we'll make it through.

Our hope and expectation is that we will continue to work with Bob as a volunteer providing team leadership to our Bifocals Theatre Project and working with us on a variety of other artistic projects.

The big question in everyone’s mind is, “Do the cuts stop here?” In all honestly, I don’t know. We believe we made responsible and effective decisions in a timely manner, and it is our fervent hope that no additional layoffs will be forthcoming.

But that is not a promise. The economy will do what it will do. And we will respond responsbilty. The Boards, Phil and I are addressing proactively the various financial challenges in every way we can. We will ride out this storm. And we will honor our commitment to our incredible staff to the very best of our abilities.

--Bruce Miller

Hats Off to Barksdale's Mighty Volunteers

Posted by Bruce Miller
Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, ages, races and creeds. God bless them every one.

About 120 of Barksdale and Theatre IV’s finest volunteers gathered last evening for our annual Volunteer Rally in our Willow Lawn lobby. Jean Hartley (our Volunteer Coordinator), her husband Dorman, Jennings Whiteway (our Events, Access and Food Service Manager), Jeanette Blaylock (volunteer chef extraordinaire), and Bob Albertia (our Group Sales Manager) provided the management, food and decoration for the event.

Steve Moore tickled the ivories beautifully throughout the evening. Speakers included Jean Hartley, Joy Ross (our Community Relations Manager), Bob Albertia, Phil Whiteway and me. Jeanette Blaylock’s famous artichoke dip, crab dip, fresh salsa and brownie bites complemented the crudités and ham biscuits provided by our friendly and generous downstairs neighbors, Padow’s Deli. From all appearances, a fun time was had by all.

Present in everyone’s hearts was Elizabeth Prevatt, one or our foremost and longest-serving volunteers, who died last month at age 82. Elizabeth was the elegant, prim, white-haired lady who for many years greeted audience members and took their tickets as they entered the lobby at the top of our stairs. With love and respect, our current production of The Clean House is dedicated to Elizabeth's memory.

Volunteers at Barksdale and Theatre IV work as ushers at our Willow Lawn, Hanover Tavern, and historic Empire theatres. They also assist with concessions, man the Will Call Window in our box office during some performances, assist with lunch service responsibilities during Bifocal’s matinees, and provide administrative support as needed.

Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV would not survive without our able, talented and generous volunteers. If you would like to join our growing volunteer family, please call Jean Hartley at 355-3434.

See you at the theatre!

(Photo note: The youthful volunteers pictured above and to the left served on the all-volunteer crew for Barksdale and Steward School's co-production of Disney's High School Musical during the summer of 08.)

--Bruce Miller

Singing to Help Others

Posted by Bruce Miller
A concert reading of the songs from the Tony Award-winning musical Parade will be presented tonight and tomorrow in benefit performances at Barksdale Willow Lawn. Thirty-three great singers will join together to celebrate the music of Jason Robert Brown, one of Broadway’s hottest “new composers.” The benefit concert is being coordinated by Hannah Zold, an alum of several Barksdale musicals including Into the Woods, The Full Monty and Mame. Music direction is by Damas E. Boudreaux.

The volunteer cast is comprised of many of the finest theatre voices from Richmond and beyond. All funds raised are being contributed by Zold and her performers to Barksdale’s Bifocals Theatre Project (which takes touring one-acts into senior centers throughout Greater Richmond at little or no charge) and Barksdale’s hospital audience program (which makes tickets to musicals and comedies available free-of-charge to families who come to Richmond to be with a child undergoing treatment at an area hospital).

Parade, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Alfred Uhry, is one of the most acclaimed new musicals of Broadway's last decade. It opened at Lincoln Center ten years ago, and received the 1999 Tony Award for Best Book (Uhry) and Best Score (Jason Robert Brown). It was nominated for Best Musical, but lost that year to Fosse, the tribute to Bob Fosse’s legendary choreography.

Quoting from Wikipedia, “The musical concerns the real-life 1913 trial of Jewish factory manager Leo Frank, who was accused of raping and murdering a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan. The trial, sensationalized by the media, aroused anti-Semitic tensions in Atlanta and throughout Georgia. When Frank's sentence was commuted due to possible problems with the trial, he was transferred to a prison in Milledgeville, Georgia where a lynching party kidnapped him from the prison. Frank was taken to Phagan's hometown of Marietta, Georgia, and he was hanged. The Anti-Defamation League was formed partly in response to Leo Frank's trial and lynching.”

Broadway director Harold “Prince turned to Brown (pictured to the left) to write the score after Stephen Sondheim turned the project down. Prince's daughter, Daisy, had brought Brown to her father's attention. Uhry, who grew up in Atlanta, had personal knowledge of the Frank story, as his great-uncle owned the pencil factory run by Leo Frank.”

“The show was Brown's first Broadway production. His music has ‘subtle and appealing melodies that draw on a variety of influences, from pop-rock to folk to rhythm and blues and gospel.’ The plot hews closely to the historical story. The true villains of the piece are portrayed as the prosecutor Hugh Dorsey (later the governor of Georgia and then a judge) and the rabid publisher Tom Watson (later elected a U.S. senator).”

The Murder of Mary Phagan, a movie based on the same historical incident, was filmed in locations throughout Greater Richmond in 1987, starring Jack Lemmon as Georgia Gov. John Slaton and Peter Gallagher as Leo Frank.

Parade is the third in playwright Alfred Uhry’s “Atlanta Trilogy.” The first play in the trilogy, Driving Miss Daisy, will be presented at Barksdale Hanover Tavern this fall, starring Joy Williams, Jim Bynum and Garet Chester, and directed by Joe Pabst.

Jason Robert Brown's new musical 13 (pictured to the right) is set to open on Broadway this September. The entire cast of 13 is made up of 13 teen actors, and the entire band is comprised of teen musicians. The story of the musical concerns a happy 13-year-old from NYC who, weeks before his bar mitzvah, moves with his parents to Indiana where he must begin a new life.

If you love great singing, new musicals and/or stirring drama, or if you want to support this cast of magnificent performing artists as they raise funds for two worthy programs, please come to Barksdale Willow Lawn for the 8 pm performance tonight (Sunday) or tomorrow (Monday). Tickets are available at the door for $15, or you can purchase them in advance at the box office for $12.

Having listened in on two rehearsals, I can report that the singers are amazing. I can’t wait to see and hear this huge and talented cast performing these rousing songs.

See you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Bifocals Bargains, Meeting and Auditions

Posted by Jessica Daugherty

Bifocals Meeting Friday 3/28 at 11 AM for theatre lovers aged 55 and older

Show Business: Examine the process of producing a big musical in New York and in Richmond. Includes video footage of some of the greatest Producers and Directors discussing their work in the theatre, as well as discussion on what it's like to produce a blockbuster musical right here in Richmond.

At Barksdale at Willow Lawn. Suggested donation of $5 includes post discussion luncheon.

Bifocals Auditions for Fifty Years Ago will follow the meeting:

Fifty Years Ago
by Murray Schisgal
May 1 & 2, 2008 at 1PM at Willow Lawn
Touring performance run through May 16, 2008.
Directed by Vaughan Gary

Donald and Patricia Lumley, two World War II veterans, reunite and celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary after having not seen each other in 50 years. On this special day, the Lumleys reconcile the life they lived apart with their new life together.

Auditions will be held on Friday, March 28 at 1:00 PM at Willow Lawn.

Seeking actors aged 55 and older.

All actors will be paid a small stipend.

Questions? Please contact Chase Kniffen at (804) 783-1688 ext. 14.


Bifocals Bargain Tickets

For only $19, Bifocals members age 65 and older can reserve Bifocals Bargain Tickets for selected Barksdale performances. To join our Bifocals Theatre Project, senior theatre enthusiasts must register their email and/or street mail address with Chase Kniffen, Barksdale’s Special Projects Manager. There is no charge or membership fee associated with joining Barksdale’s Bifocals Theatre Project. For more information, visit our Bifocals page.

Bifocals Bargain Dates for Greater Tuna and The Little Dog Laughed have just been announced! Click for details...


To get the latest Bifocals events delivered to your inbox, sign up for our eNewsletter and select "Special Events" as an area of interest.

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree! Look!! The Show I Did in '63!!!

Posted by John Steils

The good men and women of Barksdale’s Bifocals Theatre Project—our dynamic initiative for senior theatre artists and audiences—are launching a new program. During the next several months, they will be working independently and with Barksdale’s artisans to create handcrafted Christmas tree ornaments to represent each of the approximately 300 mainstage shows that Barksdale has produced since its founding as Richmond’s first professional performing arts organization in 1953.

Simultaneously, we will all begin creating ornaments for each of the mainstage productions at Theatre IV and the Virginia Museum Theatre / TheatreVirginia, the two other great stage companies whose resources and energies contribute so much to make Barksdale the powerhouse it is today.

Eventually, all these ornaments will be hung each year on the festive trees located in the lobbies of our Willow Lawn, Hanover Tavern, and historic Empire performance facilities. Christmas and Hanukkah are an ideal time to remember and celebrate all the great professional productions that have made Richmond the theatrical capital of the region. Who knows, maybe other theatres will join in the project to create memory trees of their own.

During my three months at Barksdale, I’ve had the privilege to meet and talk with many of the hundreds of theatre artists, Board leaders etc. who make up this landmark institution. Kevin Kilgore, Jacqui O’Connor, Essie Simms (she’s seen every B’dale production since 1953!) and many, many others have shared stories of the Tavern that have made the historic Barksdale come alive for me. Ford Flannagan, Gordon Bass, Terrie Powers and their pals have related stories that go back to Theatre IV’s founding in 1975, allowing me feel like I was in those touring vans myself. Did Jan Guarino really learn the entire score to Jubilee! while riding in the van on the way to a Newport News performance?

Sue Griffin, Meredith Stanley Scott (pictured with husband Alfred in the '70s to the left), Bob Albertia and dozens of others have shared their tales of VMT / TVA, keeping that company very much alive in the hallways, dressing rooms and rehearsal halls of Barksdale. Did you know that six of our current staff members, scores of our talented theatre artists, even our artistic director are all VMT / TVA vets? Shoot, the evening gown that Jan Guarino wears nightly in Swingtime Canteen was first created for and worn in Bubbling Brown Sugar at TheatreVirginia, and Jan herself starred in countless TheatreVirginia productions (in between those notorious van rides at Theatre IV).

You generous people in Richmond’s vibrant theatre community have had the good sense to combine and unite your passions to create a current company that thrives on all the strengths of the various companies that preceded it. That’s a pretty amazing achievement, and I don’t think there are many theatre communities that could pull it off. Pete, Nancy and Muriel (and Leslie Cheek, Robert Telford et al) must have been amazing people to have created the family you have become. Now, the three memory trees you are creating will represent their and your star-studded history in all its glory. You have my undying admiration.

Sadly, sort of, for me, this is my last blog entry. I came to Richmond at the end of September to be with my sister, who was seriously ill. The wonderful news is that she is now SO much better and I am able to return home. While I was here, Barksdale was kind enough to welcome me into the fold, and give this theatrical fish-out-of-water a temporary home. My part-time internship with the marketing department has been a lifeline for me during a somewhat stressful time, and I can’t thank you all enough.

So Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! I will miss you all, and I thank you for being the most amazing theatre I’ve ever had the privilege to know. Long may you thrive!

--John Steils

It's a Wonderful City -- and Barksdale and Theatre IV Help to Make It That Way

Posted by John Steils

Barksdale Bifocal’s current production of It’s a Wonderful Life is now bringing joy on tour to senior centers and retirement living facilities throughout Greater Richmond. In honor of the central plot device of this holiday classic, we found ourselves sitting around the other day contemplating how Greater Richmond would be different if Barksdale and Theatre IV had never existed?
Among the scores of answers that marketing team members yelled out, I was surprised by this one. If Barksdale and Theatre IV had never existed, there would be no Richmond Boys Choir.

If you want to hear first-ear what a loss this would be, you can attend a free concert this evening in Oregon Hill. The Richmond Boys Choir will perform their benefit holiday program entitled A Joyful Sound this evening, Fri Dec 14, 6 pm, at St Andrew’s Episcopal Church at the corner of Laurel and Idlewood. Admission is a canned good or non-perishable food item. All proceeds will go to the Central Virginia Food Bank. No reservations are required.

Both the Richmond Boys Choir and St Andrew’s have strong connections to Barksdale and Theatre IV. And in the case of the Choir, the “connection” goes beyond strong.

The current Richmond Boys Choir was founded as a subsidiary of Theatre IV in 1996. Our artistic director, Bruce Miller, apparently charged into Phil Whiteway’s office one day twelve years ago mourning the fact that the first Richmond Boys Choir had fallen into non-existence in the three years following the death of its founder. Bruce decided that Theatre IV was in a position to reinvigorate the Choir, and he convinced Phil of the validity of his idea. Together, the two men convinced the Theatre IV Board.

Billy Dye, who was at that time a staff member of Theatre IV, was assigned the responsibility of serving as the artistic director of the new Choir. As fate would have it, he’s continued to serve in that role for the last 11 years.

From 1996 until 1999, Theatre IV mentored the Richmond Boys Choir, paid its staff, built its Board, managed its finances, and raised funds on its behalf. During this three year period, the choir was housed in Theatre IV’s offices and rehearsed and performed in Theatre IV’s historic Empire Theatre.

In 1999, the Richmond Boys Choir fulfilled its strategic plan and became the fully independent nonprofit organization that it is today. Happily, our now independent companies continue to be the closest of allies.

The Richmond Boys Choir welcomes members from all socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds. They have opened for and/or performed in association with Wynton Marsalis, Lily Tomlin, former Supreme Mary Wilson, James Earl Jones and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Their spirit and talents have been showcased at the Governor’s Inaugural Prayer Breakfast and broadcast nationally on The Today Show, winning praise from Katie Couric.

Recently the Richmond Boys Choir was named one of 50 finalists nationwide for the Coming Up Taller Award presented annually by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts. Should they be selected for this honor, they will be the first Virginia organization to receive this prestigious recognition as one of the nation’s top arts programs serving youth beyond school hours. Keep your fingers crossed.

When it comes to St Andrew's, staff members from Barksdale and Theatre IV have been volunteering in their after school program since September. Our artistic director Bruce Miller works with third, fourth and fifth graders each Monday afternoon in this community-based enrichment program.

Our theatres’ partnerships with the Richmond Boy Choir and St Andrew’s School are perfect examples of the vital contributions that Barksdale and Theatre IV make throughout the community every day, often without publicity or recognition. In many ways that we frequently forget, Barksdale and Theatre IV are essential cornerstones of the life of Greater Richmond.

--John Steils

Holiday Happenings Kick Off This Week

Posted by John Steils

If you’re looking for a way to jump start your holiday celebration, you need look no further than Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV. Our upcoming roster of eight different productions and special events is bound to include something smile-inducing for you and yours. We’re YOUR theatre, so please join in the fun.

1. Home for the Holidays
This is Barksdale’s third annual benefit concert for the Richmond Theatre Artists Fund. Not only will you enjoy a great 2-hour evening of entertainment from some of Richmond’s finest theatre singers, you’ll also be supporting a great cause. This year’s line-up of super-stars includes Brett Ambler, Corey Davis, Jan Guarino, Audra Honaker, Katrinah Lewis, Jason Marks, Robyn O’Neill, Fernando Rivadeniera, Janine Serresseque, Durron Tyree, and Tony Williams at the piano. Erin Thomas is our emcee. Performances are on the starlit Barksdale Willow Lawn lobby stage, with attendance limited to 80 guests sitting cabaret-style at reserved tables. Click for more details.

2. Bifocals Theatre Project
If you’re 55 or older, or if you know a theatre lover who is 55 or older, you really should connect with Barksdale’s Bifocals Theatre Project, our fun and fast-moving initiative designed to serve Greater Richmond’s senior theatre artists and audiences. On Thurs Dec 6 and Fri Dec 7, our Bifocals troupe will present a half-hour version of the radio drama It’s a Wonderful Life, directed by Bob Albertia, and featuring the acting talents of Bob himself plus Tom Bass, Woody Eney, Joel Grow, Donna Knicely, Chase Kniffen and Ali Thibodeau. The performance will take place on the lobby stage at Barksdale Willow Lawn. Seating for lunch (optional) begins at 12 noon, and the performance begins at 1 pm. Attendance is limited to 80 guests, and tickets must be reserved in advance. Following the Friday performance will be the annual Bifocals Christmas Party, which is open to all theatre lovers 55 and over, free of charge. Click for more details.

3. Indonesian Shadow Puppet Performance and Concert - FREE
Also this Fri Dec 7, in partnership with the Modlin Center for the Arts at Bruce and Phil’s alma mater (the University of Richmond), Barksdale will present free performances of a traditional Indonesian shadow-puppet performance featuring Dr. Andrew Clay McGraw (ethnomusicologist and music professor at the University), Gusti Putu Sudarta, Dalang (shadow master and musician), and John MacDonald (gamelan musician). Free performances will be at our historic Empire Theatre, conducted as a part of First Fridays. Call Catherine Dudley for more information, 643-2477. And while visiting the historic Empire on First Friday, be sure to enjoy the art photos of Jay Paul, now on display in our lobby gallery. Click for more details.

4. Stretchin’ at Barksdale – only $12 for a GREAT concert
Stretchin’ at Barksdale is our free-wheeling, grab-a-beer-and-chill-to-the-music concert series, presented on Sunday evenings in the “living room” lobby at Barksdale Willow Lawn. This Sun, Dec 9, 6 pm, national rising star Justin Townes Earle, son of country superstar Steve Earle, will be taking the stage with Richmond great Susan Greenbaum. B J Kocen is our impresario and emcee. It’s the best deal on the best music in town. If you enjoy live music in a laid back “at home” atmosphere, you’d be crazy to miss it. No reservations. Purchase tickets at the door. Click for more details.

5. Rostov’s Coffee & Conversations - FREE
Get outa here! You’ve NEVER been to a Coffee & Conversations event??!! Well, there’s no time to start like the present. Next Tues, Dec 11, 9:30 am, join us in the lobby of Barksdale Willow Lawn to hear all the backstage stories directly from the horses’ mouths. Our three leading men of Moonlight and Magnolias will answer all your questions and reveal all the backstage insights you’ve been dying to know. And if you can, come a little early. Rostov’s delicious coffee, hot tea and pastries are available for a suggested donation of $3. No tickets or reservations required. Click for more details.

6. A Christmas Story – Empire Theatre
A great, hilarious play, suitable for the entire family age 6 to 106. You can read review quotes elsewhere on the blog, or call the Theatre IV box office for more info. 344-8040.

7. Moonlight and Magnolias – Barksdale Willow Lawn
A laugh-fest comedy about the making of the screenplay of Gone with the Wind. You can read review quotes elsewhere on the blog, or call the Barksdale box office for more info. 282-2620.

8. Swingtime Canteen – Barksdale Hanover Tavern
A joyous, toe-tapping, boogie-woogie recreation of a USO show from Christmas 1944. You can read review quotes elsewhere on the blog, or call the Barksdale box office for more info. 282-2620.

See you at the theatre!

--John Steils