CenterStage Brochure Announces New Initiatives

Posted by Bruce Miller
According to blogger.com, this is our 600th blog post. Considering all the articles that have been posted and then removed, it's probably the 700th post we've written, but ... for better or worse, it's the first time we've had 600 items actually posted at the same time.

When Barksdale was 31 years old, co-founder Muriel McAuley wrote her wonderful book, Moving On. Theatre IV turned 36 last May. Theatre IV doesn't have a book. But I've written a lot of posts on this blog.

One day I'll go back through the blog archives to proof and edit.

I was pleased to receive the beautiful new CenterStage brochure in my home mailbox last evening. I was particularly interested to learn about four news items. At least they were news to me.

1. Three of the four restaurants listed as CenterStage's Premiere Restaurant Partners are located in easy walking distance of the historic Empire Theatre. Bistro 27 (across the street), TJs and Lemaire (two blocks away) all offer a 10% discount to CenterStage ticket holders on the night of the show. CenterStage is clearly a step ahead of Barksdale in pulling this together. Good for them. We all learn from the competition. It's a great perq for ticket buyers. It's time for us to pay a visit on our friends at Bistro 27 and the Jefferson to try to catch up with CenterStage.

2. Young James Wasilewski, who I guess isn't all that young anymore (he will always be "Young James" to us), will be bringing his acclaimed improv troupe, West End Comedy, into Rhythm Hall, the multipurpose performance space at CenterStage. James (pictured to the right) interned with Barksdale his senior year at Randolph Macon, a little less than a decade ago. Now he'll be appearing downtown on four Fridays--Nov 4, Jan 13, Feb 3, and Mar 16.

James has been trying to lure me out to the West End for months, to see his show. Looks like I now will have no excuse not to go laugh at my buddy in his new downtown digs. Tickets are only $10, and the show is for "mature audiences." I don't know if I'm mature yet, but I'm marking my calendar nonetheless. I hope you will too. I think bringing comedy to Rhythm Hall on a regular basis is a great idea.

3. Kathy Halenda, who starred at Barksdale in Mame and Irving Berlin's White Christmas is one of the headliners in CenterStage's new Life Is A Cabaret series, sponsored by U. S. Trust. On Jan 26-29, Kathy will be bringing her Class & Brass: The Music of Judy Garland and Bette Midler show to Rhythm Hall. What a perfect way to heat up a cold winter's night. If Kathy's in town, you know the joint will be jumpin'.

Richmond needs more cabaret. We've made halting efforts at Barksdale, and Glen Allen and Triangle have lately picked up the ball with excellent cabaret acts and series of their own. Maybe one day soon, Richmond will have a flourishing cabaret scene at multiple venues.

4. The biggest newsflash for me (I know, everyone else has probably known for weeks) is that CenterStage is getting into the theatre producing business with a new program called CenterStage in The Community. This causes me to feel both nervous and relieved at the same time.

"Nervous" because this means there is now another producing theatre in town, a BIG one, one with resources several times greater than the resources available over here. New competition is good, but when you're trying to meet payroll and handle the financial obligations of a major downtown facility like the historic Empire, new competition is also scary. Time will tell how many producing theatres a community the size of Greater Richmond can support.

"Relieved" because Barksdale will no longer be the biggest producing theatre in town. I've spent 27 years of my career as artistic director of a tiny, then mid-sized theatre, leaving the "big house" responsibilities to other entities. We've been at the top of the heap (until now) for only nine years. There was a lot less pressure when we were small.

The first production to receive the benefits of this amazing opportunity will be Dessa Rose, co-produced by CenterStage and Firehouse, and directed by CenterStage's multi-talented Executive Director, Richard M. Parison, Jr. (pictured below and to the left).

Before moving to Richmond less than a year ago, Parison spent the previous two years as the producing director at Barrington Stage Company, which the Boston Globe has called "the pre-eminent place in Massachusetts for the production of musicals." Before that, he held producing positions at the Prince Music Theater and the Walnut Street Theatre (with a legendary subscriber base of over 20,000) in Philadelphia.

Here's what the CenterStage brochure has to say about Dessa Rose. "CenterStage and the Firehouse Theatre Project come together to present Dessa Rose, a musical full of love, laughter, hope and a pair of unlikely heroines. One is a fallen lady of society abandoned by her husband, the other a pregnant slave sentenced to death on the gallows. When circumstances thrust them together, they form an uneasy alliance in an attempt to secure them both their freedom and that of their infant children. Based on imagined details of real events, this dangerous adventure of a musical celebrates life in all its joys, triumphs and challenges."

Dessa Rose is written and composed by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, the same talented team that created Seussical, which will be produced by Theatre IV at the same time that CenterStage and Firehouse will be co-producing Dessa Rose. Seussical runs April 27 through May 20. Dessa Rose runs May 2 through June 2. Perhaps Carol Piersol will forgive me for bowing out of the Tennessee Williams Festival, and she and Richard Parison will consider joining with us to mount a mini Flaherty/Ahrens Festival. It's at least worth talking about.

It remains to be seen whether CenterStage will continue its CenterStage in The Community program with Firehouse (a GREAT partner), or another theatre, or maybe another performing art form altogether. Perhaps next year they will choose to co-produce with Concert Ballet, the Richmond Philharmonic, or Peter Mark's new Lyric Opera Virginia.

After it's triumphant 2nd Anniversary celebration with Patti Labelle, it's good to see CenterStage coming on so strong. Long may she thrive!

--Bruce Miller

CenterStage Hires Theatre Pro as New Executive Director

Posted by Bruce Miller
Richmond CenterStage announced the hiring of Richard M. Parison Jr. as its new Executive Director in yesterday morning's Times-Dispatch. I don't know Richard yet, but I look forward to meeting him. He comes to Richmond with an extensive theatre background, having provided able leadership to some very impressive regional theatres.

For the last two years, Richard has been working as Producing Director of Barrington Stage Company, a highly acclaimed AEA theatre in Pittsfield, MA, nestled in the Berkshire Mountains. Pittsfield is minutes away from the western border of Massachusetts—actually closer to Albany New York than Boston.

Barrington was co-founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Julie Boyd. In 2004, Barrington developed, workshopped and premiered The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which Barksdale produced to great critical and audience acclaim last December. After its world premiere run at Barrington, Spelling Bee moved to Off Broadway for a run at Second Stage, and eventually transferred to Broadway, winning two Tony Awards (for Best Book and Best Featured Actor).

Stars who have recently performed at Barrington include Marin Mazzie, Jeff McCarthy and Harriet Harris. The 2009-10 Barrington Season included Carousel, Sleuth, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Fantasticks on the Mainstage, and Freud’s Last Session and Underneath the Lintel on Stage 2.

Prior to his work at Barrington, Richard served for four years as the Associate Producing Director of the Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia. Before that Richard worked for eight seasons as Associate to legendary Producing Artistic Director Bernard Havard at Philly’s Walnut Street Theatre.

Walnut Street Theatre (the building) is the oldest theatre in America, having opened its doors on February 2, 1809. Walnut Street Theatre (the nonprofit regional stage company) was founded by Havard in 1982. With over 56,000 subscribers annually, the Walnut Street Theatre is the “most subscribed theatre company in the world.”

The 2010 summer musical at Walnut Street, Fiddler on the Roof, starred Theatre IV alum Mary Martello as Golde (Mary played Sally Bowles in our Cabaret and the senior military wife in our World Premiere of Four Part Harmony) and Barksdale favorite Rita Markova as Tzeitel (Rita played Cinderella in our Into the Woods and Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls). The upcoming holiday musical at Walnut Street will be Irving Berlin's White Christmas, just like here at Barksdale.

During his dozen years in Philadelphia, Richard was nominated twice for the Barrymore Award in the category recognizing Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Dreamgirls at the Prince and The Big Bang at Act II Playhouse.

A native of northeast Ohio, Richard began his professional career working for six years with Gerald Freedman (Artistic Director), Victoria Bussert (Associate Artistic Director) and Anne DesRosiers (Managing Director) at the Great Lakes Theatre Festival. Another Richmond connection--Phil Crosby, Managing Director of the Richmond Triangle Players, served as the Marketing Director of the Great Lakes Theatre Festival at about the same time.

We join all of Richmond’s theatre community in welcoming Richard to town. I know his expertise and energy will add greatly to our performing arts community.

--Bruce Miller

What's In a Name?

Posted by Bruce Miller
If someone were to ask me to name the #1 reason TheatreVirginia went out of business way back in 2002, I'd say declining ticket sales. If he or she further asked why TVA sales decreased from a peak of 12,000 subscribers in the early 90s to 2,300 subscribers on the date of closing, I'd speculate that the main reason (not the sole reason) was that TheatreVirginia allowed Broadway Under the Stars (the touring road show season at the Landmark) to "own" the name and the perceptions associated with "Broadway."

Not only do I believe this mistake was fatal, I think it was unnecessary. Had TheatreVirginia continued to do big musicals (perhaps two a year) and bring in actual Broadway actors (as they sometimes did), they could have been just as deserving of the name "Broadway" as was the so-called Broadway Under the Stars.

The great secret in mid-size markets around the nation, markets like Richmond, is that many of the so-called "Broadway" road shows that come to town are produced in neighboring states like Maryland, and feature performers who have never worked on a Broadway stage. Ticket buyers don't know this because tens of thousands of dollars are being spent to convince them otherwise. Theatre marketing is an art as well as a science. The fine folks who market the various "Broadway series" around the country are doing exactly what they should be doing. They're doing everything they can to sell tickets. That's their job, and they're good at it. I commend them.

Wicked, I hasten to add before someone seeks to correct me, was an exception. It really was a national tour of a Broadway production. But some (not all) of the touring shows that come to mid-size markets like Richmond represent "Broadway" more in name than in reality. There is nothing wrong with this. That's just the way it is.

No one should be surprised that ticket buyers misunderstand. When one subscription series is labelled "Broadway in Richmond" and commonly called "the Broadway series," and countless ads tout "Broadway is Back," ticket buyers naturally believe that the actors they will be seeing in this series have appeared on Broadway. Certainly the prices are high enough.

So what is a resident professional theatre to do, when it produces big Broadway musicals, staged and choreographed by Broadway directors, and starring actual Broadway performers? The one thing we mustn't do, and shouldn't do, is roll over and play dead.

In a metro area the size of Richmond, the resident professional theatre must market to the general audience with just as many bells and flourishes as are employed by the road shows. The word "Broadway" is not owned by one company and off limits to another. Firehouse Theatre has been marketing itself as Richmond's "Off Broadway" theatre for years--and with great effect. TheatreVirginia should have held on to that magic word, "Broadway," because in many ways, their Broadway musicals were more connected to the Great White Way than the road shows that came to Richmond for a weekend and then headed on to the next burg.

At Barksdale, we're hoping not to repeat the mistake. In anticipation of what was to come, we began producing major Broadway musicals in the Empire in 2008. We're promoting these major productions (Guys and Dolls, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Sound of Music, White Christmas, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, etc.) as "Broadway at the Empire." Or perhaps we will use some other, similar catchphrase. Our marketing department is working out the language, and there will be more details forthcoming regarding our specific Broadway connections.

We invite and encourage anyone who cares about professional theatre in Richmond NOT to cede the word "Broadway" to any and all shows that are booked in from out of town. In my opinion, it's in ALL of our interests to celebrate and elevate the excellent, professional, "Broadway"-caliber theatre that is created right here at home.

We applaud CenterStage and its work. We respect them enough to take them seriously. They're doing their jobs quite well. Our JOB is to keep Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV growing and going strong, even as CenterStage also thrives.

A commenter to a previous post referred to Wicked and CenterStage's "Broadway in Richmond" season, saying, "Behold, the Broadway behemoth is back." I would phrase it differently. The road shows are back. Many of Richmond's strongest connections to Broadway never went anywhere.

--Bruce Miller

Young Talent Lit Up Weekend

Posted by Bruce Miller
Yesterday's Lights Up! program at CenterStage (the performance component will be repeated today) went off with hardly a hitch. I'm proud to have recruited my good friend Sabrina Squire to be our Mistress of Ceremonies. We've known each other since her early days in radio (and my less early days at Theatre IV). She did an amazing job, providing more than enough candlepower to help the celebration of young talent live up to its name.

Like her colleague Aaron Gilchrist, who served so ably at the Richmond Theatre Critics Awards, Sabrina Squire is one of the few local "celebrities" whose presence actually makes an event seem more special. She brings great beauty, elegance, intelligence and class to every event she hosts. She did a terrific job this weekend and I'm very grateful that she said "yes."

Sabrina was skillfully assisted by Bo Wilson, who wrote an inspired and inspiring script that hit all the right notes throughout the evening. Again, I'm proud to have recruited Bo. His contribution to the success of the event should make the theatre community proud.

Both Bo and Sabrina worked as volunteers, as did the vast majority if not all of the young performers. I think I'm speaking truthfully when I say that, with the exception of a couple musicians who accompanied singers and dancers from the Virginia Opera and the Latin Ballet of Virginia, all the performers were 21 or younger--many were a lot younger. In terms of talent, expertise and poise, they were in many ways equal to adult professionals.

As I mentioned a few days ago, I think we all should give special credit to two individuals who have been working tirelessly for months to pull all this off--without receiving a penny in compensation. Aimee Halbruner, Director of Education and Community Engagement with the Richmond Symphony worked longer and harder to make this event possible than anyone I know, and she received no recognition from the stage last night. (I hope the recognition part changed at today's matinee.)

Coming in a very close second is Brett Bonda, who directs the Minds in Motion program for the Richmond Ballet. Brett has also been working skillfully and tirelessly for months. Thankfully, he was recognized from the stage last night, along with several of his co-workers at the Ballet.

Janet Krogman, Chuck Metzgar, the tech crew, several key arts educators from Hanover, Henrico and Richmond, and many others from CenterStage also contributed exemplary efforts to make this weekend a success. Central Virginia should be proud and appreciative of one and all.

And let's not forget the good people at Genworth for funding the program, and Sue FitzHugh for raising the funds.

I was well pleased with Theatre IV's and Barksdale's several contributions to the weekend. The Richmond Boys Choir never fails to amaze and inspire, and last night's performance was no exception. The RBC was conceived of, founded by, funded and operated by Theatre IV for the first three years of its existence. From the outset, we all hoped and planned for the RBC to become independent in year four, and that's what happened. Making a successful transition to independence is itself a major achievement, and all of us on the theatre side should be proud of that also.

The RBC was included in this weekend's program because we at Theatre IV chose to share our allotted ten minutes of performance time with two of our partners--the RBC and the Latin Ballet. Only resident companies received time allotments on stage in this weekend's performances. I'm proud that Theatre IV chose to showcase not only our talented young performers, but also our partnerships with two colleague nonprofits that add significant diversity and depth to Richmond's performing arts community.

Like the Boy's Choir, the Latin Ballet also brought their traditional exuberance to last night's program.

Theatre IV and Barksdale presented several workshops and programs yesterday afternoon, all of them seemed to be very well received. Christopher Hudert, our puppet master for several Theatre IV productions, led Phil, Chase and me in our Puppetry on Parade workshop. Twenty five children had a hands-on experience with over 30 of our hand puppets, marionettes, rod puppets and specialty puppets. It was very informative, thanks to Christopher, and a lot of fun.

Sue Griffin, Marcia Hailey, Lynn West and a fourth member of our costume shop wowed the crowds with their creative Let's Make a Hat! workshop. All afternoon, you could see kids running around crowned as princesses, wizards, jesters and Egyptians. More proof that our amazingly talented costume department is second to none.

Slade Billew (Theatre IV / Barksdale) and Chris Blake (Richmond Shakespeare) team-taught a stage combat workshop. From all reports they had the kids wrapped around their fingers. Leslie Owens-Harrington did a wonderful job on a 75-minute master class in theatre dance, with a respectable and admiring audience in the Carpenter Theatre watching her every move.

I was also particularly proud of our production of I Have a Dream - The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The show is written for grades 3 and up, but it held the attention of nearly everyone in the Gottwald Playhouse audience, from toddlers to senior citizens. I was proud of the cast.

In the mainstage performance, our cast of Oh the Thinks You Can Think from Seussical the Musical was terrific. We couldn't have asked for a more talented and hardworking group of teenagers. Their costumes looked terrific, as did Chase's stage direction.

It was an honor to share the stage, also, with African American Repertory Theatre, City Dance, Richmond Ballet, Richmond Shakespeare, Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra, SPARC and Virginia Opera.

If all this sound like I'm bragging, I am. One thing I continue to re-learn at these community-wide events is that several of my respected arts administration colleagues are far more skilled than I at promoting the vital contributions made by their organizations. Some are true masters, promoting their nonprofits endlessly at every turn, and receiving for their nonprofits contributions far exceeding what we receive at Barksdale and Theatre IV. They're doing it right; I'm not as skilled.

I know our case statement is just as impressive as theirs, if not more so. For one thing, through Hugs and Kisses, our theatres literally save children's lives everyday. The failure comes in my (and Phil's) tendency to keep quiet about so much that Barksdale and Theatre IV do. I'm trying my best to turn that situation around. I need to start being a braggart for Barksdale.

Along with many others, Theatre IV and Barksdale worked long and hard to make this weekend's programs a success. If you were able to make it, I hope you had a grand time.

--Bruce Miller

Great Family Fun This Weekend

Posted by Bruce Miller
Lights Up - Youth Open House at CenterStage is a free event for you and the children in your life. It takes place this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, and everyone is invited! The mini-festival will occur, of course, at CenterStage, marking the public opening of the Genworth BrightLights Education Center.

Theatre IV and Barksdale are proud to be resident companies of CenterStage, and we're excited about helping to produce and present the free performances and workshops that are part of the weekend's festivities. Other resident companies that are participating include African American Repertory Theatre, Elegba Folklore Society, Richmond Ballet, Richmond Shakespeare, Richmond Symphony, SPARC and Virginia Opera.

The Jazz Society is also a resident company. They will not be joining in this weekend because all events are designed to involve children and teens, and the Jazz Society has no performers in and presents no workshops for this age group.

Theatre IV and Barksdale have invited two of our partnering companies to share our allotted time slots: The Latin Ballet of Virginia and the Richmond Boys Choir. African American Repertory Theatre has done the same with one of their partners, City Dance. The Richmond Symphony also will be working in one activity with a community partner, the Richmond Philharmonic.

I served on a steering committee of three that has been working hard for several months to pull the Open House together, with lots of leadership and help from CenterStage staff and volunteers. Area arts educators have also been key leaders in this effort.

To give credit where credit is due, the bulk of the work was done by the other two members of the steering committee--Aimee Halbruner, Director of Education and Community Engagement with the Richmond Symphony, and Brett Bonda, Director of Minds in Motion with the Richmond Ballet. These two outstanding artists are cornerstones of our community's arts leadership.

Events will begin on Saturday, Jan 23, with an afternoon of fun and informative arts workshops, master classes, lecture-demos and live performances for children and teens. Attendees must register for the activities of their choice. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Carpenter Theatre lobby. Everything is free, but on-site registration is required, on a first-come first-served basis.

The interactive fun will begin at noon and continue throughout the facility until 5 pm. Theatre IV and Barksdale will be offering the following:

I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - A live performance of one of Theatre IV's acclaimed touring productions, co-produced with the Virginia Historical Society. In the Gottwald Playhouse, Saturday, 1:30 pm. Most appreciated by audiences age 9 and up.

Let's Make a Hat! - A hands-on workshop conducted by our brilliant costume shop. Participants will use everyday materials to construct fun and festive hats. In room 3137, Saturday noon. Most appreciated by children of all ages.

Puppets on Parade - Using Theatre IV's extensive puppet collection, kids will learn about hand puppets, marionettes, rod puppets and body puppets. In room 3140, Saturday noon. Most appreciated by children of all ages.

Careful Combat - Produced in association with Richmond Shakespeare and co-led by Slade Billew, our fight coach extraordinaire, this workshop will teach kids how professional actors can appear to fight on stage, with nobody getting hurt. In room 3140, Saturday 3 p.m. Most appreciated by kids age 11 to 14.

Master Class: Musical Theatre Dance - Our brilliant director and choreographer, Leslie Owens Harrington (Crowns, Annie Get Your Gun, Peter Pan, Anything Goes, many others) will offer a 75-minute intensive class for experienced dancers ages 16 to 18, covering tap, jazz and myriad other musical theatre styles. Pre-registration required by this Friday. Interested participants should contact Christina Billew at (804) 783-1688 x 1132 or c.billew@theatreivrichmond.org. Non-participants can observe the class as well. On the stage of the Carpenter Theatre, Saturday 3:30 p.m.

In addition to the open house activities, a concert program featuring many of Richmond's most talented young performers (ages 6 to 21) will be presented in the Carpenter Theatre on Saturday night at 7 and Sunday afternoon at 3. Both performances are free. To obtain tickets or more information, visit the CenterStage website at http://www.richmondcenterstage.com/. Free tickets will be awarded on a first-come first-served basis.

The wonderful Sabrina Squire will be our host for both performances. Bo Wilson leant his impressive talents to the short script that will hold each performance together.

Young artists from Theatre IV will present the opening number from Seussical the Musical, accompanied by the Richmond Youth Symphony.

Theatre IV and Barksdale are proud to participate in the leadership of exciting arts education events like this one. Hope to see you at CenterStage this Saturday and Sunday!

--Bruce Miller

I Support CenterStage

Posted by Bruce Miller
A fellow named “Scott” wrote a frustrated comment to my recent posting, Déjà Vu All Over Again. I "rejected" his comment, so you won’t see it following my post. I rejected it not because I don't believe Scott has the right to think the way he does, and not because I have no respect for his opinion. I rejected it because it inadvertently misrepresented what I was trying to say in my post. I guess I didn't say it well enough.

Scott wrote strongly against CenterStage and asked the question, "Why didn't theatre people join with me, Joel Katz, Don Harrison and others to fight" during the battles over the new performing arts center’s conception and construction.

The notion that theatre people played dead during the years of planning, left the decisions to others, and sat on the sidelines until now is just not true. Plenty of theatre people worked many, many long hours to support CenterStage, and often that support was in the form of respectful, constructive criticism. Just because we didn’t join in a public fray doesn’t mean we didn’t work long and hard to ensure that our voices were heard as plans developed. We didn't join in the very public fight because we supported the vast majority of what CenterStage was and is all about. I continue to support these things.

I support elevating the profile of the performing arts in Greater Richmond by providing first rate performance facilities.

I support using the arts to positively impact downtown development.

I support bringing the major corporate funders to the table in recognition of the value of the performing arts to our community.

I support having a first-class home for the Richmond Symphony, the Richmond Ballet, the Virginia Opera, Richmond Shakespeare, the African American Repertory Theatre, and the other companies that are now mounting their seasons in the new spaces.

I even support having a "Broadway" series in Richmond—and remember, most of the "Broadway" series is in the Landmark, not CenterStage. And some of the touring "Broadway" shows are "Broadway" as much in hype as in reality, having fewer Broadway performers in their casts than, say, Barksdale's recent production of Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Nonetheless, I always have supported a "Broadway" series; I always will. I have issues here and there regarding operations, but you won’t find me shouting about those issues in public. I think that would be counterproductive. I think there are many Richmonders who want "Broadway" tours coming to town, and who the heck am I to stand in their way.

Scott mentions in his comment how shameful it is that money was directed to a downtown arts center while schools were still in need of repair. I don't agree. There will always be schools in need of repair, and we will always need to work our hardest to address this situation. Of course I support school repair. Everyone does.

Nonetheless, we have functioning schools for all of Central Virginia's students, and exceptional schools for many. I support the continuation of work to make all school facilities exceptional. But until CenterStage we did not have a single functioning performance facility for the above mentioned arts organizations and their audiences. And I believe the roles these organizations play in the education of our children require our community to have at least one major exceptional performance facility.

Much of what Scott said regarding faulty financial models may be true. I don't know. I agree that much work needs to be done to ensure that CenterStage operates on a viable financial model that has no negative impact on the financial health and sustainability of our community's nonprofit performing arts organizations.

But acknowledging that a job is hard and that work needs to be done is not the same thing as demanding that the difficult job be cancelled until all the planets align to guarantee success. If we always waited for everything to be ideal, no one would ever do anything.

My point in Déjà Vu All Over Again was not to blame CenterStage or any other organization or person. My point was and is that we should acknowledge the challenges we face and then come up with some decent ideas to overcome those challenges.

I hate rejecting comments, but I don’t want to run comments that assume I mean one thing when actually I do not.

I support CenterStage. I support Sycamore Rouge and Henley Street and Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern. But I also want all of us to take an objective look at the facts and work together to make things better.

I don't want now, nor have I ever wanted, to join in the fight to oppose CenterStage. On that particular point, Scott and I simply have a difference of opinion.

I respect his opinion, even if I don’t agree with it. I hope he and others of like mind can and will respect mine.

Thanks.

--Bruce Miller

The Case for Confidence

Posted by Bruce Miller
(This is a re-posting of a previously published blog entry.)

"At Barksdale and Theatre IV we remain cautious but confident." That's what I said at the end of the previous blog posting, and that's how Phil and I respond to queries from national arts leaders who bring up the bad news from Wisconsin. With the demise of great colleague theatres such as TheatreVirginia, Madison Rep, Mill Mountain Playhouse in Roanoke, and Charlotte Rep, we expect to entertain questions about our financial health.

The good news is this. For years, our Boards of Trustees have been working intelligently and strategically to ensure that Barksdale and Theatre IV will not follow in the footsteps of these now defunct nonprofit companies. We have engaged in prudent and responsible business planning.

What follows are the five cornerstones that support our confidence, particularly as it relates to the recent closing of Madison Repertory Theatre.

1. The Greater Richmond metro area population as of 2008 is 1,225,626--more than twice the 555,626 people who comprise the metro area population of Madison, WI. This means our population should be two times more able to sustain both the for-profit "Broadway" series co-produced by CenterStage and a nonprofit major professional theatre like Barksdale.

2. According to IRS forms 990 for the year 2008 (the most recent year available):

Barksdale and Theatre IV had combined annual revenue of $5,049,376; Madison Rep had annual revenue of $2,023,579.

74% of Barksdale and Theatre IV's annual revenue was earned through ticket sales and tour fees, and only 26% came in through contributions. Only 53% of Madison Rep's annual revenue was earned through ticket sales, and 47% was dependent upon contributions.

Barksdale and Theatre IV ended fiscal 2008 with a positive fund balance of $1,761,395; Madison Rep ended fiscal 2008 with a negative fund balance of -$424,688.

3. Theatre IV fully owns and is able to borrow against the multi-million dollar historic Empire Theatre.

4. Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV have developed highly diverse revenue streams, earning significant funds from ticket sales at three major venues and extensive touring throughout Virginia and 32 surrounding states.

5. During all the years when Barksdale and Theatre IV were asked to assist with various efforts to develop Richmond CenterStage, the Richmond leaders of CenterStage pledged not to compete with Theatre IV with regard to our core business--story-based plays and musicals for children and their families. CenterStage pledged not to book in our competitors' productions of major titles in which Theatre IV has invested millions of dollars, the productions we regularly revive from our repertoire. These major titles include Annie, A Christmas Carol, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Disney's High School Musical, Peter Pan, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Seussical, The Sound of Music, and The Wizard of Oz.

Conversely, Barksdale and Theatre IV have acknowledged CenterStage's need to mount an annual "Broadway" series for adult audiences, and to book in non-competitive, television-based children's programs such as Sesame Street Live, Dora the Explorer, etc.

If CenterStage honors its promises, we believe that Barksdale Theatre, Theatre IV and CenterStage's "Broadway" series will all thrive in our mid-sized market. Surely that is the goal. If CenterStage's leaders are true to their word, we will have a win-win for the entire community.
As I said, we remain confident, but we are not throwing caution to the wind. We continue to do all we can to ensure the success of CenterStage, while working hard also to build up the financial health of Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV, Richmond's major professional theatre.

--Bruce Miller

Chase Kniffen Named Artistic Associate

Posted by Bruce Miller
Beginning today (Monday, July 27), Chase Kniffen rejoins the staff at Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV. His new position will be that of Artistic Associate. As such, he will provide leadership to various projects. Among other things, he will supervise our participation in the Grand Opening performance at CenterStage, and direct our Spring 2010 production of The Sound of Music.

Chase first worked at Theatre IV when he was 9 years old, appearing as a Munchkin in our second production of The Wizard of Oz. Since then, he has performed in numerous shows here, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tuck Everlasting, The Secret Garden, Sing Down the Moon, and The Big Adventures of Stuart Little (all at Theatre IV), plus Olympus on My Mind, Annie Get Your Gun, Anything Goes, James Joyce's The Dead, and Mame (all at Barksdale).

Chase starred as John Darling in the Broadway production of Peter Pan, with Cathy Rigby. He later attended the professional musical theatre conservatory program at Broadway’s Circle in the Square. After leaving New York, Chase worked on our staff for several years, first as an intern and then as Special Projects Manager.

During that time, Chase began his professional directing career here with a workshop production of Godspell in the Little Theatre. He next directed our revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, followed by our two Greater Richmond High School All Star Musicals--summer productions of Grease and Disney's High School Musical, both coproduced by and performed at Steward School. He tried his hand at several tours, plus the Empire run of The True Story of Pocahontas. In 2007, he directed his last mainstage show with us, A Christmas Story, Theatre IV's holiday offering at the historic Empire Theatre.

Chase left Barksdale and Theatre IV in April 2008 to found Stage 1, the highly acclaimed theatre company that recently completed a successful season producing new American musicals. At Stage 1, he produced and directed tick, tick, ...BOOM, Children's Letters to God, Normal, and The Summer of '42. Throughout his year at Stage 1, Chase’s ties to Barksdale and Theatre IV have remained strong.

We are pleased to welcome Chase back to the team. As Richmond’s leading professional theatre, we believe it is our responsibility to provide professional opportunities to Greater Richmond’s best and brightest theatrical talents. We are glad that Chase’s artistic vision, energy and leadership abilities will help to shape the future of our nonprofit company.

--Bruce Miller

Student Opportunities in the ARts

Posted by Bruce Miller
No, it’s not a typo. The reason the R is capitalized in the word ARts in the headline flying jauntily above this post is because we’re making an acronym. SOAR. I know, I know … it’s a bit forced. But Creative Residency with Arts Professionals wasn’t really working for us.

SOAR is an interactive externship program for high school juniors and seniors with a serious interest in the performing arts. Students who enroll in this after-school initiative have the chance to meet and talk every two weeks with Central Virginia’s top performing arts professionals, from actors/ dancers/ musicians/directors to marketing gurus to scenic designers to fundraisers et al. Each colloquium takes place in a different location—complete with a behind-the-scenes tour. We meet at the Firehouse one week, Richmond Ballet two weeks later, then the Modlin Center, the historic Empire, etc. etc. etc.

The program used to be called an internship, but after receiving some guidance from our friends in education, we now call it an externship. An internship happens when a fully trained student has the opportunity to put her/his training to practical use in a professional environment. An externship happens when an interested student has the opportunity to interact with professionals in the field of interest, providing the student with the insight s/he will need to make an informed decision about her/his future education.

Students who complete the course, which includes attending the sessions and maintaining journals throughout the experience (a grand total of 75 hours of work), receive academic credit from their home high school. It’s pretty cool.

SOAR began under a different name a few years ago as a program of the Carpenter Center. From the beginning a lot of the energy that powered the program came from Barksdale. Most of the funding that has enabled the program in the past came from the Markel Corporation’s donation to the Carpenter Center. On behalf of Greater Richmond’s arts students, we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

About three years ago, the program was featured as a national model in Time magazine, including a photo of a Richmond public school student exploring the light board at our historic Empire Theatre.

Last year the SOAR program became an official partnership between Barksdale Theatre and CenterStage, the new name for the expanding Carpenter Center. Barksdale provided the design and management of the program; CenterStage did the fundraising and served as liaison with the schools.

Last spring, CenterStage completed a strategic planning process with Mitchell Korn, a national arts-in-education consultant. They have now announced that their future arts-in-education programs will focus on in-school activities. Consequently, this year, SOAR will be the responsibility of Barksdale Theatre alone.

Information and applications for SOAR 08-09 will be distributed to all Central Virginia high schools, public and private, in October. If you know a teacher or a student who would like to have more information about SOAR, please encourage them to email Janine Serresseque.
Our other SOAR job this fall is to find funding for the program, which is made available to Central Virginia students free-of-charge. If you or some entity you know would be interested in talking with us about this funding opportunity, please encourage them to email Emily Cole.

SOAR is one component of the BTW (Barksdale Theatre Workshop), our comprehensive program designed to connect Barksdale with Greater Richmond's high school drama students and teachers. SOAR is a valuable and nationally-recognized way in which Barksdale Theatre can work with Central Virginia’s many exemplary performing arts organizations (and freelance arts professionals) to meet the needs of our community’s students and schools.

Please help us spread the word about this little known program with your colleagues and friends.
--Bruce Miller