How We Help ... St. Christopher's

Posted by Phil Whiteway

Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV were happy to help out St. Christopher’s School this past weekend. St. Christopher’s helps us each year with our after school enrichment program for less advantaged elementary students at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School on Oregon Hill. When our St. Andrew’s students attend a Theatre IV production in the Empire, high school students from St. Christopher’s accompany them as mentors and “big brothers.”

In January the St. Christopher’s Annual Auction Committee contacted Judi Crenshaw, our publicist extraordinaire, about the possibility of our providing historical characters to enhance their annual development event. St. Chris’s theme this year revolved around patriotism, and our partners at St. Chris were looking for actors to play George Washington, Abe Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. These were paid gigs for the actors, but St. Chris asked if we at Barksdale would donate our time and expertise, helping out with organization, casting and costuming.

We said “yes.” Judi Crenshaw (our publicist) organized the project, Ford Flannagan (our company manager) assisted Judi in finding actors who came in the same size as the costumes, Sue Griffin (our costume director) managed wardrobe, and Catherine Dudley (our marketing assistant) recorded the donation. Our costume department in particular went well above and beyond the call of duty assembling garments, wigs, hats and various Colonial and Revolutionary accoutrements.

On Saturday, Feb 23, the Auction took place and our four “patriots” mingled with the 350 St. Christopher supporters. Fun times were had by all.

Barksdale and Theatre IV donate tickets and services to hundreds of fellow nonprofits throughout Greater Richmond every year. Through this How We Help spotlight series, we hope to make you more aware of this vital part of our operation.

--Phil Whiteway

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

Jacqueline Jones Teaches Us Many Things in Her Responses to "The Questionnaire"

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Theatre IV’s production of A Christmas Story opens this Friday at the beautiful, historic Empire Theatre. One of Richmond’s favorite ladies is featured as Miss Shields (well, at some performances, but I’ll let her explain that later). Jacqueline Jones, known to most as Jackie, you may remember from Deathtrap, Over the River and Through the Woods, or Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern, or from Into the Woods at Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn, or perhaps even more likely, as Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle at Theatre IV (the first show I saw at the Empire Theatre). Jackie has taken on the Pivot/Lipton questionnaire and shared some fantastic stories!

1. What is your favorite word?

Onomatopoeia

I like saying it different ways and in different voices and with different meanings. Have a whole conversation using only onomatopoeia. It's a good word. Honk.

I also like to say kiwi – and banana. Those are fun to say in different voices, too.

Mmeep, Mmeep.

2. What is your least favorite word?

Any word that is whined.

3. What turns you on [creatively, spiritually or emotionally]?

Cool crisp fresh air – autumn is my favorite season, spring is a close second. Unless it is spring. Then autumn is a close second.

Singing in tight harmonies when they are right – it takes me a long time to learn them, so when I finally get them, I feel pretty and enjoy a sense of accomplishment – pulling weeds does that for me too, but it's not as fun.

My mother and my best friend Walker always suggested that I'd better hone my acting skills 'cause I'd never make it as a singer. When I was in college (Boston University, SFA '78), I took Voice for Theatre Students from a BU School of Music opera teacher. She carried her dog, Chloe, to every class (hmmm, I cannot remember the teacher's name, but I'll never forget the dog's). The dog, a tiny little thing the teacher carried under her arm, was there to show us how to breathe. I am really good at panting. My jury song (that's just too fancy a word for what we did, but what else shall I call it?) was "Will You Remember (Sweetheart)?" Maybe you've heard a Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy recording of it. After I finished singing, our teacher turned to my fellow students and proudly proclaimed, "Now class, didn't we turn this sow's ear into a silk purse!" Hmmm.

I usually refer to myself as a character singer.

(Jackie and Walker pictured together to the right)

4. What turns you off?

Dishonesty. Betray my trust and your name is mud.

I almost included "Rudeness," too. But I console myself that if not for the varied people and behaviors in the world, character actors would be out of a job.

5. What sound or noise do you love?

Quiet.

Shhhh of the overhead fan as it cools me to sleep while I am under a heavy quilt.

Train whistle – we live just close enough to the tracks, but not too close.

My children's *happy* voices: their laughter and humming and storytelling. My kids are "all grown up" now. Their happy voices still make me reel. (Jackie's son Madison pictured at left)

The garage door late at night: everyone's home and I can sleep soundly.

6. What sound or noise do you hate?

The bass vibrating my car from someone else's vehicle … even after they've driven a block away.

Our dog whining.

7. What is your favorite curse word? (have it at it. I obviously won't post it for real, but in some approved somewhat censored fashion) (Note: Jackie did her own censoring)

My favorites are not ones I actually use; in fact people tend to apologize when they curse around me. Maybe I make them feel guilty.

I did not grow up in a cursing home.

(Jackie's mother, Bea, pictured to the right; Bea is on the left in the picture with her mother, Jackie's Oma, on the right)

Our kitchen was divided into two parts by a bar which housed the stovetop. One day when I was about 13, I was on one side of the divider at our table. My mother was on the opposite side where she was hidden by the open refrigerator door. She did not know I was present.

Suddenly there was a crash followed by "S#!+!"

"Mom?"

Brief silence before her nonchalant, "Yes?"

I'd never heard my mother curse before and rarely since.

My college pal Bruce MacVittie (his birthday was October 14 – I always remember it because he told me no one ever remembered his birthday – part friendship, part challenge) is from Rhode Island. Oh boy, did he cuss! Those words just rolled off freely like I'd never heard (really never heard) before. Bruce wanted to teach me how to sling 'em too. We practiced. I learned to say "A$$H@!*" with a terrific New England accent just like his and one time I even tried it on for real. He glowed.

The German equivalent of "A$$H@!*" was my Oma's favorite and she taught it and all the other German curse words to her coworkers in the shoe department at Thalhimers where she and my Opa were tops. Oh the stories! I don't really like the word in German or English, but just the way Bruce MacVittie said it. Aside from that one time, I don't use it at all, but the "Sugar Honey Ice Tea" cuss has slipped from my lips on rare occasions.

One more cursing story. This one took place in 1982 on a Theatre IV tour of the musical The Golden Goose by Ford Flannagan; see him in Theatre IV's upcoming Peter Pan!

The cast included my current tag team Teacher in A Christmas Story. AnnaMarie Rossi and I share the role of Miss Shields in Theatre IV's upcoming holiday offering at the historic Empire Theatre (I do the weekday student matinees; she does weekend matinees and we split the evenings). In The Golden Goose, AnnaMarie played The Princess Who Could Not Smile. I portrayed Goldie, the Golden Goose, and at the time I was even still Jackie Goldberg. Hmmm, I wonder if Ford did that on purpose. Ford? We traveled with The Queen, The Guard, The Jester and Simpleton. All six actors but Goldie and Simpleton played multiple roles.

Ford, who wrote the book and lyrics and directed our show, was once quoted as saying, "the play is based on the Grimm stories about Simpleton and the Golden Goose. It has nothing to do with the goose that laid the golden egg.''

The publicity material said "The story takes place in a gloom-filled kingdom, the result of a spell cast by an evil Jester. The Queen holds a contest to find someone to break the spell, which can be done by making the melancholy Princess laugh. Simpleton, the hero of the tale, is aided by the title character."

The Queen was also our company manager on that tour. She was the liaison between Theatre IV and our venue contact person (usually a school "prince – i – pal" – ha-ha); she made big decisions on tour, a Queen Mother if you will. Coincidently, she is the person instrumental in my diligence in always wearing a seatbelt, even before it was a state law.

One of our Princes had major potty mouth. MAJOR. Our Queen on the other hand may as well have been called the Virgin Queen, my own dumb joke, because that title has little to do with the fact that she did not did not did not like cussing ... or overuse of the word hate. The Queen's disapproval of cursing fueled Mr. Potty Prince even more.

One day, his word du jour was … well … it was ... "f*%#wad." I'd never even heard that word. Have you? After hearing it all morning, our Queen went into a royal tizzy (she never raised her voice, even on this occasion) and decreed that the cursing must stop. It did. For a while. Until ... Later that day.

In our production of The Golden Goose, in an effort to make The Princess Who Could Not Smile happy again, the Queen throws a ball during which three Princes made cameo appearances to dance with The Princess Who Could Not Smile. Afterwards, she sings a lovely solo about when the good ol' days were so ... good, and how sad she is now. (Ford writes lyrics better than I do. He wrote Theatre IV's Little Red Hen, too. I was the title character in its premier in 1981. My sister Laura still asks me to twang the title song to her on the phone.) (Promo shot of The Little Red Hen at right, with Jackie at bottom left, AnnaMarie Rossi at left and Ford center, also pictured are Debbie Gale Taylor, seen as Joan's mother in Barksdale Theatre's production of The Lark last season, and Richard Travis)

Anyway, this particular show, the third dance partner, our very own Potty Prince, entered and twirled The Princess Who Could Not Smile as usual till the point at which he faced upstage (away from the audience). As The Princess Who Could Not Smile faced downstage, her face in full view of the audience, Potty Prince opened his mouth to reveal to her a tiny note neatly placed on his tongue, a tiny note with the word " f*%#wad " on it.

The Girl Who Could Not Smile must not smile now or the curse would be broken and the play would be over! So. She cried. And she cried and she cried. And she cried through her song and ran off stage "in tears." And her Queen mother did not know why the Princess was crying so hard since the Queen's throne was positioned where she could not see what had transpired. As you can imagine, this fairytale had no happy ending except that it is a good one to tell when someone asks about curse words.

I still hum that song sometimes.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I like to type. I edit a few newsletters, publicity and scripts on a volunteer basis. Sumpeen like dat, maybe? But just edit. Not write from scratch. That thing about writers sweating blood – not for me.

"Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." - Gene Fowler -

I am so thankful my Dad insisted I take typing. Nowadays with computers, keyboarding is a given for youngsters. But when I was growing up, typing was a high school elective. I didn't know then that nerve damage would eventually make writing difficult for me. But typing – piece o'cake.

While I attended BU, I picked up some secretarial classes at Fisher Jr. College, Evening Division. I took Stenoscript, a new (at that time) kind of shorthand that I never used again. I don't think anyone has ever used it. I still have the book. Oh! It holds two long-forgotten letters of recommendations from my teachers. In my typing class was a guy who wrote pornography for a living. His editor told him that if he didn't type better, he would lose his job. He didn't "look like" a pornographer.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

Proofreading. Makes me nervous. I MIGHT MISS SOMETHIINNG. Math makes me nervous, too.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

You finally made it; the children will be fine.

(Jackie's daughter, Jasmine, pictured to the left.)

Be sure to check out Jackie and the rest of the cast of A Christmas Story at Theatre IV at the historic Empire Theatre November 30 - December 23. For tickets, call the box office at 344-8040.

You can also check out Jackie online at www.jacquelinejones.net

On the Road Again - TIV Actors Launch Tour

Posted by Bruce Miller

Barksdale is sister theatres with Theatre IV, the Children’s Theatre of Virginia. Our two independent nonprofit companies share a common staff.

Theatre IV on Tour is employing 28 fulltime company actors this fall, and 25 of the 28 gathered this evening for our annual Tourmite Party in the Empire Theatre lobby. Next week, the first of September’s six touring troupes will begin performing in schools and other theatrical facilities throughout Virginia and 32 additional states. It’s challenging and exciting work, and our talented and intrepid actors seem more than up to the task.

Between now and Thanksgiving, Theatre IV will be touring Hugs and Kisses by Terry Bliss, Bruce Craig Miller and Richard Giersch, Jack and the Beanstalk by Douglas Jones and Ron Barnett, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Song of Mulan by Paul Deiss, Tales as Tall as the Sky by Cliff Todd, and The True Story of Pocahontas by Peter Howard and Ron Barnett. You can check our weekly calendar to keep up with performance locations.

Ford Flannagan, Company Manager, supervises the professional touring companies and hosted this evening’s festivities. After setting a pirate / Western / Hawaiian theme (don't ask), he distributed his annual door prizes consisting of everything from emergency ponchos to waving mechanical hands to tropical lip balm. In the photo to the right he and his assistant for the evening, Wendy Vandergrift – Assistant Technical Director in charge of our touring production needs, are about to deliver a Vibrating Soap Bar to actress Nicole Wakefield. All I can say is, every September, Spencer’s Gifts is very happy to see Ford Flannagan.

The annual touring actor party (along with our annual Fairy Tale Ball and other events) is planned by Jennings Whiteway, wearing the straw hat in the photo to the left, standing beside our Annual Fund Manager, Emily Cole Bitz. Jennings is Events, Access and Food Services Manager for Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV. She is a trained events planner and manages Barksdale Events. Whatever your needs are for upcoming meetings, parties, weddings or other activities, Jennings and her Barksdale co-workers would be happy to discuss them with you. Just give our Artistic Director, Bruce Miller, a call at 783-1688 ext 17.

The actors in this year’s professional company come from throughout the United States, and contribute greatly to Central Virginia's arts scene. Immediately after this evening's pizza party, a van full of our touring actors rushed down the street to catch a performance of Mr. Marmalade at the Firehouse. Please join us in welcoming their talents and energies to the Richmond theatre community.

--Bruce Miller

Meet the Cast of "Into the Woods" – Part II

Every few months, someone will step forward to complain that Barksdale and Theatre IV keep casting the same people over and over, and that new people may as well not audition, because Richmond’s theatres run closed shops.

It is completely true that Barksdale and Theatre IV benefit greatly from an informal company of national caliber/Richmond-based actors who, if we’re lucky, perform once or twice a year on our stages. We believe this practice serves both audiences and artists well.

However, it is completely untrue to say that newcomers don’t stand a chance. During the Signature Season that is now concluding at Willow Lawn, we cast 62 different roles in five productions. The great news is that 31 of the actors who performed those roles were performing at Barksdale Willow Lawn for the first time since we assumed leadership in 2001.

Three of these exceptional “newcomers” are playing leads in our hit summer musical, Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. All three attended high school in Greater Richmond, and have since moved on to larger markets to pursue their careers. All three are performing with Barksdale for the first time.

Rita Markova is doing an absolutely magnificent job as Cinderella. She’s beautiful, as anyone can see in an earlier blog entry, and acts and moves with intelligence and assurance. But it’s her voice, an exceptional lyric soprano, that simply knocks me off my feet. Rita recently played Maria in West Side Story at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina and New Jersey Concert Opera. She also appeared in Cats at Northern Stage, Titanic at Media Theatre, and Godspell, A Chorus Line and Grease at Shawnee Playhouse. Coincidentally, Rita originated the title role in the world premiere workshop of Rumpelstiltskin’s Daughter at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Theatre IV will be presenting the official World Premiere of the finished script during our 07-08 Season.

Rita attended Godwin High School during several of her student years, and is a graduate of New York University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance.
Visit Rita's website

Zak Resnick cuts a dashing figure as Rapunzel’s Prince and a second Wolf. Again, I refer you to the photo that appears in a previous blog entry. A rising junior at Carnegie Mellon, Zak is truly someone to watch. Last summer, Zak vaulted to the big time when he was cast in Broadway and Beyond with the legendary Ann Reinking and Ben Vereen. Shortly thereafter, Zak made his NYC debut in Scott Alan’s prestigious Monday Night’s New Voices series.

But Richmond audiences are not unfamiliar with Zak’s many talents. At the Firehouse, he appeared in Bat Boy and starred in The Last Five Years. He also saved our necks once a couple of years back. Due to some difficulty I can no longer recall, we were forced to cancel a performance of one of our Willow Lawn productions—it may have been Anything Goes. As fate would have it, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts had booked a large number of seats for the cancelled performance on behalf of a group of supporters who were coming in from out-of-town. We couldn’t bring the group in to see our show, so, at the last minute, faithful friend Stephen Rudlin put together a full evening’s cabaret performance to take to the Museum, and Zak agreed to perform. Not only was he terrific, he helped us fulfill a major responsibility and defuse a potentially explosive situation.

The third “newcomer,” at least to us, is Drew Seigla, who is charming everyone’s socks off as Jack (of Fee Fi Fo Fum fame). Drew is studying classic voice as an undergrad at Juilliard in NYC (probably the most prestigious performance training program in the nation). He made his opera debut with Le Nooze di Figaro in Rome two summers ago. Last summer, he was an apprentice at Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina. One earlier summer during his Richmond high school years, he appeared with SPARC in Footloose at Theatre IV’s Empire Theatre.

Referring back to Part I in this Meet the Cast series, if anyone can give Ford Flannagan a run for his money in the physically fit competition, Drew is probably the man to do it.

One of the best features of the Into the Woods cast is that the supporting roles are filled by new and veteran talents who are just as amazing as the leads. Amy Hruska (Cinderella’s Mother, Granny, Giantess, Sleeping Beauty) was our hard-working music director and pianist for Annie Get Your Gun, James Joyce’s The Dead, Olympus on my Mind, They’re Playing Our Song and Where’s Charley?, but she hasn’t acted on Barksdale’s stage since appearing as one of the sisters and the cousins and the aunts in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore at Barksdale Hanover Tavern way back in 1981.

Jackie Jones, on the other hand, is back as Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods, but she works so steadily in Richmond’s theatres that it’s hard to think of her as “back.” Jackie recently brought down the house as Letitia Peabody Primrose in Henrico Theatre Company’s On the Twentieth Century, somehow shoehorning that star turn in after two consecutive gigs at Barksdale Hanover Tavern in Over the River and Through the Woods and Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, which immediately followed her critically acclaimed turn at Swift Creek in Steel Magnolias. As busy as she is beloved, Jackie is a true charmer.Visit Jackie's website

Katrinah Carol Lewis (Lucinda) is back after performing so beautifully in Intimate Apparel.




Kim Reuter (Rapunzel) lends her magnificent voice to Into the Woods after completing a year of touring with Theatre IV.





Craig Smith (Cinderella’s Father) is sharing his talents with us at Willow Lawn while simultaneously sharing his theatre with us at Steward School. All right, the state-of-the-art Kramer Center is not exactly his theatre, but it’s where he teaches Acting and English and heads the theatre program during the school year. And Steward School will be sharing the Kramer Center with us for the second incarnation of the Greater Richmond High School All Star Musical, which opens in July.

Harriet Traylor (Cinderella’s Stepmother) is truly a Barksdale favorite, having graced our stage as Regina in The Little Foxes and Miss Maudie in To Kill a Mockingbird.




Eric Williams (Steward) is being all aristocratic now, but a few months ago he brought tears to every eye as the brother recently released from prison in Smoke on the Mountain at Barksdale Hanover Tavern.



Completing our cast of 17 is Hannah Zold (Florinda), who is fast becoming a Barksdale and Theatre IV musical mainstay. She recently turned in wonderful performances in The Wizard of Oz, Mame and The Full Monty.



Richmond theatre is blessed to have so many talented artists working in its midst. I hope you’ll catch their inspired performances this summer in Into the Woods.

--Bruce Miller

Meet the Cast of "Into the Woods" – Part I

There’s an age-old theatrical saw that says that casting is 80% of the director’s job. If you cast a show well, the saying goes, everything else takes care of itself.

Well, not exactly. But it’s certainly true that casting well is a unique and invaluable skill. Director and choreographer Robin Arthur (along with musical director Jimmy Hicks) has cast Into the Woods brilliantly, with a mix of talented actors both proven and new.

Blog entries are not meant to go on forever—our blog chiefs are trying very hard to drum this into my thick skull. So today, I’m going to talk about six returning veterans, and then later I’ll focus on three incredible newcomers and our amazing supporting cast.

Steve Perigard and Rachel Abrams play the Baker and the Baker’s Wife, the two “everyman” characters around whom the fantasy swirls. Steve is Barksdale and Theatre IV’s not-so-secret weapon, our Associate Artistic Director. In many ways he is the artistic conscience of our theatres—the partner who is always advocating for more artistic risk-taking and professionalism. He is also an acclaimed actor, having appeared in leading roles in The Constant Wife, Fifth of July and They’re Playing Our Song at Barksdale; You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Seussical the Musical and Honk! at Theatre IV; A Devil Inside and Fit to be Tied at Theatre Gym; and Avow and Bat Boy at the Firehouse.

Rachel works out of New York, and this is her second summer gig at Barksdale. Last season she performed in the Joplin track in our revival of Beehive at Steward School. Those who have been involved in Richmond theatre for a while will enjoy knowing that Rachel was “practically raised” by R L Rowsey after he moved from Richmond to Maryland, Rachel’s home turf, in the 1990s.


Barksdale cornerstone Robyn O’Neill returns to play the Witch, a role she’s been longing to play for years. Robyn is cursed with the reputation of being “Bruce’s favorite,” (sorry, Roby) because I cast her as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun, and Sonia Walsk in They’re Playing Our Song. “Richmond favorite” is a more apt descriptor. Outstanding directors Robin Arthur, Tom Width, John Glenn and Steve Perigard cast her in leading roles in Into the Woods, Seussical the Musical, Children of Eden, Floyd Collins, Me and My Girl, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Sunday in the Park with George, and James Joyce’s The Dead.Visit Robyn's website

Audra Honaker is knockin’ ‘em dead every night (literally?) as Little Red Riding Hood. I think I’m right in crediting Susan Sanford for introducing Audra to the Richmond audience in Theatre IV’s production of The Secret Garden. I know that’s when I first had the pleasure of seeing Audra on stage, and subsequently wooed her for the role of Mary Warren in The Crucible here at Barksdale. Since then, Audra has become a Richmond All-Star, dazzling audiences in Brooklyn Boy and The 1940’s Radio Hour at Barksdale; The Miracle Worker and The Diary of Anne Frank at Swift Creek; and Seussical the Musical and Sing Down the Moon at Theatre IV.

It’s great to have Russell Rowland back on stage at Barksdale as Cinderella’s Prince and the Wolf. It’s hard to believe, but Russell started his career with us when he was a child. If memory serves, he was in 9th or 10th grade, somewhere in Chesterfield County Public Schools, when he auditioned with lots of other children for a Theatre IV production of ‘Twas the Night before Christmas. He was so tall, and sang with such a rich baritone, I cast him in the adult ensemble. It’s been all uphill from there. Russell played El Gallo in the national tour of The Fantasticks; Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun, the Captain in Anything Goes, Sir Francis Chesney in Where’s Charley?, Teddy in The Full Monty, and Valvert in Cyrano de Bergerac (all here at Barksdale); and Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls, Lancelot in Camelot, and Tommy Albright in Brigadoon in regional theatres outside of Richmond.Visit Russell's website

Last but in many ways first is Ford Flannagan. Among the various talented cast members, Ford is the one I’ve known the longest (with Jackie Jones and Amy Hruska—we’ll talk about them later—tied for close second). Ford’s been working for Theatre IV for 28 years, but I actually met him when he was still in high school. Ford’s brother Alan, who began working with Theatre IV in ’76, had been a college buddy of mine in the early 70s at the University of Richmond. When U of R students would have theatre parties, Ford would occasionally accompany his brother. You seldom see Ford today without a GI haircut, but in those days, his hair was really long, cut well below his shoulders, very blond and very straight.

Ford may be playing the Mysterious Old Man and Narrator in Into the Woods, but in many ways he’s forever young. He’s probably in better shape than almost anyone else in the cast, and his fanciful personality keeps him eternally youthful. In fact, in the spring of ’08, he’ll be returning once again in the title role of Peter Pan at Theatre IV. Ford is another of Barksdale and Theatre IV’s not-so-secret weapons. He’s won the hearts of Richmond audiences in The Full Monty, Scapino! and The 1940’s Radio Hour here at Barksdale; in Greater Tuna, Little Shop of Horrors and The Hasty Heart at Swift Creek; The Robber Bridegroom at TheatreVirginia; and Peter Pan, Da, Of Mice and Men, Four Part Harmony, Crimes of the Heart and Cotton Patch Gospel at Theatre IV.

I hope all of you will join us this summer for Into the Woods. The stellar cast is not to be missed.
--Bruce Miller

"Into the Woods" Earns Rave from T-D

The first critic has spoken, and declared Into the Woods to be a “MAGICAL” summer hit! Susan Haubenstock’s assessment appeared in Monday morning’s Times-Dispatch (April 18), and the review’s headline and sub-headline said it all: “Barksdale gets Ambitious, Scores” and “Work on Sondheim Classic is Dazzling in All of its Facets.”

Stephen Sondheim is almost universally recognized as the greatest Broadway composer and lyricist of the final third of the 20th Century. Described by Frank Rich in the The New York Times as "the greatest and perhaps best-known artist in the American musical theater," he is one of the few people to win an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards (seven, more that any other composer), multiple Grammy Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize. His most famous scores include (as composer/lyricist) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, A Little Night Music (my favorite musical), Follies, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods, as well as the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy (probably my second and third favorite musicals).

The stellar cast we have assembled for Into the Woods is second to none. “The performers are a true ensemble,” writes Haubenstock, “with Steve Perigard’s low-key baker and Rachel Abrams as his spunky wife perhaps at the center. Robyn O’Neill is vibrant as the witch, and Rita Markova makes a lovely Cinderella. Russell Rowland and Zak Resnick are both hilarious as lascivious wolves and roving-eyed princes; Ford Flannagan’s narrator reminds one of Joel Grey with his lightness and grace. Drew Seigla plays Jack (of beanstalk fame) as naive but lovable, and Jacqueline Jones is his brash, exasperated mother.”

“But the scene-stealer here is Audra Honaker as Little Red Riding Hood, who earns a laugh with every line and applause with every exit. The character is written funny, to be sure, but Honaker’s deadpan performance ratchets every gag up from chuckle to guffaw.” Haubenstock goes on to praise our brilliant director and choreographer (Robin Arthur), our music director (Jimmy Hicks) and our designers (set – Mercedes Schaum, costumes – Terry Snyder, and lights – Lynne Hartman). To those well deserved kudos, I’d like to add a special thanks to our indefatigable production crew, led by my greatly respected and invaluable colleagues: Bruce Rennie, Tech Director; Richard Koch, Production Manager; and Ginnie Willard, Production Stage Manager.

As Haubenstock suggests, Into the Woods is a hugely ambitious production for a theatre of our size. Phil and I feel privileged to be producing such a rewarding show, and to have the opportunity to work with such talented theatre artists.

For the full review of Into the Woods, go to: Richmond Times-Dispatch review

FOLLOWUP-Read another rave from Richmond.com, go to: Richmond.com review

To puchase tickets, call our Box Office today at 282-2620. I know you’ll enjoy this glorious production.

Special thanks to the Title Sponsor of Into the Woods, Village Bank, who helped make this production possible.

--Bruce Miller