Of Marquees and Misperceptions

Posted by Bruce Miller
I love coming home at the top of every month to find my hot-off-the-press edition of Richmond Marquee waiting for me in my mailbox. It reminds me what a great theatre town Richmond is. Is there a comparable monthly newsletter about what's going on among Richmond's diverse dance companies? How about Central Virginia's symphony and orchestra scene, or our opera troupes? I don't think so.

Richmond is a THEATRE town, with a remarkable wealth of talent and audience interest for a city our size. Thank God for that. We should all be glad that Lisa Kotula (actress, theatre administrator, and Publisher / Managing Editor of the Richmond Marquee) continues to commit her energies and resources to the creation of a monthly newsletter that celebrates and promotes the great things happening on ALL of Greater Richmond's many stages.

The September edition includes coverage of 18 different local theatres: AART, Barksdale, Cadence, CAT, Firehouse, HATTheatre, Henley, Henrico, Huguenot Community Players, I Am She Productions, K Dance, Mystery Dinner Playhouse, Richmond Shakespeare, Richmond Triangle, Saint John's Players, Swift Creek Mill, Sycamore Rouge, and Theatre IV. And there was Road Trip info from other Virginia theatres as far afield as Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Riverside Dinner Theatre in Fredericksburg, and Signature Theatre in Alexandria.

The newsletter costs only $2 per month, and you can purchase subscriptions in three, six or twelve month packages. Lisa needs all our support. You can contact her and/or subscribe online at www.richmondmarquee.com. I hope you'll consider doing so.

One of the things I learned in this month's issue of the Richmond Marquee is that Tom Width at Swift Creek Mill Theatre makes life easier for veteran actors than I do at Barksdale. In the article announcing auditions for It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, playing throughout the holidays at the Mill beginning Nov 17, the following paragraph appears.

"Any questions may be directed to Tom Width at Twidth@aol.com. If your work is well-known to Mr. Width, please email for alternate audition information (callback-only auditions are possible.)"

We at Barksdale, Cadence and Theatre IV are not being as generous with our longstanding friends. Instead of having individual auditions for each of the 16 mainstage productions we produce each season, we are beginning this fall to have open calls three times a year: September (Oct 1 in 2011), January and May. We ask every Richmond-based actor, age 18 and up, who is interested in working with us to attend at least one of these auditions each year.

We have already heard, of course, from actors who have conflicting plans on Oct 1, and we will make every effort to include them in callbacks when we believe their talents are well suited to the needs of a show. However, we are also asking these same actors to plan now to attend the open calls in either January or May (exact dates to be determined and announced soon).

It's not that we fail to see that our veteran performers have earned special treatment. In fact, we believe they have. However, we are also aware that there is a misperception out there that Barksdale is a closed shop, privately casting only the same favorite actors over and over again. We know this misperception is not true. In any given year, more than 1/3 of the actors we cast are new to us. But we fear that the perception may keep talented actors whom we do not know, or don't yet know well enough, from attending an open call. Therefore we have a commitment to make every effort to treat all actors exactly the same. If our veteran actors can work with us to address this commitment, we will greatly appreciate it.

As Greater Richmond's resident professional theatre, we hope that all of the talented actors in our metro area will audition for us at least once a year. As we all know, casting happens in callbacks, not open calls. But having open calls, and creating a culture that demonstrates equal respect for all actors--those with whom we are familiar and those with whom we are not--is, we believe, the best way to identify the very best actor for every role.

Ultimately, that is our job. We greatly appreciate everyone's understanding and cooperation.

--Bruce Miller

Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Awards

Posted by Bruce Miller
The nominations for the RTCCAs (popularly pronounced Artsies or Ratcocs, depending on the sassiness of the one doing the pronouncing) were posted on Dave's Theater Blog late Monday evening. Many also refer to the actual awards as "hockey pucks," because of the circular design of the handsome acrylic trophies that are handed out. Meaning no disrespect, I've chosen a Canadian hockey puck to illustrate this article because: A - I couldn't find a photo on line of an actual Artsy, and B - well, I'll let you speculate about B.

Because I swim in the technological backwaters, I knew nothing about the announced nominations until Tuesday morning when I read a nice message that Jacquie O'Connor wrote on my Facebook wall. Our Managing Director, Phil Whiteway, received some sort of message on his blackberry, or whatever phone thing he has, on Monday night. From all reports, the phone of our Associate Artistic Director, Chase Kniffen, began ringing furiously shortly after Dave's initial posting.

I'm so out of the loop that it sometimes startles me.

Anyway, what a nice surprise to discover that Barksdale and Theatre IV are parties to 48 nominations--49 if you count our connections to Neil and SaraBelle November. I greatly appreciate all this recognition.

I really really really don't envy the Richmond theatre critics and the challenges they face in trying to come up with this list of nominees. I think it's great that they're giving kudos to theatres and theatre artists in Richmond. As an economic sector, we need all the attention we can get. But their job is next to impossible. With so many worthy performances, how can anyone possibly choose one set of theatre artists over another. All I can say is, I'm glad I don't have to do it.

My job is an easier one. I get to Monday morning (Wednesday night?) quarterback and make some additional "nominations" of performances that I admired, performances that didn't make it on to the final roster selected by the critics. My "nominations" represent nothing more than one humble opinion--which ain't worth squat. Like the critics, I'm sure I too will leave out people I really liked and am now forgetting, but since these nods of mine carry no weight whatsoever, I hope everyone will put up with my whimsy.

I also get to toss out some comments that have little to do with anything, but interest me nonetheless. It's a blog. So sue me.

First off, I loved everyone in the acting and design teams of the three shows I had the privilege to direct this season: Boleros for the Disenchanted (the wonderful and nominated Carmen Zilles is pictured to the left, next to the wonderful and not nominated Michelle Guadalupe), First Baptist of Ivy Gap, and On Golden Pond. Since I'm completely biased in their favor, I won't single out any one of them individually for recognition here. Except one. I know Joe Inscoe is nominated several times for other performances, but not to nominate him for On Golden Pond?? I thought he was exceptional. I'm just sayin'.

I'm a little surprised (but delighted) to see that Souvenir is considered to be a musical. At the end of the day, I don't care if the critics call it a musical, a non-musical, or an egg salad sandwich--I'm really glad that the excellent work that went into this show was recognized.

I already wrote to Jase Smith individually, and told him I thought his direction of Rent represented his best work thus far and deserved a nomination. I also think that Terence Sullivan was terrific in Rent. In my opinion, he was the major new "discovery" of the year. I thought Durron Tyre was incredible in Rent and deservedly nominated, but I don't think the character of Tom Collins is a lead. In my little world, Durron should be up for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical.

In like manner, I was surprised to see that Ford Flannagan's wonderful performance in Putnam County Spelling Bee was nominated in the Leading Actor category, while Debra Wagoner's performance in the same show in a role that was actually larger than Ford's was recognized in the Supporting Actor category. It seems like both of them were outstanding supporting actors to me.

And speaking of directors--I was, a couple paragraphs back--I thought Molly Hood (pictured to the left) did a terrific job with Twelfth Night. Here again, I applaud each of Barksdale's and Theatre IV's directors, but I'm biased so I won't single them out.

I enjoyed noting that The Sound of Music was abbreviated SOM and Servant of Two Masters was abbreviated SOTM. It reminded me of the previous season when Barksdale did Children of a Lesser God and Stage 1 did Children's Letters to God almost simultaneously. Good times. It made me try to think of other plays we might have produced last season with titles that could be abbreviated with some variation of SOM. But I came up with bupkis. It's late at night.

I think the strongest category may be Best Supporting Actor in a Play. All five nominees are equally deserving. And I can think of more than a few others who turned in equally impressive performances in this category--too many to single out. I'm excited that there's a new category for original work--something lacking in the past.

Maybe next year the critics can consider recognizing a break-through performance by someone previously unnoticed, or maybe a "Most Outstanding Debut" category. I thought Laurel Maughan, who is new to our ranks, contributed greatly to Twelfth Night. In the veteran category, I though Jackie Jones was particularly noteworthy playing Golda Meir in her one woman show at the JCC. Somewhere in between, Joe Carlson impressed, I thought, in Grapes of Wrath, carrying a difficult show on his emerging shoulders. Joe will contribute greatly to Richmond theatre's future, should we be lucky enough to hang on to him.

I'm so pleased that Hanover Tavern received some recognition this year; the Tavern was completely shut out in years one and two. I know there will always be those who feel under-appreciated, just like all of us at Hanover Tavern felt in 2008 and 2009. But I think the critics do an outstanding job trying to recognize good work everywhere, and trying to maintain a balance.

Richmond theatre lives and dies by its breadth and depth, and the critics work hard to find examples of excellence almost everywhere. Our theatre community would be greatly diminished without the estimable talents found at our dozen colleague nonprofits: African American Repertory Theatre, Cadence Theatre Company, Carpenter Science Theatre, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre, Firehouse Theatre Project, HATTheatre, Henley Street Theatre, Richmond Shakespeare, Richmond Triangle Players, Swift Creek Theatre, Sycamore Rouge, and the brand new Theatre in Battery Park.

Last but not least, I'd like to tip my hat to the kids in The Sound of Music--maybe in the best ensemble category. They were amazingly talented, professional and accomplished throughout a lengthy run, and were at the very heart of Central Virginia's most popular show of the past season.

So, those are a few random thoughts, signifying nothing. Again, I think the critics are doing a great job and I don't envy them. There's no way they could satisfy everyone. So I salute them, and thank them for their service.

--Bruce Miller

Firehouse Rises to Top of Artsie Tally

Posted by Bruce Miller
Ya gotta give kudos where kudos are due. Depending on how you measure it, the Firehouse currently holds a resounding lead in the two-year race for Artsies (the annual awards presented by the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle – RTCC).

The good folks at Firehouse (Carol, Morrie et al) are revered colleagues and friends. We bow to their current supremacy, even if we are all the more determined to catch up with them next year.

But, for the moment, it is quite true that Firehouse has been awarded exactly twice as many Best Play and Best Musical Awards as any other theatre in Central Virginia. The scorecard reads like this: Firehouse – 2 (last year’s Henry Moss and this year’s Eurydice [which I’m finally learning to spell correctly]), the Mill – 1 (last year’s Urinetown), and Barksdale – 1 (this year’s Millie).

Thank God for Millie – that’s all I’m saying.

Of course, there are other ways to keep score. We have a slight lead in terms of the number of talented theatre artists who’ve worked on Barksdale shows and been honored with their own Artsie. But even using that method of tabulation, the Firehouse, the Mill and Richmond Shakes are all nipping at our heals.

And the artists themselves get to take home those chotchkies. The only ones we can keep on our mantle in the conference room are the ones (make that “the one”) we won for Best Play or Best Musical.

So, with my ego appropriately tamed, let me shout out congratulations to all of Richmond’s many fine theatres for their nominations and wins. And congrats to the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle for working hard to recognize a diverse body of great work. IMHO, that’s exactly what you should be doing. We’re honored to be in such outstanding, award-winning company.

--Bruce Miller

If you haven't heard yet, here's the 2009 roster of Barksdale's wins. Our greatest thanks and congratualtions to the honorees.

Best Musical: Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Direction - Musical: Patti D'Beck, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Actor - Musical: Zak Resnick, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Supporting Actor - Musical: Timothy Ford, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Supporting Actress - Musical: Ali Thibodeau, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Musical Direction: Paul Deiss, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Choreography: Patti D'Beck, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Best Actress - Play: Robin Arthur, The Clean House

Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design: Sue Griffin, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Outstanding Achievement in Set Design: Ron Keller, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Outstanding Achievement in Hair / Makeup Design: Sue Griffin, Thoroughly Modern Millie

Star of Stage, Screen and Richmond

Posted by Bruce Miller
Today we’re pleased to wish Betty Ann Grove a very happy 81st birthday. Betty Ann is Richmond’s own Broadway Baby—and she’s such a good friend and familiar face that it’s way too easy to forget what an amazing national career she had before moving to Richmond with her late husband Roger twenty or so years ago.

How big a deal is our friend Betty Ann? Consider these brief anecdotes from the wealth of articles that pop up when you type her name into Google.

When she was only 21 years old, Betty Ann began her seven year stint as co-star of Stop the Music, a mega-hit musical quiz show that began on radio in 1949 and soon transferred to the up-and-coming medium of television. When Cole Porter saw adorable Betty Ann on TV for the first time, his people immediately called her people and offered her the chance to replace Lisa Kirk as Lois Lane / Bianca in the original Broadway production of Kiss Me Kate—Betty Ann’s Broadway debut.

And it wasn’t just Cole Porter who loved her. Betty Ann was so popular and appeared in so many TV shows in the early 50s that her beautiful face wound up on the cover of Look Magazine over a caption that read “America’s Most Televised Women.” And what are the TV credits that earn her recognition as one of the great women pioneers of the new medium? Stop the Music, The Bert Parks Show, The Big Payoff, All in Fun, Ozark Jubilee, The Red Buttons Show, Summer Holiday, The Merv Griffin / Betty Ann Grove Show, The Arthur Murray Party, and many others.

At the peak of her success as a television singer/actress and recording artist, Betty Ann was dating her manager, Peter Dean. Peter Dean took Betty Ann with him on frequent visits to see his niece, a little girl named Carly Simon. Betty Ann had such a strong influence on young Carly that to this day Ms Simon credits Betty Ann as the singer she wanted to be when she grew up.

When Betty Ann returned to Broadway in George M! in 1968 (the second of her four Broadway shows), she was so well known in the entertainment industry that she received second billing after Joel Grey. All the advertising materials for the original production list Betty Ann’s name on its own line, just below the title, in type about twice the size of the names that immediately follow beneath her name, names like Broadway stars Jill O’Hara and Bernadette Peters.

If you decide today that you'd like to buy on an Internet auction site the autographed photo of Betty Ann you see at the top of this post, you can! And if you Buy It Now, you can pick it up for only … oh ... $399!

“Betty Ann Grove is an American actress,” Wikipedia states. “A petite redhead with a powerful voice, she recorded in the 1950s and debuted on Broadway in Kiss Me Kate.”

Even though the Wiki article goes on, it tells such a small part of her story.

Richmonders love Betty Ann for her star turns in The Music Man and Da at Theatre IV, and Driving Miss Daisy and Smoke on the Mountain at Swift Creek Mill Theatre, among others. But as we celebrate with her the joy of turning 81 years young, let’s not forget that Betty Ann Grove is not just our sweetheart, but America's sweetheart as well.

We love you, Betty Ann. Happy Birthday!!!

--Bruce Miller

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Posted by Bruce Miller
Richmond is looking pretty good the past couple days.

Yesterday, we did NOT make it onto Forbes.com’s list of the 40 Most Stressful Cities in America. Northern Virginia did (as part of Metro DC), and so did Virginia Beach. What’s with that? Stressed out at the beach?

Today, our fair city DID make it into the BOTTOM ten on MSN.com’s list of American Cities and Their Addiction to Fast Foods. With a grade of A-, Richmond was the 7th LEAST addicted city in the nation, sandwiched between the respectable eaters in Bangor, Maine and Providence, Rhode Island. Once again, Norfolk scored only a B+ and NoVA a B-.

I’ve always felt particularly competitive with Charlotte, N. C.—all that banking brouhaha. So I took shameless pleasure in learning that Charlottonians are not only among the most stressed out citizens in America, they also rate third from the top in per capita consumption of fast food, earning a grade of F.

As any curmudgeon can tell you, there’s got to be some sort of correlation between reliance on fast food and stress. So what’s Richmond’s secret that keeps us calm and well nourished?

It’s got to be our theatres. Central Virginians love their theatres, and Richmond’s theatres love their comedies.

Stress relief from laughter? Seriously, it’s no joke.

According to a recent study from the Mayo Clinic, laughter is powerful stress-relief medicine. When you laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body.

“Laughter can stimulate your organs,” state the fine doctors at the Mayo Clinic, and honestly, who doesn’t enjoy stimulating their organs every now and then. “Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.”

And the positive effects of a few chuckles and the occasional belly laugh don’t stop there. “A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.”

“Laughter can also ease digestion and stimulate circulation,” which helps “soothe tension and stomach aches.”

And the health benefits of a rousing comedy aren’t just short term. Laughter has been proven to improve your immune system, relieve pain, and increase personal satisfaction over the long haul.

So, wanna keep Richmond as a low-stress winner? Then make an appointment today with the good doctors at Hagadorn, Guadalupe, and Bass. Here are the upcoming comedies you won’t want to miss:

The Mystery of Irma Vep, opening Sept 17 at the Mill. “A werewolf, a vampire and a resurrected Egyptian princess come together with the denizens of Mandacrest Manor for the ultimate spoof of Gothic melodramas. Starring John Hagadorn and David Janeski.

Boleros for the Disenchanted, opening Sept 18 at Barksdale Willow Lawn. There’s a lot of robust humor in this new poetic masterpiece by Jose Rivera. Starring Bernardo Cubria, Patricia Doran, Michelle Guadalupe, Jorge Rubio, Luis Vega and Carmen Zilles.

Souvenir, opening Sept 25 at Barksdale Hanover Tavern. Debra Wagoner and Jonathan Spivey star as the legendary Florence Foster Jenkins and her intrepid accompanist, Cosme McMoon, in this true story of a tone-deaf New York society matron whose foghorn croonings became the toast of Carnegie Hall. Directed by John Glenn and co-produced with Company of Fools.

The Ugly Duckling, opening Oct 2 at Theatre IV’s Empire Theatre. Why should we adults be the only ones to enjoy stress-reduction? Treat your kids to this fun and frolicking musical about finding self-esteem through having and being a friend. Starring Gordon Bass, Eric Pastore, Ali Thibodeau, Duron Tyre and Aly Wepplo.

The New Century, opening the Triangle Players season on Oct 7. The New York Post exclaimed that “the evening contains so many gut-busting one-liners that those with heart conditions are advised to steer clear.” Starring Jackie Jones and Michael Hawke.

Hope to hear you laughing at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

Love On Stage

Posted by Bruce Miller

May the “rough magic” of Barksdale’s ancestral home never cease.

During the Tavern run of Smoke on the Mountain, Aly Wepplo and David Janeski fell in love. (They met during the run of Mame at Willow Lawn.) After a rousing performance of Sanders Family Christmas, David proposed…immediately following curtain call. I’m not sure who was more amazed and enamoured, Aly or the audience.

Last night, again on the Tavern stage, Aly and David were married, in one of the most beautiful and heartfelt weddings you can imagine.

It couldn’t be happening to a nicer pair. David and Aly have been sharing their many talents with Richmond audiences for a few years now, mostly at Barksdale, Theatre IV and the Mill. You couldn’t have seen Smoke, Sanders, Mame, Little Women, Altar Boys, Rumplestiltskin’s Daughter, or Of Mice and Men without getting drawn in by the special talents of one or both.

They’ve also been much in demand at Barksdale’s sister theatre, Company of Fools in Hailey Idaho, where Aly in particular has earned a significant following following her performances in Spitfire Grill and Steel Magnolias.

Last night Aly assured me that their plans are to remain in Richmond. After all, Aly is soon to charm our socks off in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Barksdale Willow Lawn, and David will be prompting chills and laughs in The Mystery of Irma Vep at the Mill. Hopefully there will be many more shows to come.

Many congratulations to this wonderful, talented, much loved pair.

--Bruce Miller

The Return of the "Artsies"

Posted by Bruce Miller
We were very pleased to wake up this morning to learn that Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV have been recognized with several nominations for RTCC Awards (“Artsies”). RTCC stands for the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle. The six members of this august body include Mary Burruss, Susan Haubenstock, Julinda Lewis, John Porter, David Timberline and Joan Tupponce.

Phil called me at home this morning after reading the encouraging news on Dave Timberline’s blog - http://richmondvatheater.blogspot.com/. Phil and I are among the many who support the critics in their efforts to bring more attention to professional theatre in Richmond. Efforts like this take a LOT of work, and I’m very grateful to Dave, Joan, John, Julinda, Mary and Susan for volunteering all the time and brainpower required to pull off such a major initiative.

Like any and everyone else (including each critic, I’m sure), I think some of the nominations are a little crazy, and some of the omissions are downright criminal. But I know of no better way to get the job done, and no other group of people willing to invest the energy to make it happen. So what the heck, let’s all roll with the punches and be happy that attention is being paid.

Among musical nominations, the runaway winner this year was Stage 1, with a very impressive 16 nominations. Barksdale and Theatre IV followed, with 12 nominations each. Swift Creek Mill and the Firehouse scored an impressive 8 and 7 nominations respectively. Last year the big musical winner was Urinetown at the Mill, so it’s nice to see the kudos being spread around a little this year to other worthy productions and theatres.
Among non-musicals (and I’m counting Pulp as a non-musical, songs and all), Barksdale received 16 nods, with the Firehouse standing proud with 8, and Henley Street following closely with 7. Five nominations went to the Mill, 3 each to Richmond Shakes and CAT, 2 to Sycamore Rouge, and one each to the Triangle Players and African American Repertory Theatre--testimony to the breadth of theatrical excellence in our community.

Last year’s big winner in the non-musical category was the Firehouse production of The Late Henry Moss. (The photo above shows the on-stage view of last year's inaugural Awards Ceremony at the Firehouse.) Again, it’s nice to see the Critics Circle working hard this year to include lots of (even if not all) worthy nominees.

The Awards Ceremony will be held this year at our historic Empire Theatre on October 18. Tickets are only $10 and available at the Empire box office – 344-8040. All profits from the event will be donated by the Critics Circle to the Theatre Artists Fund.

Everyone is invited, and it should be a huge and great celebration. I hope you’ll all make time to attend and cheer on each of Richmond’s theatrical winners.

--Bruce Miller

Tevye Takes His Final Bow

Posted by Bruce Miller
I just returned from Lou Rubin’s funeral and graveside service. Phil and I joined Tom Width, Jackie Jones and Glenn Crone in representing the theatre community. If others were there, I apologize for missing you.

Phil and I arrived about 15 minutes before the service, but it was obvious that the crowd that kept pouring in was not going to fit inside the cemetery facility. So the two of us and Tom Width and about 30 others gladly took our places outside and listened to the service over speakers. I'm sure Lou loved the fact that his service was SRO.

One of Lou’s favorite roles at the Mill was Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. He played it at least twice to great acclaim. His family wanted to include something from Fiddler in the service, but secular music is prohibited in a Jewish funeral. So after consultation with the powers-that-be, it was decided that Sunrise Sunset would be performed as a sort of overture, before the service actually began. It was very moving.

Later in the service, a granddaughter said that Lou had mentioned that he wanted helium balloons at his funeral, to cheer things up. His daughter Claudia Biegler told him that she was concerned that a balloon launch would not be environmentally friendly, and maybe not even legal.

Lou, we were told, then suggested bubbles, and his family agreed. So small containers of soapy liquid with bubble wands were handed out to the overflowing crowd. During the graveside service, 50 or more family members and friends began blowing bubbles until the entire area around the graveside was shimmering with fragile, shining bubbles wending their gentle way toward a beautiful blue sky. It was impossible not to smile. It was a PERFECT Lou moment.

Now might be a good time to reprint an article that appeared in the Petersburg Progress-Index, and was picked up nationally by the Associated Press, announcing the Mill’s opening in Dec 1965. It’s a fitting tribute to Lou and Buddy, who died last March.

Under the headline “Old Grist Mill Becomes Weekend Dinner Theater,” the following article appeared on December 9, written by Pat Matthews. I've left all the grammar and punctuation intact.

"Three enterprising young couples, convinced Southside Virginians share their love of the theater, have converted a 302-year-old grist mill into a weekend dinner theater.

The partners in the Swift Creek Mill Playhouse are Wamer Callahan, a high school teacher and the only member with professional theatrical experience; Dr. Louis Rubin, Petersburg optometrist who has appeared in numerous amateur productions; and Wesley Richardson, operator of a drive-in restaurant in Petersburg.

They are being assisted by their wives, each with her own special skill to contribute.

Sally Richardson is not only acting in the opening production of “Carnival”, but she has also been the innovator of many of the decorating schemes for the historic old mill.

Betty Callahan has worked with her husband on many amateur productions in the past and specializes in coordinating the rehearsal schedule.

Fran Rubin is assisting her husband in public relations and is also handling the important jobs of reservations and make-up.

The couples have already encountered enough obstacles to discourage most new business partners. Contractors, looking over the building believed to be the oldest grist mill in this country, found it sound but needing a great deal of renovation.

The 2 1/2 –foot thick walls of the foundation and first floor were solid, but the floors were lopsided. To even the floors, the huge structure had to be jacked-up five inches.

Then the opening had to be delayed two months because the mill was built partly on granite, and this had to be removed before work could progress on a kitchen addition.

The partners say that the mill plays will be of like caliber with the operation similar to other theaters in the state. There will be buffet style dinner for guests before the play on two dining levels.

The theater will seat 250. The stage is slightly elevated in the manner of a Greek amphitheater and there is no curtain."

More commentary to follow.

--Bruce Miller

In Memoriam: Lou Rubin

Posted by Bruce Miller

In my 20s, I acted a lot in Richmond’s theatres. My first “professional” gig was at Barksdale Experimental, a one-season-wonder that spun off from Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern and took place in the vacated Massey, Wood and West offices on Lombardy St. Barksdale Experimental lit up the Richmond theatre scene in 1969-70, and then closed, due to lack of financial resources, just before launching their second season.

Some things never change.

My second acting gig outside the University of Richmond, where I was a theatre student, was at Swift Creek Mill Playhouse. “Theatre” now; “Playhouse” then. I was called at around 3 in the afternoon and asked if I could drive out immediately, rehearse for about an hour, and play the small role of the Russian tenor that night in Fiddler on the Roof. The actor who had been playing the role had been in an accident and they needed to replace him for the run of the show. Apparently I fit the costume and rumor had it I could hit the high notes.

Rehearsal went great. I can’t remember whether it was with Wayne or Jane Batty, the two of whom shared the responsibilities of musical director. I learned the song and the simple choreography and agreed to work my way into other scenes during upcoming performances. At least the bottle dancers would have a tenor that evening to accompany their dance.

When showtime came, it turned out that the other Batty was conducting. In performance, the tempo for the song was, I swear, about twice as fast as what I’d rehearsed. The lyrics were in Russian. I totally botched the number.

I tell this story today not to criticize the Battys, whom I love. It wasn’t their fault; it was just one of those things—and they were very kind to me. I tell the story because it was immediately after my botched number that I met Lou Rubin for the first time.

He was playing Tevye, one of his three classic roles at the Mill, and he certainly had no time to spend with the new kid whom he’d never met. Nonetheless, he had heard, perhaps even witnessed, my tongue-tied performance, and as soon as we both were offstage at the same time, he ran up to me, gave me a big hug and said, “You were very good. No one out there speaks Russian. They didn’t even notice. Oh, I’m Lou Rubin, by the way. Good to meet you. I play Tevye.” Then he ran back on stage.

Today at 2, I’ll be going to Lou Rubin’s funeral. He died on Thursday at age 87. A sweeter man never lived.

The Mill was founded by two great couples: Buddy and Betty Callahan and Lou and Fran Rubin. When Buddy died earlier this year, Phil and I were in New York and we missed his funeral. I continue to be heartsick that I wasn’t there.

I loved and benefited greatly from my long association with Buddy and Betty, Lou and Fran. We dedicated our recent production of Annie to Buddy’s memory. We will be dedicating our upcoming production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee to Lou.

I’ll write more soon about both incredible men and the huge impact they had on Richmond theatre in general and the founding of Theatre IV.

--Bruce Miller

Stage 1 Did Everything Right

Posted by Bruce Miller
Don’t get me wrong. By design, no theatre company is perfect. The minute art becomes perfect it ceases to be art. So when I suggest that Stage 1 did everything right, I’m talking about process, not product.

As most if not all of you have heard by now, Stage 1 Theatre Company is closing its doors. There is no mystery here. Chase Kniffen, founding artistic director, comes right out and says it. Stage 1 is closing due to insufficient financial resources.

This should surprise no one. Nonetheless it does. “How can other companies continue,” some ask, “while Stage 1, which has produced four hit musicals in a row, finds it necessary to fold its tent?”

The answer is simple. From day 1 Stage 1 has operated at a level of professionalism that exceeded that of other fledgling companies. I'm not talking professional intent; I'm talking money.

Stage 1 had its own theatre with enough lighting and sound equipment to stand toe to toe with companies far more established. Chase hired actors, designers and music directors from Richmond’s top tier. If a score called for five musicians, Chase hired five musicians. He aspired to create first class sets and costumes, and produced some memorable designs (and outstanding shows) even while the nonprofit company was still completely wet behind the ears.

I challenge anyone to name any other Richmond theatre company that has worked at this level during its first season, or its second. Or third. The only ones I can think of are Swift Creek Mill, which when it opened in 1965 was a privately funded commercial operation, and perhaps the Renaissance Theatre, which I know only through hearsay. The Renaissance was created in the late 50s when two of Barksdale's original founders split off to start their own company, which burned brightly for two seasons before closing in financial disarray.

The Virginia Museum Theatre (1955) and StageCenter (approx 1970) both started at a high level of professionalism in most departments, but neither paid their actors. VMT was funded by no less a resource than the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, and StageCenter was funded in full by the recent inheritance of Tom Crane-Baker, one of its cofounders. When that inheritance ran out, so did StageCenter.

Professional theatre is what Chase knows. It challenges and inspires him; he is committed to it. From his own accounting, he has little interest in working within the artistic limitations that come with a shoestring budget.

Good for him! One can argue (I certainly do) that Richmond needs more shoestring theatres far less than it needs more major professional productions that will finally give our theatre community as a whole the national standing it's always longed for and never quite achieved.

Stage 1 and all who had the privilege of being involved with it lit up the Richmond theatre scene with ambition, youthful energy, passion and talent. And Stage 1’s driving forces achieved everything they set out to achieve. They broke no promises. When it became obvious that what they had created was a $300,000 theatre with a $200,000 budget (I’m sort of making these numbers up, but I’ll bet I’m close), they had the wisdom and maturity to call it a day.

Nothing is lost. The energy and drive and vision of Stage 1 will continue to live on and ignite the Richmond theatre scene for years to come.

I know, easy for me to say. A new venture is no more; a promise-in-the-making has been put to rest. I in no way mean to belittle the broken hearts which always accompany such difficult decisions.

But as a community of support let's not misperceive that a flame has been extinguished. All that talent is still here. The brightest days lie ahead.

Lessons to be learned? Who knows, who cares? Theatres aren't about answers; they're about questions.

As the incomparable Peter Brook wisely said, “Every audience has the theatre it deserves.” Those of us who care about professional theatre in Greater Richmond need to pull in the same direction. We need to buy tickets. We need to make contributions. We need to lobby our local and state governments to measure up to national standards regarding public support for the arts.

And as that lover of life Edna St. Vincent Millay rapturously penned, “My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night. But, ah, my foes, and, oh, my friends…It gives a lovely light.”

Let us all celebrate the lovely light that was and is Stage 1, and rejoice that all of its candles are still within our midst.

(Photos: Robyn O'Neill in Summer of '42, Brett Ambler and Durron Tyre in tick, tick ... BOOM!, Cooper Timberline in Children's Letters to God, Julie Fulcher and Ali Thibodeau in Normal, Ali Thibodeau and Chase Kniffen at Ragtime: In Concert)

--Bruce Miller

Harnessing Honaker

Posted by Bruce Miller
First of all there’s the pronunciation. You put the emphasis on the first syllable—just like you would expect. But the first syllable rhymes with “bone,” not “don.”

Then there’s the matter of the second and third syllables. You say them just as if you were talking about an “acre” of land, with the “a” getting more emphasis than the “ker.”

So it’s Hone’-ake’-er, with each syllable getting slightly less emphasis than the one that preceded it. Like homemaker. Not Hahn’-ah-ker.

I’m talking of course about Audra Honaker, who is now starring in Barksdale’s I Ought To Be In Pictures at Hanover Tavern (see pictures above and to the right and below and to the left).

About her performance, critic Celia Wren wrote in the Richmond Times-Dispatch: “If America could harness the vim that actress Audra Honaker brings to her latest gig, the country’s energy problems would be solved.” That’s the first sentence of the review.

In STYLE Weekly, Mary Burruss issued similar compliments: “Hackman and Honaker hit dramatic heights. Honaker delivers a strong performance.”

If Richmond has stars--and I think we do--she's one.

So who is this theatrical powerhouse whose talent and energy are capable of lighting up a stage and a nation?

1. She’s the youngest of that elite group known as “the most talented professional actors in Greater Richmond.” No group’s really known as that, but you know what I mean. I’m not talking the top 50; I’m talking the top ten. I don’t use these words lightly. (That's Audra in Seussical to the right, and in Brooklyn Boy below and to the left.)

2. She’s one of the two or five actors in town so enjoyed and remembered by the theatre-going public that her name above a title can actually sell a significant number of tickets.

3. Like most of the greats, she’s a quadruple threat: she can act, sing and dance, and she’s very good looking.

4. She has a healthy self confidence. But her most endearing quality is that she honestly seems to have very little sense of her elevated place in the pecking order. I don’t think she knows there is a pecking order. And if she ever finds out there is one, I don't think she'll give a peck. She accepts roles in the ensemble just as happily as she accepts leads. In her spare time you can find her spray painting props, power washing sidewalks, laundering costumes, and tending to abandoned kittens. Whatever around the theatre needs doing, Audra is happy to do it. All these things I’m saying, she’d never say herself … or even think.

5. Like all the greats, she works all over town. Barksdale, Stage 1, Swift Creek Mill and Theatre IV (in alpha order) are all regular employers. (That's Audra with Drew Seigla, as Little Red and Jack, outside Willow Lawn on the sidewalk for Into the Woods.

6. She is equally adept at comedies, dramas and musicals. She has the instincts of a seasoned performer. She always takes direction eagerly. I’ve never once seen her roll her eyes as if she knew better.

7. She takes quickly to accents and with little or no effort can sound as eloquent and British as anyone could want. But in real life, she speaks with an unselfconscious Hopewell drawl that is easy to imitate as the Audra-voice. She probably (and proudly) has the most frequently impersonated accent in town.

8. She’s SMART. I should have put this as the first comment, because it may be the most important. (That's Audra to the left with Jan Guarino in the world premiere of Mona's Arrangments.) Audra's blog, and I won’t give you the address because it’s completely unselfconscious and I don’t want to freak her out, is laugh-out-loud-funny and warmly enjoyable. Other than boy genius Matt Hackman, Audra’s usually the first one off book. She sight reads vocal music like a pro, and is almost always the first one off score.

9. She’s nice, thoughtful and is friends with just about everybody. Seriously, does anyone know someone who knows Audra and doesn’t like her a lot?

So now for the shameless self-promotion part, except it’s not really self-promotion, it’s Barksdale promotion. Come see Audra in I Ought To Be In Pictures, playing now through June 21, and Audra may be missing a couple shows the last week, so come soon. Audra plays the wonderful role that won a Tony for Dinah Manoff (Best Supporting Actress, 1981) and should win Audra her second Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Award next fall. (Audra won Best Actress last fall for her star turn in Once Upon a Mattress at the Mill.)

I Ought To Be In Pictures is a funny and sweet play. Audra, Matt and Lisa are wonderful in it. Hope to see you at the theatre.

--Bruce Miller

It's a Wonderful Mystery

Posted by Bruce Miller
Scott Wichmann is not the only actor making headlines these days in the role of George Bailey. Duke Lafoon, who recently starred at Barksdale as Father Flynn in Doubt, was Richmond’s original George Bailey. He was a sensation in that role at TheatreVirginia in the mid-90s when they presented the musical version of the holiday classic, called A Wonderful Life. Now Duke is dazzling audiences in the same role yet again, starring in the musical at Westchester Broadway Theatre from Nov 20 through Feb 8.

Westchester is the longest running 52-week-a-year Equity theatre in the state of New York. A for-profit dinner theatre, Westchester opened in 1974 under the name An Evening Dinner Theatre. Over the last 34 years, Westchester has become a cultural mainstay in the tri-state area.

Westchester does all of its casting out of the Big Apple, but after reading their recent press releases and looking at their cast photos, I can’t help but wonder if there aren’t two Richmond musical stars playing leads in A Wonderful Life. There’s Duke, of course, but costarring with Duke, playing his wife Mary, is a beautiful young actress named Juli Robbins.

Some of you may remember that Juli Robbins was a gorgeous Richmond actress about five years ago, standing out in the ensemble of Barksdale’s hit production of Annie Get Your Gun, and shortly thereafter playing the lead in Spitfire Grill at Swift Creek.

Juli left town for bigger markets shortly after Spitfire, and honestly, I’ve lost track of her. I’ve been looking and looking at the photo above and to the left, and I can’t tell for sure if that is our Juli Robbins whom Duke is holding in his arms or some other city’s Juli Robbins.

Whoever reads this blog and can solve the mystery, please comment. Shoot, maybe I’ll just pick up the phone on Monday and give Duke a call.

Till then, break a leg to Duke and Juli. I hope to see the two of them (and each of you) in a Richmond theatre soon!

--Bruce Miller

Mill and Firehouse Win Top RTCC Awards

Posted by Bruce Miller
Urinetown at Swift Creek Mill Theatre swept the first Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Awards last night at the Firehouse, receiving the most nominations of any production (11) and the most awards (5):

Best Musical
Best Direction (Musical) – Tom Width,
Best Choreographer – Brandon Becker,
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Musical) – Debra Wagoner, and
Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design – Joe Doran.

The Late Henry Moss, produced by Firehouse Theatre Project, conquered the competition in the play categories, receiving:

Best Play,
Best Actor (Play) – Justin Dray, and
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Play) – Jennie Meharg.

All told, Swift Creek Mill Theatre garnered six RTCCAs, as did Barksdale in the very even-handed awards event. Firehouse Theatre Project earned three awards, Richmond Shakespeare captured two, and ComedySportz won one. Enjoying good company in the “no wins” camp were African American Repertory Theatre, Carpenter Science Theatre, Chamberlayne Actors Theatre, Henley Street Theatre, Mystery Dinner Theatre, Richmond Triangle Players, Sycamore Rouge, and Theatre IV.

Other awards recipients included:

Stephen Ryan – Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Play) – Richard II (Richmond Shakespeare),
Sandy Dacus – Best Musical Direction – Guys and Dolls (Barksdale),
Jason Marks – Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Musical) – Guys and Dolls (Barksdale),
Rebecca Cairns – Outstanding Achievement, Costume Design – As You Like It [indoor] (Richmond Shakespeare),
Ron Keller – Outstanding Achievement, Set Design – Guys and Dolls (Barksdale),
Audra Honaker – Best Actress in a Leading Role (Musical) – Once Upon a Mattress (Swift Creek Mill Theatre),
Scott Wichmann – Best Actor in a Leading Role (Musical) – Guys and Dolls (Barksdale),
Bruce Miller – Best Direction (Play) – The Little Dog Laughed (Barksdale), and
Irene Ziegler – Best Actress in a Leading Role (Play) –Doubt (Barksdale).

The fact that major artists (and exceptional productions) like Katherine Louis, Laine Satterfield, David Bridgewater, Patti D’Beck, Leslie Owens Harrington, Paul Deiss, Joy Williams, Richard Koch, Robert Throckmorton, Sue Griffin, Liz Hopper, Lynne Hartman, Rachel Abrams, Ford Flannagan, Steve Perigard, Morrie Piersol, Keri Wormald, Margarette Joyner, Katie McCall, Susan Sanford, Duke Lafoon, Doubt, and Guys and Dolls failed to win in their appointed categories is a testament to the depth of talent in the Richmond Theatre Community.

As she herself mentioned during her hosting duties, Jill Bari Steinberg wasn’t even nominated.

A special award recognizing an Ongoing Contribution to Richmond Area Theatre was named in honor of Liz Marks, and presented to her daughter and brother. The festivities were fast moving and fun, and helped call attention to many, many achievements in Richmond’s 2007-08 theatrical season. Next year the awards ceremony will be at the Empire, which will allow for far greater attendance. Mark Sunday evening, Oct 18, 2009 on your calendars now. They’ll be plenty of tickets, and all proceeds will go once again to support the Richmond Theatre Artists Fund, an outstanding cause.

Congratulations and three cheers to all the winners and nominees. Congratulations also to the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle and the Firehouse for making the first iteration of this new annual event such a soaring success.

--Bruce Miller

Burruss's Bravo in Brief

Posted by Bruce Miller

Our second review of Shirley Valentine came out today. It’s written by Mary Burruss and I think she liked it. But it’s really short—only two paragraphs. It’s paired, I imagine at her editor’s suggestion, with her four paragraph review of There Goes the Bride at the Mill.

Because of its brevity, it’s simpler to encapsulate than to pull quotes. Here it is:

“Barksdale Theatre’s Shirley Valentine at Hanover Tavern also inspires thoughts of escape. Jill Bari Steinberg is very good in this one-woman show—maybe too good. Steinberg’s characterization of Shirley, a middle-aged British housewife bedraggled by life, is so acute it runs the risk of nearly being drab at first. Funny lines get a bit lost in Shirley’s sad monotone, but director Amy Berlin’s decision to downplay the character nicely sets up the metamorphosis to come. Shirley decides to escape her dreary life to spend a holiday in Greece, and so begins the transformation that leads to her adventures.

The beauty of this play is in the message that new challenges are necessary in our lives to keep us vital. Shirley sums up the key to her transformation: ‘I’d fallen in love with the idea of living.’ And Steinberg convincingly takes us from middle-class life to a Mediterranean swim with a stranger. The play is an adventure worth taking.”

So, if you want to enjoy Jill Bari’s life affirming (and funny) adventures in the Greek Isles, call the box office today to order your tickets for a mini-vacation with maximum merriment.

See you at the theatre!

--Bruce Miller

In Memoriam: Liz Marks

Posted by Bruce Miller
Leave it to that all too familiar Circle of Life. July 5 brought us the sheer joy of the birth of Sophia Elizabeth Foley and the marriage of Tom and Carmela McGranahan. And then on July 6, all of us in the Richmond theatre community lost a fun, fabulous, dearly beloved friend.

Liz Marks (casting director, singer, actress, producer, jane-of-all-trades and master of quite a few) died yesterday morning, July 6. Her family's note to friends said it well:

"She was beautiful, talented, happy, and unstoppable, mother to Elizabeth and sister to Bob, Kathi, and Tracy Marks and their families. She fought her long brave battle with breast cancer with all she could. She will forever live in all our hearts."

Many of us have been touched personally by Liz’s largesse, and have been served professionally by her dedication to Uptown Talent. Prior to focusing on her work representing others, Liz was an actress (Fanny Brice in Funny Girl at Swift Creek Mill, The 1940's Radio Hour at Barksdale, Agnes in I Do!, I Do!), a producer (two seasons of dinner theatre at the former Captain George’s Seafood House in the same Broad Street building that now houses off track betting), and a notable cabaret performer.

We will be dedicating our upcoming production of Shirley Valentine, which opens this Friday at Hanover Tavern, as follows:

With love and respect, we dedicate this production of Shirley Valentine to the joyous memory of Liz Marks, who starred here at Hanover Tavern in The 1940’s Radio Hour. Throughout a long battle with cancer and all the other ups and downs, Liz never lost sight of the beauty and exuberance of who she was. She will be greatly missed.

The following information appears on Liz's page of the CaringBridge website:

"Services will be held in Richmond, VA. Please join us.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Private Family Viewing at 4pm
Family will receive friends between 5-8 pm.

Wednesday July 9 at 12 noon.
Funeral & Celebration of Liz's Life

Bliley's Funeral Home
3801 Augusta Avenue
Richmond, VA. 23230
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Richmond&state=VA&address=3801+Augusta+Avenue&zipcode=23230

Graveside Service - everyone is invited to join us.
Berea Baptist Church
15421 Pouncey Tract Road
Rockville, VA 23146
http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Rockville&state=VA&address=15421+Pouncey+Tract+Road&zipcode=23146

Immediately after the ceremony, the family will receive friends:

Tracy Marks Residence
4309 Northwich Court
Midlothian, VA 23112"

Many, many thanks to John Moon, Irene Ziegler and Jackie Jones who, in cooperation with the Theatre Artists Fund, helped to raise the over $10,000 that enabled Liz to keep body and soul together during her final weeks. And many thanks to the countless generous hearts in our theatre community and beyond who contributed to the cause.

And let none of us forget, as Liz sang to us so many times, "you gotta ring dem bells!"

Liz certainly did. And we're all a little richer for it.

--Bruce Miller

3 Cheers for Stage 1

Posted by Bruce Miller
Our good friend and colleague Chase Kniffen announced today in the Times-Dispatch the founding of Richmond’s newest theatrical endeavor—Stage 1 Theatre Company. Chase’s new nonprofit venture will be mounting local productions of the latest and most adventurous musicals—the type of shows that make it onto a Central Virginia stage too infrequently. Stage 1 will also fulfill Chase’s long-standing dream to be an artistic director of his own company.

Stage 1 will begin this fall with an advantage that most new theatres don’t have—its own home facility. The new company will be located at 9130 Dickey Drive in Hanover County, in facilities that it will share with the current tenant, Shuffles Dance Center, directed by Peggy Thibodeau. Chase and the Thibodeaus (Thibodeaux?) are building a 99-seat intimate theatre that will perfectly suit the small, sometimes edgy musicals that comprise the centerpiece of the company’s mission.

Brand new musicals are not unknown in Richmond. Firehouse, of course, has an admirable history bringing new tuners to town (Bat Boy, Austin’s Bridge, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the current Reefer Madness), and over the years the Mill has produced acclaimed productions of Urinetown, Floyd Collins and Songs for a New World when all of those shows were hot-off-the-presses and generating lots of theatrical buzz. The Mill also produced the World Premiere of Two Bits by Tom Width and Paul Deiss.

Richmond Triangle Players has a strong track record of producing regional premieres of Off or Off Off Broadway musicals, too numerous to mention here. Both Triangle and the Mill will be bringing Altar Boys to Richmond next season in two separate (and probably very different) productions.

One of Theatre IV’s biggest hits, Quilters, was new and unknown when it first opened in Richmond in ‘86, and Blackbirds of Broadway and Four Part Harmony were well received World Premieres at Theatre IV’s historic Empire Theatre. Barksdale created and produced Richmond’s most successful World Premiere musical, Red Hot and Cole, with book by Randy Strawderman, James Bianchi and Muriel McAuley. In 2009, Barksdale will stage the World Premiere of Mona’s Arrangements, a new musical by Bo Wilson and Steve Liebman.

Violet, Oil City Symphony, Falsettos, Das Barbecu, and Weird Romance were all new and hip when they regionally premiered at Barksdale in the 1990s.

But many new shows never make it here, and now, with Stage 1 devoting itself solely to new musicals, that’s about to change. Chase’s first season includes “tick, tick … BOOM!” by Jonathan Larson of Rent fame (Nov 7-22), Children’s Letters to God (a family offering from Feb 6-21), Normal (a show Chase has been dying to direct, Apr 3-18), and Summer of ’42 (Jun 19-Jul 11).

We wish Chase and his new company all the best, and can’t wait to buy our season tickets. For more info, call 427-7548 or visit http://www.stage1va.org/.

--Bruce Miller

Word of the Week - BILIOUS

Posted by Hannah Miller

Welcome to the second installment of Word of the Week on the Barksdale Buzz. Every seven days or so, I’ll discuss a theatre legend whose birthday was celebrated during the previous week, choose a word somehow connected to the selected artist, and define it.

This week’s theatre artist is REX HARRISON, and the word is BILIOUS.

Rex Harrison is a beloved English actor of the stage and screen, best known for creating the role of Henry Higgins in Lerner and Lowe’s My Fair Lady. My Fair Lady has been produced in Richmond by both Swift Creek Mill Theatre and TheatreVirginia. Before it changed its name from the Virginia Museum Theatre to TheatreVirginia, VMT also produced Pygmalion, the classic play by George Bernard Shaw on which My Fair Lady is based.

Rex Harrison was born in Liverpool, England as Reginald Carey Harrison on March 5, 1908. On Wednesday of this week, the world celebrated his centennial. As a child, Harrison changed his first name to Rex (Latin for “King”). After he made his stage debut in Liverpool at the age of 16 and his film debut at the age of 22, his career as an actor took off. He became a star after his 2-year run of French Without Tears in London, and continued acting until just a few weeks before his death in 1990.

In response to his multiple marriages (6 wives), the press dubbed him “Sexy Rexy,” a nickname with which he was none too happy.

In 1956, Harrison starred on stage in My Fair Lady in New York and London, garnering fame on both continents. His co-star was Julie Andrews.

In 1964, Harrison won the Oscar for best leading actor in a film when he reprised the role of Higgins in the screen adaptation of My Fair Lady, co-starring Audrey Hepburn. In 1967, he earned a new generation of fans playing the title role in Doctor Dolittle. Despite his reservations about performing in a children's movie, Harrison agreed to star in the film because of the involvement of lyricist Alan Jay Lerner. Harrison stuck with the movie even after Lerner pulled out due to frustration.

In addition to his popularity with audiences internationally, Harrison was well respected among professionals. The Oscar-winning actor Jose Ferrer explained, “I've been in this business a long time, and Rex Harrison is the only actor doing comedy that I can learn from.” Impressed by his talent, Noel Coward (an acclaimed playwright and comedic actor) named him “the best light comedian in the world—after me.”

In My Fair Lady, Harrison’s character (Henry Higgins) is an expert in phonetics. While visiting the open-air market in London’s Covent Garden (the first scene of the musical), Higgins encounters an uneducated flower girl named Eliza Doolittle. In the following lines, he arrogantly tells her how much he dislikes her way of speaking.

Eliza: I have a right to be here if I like, same as you!

Higgins: A woman who utters such disgusting, depressing noises has no right to be anywhere, no right to live! Remember, you’re a human with a soul and the divine gift of articulate speech. Your native language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton and the Bible. Don’t sit there crooning like a BILIOUS pigeon.

Shortly after this encounter, Higgins bets a fellow gentleman that he can transform Eliza from a “guttersnipe” into an elegant lady by teaching her proper diction. The rest of the musical tells the story of how he does just that, with questionable results.

BILIOUS - (ˈbil-yəs) adjective - of, relating to, or containing bile; or
peevish, irritable, cranky, extremely unpleasant or distasteful

BILIOUS comes from the Latin word bilis, which means anger or displeasure. Practitioners of ancient and medieval medicine believed that health was governed by the four vital fluids or humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. Gasses rising up through the body from a supposed excess of yellow bile (the yellowish, greenish digestive fluid secreted by the liver) were believed to make a patient irritable. Consequently, BILIOUS now has two definitions: the first having to do with the fluid from the liver and the second having to do with a cranky dispostion. Today, of course, we know that bile has nothing to do with crabbiness.

Higgins’ analogy of Eliza “crooning like a bilious pigeon” conjures up the amusing and pathetic image of her chirping like a peevish pigeon, incapable of speaking English.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe I heard our word BILIOUS spoken onstage in Little Women, now playing at the Mill, to describe “Aunt March.”

In 1990, Harrison returned to Broadway in The Circle by Somerset Maugham, author of Barksdale's 2006 hit, The Constant Wife. In May Harrison fell ill and was replaced, temporarily it was believed, by his understudy. Three weeks later he died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 82, closing the show.

To read previous Word of the Week columns, click on “Word of the Week” in the labels below. Thanks for reading!

--Hannah Miller

Word of the Week - BUNCOMBE

Posted by Hannah Miller

Welcome to the first Word of the Week. My plan is to pick a playwright, actor or other well known theatre professional every week, someone whose birthday was celebrated during the preceding seven days. I’ll write a short bio of his or her life and accomplishments, select an interesting word from his or her work, define it, and put it out there for whatever it’s worth.

This week’s theatre artist is BEN HECHT (pictured above) and this week’s word is BUNCOMBE.

Ben Hecht was a great American playwright, an Oscar-winning screenwriter (mostly uncredited), and an internationally recognized Jewish activist before, during and after World War II. A character based on Ben Hecht was portrayed by Scott Wichmann in Barksdale’s recent comedy Moonlight and Magnolias. Moonlight is a somewhat fictionalized depiction of the emergency re-writing of the screenplay for Gone With the Wind.

Ben Hecht was born on February 28, 1894 in New York City. He moved at an early age to Racine, Wisconsin. He was a child prodigy violist and circus acrobat. He started his career as a writer in Chicago while still a teenager, working for the Journal and the Daily News. In 1923, he founded his own paper, the Chicago Literary Times, and lost all his money. During his Chicago years, he met and befriended Charles MacArthur who was working for the City News Bureau. In 1926, both men moved to NYC to pursue careers as writers of plays and novels.

In New York, Hecht received a telegram from another friend, Herman J. Mankiewicz, who had recently moved to Los Angeles. "Millions are to be grabbed out here and your only competition is idiots. Don't let this get around." He meant millions of dollars. Lured by this promise of prosperity, Hecht moved to L A and began a lucrative career as a screenwriter.

Dividing his career between Hollywood and New York, Hecht co-authored three Broadway plays with MacArthur: The Front Page (1928), Twentieth Century (1932) and Ladies and Gentlemen (1939). The first two are American classics. Barksdale produced The Front Page at Hanover Tavern in 1974, and both Swift Creek Mill and the Henrico Theatre Company have produced the musical comedy On the Twentieth Century, based on the Hecht/MacArthur play.

In his autobiography, A Child of the Century, Hecht wrote, “The American of 1953 is a cliché-strangled citizen whose like was never before in the Republic. Compared to the pre-movieized American of 1910-1920, he is an enfeebled intellect. For forty years the movies have drummed away on the American character. They have fed it naïveté and BUNCOMBE in doses never before administered to any people. They have slapped into the American mind more human misinformation in one evening than the Dark Ages could muster in a decade."

BUNCOMBE – (bŭng'kəm) noun – empty or insincere talk, claptrap, hogwash, nonsense

The word originated during the debate in the U S Congress regarding the Missouri Compromise, circa 1820. Felix Walker, an old and fading moutaineer representing Buncombe County, N C, rose to speak after the question had been called. With numerous congressmen begging him to sit down and be quiet, he persisted in delivering a lengthy lecture that had nothing to do with whether Missouri should be admitted to the United States as a slave state or a free state. In his ramblings, he said he felt compelled to “make a speech for Buncombe,” despite having nothing to add to the debate. Today, BUNCOMBE is frequently shortened to BUNKUM or BUNK.

Despite earning his fortune from the movies, Hecht had little respect for American filmmaking. He thought most movies were as meaningless as Felix Walker’s Congressional ramblings, nothing but a load of BUNCOMBE.

Hecht died of a heart attack at the age of 70 on April 19, 1964, while working on the script for the first movie version of Casino Royale, a “pointless” satire (according to critics of the day) in which the character of James Bond was played by multiple actors including David Niven and Peter Sellers. It sounds like exactly the kind of movie that inspired Hecht's grumblings.

Nonetheless, Hecht will go down in theatre history as co-author of two classic American comedies, The Front Page and Twentieth Century.

--Hannah Miller

In Memoriam: Curtis Morrisette

Posted by Bruce Miller
We were saddened to learn yesterday of the recent passing of actor and theatre enthusiast Curtis Morrisette, who died on Saturday, Nov 17, after a spirited battle with lung cancer. Curtis last appeared on the Barksdale stage as the crusty old stage door manager, Pops Bailey, in The 1940's Radio Hour.

The two photos that begin and end this post are from the Yellow House film, Hitiro the Peasant, in which Curtis appeared. Thanks to Stephanie Kelley and Justin Dray for use of the photos.

The bio Curtis wrote for the playbill of The 1940's Radio Hour read as follows:

“CURTIS MORRISETTE (Pops Bailey) is pleased once again to be on the stage of Barksdale Theatre. This is his third production with Barksdale. It has been his distinct privilege to work with Barksdale, Firehouse, CAT, HTC, RPAC, Jazz Actors, as well as the VCU Writers, Directors and Actors groups over the past several years. He gives grateful and heartfelt thanks to the present and past directors, stage managers, casts and crews with whom he has had the pleasure to work. ‘They are, and have been, my mentors. If I display any talent in my craft, it is because of their willing and unforgettable help.’”

In addition to his work as an actor, Curtis was a faithful Barksdale usher and friend.

Since 1940's Radio Hour, Curtis appeared as Vincentio with Susan Sanford as Kate in The Taming of the Shrew at Richmond Shakespeare Theatre. Susan was Curtis’s director in The 1940's Radio Hour, and both actors are pictured together in the Shrew photo to the left. The photo was taken by Eric Dobbs. Andrew Hamm, who worked with Curtis on Shrew, has written a thoughtful remembrance of Curtis on his blog, http://andrewhamm.blogspot.com/.

Curtis was subsequently scheduled to appear in Flowers for Algernon at the Mill, but had to leave the show when he was diagnosed with lung cancer and required by his doctor to undergo immediate treatment.

As many times as I talked with Curtis, I have to admit we never discussed his family. Sadly, no one thus far knows if Curtis had any family members with whom he'd been in touch. That being the case, his final arrangements are being tended to by the Veterans Administration Hospital and the manager of the Berkshire Apartments downtown, where Curtis lived. Jil Wilson-Robinson, Vice President of the Virginia Actors Forum, is working with the apartment manager. If anyone knows anything about Curtis’s family, please contact Jil at jwrobinson@toast2.net. Or you can call the apartment manager directly at 804-644-7861.

Jil and others are also planning a memorial service for Curtis. More word on that will be coming.

Curtis seems to be best remembered for his good natured feistiness, his comical way of inventing a line when he had trouble remembering the one that was written, and his frequent visits to Lift, the coffee shop down the street from the Empire. In every instance, he was a positive force in our community and lots of fun. There’s not a minute with Curtis that we don’t remember with a smile, and not a jot of this vital, clever, generous man that we won’t miss.

With respect and affection, Barksdale's upcoming production of Doubt will be dedicated to Curtis's memory.

--Bruce Miller