Labor Day - A Time to Celebrate Jobs in the Arts

Posted by Bruce Miller
Today, Barksdale and Theatre IV employ 30 arts professionals working in full-time jobs. We employed 39 full time workers just over three years ago. We’ve had to reduce and reorganize staff due to financial pressures associated with the national recession--particularly cuts in funding to the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Thirty seems like a lot of people, and it is. But when you consider all we do (33 different productions, many of them touring throughout Virginia and 32 surrounding states, plus all the ancillary activities), we’re significantly understaffed. Several of our current staff members are carrying the responsibilities of one and a half or two different jobs. Most of our staffers log 50 hours a week, and several routinely exceed 80 hours a week.

In addition to these 30 full-time positions, we employ:
• seven or eight box office and costume shop workers who are paid on an hourly basis,
• four talented interns who work seasonally for weekly stipends,
• a master scenic artist who currently is contracted semester by semester,
• approximately 22 touring actors who keep Theatre IV’s national tour going strong, and
• legions of freelance actors, directors, designers etc whose talents power our mainstage productions.

One full-time staff position is being kept open for a past staff member who is still in recovery from a major illness.

We also budget approximately $20,000 per year for hourly production overhire.

All told, Barksdale and Theatre IV currently invest $1.9 million annually in Virginia’s workforce. If that doesn’t seem like a lot to you, then you’re not one of the ones losing sleep every two weeks worrying about how we’re going to meet payroll. There’s no grand fund set aside somewhere to cover these and other expenses. We pay out only what we bring in. To meet budget, we need to sell approximately $70,000 per week in tickets and tour shows, and raise approximately $30,000 per week in contributions. During this recession, meeting these goals has been, and will continue to be, very challenging.

That's why I vigorously support continued state funding for the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Last year, the House initially voted to do away with the VCA entirely, a move that would have put many if not most of Virginia's arts organizations out of business. Thankfully, wiser heads prevailed, and the Commission was saved, with funding significantly reduced. The funds that Barksdale and Theatre IV are receiving this summer from the VCA are $40,000 less now than they were two years ago.

The arts are a labor intensive industry, which is good for Virginians and the state economy. On average, Virginia’s arts and cultural organizations spend 44.2% of their revenues on labor, 37.2% on other production expenses, 9.8% on facilities, 7.4% on marketing, and 1.4% on state and local taxes and fees. This is a nonprofit industry.

In 2000, Virginians for the Arts, our statewide advocacy group, did an economic impact study in cooperation with the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the Virginia Association of Museums. The study was prepared independently by The Wessex Group, Ltd., located in Williamsburg. The findings of the study indicate that a decade ago, arts and cultural organizations comprised a major sector of the Virginia economy.

In 2000, 12,507 Virginians were directly employed by arts and cultural organizations (full-time and part-time). They were paid $157.8 million in salary and benefits. An additional 6,344 full-time Virginia jobs were financed indirectly by the economic impact that arts and cultural organizations have on Virginia’s support businesses and independent contractors. All told, in 2000, $306.6 million was paid to 18,851 Virginia workers by Virginia’s arts and cultural organizations.

Additionally, the 2000 study found that arts and cultural organizations in Virginia annually generate $849 million in revenues for Virginia businesses and $342 million in revenues for Virginia tourism businesses through spending by out-of-state visitors who come to see Virginia’s arts and cultural organizations. That’s a total injection into the Virginia economy of nearly $1.2 billion.

I know, it’s a lot of numbers, and they’re eight years out of date. But they’re important. If we don’t celebrate employment in the arts, nobody will. Many of those who make decisions about state funding simply don’t care about the intrinsic value of the arts, but they might care—they ought to care—about how the arts positively impact Virginia’s economy.

Fiscal conservatives routinely herald "small businesses" as the engine that creates jobs and drives the American economy. And rightly so. Why they fail to include nonprofit arts organizations among the ranks of small businesses is beyond me. The thousands of jobs that we, as an industry, generate each year in Virginia are just as real, just as vital as any other jobs.

We who work in or care about the nonprofit arts sector need to make sure that Virginia's arts jobs are recognized. We need to remember that Labor Day not only marks the closing of our neighborhood pools, plus the beginning of the Virginia public school year and the NFL and NCAA football seasons, it also represents our chance to remind all Virginians that the nonprofit arts sector and its tens of thousands of jobs represent an irreplaceable force in the state economy. The arts are not a frill or a nicety. We are a cornerstone industry, crucial to the Commonwealth and its financial well-being.

--Bruce Miller

Chase, Steve, Catherine, Adam and Bob

Posted by Bruce Miller

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

--Bruce Miller

On Stage with Jim Brickman

By Brian Baez
Brian is a Box Office Associate for Barksdale

This past Saturday I had the honor of performing with American’s leading romantic pianist, Jim Brickman, at the Southern Women’s Show here in Richmond. Here’s the scoop on how it all went down.

A few weeks ago, Jason Campbell, of Barksdale box office fame, called me from his car telling me that he just heard on the radio that Jim Brickman was having a concert and was looking for a vocalist to sing some of his songs. I immediately went online to find out what it was I needed to do. All he was asking for was a simple demo of you singing one of his songs in one take, with no edits, and a headshot. Easy! “I got this!” I thought. So I called up a friend of mine who had all the recording equipment, and on one rainy afternoon I recorded “The Love I Found In You” and sent it in.

An opportunity like this doesn’t come around every day, so when it did, I jumped on it. I didn’t know what to expect. How many others had heard about the competition? There are a lot of really talented singers out there; do I really have a shot? All I knew is that I wanted it more than I wanted any other performing job in the past. Here was an opportunity to make an impression on one of the most internationally respected musicians of today. After I put my package in the mail, the rest was out of my hands. All I could do was wait, and hope that fate would smile on me.

I was in the Barksdale box office when I felt my phone vibrate with a number I didn’t recognize. “OMG! OMG! Anna-Marie, I think this is it!” I rushed out of the office and answered the call.

“Hello?!”

”Hi! Is this Brian?!

”Yes…”

”Brian, this is Wendy calling from Jim Brickman’s office.”

”Oh My God! I think I know why you’re calling and I’m very, very happy!”

“HAHA! Well you should be. I’m calling to tell you that Jim was very impressed with your demo and he would love for you to join him in concert on Saturday!”

Through the box office glass I could see Anna-Marie jumping up and down in her seat her hand waving madly in front of her face! “OMG!” I thought, “Is this for real?!”

Well, it was for real because the next thing I knew, Cheryl Miller from Channel 6 was calling me to ask me to come into the station and join her on the 12 o’clock news on Thursday to introduce me and talk a little about the concert.

Thursday came and went, and the interview was short, but very fun, and now my focus shifted to Saturday’s perfor…

“Wait! What am I gonna wear?!?!”

I arrived at the Richmond Raceway Complex on Saturday to find the parking lot packed full of cars. That’s when my nerves started and my sweat glands kicked into overdrive. I met up with Claire, Jim’s assistant and publicist, who was smart, trendy and had a witty sense of humor. We instantly clicked, and I emotionally crossed my fingers hoping that that counted for something. I waited around for a while and make sure that my family got in ok and had the chance to find good seats. Then I went backstage and waited to finally meet the man who thought my demo wasn’t half bad. Claire came around the corner and was accompanied by Jim, who looked calm, cool, and nothing like I thought he would!… Just kidding! He looks exactly like his album covers. With a big smile he introduced himself and told me how excited he was to hear me live.

The concert started, and from the moment Jim… yes, we’re on a first name basis… walked onstage, he held the audience in the palm of his hand. After a few numbers, Jim started talking about his search to find a vocalist for this concert. At this point I had no clue as to how many demos he had received, but then I heard him say that we got over 300 CDs from singers from all over the state! My heart was racing as Jim introduced me. I could hear my family and friends from Barksdale who came to support me shouting as I walked out onstage.

The first song went off without a hitch. It was the same as the one I sent in. Jim then mentioned that that was the one song he sang, and was now going to have to find another! After asking me a little about myself, he asked “What else do you wanna do?!”

“Let’s do that Michael W. Smith one, Love Of My Life!” I replied. “Oh, you mean the one that I wrote and he sang?!” Jim was so breezy onstage that it made performing with him feel natural and easy. The banter back and forth was quite humorous as we made little jokes about this or that. I could tell the audience was enjoying themselves as much as I was.

After I finished my songs, I waited backstage again for him to finish the rest of his set. I am always my own worst critic, but when he came backstage he was most complimentary. He then asked if I’d like to join him at the booth to do CD signings. Could this get any better? I felt like such a rock star getting usher in a small entourage to the main booth where there was a line that seemed forever long waiting to say hi. The reception was overwhelming. Folks from all over the state had so many wonderful things to say, and were eagerly waiting to hear wonderful things from me in the future.

I would love to get to work with Jim Brickman again, perhaps on his next tour. His tour manager Wendy said not to rule that out, “You never know” she said when she called ,”he may ask you to go on tour!”

Looking back on the whole week’s events there’s only one word I could use to accurately describe what I experienced. Surreal.

- Brian Baez

Box Office Staff Member to Appear with Jim Brickman

Posted by Jessica Daugherty

Brian Baez from our talented Box Office won a statewide vocal contest giving him the opportunity to be featured in concert with Jim Brickman as a special guest artist at this year's Southern Women's Show Concert at 4:30 on Saturday, April 19! Brian was one of many vocalists from across VA who sent in demos to be judged by a panel of music professionals, including Jim Brickman himself. Brickman has six Gold and Platinum selling albums and consistently tops a variety of Billboard charts.

The Southern Women's Show is being held Friday through Sunday at the Richmond Raceway Complex and offers creative lifestyle ideas, cooking tips, fashion shows and celebrity guests. If you're at the show on Saturday afternoon, be sure to listen out for Brian at the concert on the Fashion and Entertainment Stage. Check back here next week when Brian will post his impressions from the day.

Taking Stock, Giving Thanks

Posted by Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. All of us at Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV have many reasons to be thankful.

We are thankful for:

the legacy of hard work, unflappable commitment and uncompromising artistic passion that is our birthright, a gift beyond measure that has been passed on to us by Pete and Nancy Kilgore and Muriel McAuley

a family of theatre artists whose number and talents belie the size of our community, who constantly challenge us to lead and to serve

an intelligent, energized audience that bucks all national trends and continues to grow year after year—an audience that celebrates our successes and pardons our turkeys—an audience that encourages us to risk failure and expects us to do our best

a large and vigilant staff that works selflessly and creatively behind the scenes to generate the energy needed to sustain a major institution (unless you’ve seen them work their magic first hand, you probably have no idea)

financial contributors who believe in the necessity of what we do and are willing to put their money where their hearts are—corporate and foundation donors who understand that it is only through their support that nonprofit arts organizations can work to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table (or at least in the theatre)

trustees who provide the expertise we need to provide ongoing and effective management, who serve as our eyes and ears in the community, who take personal responsibility for the care and feeding of our mission, and who form a bulwark that protects us when times get tough

volunteers who contribute that most precious commodity—time, and who lend encouragement with an unwavering smile

the Virginia Commission for the Arts, under the exemplary leadership of Peggy Baggett (pictured to the right), always caring, always communicating, always holding us to the highest standards

institutional partners like Greater Richmond’s many senior centers and retirement living facilities (Barksdale’s Bifocals Theatre Project); the Hanover Tavern Foundation (our Country Playhouse Season at Hanover Tavern); James River Writers and the READ Center (Virginia Arts & Letters Live); the Latin Ballet of Virginia (Latino Theatre Project); Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and the Virginia Dept of Social Services (Hugs and Kisses); Second Presbyterian Church (the Acts of Faith Festival); Bon Air Presbyterian, Forest Hill Presbyterian and Tabernacle Baptist (rehearsal space); and the Steward School (our summer High School All Star Musical)—all of which help us build capacity to better meet the needs of our community

esteemed colleagues at the African American Repertory Theatre, the Carpenter Science Theatre, the Chamberlayne Actors Theatre, the Firehouse Theatre Project, the Henley Street Theatre, the Richmond Ballet, the Richmond Shakespeare Theatre, the Richmond Symphony, the Richmond Triangle Players, Swift Creek Mill Theatre, Sycamore Rouge, the Virginia Opera Association and many other nonprofit performing arts organizations who help to create the critical mass that keeps all of us afloat

thriving university theatre programs at Randolph Macon, the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University—their faculty expertise and student talent adds to the lifeblood of our theatre

remarkable youth training programs including the Christian Youth Theatre, HATTheatre, SPARC and many others—enabling children to engage in the arts both as participants and appreciators

and most importantly, the hundreds of thousands of individuals who go nameless here, who buy the tickets, book the tours, assemble the groups, make the contributions, and simply do their part each year to ensure the success of Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV.

Thank you. We couldn’t do it without you.

Have a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving.

--Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway

Where Are They Now - Benny Sato Ambush

Posted by Phil Whiteway

When TheatreVirginia closed its doors unexpectedly in 2002, Barksdale and Theatre IV launched five major initiatives to help Greater Richmond deal with the loss.

We produced TheatreVirginia’s cancelled production of The Laramie Project, fulfilling seven actor, director and designer contracts that had been promised to some of Greater Richmond's most talented theatre artists. We brought six of TheatreVirginia’s full time employees onto our staff, allowing them to stay in Richmond and remain employed. We honored, at no additional cost to ROSMY, a fundraiser for which ROSMY had purchased and paid for 500 tickets from TheatreVirginia and received nothing when the theatre closed. We purchased the remnants of the TheatreVirginia costume collection for $10,000, ensuring that this Richmond asset stayed in town and in tact. And we honored approximately 5,400 tickets held by TheatreVirginia subscribers for the three shows that were cancelled.

We did all this out of respect – respect for the cherished institution that had meant so much to so many for over four decades; respect for the board leaders, artists, volunteers and audience members who were most directly effected by the closure; and respect for Benny Sato Ambush, the nationally acclaimed director who had come to Richmond to try his mightiest to save TheatreVirginia during its final year-and-a-half.

On July 27, The Washington Post reported that Benny had been named Artistic Director of the African Continuum Theatre Company in D. C. All his friends were thrilled for him. “I’m ready for the adventure,” said Benny. “I’m ready to get busy.”

He was to begin work fulltime last month, replacing company founder Jennifer L. Nelson who left on August 31 after 11 years at the helm. Last week, The Post reported that the African Continuum’s board had decided to postpone its fall and winter shows and present a shortened season in the spring, citing a severe “cash-flow crunch.” The board also decided to delay, perhaps until February, a full-time commitment to Benny, who has been commuting from his home in Winston-Salem to Washington for the last several months.

Quoting from The Washington Post: “’I’m clearing the deck, so to speak, of my prior commitments as a freelancer, directing and teaching,’ Ambush said. ‘But even when out of town, I still work on behalf of the African Continuum Theatre Company.’ Board Chairman Rubie G. Coles said Ambush was working on the company’s spring season ‘and we’re hoping that in the next two or three weeks, we’ll be able to announce what we’re doing,’ an expectation seconded by Ambush.”

Benny is an exemplary theatre professional and will be a great asset to the Mid-Atlantic once he makes the move to D. C. His goals for African Continuum are still taking shape, but he hopes “to build the infrastructure of the theatre, to extend its reach in the region, strengthen its relevance and solidify its essentialness in the theatrical landscape of the District.”

Benny Ambush is the perfect man for the job, and we wish him tremendous success.

--Phil Whiteway

Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Frown...

Posted by Bruce Miller

Great things are happening at the downtown Barksdale/Theatre IV office. Our beloved Sara Heifetz has come back to us to resume some of her former duties. She returns to Richmond after “a wonderful four years of personal and professional growth in the Big Apple.”

She’s come home, in part, “to grow something quite different, but hopefully no less of a contribution to the Richmond theatre scene.” Sara and her partner Carlos, a sound designer and audio engineer, are expecting their first “joyous bundle of stinky diapers and overdramatic tantrums” in mid-January, and they couldn’t be more thrilled—“nothing short of miraculous!”

Sara’s mother has been seriously ill for quite some time in Richmond, and Sara and Carlos have been traveling back and forth between NYC and Richmond every month. When they got the good news they decided to relocate to be closer to the family they both have here, and to give Grandma Heifetz “the healing energy only a grandchild can provide.”

If you ask why she moved back, Sara will unfailingly reply with a gigantic and slightly mischievous grin, “Cuz I got knocked up!” She is quite deliberate in refusing to allow me to stand on ceremony. Spunky sense of humor aside, the couple says this is a “perfectly timed blessing.”

It’s a blessing for us too, to have the ebullient Ms. Heifetz back in the office, looking lovelier than ever, by the way. She’ll be crunching numbers with a smile, assisting our new Operations Manager, Lucas Hall. Lucas took John Gotschalk’s place when John left a couple weeks ago to serve his stint as Mr. Mom so that his amazing wife, Alex, could return to her job as an architect. Sara is filling Lucas’s old position.

Welcome Sara! We can’t believe it’s been four years since you left. We’re thrilled to have you back on the team!

--Bruce Miller

Staff Spotlight - Amy Gethins Sullivan

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin
At Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV we are very fortunate to have an incredibly talented and dedicated production staff. One of the wonderful individuals who works on this staff is Amy Gethins Sullivan. She is our Master Scenic Artist and has been since 2005, when this Richmond native returned to accept the call from Barksdale/TIV. She began her tour of duty with the dual setting of Barksdale's The Drawer Boy and Theatre IV's Bunnicula--on the same stage--AT THE SAME TIME! Now that is a task!

This is after Amy was "overhire" as a scenic painter for TIV's 1999 production of The Wizard of Oz and the 2001 production of Peter Pan. Greig Leach was Scenic Designer. Even after working on those ginormous shows, she came back!

Going back in time a bit (think of the Wayne's World doodle oodle time warp-not to be confused with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, mind you), Amy graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (sotto voce) in 1984 in Painting and Printmaking. She then did what any college graduate with an art degree would do: waited tables (at Strawberry Street Cafe), worked at the Video Fan, and took classes at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Incidentally, the owner of the Video Fan while Amy was the store manager there, is now a co-owner of Artworks, where Amy just had a nice, month-long run displaying her children's portraits. That show ended this past Sunday. A large part of Amy's work outside of the theatre is painting these strikingly beautiful children's portraits (see one to the right). It kinda makes me want to run out and adopt a kid right now, just so Amy can paint a portrait of him being he or her being she.

OK, so back on the timeline (think again of Wayne's World doodle oodle time warp, still not to be confused with The Rocky Horror Show, mind you): after doing these "jobby-job" things moved to Northern Virginia, where she heard about Scena Studios needing a painter. So she hopped into her red Volkswagen Bug with paintings in tow, not even having a proper portfolio at this point (I love this image...actually...I love it so much, I think I'll say it again:) She hopped into her red Volkswagen Bug with paintings in tow, not even having a proper portfolio at this point and landed herself a job painting with a brilliant group of artists ("the best," Amy calls them), led by Diane Hackler. With Scena she painted for the Boston Ballet, the Washington Opera, and Disney on Ice (among others)! Oh, and my favorite: she painted the King Kong ride/exhibit for Universal Studios in 1990 that retired just last year. It was up for 15 years! It was a 3/4 scale set that was built and painted in NOVA and then shipped down to Florida. How cool is that!

Then Amy decided to be a stay-at-home mom with her four children until that call from Barksdale/Theatre IV! And we are so glad she came back!!!

So come on down for First Friday's next week where you can see Amy's artwork on display in the lobby of the Empire Theatre!

--Billy Christopher Maupin

One Less Koch in our Kitchen

We bid a fond farewell to Richard Koch, our Production Manager and all ‘round great guy. Richard has worked on and off for Theatre IV and Barksdale pretty much since his college graduation in the late 80s. We could never have asked for a more faithful and hard working employee. Or a more steadfast friend.

But now dear Richard has moved onward and upward to a similar position at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, where he’ll be working for Henrico County, earning more money and better benefits while tackling a much more manageable work load. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

To say that we will miss Richard would be the understatement of the century. But hopefully we won’t have much time to miss him, because rumor has it that Richard will now have many more opportunities to appear as an actor in our various productions.

In fact, negotiations have just been completed to have Richard fill in for Scottie Wichmann as Felix Unger for a week in August during the run of The Odd Couple. So we're happy to say "Farewell" and "Welcome Home" both at the same time.

--Bruce Miller

Return of the Tiller

On May 12, I wrote a blog entry about Adam Tiller, our wonderful Electrics Associate who wound up in the hospital on May 11 with a broken hip. It was a work-related accident, one that broke our heart as well as his hipbone. You can check the blog archives for the gory details, or just click the label Tiller at the bottom of this entry. After clicking that label, the May entry will appear immediately under this one, and you can scroll down to read it.

The good news … scratch that … the GREAT news is that Adam is BACK! Less than two months after his hip surgery, he started with us again on Monday, July 2, and he’s already working his healing hindquarters off at The Steward School, getting the lights ready for our upcoming production of Disney’s High School Musical.

So everything you've heard is true. You can't keep a good man down. Adam may not be rockin' and rollin' at full speed yet, but he's pretty darn close, and getting closer every day.

Welcome home, Adam. We’ve missed you and are thrilled to have you back on the team!

--Bruce Miller

Summertime Thoughts on the Fourth of July

Posted by Bruce Miller
It's a DAY OFF!! As I enjoy it, I'm reminded of why the summertime has become so crazy at B'dale and TIV.

A unique and important characteristic of our two nonprofit companies—one that is seldom noticed, at least publicly—is that we employ our core team of 40 professional theatre artists year round. In this way we’re different from our peer organizations, the Richmond Symphony and the Richmond Ballet, and our predecessor theatre, TheatreVirginia. Our core artists do not take the summer off. They earn vacations, to be sure (two to three weeks, depending on the number of years they’ve been employed). But they also earn paychecks – 52 weeks a year.

We do this for one simple reason. We believe theatre professionals deserve the security of year-round employment just like everyone else. We don’t send our core team on hiatus in the summer because we want to enable them to continue to work at Barksdale and Theatre IV year after year. All management studies suggest that seasonal employment encourages turnover, whereas year-round employment encourages stability.

Our employment records at Barksdale and Theatre IV seem to prove these findings. For years our companies have benefitted from the longest employee longevity and the lowest turnover of any major arts organization in the Commonwealth.

In order to make this year-round employment possible, we engage in year-round programming. In fact, the sun-drenched days of summer are now among our busiest.

Throughout July, we will be continuing the run of our hit musical Into the Woods at Barksdale Willow Lawn (featuring Audra Honaker and Russell Rowland as Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, pictured to the left). And we'll be keeping the laughs coming with our hit comedy The Odd Couple at Barksdale Hanover Tavern (featuring Jen Meharg and Jennifer Frank as the Pigeon Sisters, pictured below and to the right).

In partnership with Steward School, we will be opening the Greater Richmond High School All-Star Musical, which this year happens to be Disney’s High School Musical, involving nearly 50 students from 20 area schools in a fully produced three-week run at the magnificent Cramer Center in Richmond’s West End.

We have enrolled 100 elementary school students in our hugely popular Stage Explorers day camp, this year operating out of both our Willow Lawn and Hanover Tavern facilities. We have extended our Coffee & Conversations program, sponsored by Rostov’s Coffee & Tea, into July, and continued our essential Bifocals Theatre Project for senior artists and audiences into the month of June.

This Friday, a terrific vocal ensemble from the cast of Disney's High School Musical will even be singing the national anthem at the Diamond.

And this Sunday, an All Star Jam will conclude the 06-07 season of our terrific live music series, Stretchin' at Barksdale, produced by Richmond's most charming impresario, B. J. Kocen. Brad Tucker, Craig Evans, Harry Gore, Chris Fuller, Jackie Frost, Stephen Leckey and the Beej himself will be making organic music all evening long for a meager $10 cover charge--the best live music deal in town.

So, “Why is the summer so busy!?” Because we're working our hardest, every day, to increase the professionalism of our company, with one goal in mind—living up to the responsibilities of being Virginia’s leading professional theatre.

--Bruce Miller

Backstage, It Should Always Be Safety First

Theatres can be dangerous places. We quote that adage often as a part of every safety speech. Sadly, despite all precautions, accidents happen, proving that the adage is more than just words.

Our able electrics assistant and great pal, Adam Tiller, is at MCV this morning undergoing surgery for a broken hip that happened yesterday on the job. Phil visited Adam last night, and reports that he was in good spirits. Indications are that he’s going to be fine. We deeply regret that he was injured, but we’re thankful that his injuries were not worse.

We tell his tale today for two reasons. 1 – If you know Adam, keep him in your prayers and send him a card. And 2 – As you go about your work in backstage settings, let his mishap help you to remember the importance of extra caution.

Adam was moving our Genie Lift Aerial Work Station to the Empire stage yesterday when the Genie escaped his grasp and toppled over backwards on top of him. Even when compacted, as this one was, Genies are top heavy pieces of equipment, and at least two workers should be involved any time a Genie is moved.

Tia James, who was working in the paint shop down the hall, heard a crash followed by Adam’s call for help. She ran to his side and single handedly hoisted the lift, which has to weigh several hundred pounds, off of his body so that he could crawl to safety.

For those who don’t know what a Genie Lift is, it’s a valuable piece of backstage equipment that allows electricians to elevate their work station to the height needed to change lamps in instruments, focus, etc. The Genie is actually much safer than the A-frame ladders that we used for these jobs in days gone by. The photo at the top of this entry shows the Genie in action.

As Adam recovers, please send warm thoughts in his direction. Warm baked goods are nice too. And remember to follow all safety procedures and exercise exceptional caution when working backstage. Even the strongest tech guy should always recruit help before moving top-heavy equipment.

UPDATE: I visited Adam this afternoon (Saturday) at about 4 p.m.. He's on the 11th floor of the East Wing, room 318. He went in for surgery at around 4:30 a.m. this morning, and by 4 p.m. the painkillers were starting to wear off. But he seemed in good--if slightly dazed--spirits, adjusting to a new and improved hip that now includes a plate and pin that didn't come with the standard equipment. His mom and aunt were visiting him too, so it was good to see that he was in loving and capable hands. His mom said that the docs expected him to be released in approximately two days, and that he should begin to be able to walk on crutches almost immediately. The crutches will be with him for quite a few weeks, but a full recovery is expected. Everyone is very thankful that no other internal injuries have been discovered, despite a significant amount of bruising on his upper torso. So the prognosis is good!

Bruce Miller

Barksdale's New Zealand Office

Barksdale’s gone global! I’ve been single handedly manning our kiwi office for a year now. It’s a bit lonely at my staff meetings, but I get to eat all the donuts. That’s me in the picture helping to market Mame (from our 06-07 Signature Season at Willow Lawn) where I live on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand… not sure how many people flew to the states to see it, but I did my part!

In the early nineties I was a touring actor with Theatre IV – something you can’t do from a distance - but for several years now I’ve been handling the websites and incoming emails for both Theatre IV and Barksdale Theatre. I’m second generation - my dad, Donny Printz, was Theatre IV’s master carpenter in the early eighties; my mom, B.J., started working for Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway when I was in grade school, and stayed on for over twenty years. So I was thrilled that the internet and a phone with an 804 area code that rings in NZ allowed me to continue work as usual when my husband and I moved to the southern hemisphere and settled down under.

Occasionally a theatre goer is confused as to why someone at Barksdale is emailing them back at 1 in the morning… but it’s just part of our prompt and friendly global service. The kiwi office still has the lights on after the Richmond stage lights have dimmed for the night!

Jessica Daugherty
Internet Services Manager
Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV

Staff Spotlight - Eric Thompson

Every couple of months we will be shining a spotlight on a staff member who really makes everything come together at Barksdale Theatre. Our first Staff Spotlight focuses on an amazing person you may not have seen on our stage, but someone who is nonetheless vital to making sure that you as an audience member get to see a first rate production.

ERIC THOMPSON, Master Electrician

As the Master Electrician for Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV, Eric is responsible for all electronics used during performances. That means maintaining and repairing equipment, and overseeing the hanging, connecting, gelling, focusing and safety chaining of all stage lighting fixtures.

One of the most interesting things about Eric is his background as an opera singer. Among the operas that he's performed in, his favorite is Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi. His dream opera is Le Villi by Puccini. We asked Eric how an opera singer ends up as a Master Electrician; his response- "Lighting is my second passion. And it helps to pay the bills."

Hopefully we’ll see Eric onstage soon, singing his lungs out.

Eric has been happily married for 14 years and has three beautiful children. As a final note, Eric says, "If you happen to be in the Newport News area check out Mitty’s Ristorante for a romantic and delicious night out."

*Information gathered by Catherine Dudley.

For more information on staff from Theatre IV go to http://www.theatreivrichmond.org/blog.html