RAPT and Other Acronyms

Posted by Bruce Miller
A grand time was had by all tonight at the annual Open House hosted by RAPT, the Richmond Alliance of Professional Theatres. The guest speaker was Peggy Baggett, Executive Director of the Virginia Commission for the Arts and one of the most able state arts leaders in the nation. Peggy informed the 100 or so attendees about Virginia’s upcoming Minds Wide Open celebration, slated for March through June 2010. The theme of this statewide initiative will be Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts. Peggy invited all artists and arts organizations in the Commonwealth to participate.

Phil Whiteway, our Managing Director, introduced Peggy and welcomed the diverse crowd of actors, directors and other miscellaneous theatre practitioners to Barksdale Willow Lawn. Barksdale was proud to co-host the festivities for the third year in a row. Christine Walters, the head cheese at Comedy Sportz Richmond and this year’s RAPT Pres, introduced the theatre producers who were there and generally emceed the evening’s announcements.

David Sennett (pictured to the right) announced the upcoming RAPT auditions and the free audition workshop, which he generously conducts. He explained that he doesn’t act in Richmond because he “can’t afford to,” and suggested to me publicly that if Barksdale should ever become “LOA” I should give him a call. As we all retired to the lobby, several actors came up and asked me what he was talking about.

Perhaps now is a good time to review a few of the AEA (Actors’ Equity Association) acronyms so that people can understand David's announcement. I hope no one will get the wrong impression, however. AEA works tirelessly on behalf of its members, and wants each member to be gainfully employed. They never prohibit a theatre, any theatre, from meeting David’s or anyone else’s salary requirements.

Having said that, lets go wading into the alphabet soup. LOA stands for Letter of Agreement, and it specifies a particular AEA contract. In fact, Barksdale has operated under an LOA contract for several shows, Crowns at the Empire being a recent example.

At Willow Lawn, Barksdale normally contracts with AEA actors using an SPT contract (Small Professional Theatre). Our minimum SPT contract pays marginally less than our minimum LOA contract, but we are always allowed to pay more to get the actors we want.

At Hanover Tavern, we work under a GA (Guest Artist) contract, and even though Hanover Tavern has fewer seats than Willow Lawn, we pay more under the GA contract because fewer contracts are awarded for any particular show. Some Hanover shows, like the upcoming Driving Miss Daisy, have no GA contracts at all.

Another AEA contract is the TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) contract. There were several years when Theatre IV employed actors using TYA agreements. Still another is the SA (Special Appearance) contract. Firehouse and Henley Street use SA contracts when employing AEA actors. SA contracts are similar to GA contracts except they are for smaller theatres and have no health insurance requirements.

The big daddy of the regional theatre contracts is the LORT contract (League of Resident Theatres). TheatreVirginia was the only Richmond theatre to employ actors under a LORT contract. TheatreVirginia went out of business in 2002. Perhaps it was a LORT contract that David meant to refer to instead of an LOA.

Of course, David is right in one regard. Like a lot of smaller cities, Richmond underpays its theatre artists, whether they are actors, directors, designers or administrators. Barksdale continues to work faithfully to raise all salaries, including actor salaries, to more acceptable levels. The reason we proceed cautiously and responsibly is because we are determined not to suffer the fate of TheatreVirginia (see the vacated theatre seats pictured above and to the left in STYLE's 2002 coverage of TVA's closing). No one in Richmond or at AEA wants to see another Richmond theatre go belly up.

Whatever combination of initials a theatre may use, no talented actor should be discouraged from auditioning because of the contract a theatre employs. If a theatre wants to work with an actor, and the actor wants to work with the theatre, then the actor can always try to negotiate a contract that meets his or her needs, despite its initials. No matter which contract a theatre uses, AEA doesn’t prohibit a theatre from paying more than the minimum if an actor’s unique contributions to the production justify the payment.

Also present at tonight’s RAPT Open House were two of Barksdale’s high school talents, Hannah Miller and Jack Schultz from Trinity Episcopal School. Their video coverage of the evening will be added to this post soon as the first edition of Barksdale Backstage, our new video blog commentary. Stay tuned. We’ll post the video as soon as it’s edited into shape.

--Bruce Miller

Word of the Week - HOCUS

Posted by Hannah Miller
This week’s theatre artist is WAYNE BRADY, born on June 2, 1972, which means he celebrated his 36th birthday last Monday. As opposed to last week’s stage luminary Charles Winninger, Wayne Brady is at the height of his career and well known to millions for his Emmy Award-winning TV performances on Whose Line Is It Anyway?. His Word of the Week is HOCUS.

Brady was born and raised in Orlando, and began his entertainment career when he was 16 as a “character” actor playing Tigger at Walt Disney World. For the next seven years he was very involved in central Florida theatres, performing in stage productions of A Chorus Line, Fences, A Raisin in the Sun, Jesus Christ Superstar and I’m Not Rappaport.

Success at the local level encouraged him to move on to a larger market. He spent a short time in Las Vegas and then relocated to Los Angeles in 1996, where he was almost instantly successful in both theatre and television. He performed at the prestigious Mark Taber Forum in its production of Blade to the Heat. He also was cast in guest starring roles in TV series including I’ll Fly Away (which also featured Joe Inscoe, now starring in Greater Tuna at Barksdale Hanover Tavern), Home Court and In the Heat of the Night.

In 1998 he hosted the VH-1 series Vinyl Justice, and the following year began his appearances on Whose Line Is It Anyway?. In 2001, he wrote, produced and starred in The Wayne Brady Show, a sketch comedy series that had a short run on daytime TV. This experience led to a more successful talk show by the same name that ran for two seasons and earned four Emmy Awards, two of which went to Brady himself for Outstanding Talk Show Host.

Brady’s national popularity grew based on his talent as an improv artist, singer, actor and comedian, but mainly based on his friendly, out going personality and down-to-earth charm. In 2004, Brady was spoofed on Comedy Central’s Chapelle’s Show for "not being black enough." Cast member Paul Mooney made fun of Brady, saying “White people love Wayne Brady because he makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X.” Soon thereafter, Brady spoofed his white bread image by appearing on the show as a drug-dealing psychopathic pimp.

Also in 2004, Brady made his Broadway debut, starring as Billy Flynn in the long-running musical hit, Chicago. In Act II of the Kander and Ebb classic, smooth and flashy lawyer Flynn sings his show-stopper, Razzle Dazzle, in an effort to convince Roxie that she has nothing to worry about at her murder trial. “It’s all a circus, kid,” says Flynn. “A three-ring circus. This trial—the whole world—all show business. But kid, you’re working with a star. The biggest!”

The lyrics to Razzle Dazzle include all kinds of fun words that vied for Word of the Week. Splendiferous, vociferous, flummox, finagle, bamboozle, unassailable and whammy. But after looking up the etymology of each of these fun-to-say words, I wound up settling on HOCUS, as in hocus pocus, because it has the most interesting history.

The two-word phrase "hocus pocus" seems to have entered the language a century or so before the word HOCUS as a stand alone. In medieval times, the Latin words spoken by priests in the Eucharist included “hoc est corpus meum,” meaning “this is my body.” The same words, in English, are used by my minister today at the beginning of Communion, quoting what Jesus said at the Last Supper as he broke the bread for his disciples.

According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, vagrant students who wondered Europe often earned their keep as jugglers or fools. Wanting to surround themselves with an air of the supernatural, they invented the nonsense phrase “hax pax max Deus adimax,” based loosely on “hoc est corpus meum.” They used this phrase to draw attention to their act as it was about to begin.

As the centuries progressed, the phrases “hax pax” and “hoc est corpus” combined and transformed into “hocus pocus.” In 1634, a book entitled Hocus Pocus Junior – The Anatomy of Legerdemain was published in England. The author was anonymous, but over time, he became known simply as Hocus Pocus, after the popular book’s title.

Soon the words “hocus pocus” became well known by the public at large, and were universally accepted to mean pretty much what they mean today:
· nonsense words or phrases used as a formula by quack conjurers, or
· a trick performed by a magician or juggler, or
· any type of foolishness used to disguise trickery or deception.

By the 19th century, the word HOCUS was appearing on its own as a verb in the popular work of Dickens and Thackeray, and even earlier in the works of less prominent writers. Then as now HOCUS means:
· to fool or decieve, or
· to add a drug to food or drink.

So, if you feel like HOCUSING someone, or believe that you yourself have been HOCUSED, thank Billy Flynn, Kander and Ebb, Wayne Brady and Word of the Week for providing a new verb to ably describe your action or state.

In 2006, Barksdale was honored when Wayne Brady showed up at Willow Lawn for a performance of The Full Monty. Turns out Wayne is close personal friends with Harrison White, the L A actor who lit up the stage every night in the role of Horse. Wayne flew into town to see his buddy Harrison in the show.

And that’s the truth, with no HOCUSING involved.

--Hannah Miller

From the Mississippi Delta

Posted by Bruce Miller
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is honoring Murry DePillars, who died Saturday, with a special showing of his 1997 painting From the Mississippi Delta (as seen to the right). Murry was the retired Dean of the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a great friend of artists and arts organizations throughout our community. Our “In Memoriam” to Murry was posted yesterday, and immediately follows this post.

"From the Mississippi Delta is an important work that addresses racial turmoil in Mississippi and throughout the South," says John Ravenal, VMFA’s Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. The work was inspired by a play by Endesha Ida Mae Holland of Mississippi, a scholar and dramatist. One of her plays (also titled From the Mississippi Delta) reflected her move from poverty and prostitution in the segregated South to civil rights activism and an academic career.

Barksdale Theatre produced the Central Virginia premiere of From the Mississippi Delta in 1998, and the African American Repertory Theatre revived the play earlier this season.

The acrylic-on-canvas work, measuring 42-1/2 by 32-1/2 inches, was a gift to the museum from VMFA’s Friends of African and African-American Art in 2006. The painting went on view when the museum opened yesterday morning.

From the Mississippi Delta reflects Murry’s maternal roots in Gunnison in the Mississippi Delta. DePillars, who was born in Chicago in 1938, was an artist-scholar of international renown who lived in Richmond since 1971.


"DePillars embedded his composition with layers of symbolic and protective imagery. The central figure, a little girl, is waving goodbye to the unsafe place of her birth. The girl’s white dress is a metaphor for the act of removing children from unsafe environments, particularly from Mississippi, which many families fled to escape racial hostility," Ravenal says.

Delta quilt patterns known as “windmills” or “cartwheels” in each corner of the painting are metaphors for moving quickly through life’s underbelly. Other images – silhouetted nudes, serpents, the dress with a purple hem – symbolize and encapsulate the playwright Holland’s own dramatic evolution.

“DePillars’ sensitive treatment of these themes incorporates a palette alternating between vibrant and deep colors, thoughtful use of geometry, and fine brushwork honed over the course of his career,” Ravenal says.

Be sure to stop by the VMFA in the next few weeks, and spend a quiet moment with this vital reminder of Murry DePillars’ immeasurable legacy.

--Bruce Miller

In Memoriam: Murry DePillars

Posted by Bruce Miller
Our friend Murry died last Saturday at his Richmond home. He was only 69 years old, which surprised me. It’s not that he seemed older; he didn’t. Spiritually he was perpetually vibrant and young. But he was such a towering figure in the Richmond arts community, I always imagined that he had to be more than a mere 12 years older than I.

I’m elevating Phil and myself by calling Murry our “friend.” If he thought of us at all in recent years, I’m sure he didn’t honor us with so personal a moniker. It would be more accurate to call Murry a mentor—a mini-mentor perhaps, not one of the ones who made it into our playbill bios, but a mentor nonetheless. More than anyone else, Murry DePillars convinced us that the arts were meant to be populist rather than elitist. He taught us that an artist who elevated himself over his community may not be an artist at all.

After serving as an assistant dean, Murry was promoted to Dean of VCU’s School of the Arts in 1976, one year after Phil and I founded Theatre IV. He held that position for 19 years. During his entire tenure, there was little institutional reason for Murry to take notice of Phil or me. He was a visual artist and a lover of jazz, and we were theatre upstarts with, during most of those years, little influence and even less power in the Richmond arts community.

And yet, from day one, Murry acted like we were worthy of his notice and friendship. He was Dean of the School of the Arts—a huge deal—and yet he willingly and eagerly gave us his attention and respect. And it wasn’t just us. He gave full credence to artists who chose to remain in Richmond, and never made us feel like anyone worth their salt would have moved on to New York. If anything, he made us feel like he awarded extra points to those who chose to grow where they were planted.

When Theatre IV purchased the historic Empire in 1986, Murry was among the few who made it possible.

Here's a brief history. In the mid-70s, a dashing and successful Varina home developer named Mitchell Kambis bought and cosmetically renovated the Empire. After a financially challenging stint as an impresario, Mitchell turned over ownership of the Empire to the mortgage holder, Central Fidelity Bank. The late Carroll Saine, who was Chairman and CEO of CFB at the time, was a close friend of the late Richmond icon Nina Abady. In the early 80s, Nina was a volunteer on the Theatre IV Board, but she was employed as Director of the Virginia Opera Association (VOA) – Richmond Office. Central Fidelity Bank donated the Empire to the VOA, under the condition that they continue to own it for at least two years.

Unfortunately, the Empire was too small for most operas. So as soon as the VOA’s two-year commitment concluded, they sold the Empire to a real estate developer from Roanoke.

In 1986, this developer began to actively seek buyers for the facility. Three parties expressed interest in the building: a Richmond-based developer who planned to convert the building into retail space and condos, Murry DePillars on behalf of VCU’s School of the Arts, and Theatre IV. Obviously, VCU could have outbid Theatre IV (we had no assets to speak of at the time), but the minute Murry learned that we were interested, he called us in for a meeting.

He said that his main interest was in preserving the historic building and keeping it out of the hands of those who wanted to convert it into commercial use. He said that if we were seriously interested, VCU would support us in our efforts to buy the building rather than bid against us. He made suggestions as to where we could go for financial support, and stood by our company until the building was purchased later that year and securely in our hands.

There were no power plays and no conditions—only encouragement and support.

Phil and I have missed Murry DePillars ever since his retirement from VCU in 1995. And we’ll continue to miss him and remember him with the greatest affection and respect. He was a giant in the development of Richmond’s arts community. When Theatre IV produces A Year with Frog and Toad in the Empire next spring, complete with a jazzy score Murry would have loved, we will dedicate the show to the memory of Dr. Murry N. DePillars, our mentor and friend.

--Bruce Miller

Perfect Showbiz Moment

By Scott Wichmann

NEW - Listen to Scott talk about Guys and Dolls on B103 FM.
(Page will open in a new window)

I was sitting backstage during this afternoon’s rehearsal for Guys and Dolls and I had a perfect ‘Showbiz’ moment, and I became impelled to reflect on my good fortune as a performer.

As I sat on a step unit in the wings just off stage right, I began to think about the historic Empire Theatre and how many performers it has been home to through the years. I thought, This old vaudeville house sure has seen its share of magic. What a tradition!!

To be a small part of that tradition is a joyous and humbling thing.

I glanced around and saw actors running lines by themselves, possessed of that slightly ‘crazy’ look, evidenced by the downward-directed muttering that we all do when we’re trying ever-so-diligently to whisper our lines letter-perfect.

Our Director, Patti D’Beck, stood in the front row of the audience, commiserating with our Stage Manager, Wendy Vandergrift, as they went over the blueprint for the set design. Wendy was probably saying what I’ve heard her say about a trillion times: We Can Do That. When she says it, she means it.

Our Musical Director, Sandy Dacus was wrapped up warmly in a cute little knit sweater as she played one of the duets for Sky and Sarah on a portable keyboard. Every now and then she’d pop a cookie into her mouth without missing a note.

As Rita Markova’s incredible singing of ‘I’ll Know’ was giving me goosebumps, I scanned the theatre some more.

I looked over to see the dance ensemble running through their choreography in the adjacent wing. Some were spinning, some were watching the action onstage. Even when they are at rest, they look graceful, I thought.

Our ‘Harry The Horse,’ John Winn, was sitting by the stage door, reading a newspaper, dressed in shorts, a T-shirt and a fedora. Two of our walking wounded, Jason Marks and Landon Nagel—one battling severe laryngitis and the other a recent arm injury—were chuckling about something mischievously while running lines together. Great, I thought, Nicely-Nicely can’t talk and Benny can’t move!! What a pair!!

Almost everywhere I looked, I saw smiles. I saw people getting to know one another. I saw friendships blossom and rare talent on display. And not an ‘ego’ in sight.

I looked out into the audience--where a few more cast members were amiably chatting and getting to know one another-- past the tech table, up into the balcony to the vast, welcoming expanse of what is truly one of Richmond’s treasures.

And I felt incredibly lucky.

Lucky to be around such great people. Lucky to be working for a class organization in a historic setting on one of the greatest of All-American musicals. And lucky to be making new friends while doing what I love most in all the world.

This group is a really fun bunch. They make me laugh. I always leave rehearsal smiling. And we’ve only really been around each other a few weeks. I’m really looking forward to this run and the time I’ll spend with my new ‘Summer Family.’

I cannot accurately describe the amount of talent, energy and enthusiasm being infused into this project. You’ll simply have to see it for yourself. Come spend some time with the cast of Guys and Dolls at The Empire Theatre this summer. I can guarantee that, you too, will have a perfect ‘Showbiz moment.’ More I cannot wish you.

-Scott Wichmann

Read more from Scott at his blog, www.scottwichmann.blogspot.com

Word of the Week - SKYLARKING

Posted by Hannah Miller
My spring plays at school and church are over; my exams and SAT subject tests are winding down. So now’s the time to get back to Word of the Week.

This week’s theatre artist is CHARLES WINNINGER, born 124 years ago yesterday, on May 26, 1884. His name may be largely forgotten today, but in theatre history, he’s someone worth noting. His Word of the Week is SKYLARKING.

From the mid-1920s until the mid-50s, Charles Winninger was one of America’s favorite character actors, especially in musical theatre, both on Broadway and in Hollywood. He began his career as a lovable vaudeville comic, and became a star in 1927 when he originated the role of Cap’n Andy in Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s landmark Broadway musical, Show Boat (pictured below and to the right). Winninger was so associated with that iconic role that he was asked to play the part again in the 1932 Broadway revival, the classic 1936 movie, and radio revivals in 1940 and 1944.

Show Boat is considered by many to be the first great American musical. Based on the 1926 best-selling novel by Edna Ferber, Show Boat was the first Broadway musical to tell a dramatic rather than comic story. This took place at a time when most musicals were actually revues and didn’t tell stories at all. Show Boat’s story was epic, taking place over several decades, and its depiction of racism and interracial marriage broke new ground for American musical theatre.

In addition to his star-making role in Show Boat, Winninger appeared in 13 other Broadway musicals. The first was The Wall Street Girl in 1912, which he also directed. Co-starring in The Wall Street Girl was another newcomer named Will Rogers.

Winninger appeared in numerous revues produced by George M. Cohan and Florenz Ziegfeld. He starred in the original cast of the 1925 Broadway hit No, No, Nanette, and starred two years later in the follow-up trifle Yes, Yes, Yvette (I’m not kidding). Luckily for Winninger, Yvette closed after only one month, allowing him to move on to Show Boat, which opened seven short weeks after Yvette went dark. Winninger’s last appearance on Broadway was the 1951 revival of another Kern / Hammerstein musical, Music in the Air.

His major role in the film version of Show Boat helped Winninger became a star in Hollywood, and he eventually appeared in 75 movies and TV shows during his long career. His national popularity grew with standout roles in classic movies such as Babes in Arms with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, Destry Rides Again with Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Dietrich, and State Fair (pictured to the left) with Jeanne Crain, Dana Andrews and Vivian Blaine. He also was a frequent TV guest star on I Love Lucy, playing Fred Mertz’s old vaudeville partner.

In the opening scene of Show Boat, Cap’n Andy introduces the show boat stars to the locals who have come down to the dock to see what’s going on. He encourages several of his performers to present short “samples” of their acts. When a fight breaks out between leading man Steve and a rowdy member of the crew, Cap’n Andy tries to convince the crowd that the fight is also only a “sample” of the exciting dramatics that will be performed on the show boat later that evening.
“Well, folks—that was jest a sample. The boys jest showed you a scene from one of our bills. That’s the way they are, folks, always SKYLARKING, always playing pranks. Jest one big happy family!”

A SKYLARK is a bird with brownish plumage. In Old World tradition, the feature that distinguished a SKYLARK from other larks was that a SKYLARK was known for its singing while in flight. In history, the French people referred to Joan of Arc as The Lark, and in 2006 Barksdale produced The Lark by Jean Anouilh, American adaptation by Lillian Hellman, starring Erin Thomas as Joan.

The French word for “lark” is “alouette.” In Old World tradition, a lark was a game bird. In the popular childhood song Alouette, a French housewife merrily sings to the recently bagged lark that will soon grace her dinner table, celebrating how she is about to pluck his head, and then, in subsequent verses, his neck, wings, back and tail.

Having said all that, the verb “to SKYLARK” has nothing to do with the bird.

Originally, SKYLARKING described the antics of young Navy men who climbed the masts and then slid down the rigging of their ships for fun. Since the ancient word “lac” means “to play,” and since these nautical acrobatics took place against a background of sky, the term “skylacing” (with a hard c) was coined to describe such airborne hijinks. Later, popular usage of the word changed it to SKYLARKING, which became a familiar term to most sailors. Over time, the term was generalized to include all types of playful and boisterous activity engaged in by the crew of a ship—even, it seems, a show boat.

Charles Winninger died in 1969 at the age of 84 in Palm Springs, CA. During his lifetime, he became one of the most beloved and “huggable” character actors in Broadway and Hollywood history. You can view a trailer for the movie musical Coney Island at http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1522467097/, featuring Winninger singing the first few lines of everyone’s favorite party song, Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder.

--Hannah Miller

In Memoriam: Ruan Woolfolk

Posted by Bruce Miller
Ruan Woolfolk, our good friend and a talented Richmond actor, died in a Chicago hospital on May 13. He was 36 years old. He had been pursuing his career outside Richmond for the last few years. We do not know the cause of death.

Ruan played Tom Robinson in Barksdale’s 2003 production of To Kill a Mockingbird, Jim in Theatre IV’s mainstage production of Huck and Tom and the Mighty Mississippi, and Coalhouse in Ragtime at both Dogwood Dell and the Riverside Center Dinner Theatre in Fredericksburg. He toured with Theatre IV for two years, and with the national company of Man of La Mancha. With Sight and Sound in Pennsylvania, he performed in Behold the Lamb, Noah’s Ark, Ruth, and Christmas Celebration.

On YouTube, you can find video of Ron singing in the Riverside production of Ragtime. Below is a photo of Ruan in our production of Mockingbird.
Ruan is survived by his large and loving family in Spotsylvania, Washington D. C., and Maryland. We mourn his passing. With love and respect, we will be dedicating our fall production of Driving Miss Daisy at Hanover Tavern to his memory.

--Bruce Miller

Regional Emmy Nomination for Barksdale Ad

2007 Regional Emmy Award Nomination for
the Barksdale Theatre Commercial
Produced and Directed by Joel Traylor at NBC12!

Barksdale Theatre's television ad, produced and directed by Joel Traylor at NBC12, was nominated for a regional Emmy award. The awards show will take place Sat., June 14 at the Ritz Carlton in Washington, D.C. If you don't see the ad above, click here to go to youtube.

Backstage with the Tuna Helpers

By the dressers for Greater Tuna, Dexter Ramey, Shannon McCallester and Eric Evans



Every night as two talented actors step on stage and bring the citizens of Tuna, Texas to life from little Jody Buemiller and Vera Carp to Bertha Buemiller and the Rev. Spikes, the stories are played out to the delight of the audience. However the audience is not aware of the show behind the show. The people behind the curtains that transform the actors into 20 characters using 45 costume changes. We are the Tuna Helpers.

In an often fast paced 2 hours the transformations occur in as little as 15 seconds to a leisurely 2 minutes. Working together with the actors in what can best be describe as a dance, or at times controlled chaos, we the Tuna Helpers have learned the following things through trial and error.

1. If Stanley’s sandals are forgotten in the dressing room it is not humanly possible to run upstairs to the 3^rd floor dressing room and back in the time it takes Vera Carp and Aunt Pearl Burris to say goodbye to Judge Roscoe Buckner. It’s close, but as they say close only counts in horse shoes.
   
   
2. A sandal is just a sandal. Let Stanley wear Chad’s shoes….knowledge that would have been useful to us before attempting to set the land speed record up the back stairs of the Hanover Tavern. Lastly and most importantly….do not hit sweet Aunt Peal in the head with said flying sandals.
   
   
3. Necessity is indeed the mother of all invention. A tube of lipstick can double as a hair curler when needed. We have to keep our LGBT (Ladies Gathered for Better Tuna) looking their best.
   
   

4. The true power of double stick tape is in its ability to hold together Bertha Buemiller’s earring better than hot glue. 5 weeks and counting. Now if we could just get it to stay on Rev Spikes’ upper lip.
   
   
5. Don’t let the actors see you panic….it might be contagious.
   
   
6. Laughter makes everything okay.

I think it can be safely said that without the highly talented dressing skills of the Tuna Helpers, the good citizens of Tuna, Texas would still be there to entertain you…but they would probably be naked!

So come on y’all…come enjoy the show and as they say in The Wizard of Oz…..pay no attention to those people behind the curtain.

- Dexter Ramey, Shannon McCallester and Eric Evans

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

Respecting Those Who Leave "Little Dog" NOT Laughing

Posted by Bruce Miller
We're two weeks into our six week run of The Little Dog Laughed. About 150 patrons thus far have decided to opt out prior to seeing Little Dog due to their concerns over content. Another 110 or so have left the theatre upset after seeing part or all of Act I.

Each of these patrons matters to me, and not just from a business point of view. I respect and value their concerns. It's vital that I remain true to my own heart, and that they remain true to theirs. But hearts can open; minds can change. Both mine and theirs.

I know not everyone in the world will ever see eye to eye. That's a good thing. I hope I will always want to hear and respect the opinions of those who disagree with me. I hope that many of those who hold opinions different from mine will nonetheless be willing to hear what I have to say.

I've written down the following thoughts and we will begin distributing them during Wednesday's performances to all those who express concerns or choose to leave the show early. I offer my thoughts here to get the word out to others who may have left Little Dog angry during the first two weeks, and may be unaware of our efforts to address their disappointment. Please spread the word.

Dear Barksdale Audience Member,

I’m writing this for those of you who are choosing to leave The Little Dog Laughed early, and/or have shared your objections with our staff during intermission. I’m honestly sorry if you’ve been offended by the play. I understand and respect your opinions. I take them to heart.

I hope you'll allow me to respond to your concerns with five bullet points. I have no expectation of changing your mind. I simply want to offer my perspective.

The first bullet point describes my spiritual motivations for selecting this play. The second outlines where I believe The Little Dog Laughed fits into theatre history. In the third, I talk about the many ways in which we have tried to advise all audience members about the content of Little Dog before they came to see the show. In the fourth I offer you several remedies to address your disappointment. The fifth details what you can expect from Barksdale Theatre in the future, as long as I remain artistic director.

1 - As I have noted for many years, I consider my job to be a calling. I honestly feel compelled to act on my faith through my work at Barksdale Theatre. Without intending to trivialize or rationalize anything, may I say that I sometimes think that Little Dog is my "woman at the well" play.

One of my favorite Bible passages is John 4: 1-42, in which Jesus encounters an outcast Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well. He knows she has been branded an “adulteress”; he knows she’s been living with a “fifth husband” to whom she’s not really married. He knows she’s become alienated from her own community to the point where her neighbors allow her to visit the well only at high noon after all the other women have returned home.

To the shock of his disciples, Jesus doesn't turn his back on this woman. He engages her in conversation (not allowed by Jewish law at the time), asks her to share a drink of water with him (an act considered so intimate that it too was forbidden by Jewish law), and then offers her not judgment, but salvation.

As I state in the Director’s Notes that are printed in the playbill, when 57% of the Virginia population voted in favor of the most stringent marriage law in the United States, outlawing even marriage-like legal contracts between unmarried couples, they turned their backs on gay men and women just as the Samaritans chose to ostracize the woman at the well. I don’t believe Virginia voters did the right thing. Following Act II, most theatregoers walk away from Little Dog questioning whether the “happy ending” that has been engineered is really happy or moral after all. When we as a community judge and exclude others because they are different, are we acting in a Christ-like manner, or are we failing each other and ourselves?

The Little Dog Laughed speaks meaningfully to me and to many others about love, compassion and inclusion, three important tenets of the religious left. I think the moral stance of the religious left is just as worthy of consideration as is the moral stance of the religious right, and vice versa. Unfortunately, those of us in the religious left tend to be shy about claiming the moral high ground. To be honest, I'm feeling fairly self conscious right now.

Nonetheless, I think The Little Dog Laughed says some important things about our world today, and says them with a sense of humor. I’m sorry if the play didn’t speak to your spirit; it speaks to mine.

2 – The Little Dog Laughed is a traditional comedy of manners—offering a satirical and purposefully shocking take on today’s language, mores and culture. It is highly regarded nationally and internationally, and was nominated for the 2007 Tony Award for Broadway’s Best Play of the Year. It is very much in keeping with plays like Moliere’s great comedy Tartuffe, which is now universally considered to be a world masterpiece. During Moliere’s lifetime, however, Tartuffe was banned by the church, decried by conservatives, and Moliere himself was roundly pilloried for having written such “filth.” Tartuffe was loved and highly praised by many of the young moderns of Paris, just as Little Dog is enjoyed and praised by many of the young professionals (and lots of non-elites and seniors too) of NYC and Richmond. By “young,” I mean adults in their 30s and 40s, an audience Barksdale (and every professional theatre) needs to cultivate in order to survive.

3 – In every mention we have made about The Little Dog Laughed since Day One, we have noted that the play told the story of two gay men, one of whom was a male prostitute. We have said that the play included nudity and ribald language. In all illustrations, we have shown two naked men in bed together. During the last three months, we have sent a content advisory to all subscribers, ticket buyers, and others on our mailing list, noting that the play included strong language and adult content. We have encouraged all newspaper coverage to indicate that this was the edgiest play in Barksdale’s recent history (Barksdale’s extended history includes many such plays), and to again make clear that the language, nudity, gay themes and adult content were vital components of the show. On our website, we’ve posted discussions of what offends an audience most, and outlined the themes and content of this play. On the Little Dog section of our website, we’ve posted a waist up photo of the two naked actors embracing each other.

In every other major city where Little Dog has played or is playing, there has been a much smaller effort to advise audience members. In most cities, nothing is done. We know this is Richmond, so we did everything we could short of going door-to-door to let our audience members know what to expect. Even so, we apparently did too little. If you were surprised by the play’s subject matter and tone, you are not alone.

4 – Before the fact and after, we have offered those who may be offended by the show’s content several remedies. Before coming to the show, over 150 subscribers read our advisories and took us up on our offer to trade in their Little Dog tickets for free tickets to Greater Tuna, our current hit comedy at Hanover Tavern, or for tickets to our upcoming productions of the great Broadway musicals Peter Pan and/or Guys and Dolls at the Empire. To the 110 or so people who missed our advisories and thus far have come to see Little Dog only to be offended and/or disappointed, we again make a similar offer in an effort to address respectfully your concerns.

a. If you were disappointed in Little Dog, you may have free tickets to Greater Tuna, pending availability. Tuna closes at Hanover Tavern on June 15. Or ...

b. You may have free tickets to the hit Broadway musical Peter Pan, produced by Theatre IV, pending availability. Peter Pan runs at the Empire Theatre from April 25 until May 18. Or ...

c. You may have free tickets to the hit Broadway musical Guys and Dolls, pending availability, to share with your friends. Guys runs at the Empire Theatre from June 13 through August 17.

To obtain your choice of free tickets, simply call Joy Ross at the Barksdale Box Office – 282-2620.

5 – I’ve served as artistic director of Barksdale Theatre since July 2001. During the last seven seasons, I’ve selected and produced 44 plays and musicals, one of which was The Little Dog Laughed. I’m proud of each selection, for different reasons. This roster of 44 productions is indicative of what you can expect from Barksdale in the future.

Will Barksdale produce another play in the next seven years that is as edgy as The Little Dog Laughed? Yes, I expect we will. For every person who has had the integrity to communicate with me regarding their objections to Little Dog, there have been at least two others who have communicated to thank me and let me know how much they loved the production.

Will we do 43 other plays in the next seven years that offer a broad perspective of world theatre, including shows like Doubt, Mame, The Member of the Wedding, The Full Monty, To Kill a Mockingbird, Crowns, Moonlight and Magnolias, The 1940s Radio Hour, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Lark, The Brooklyn Boy, Annie Get Your Gun, Drawer Boy, Intimate Apparel, Anything Goes, The Crucible, James Joyce's The Dead, The Laramie Project, The Little Foxes, Proof (insert your favorite Barksdale show here)? Yes, we will. Our goal always has been and always will be to offer an eclectic roster of plays and musicals, not a steady diet of only one type of show. I believe most patrons support our broad-based mission to bring you “the great comedies, dramas and musicals, past, present and future.”

I sincerely appreciate and respect your sharing your objections with us. If you would like to communicate with me directly, I encourage you to do so. I can be reached via email, by phone at (804) 783-1688 ext 13 (this will take you to my assistant, Janine Serresseque), or by land mail at Bruce Miller, Barksdale Theatre, 114 W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220.

I always look forward to hearing from you. I also always appreciate your support of Barksdale Theatre, Richmond’s leading professional stage company.

Sincerely,
Bruce Miller
Artistic Director, Barksdale Theatre

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.

Little Dog's Opening Night - with Playwright & Composer in the house

By Judi Crenshaw, Barksdale's Publicist

By the time opening night of The Little Dog Laughed rolled around, those of us involved in the build up to the show were relieved that the public was finally going to see what we’ve been promoting, defending, gushing over, justifying, and generally maneuvering our way around. It’s been an exhilarating and challenging few weeks. But through it all we have loved the play. When I first read it last year --- belly laughing and gleefully muttering to myself, “Are we really going to do this?” --- I loved the language, envied the wit, and poured over illegal Little Dog video of Julie White and Tom Everett Scott on YouTube.

I watched some legit internet clips too, and quickly zeroed in on interviews with playwright Douglas Carter Beane. Funny. Razor sharp. Self-effacing. You gotta love those Broadway big-wigs. But mostly they stay on Broadway. To be admired from my computer. Like Julie White and Tom Everett Scott (with some extra Google Images time devoted to Tom). So when Susan Sanford let it slip that DCB might actually be coming to our opening night I was elated for about 3 seconds, and then my stomach started slipping south. In the theatrical world of non-stop measuring up, with a guy who clearly is way past any mark I’ll ever know, would the Barksdale production come anywhere close?

Doug Beane walked in the Barksdale door with a wide grin and extended hand. He was genuinely friendly. Doug came with Lewis Flinn, his partner of many years and composer of Little Dog music as well as loads of other Broadway and TV scores. I was relieved that these two guys were regular people. Okay, über successful, smart, and witty regular people. They seemed downright tickled to be here. They oogled over the photos in the lobby (which are stunning, thanks to Jay Paul). They introduced us to Lewis’ parents who are Barksdale patrons. They bounded up the stairs greeting everyone and spreading goodwill.

But my stomach had not caught up with how jolly our guests seem to be. I am still nervous about the measuring up. I keep sneaking glances at them during the show. They are getting a kick out of Susan’s performance and looking around at everyone else getting a kick out of Susan. Every time Laine Satterfield comes on, DCB inches forward in his seat and smiles. I think these are good things and I relax. Then the bed gets stuck halfway along its intended downstage trajectory. John is slyly propping up a set panel while lying on the stuck bed and I am praying that Matt will not whack his head on the panel looming over the crazy stuck bed. The crew is trying to yank it from behind, pull it, FIX IT! FIX IT! There is some banging and dropping of metal. I am no longer relaxed. Susan has been masterfully “working” her laryngitis but it is getting a tighter grip. I am now avoiding any glances whatsoever in the direction of Doug and Lewis.

I do look around, though, at everyone else in the audience and they are completely engrossed in the play. They are rooting for the two guys to be together. They are laughing, intrigued, appalled, touched, engaged. I know these things are good. And I know that this was an important choice for Barksdale and a deeply personal quest for Bruce Miller. I know we have pushed some patrons past their comfort zone and we are grateful to the people who will give this play a chance. I know we measure up for all the right reasons, even with the f***ing bed malfunction. I think that Doug Beane knows this too.

After the show, there was a rare chance to celebrate play and playwright, director and cast, supporters and friends. Host Bill Hall put together a truly elegant bash that would have been the envy of any New Yorker. I felt a little silly with my Kodak One-Shot and home camcorder in hand, but we wanted to share the love!

THANK YOU Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn!!

- Judi Crenshaw

To Bare or not to Bare, that is the question

By Bob Albertia

Tonight, April 11, 2008 is the opening night of Barksdale's production of THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED, a 2007 Broadway hit. Over the past few weeks, it has come to my attention that some of our patrons have commented that this play offends them to one degree or another, and they have chosen not to attend. We respect the opinions of all of our patrons and appreciate feedback on our production choices and presentations.

In view of recent comments, both pro and con, I, as an actor for fifty-plus years, would like to reflect on past Barksdale productions and their impact on the community. Over the years, Barksdale Theatre has a history of presenting edgy, provocative and caring theatre resulting in critically acclaimed productions dealing with alcoholism (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf), homosexuality (The Boys In The Band), nudity (Equus) to name a few, and all highly praised by the audience and critics alike.

In short, my reason for writing this post, is to point out that theatres are a place for storytelling and commentary, presenting us with a look at ourselves, the nation and the world. We go to museums and view paintings of war, death, love, destruction and nudity and are in awe of artists who have so brilliantly painted scenes on canvas or delicately carved statues out of a block of stone. Theatre too, from its simple beginnings of telling stories and entertaining us, is still a platform for letting each of us take a good look at our ourselves and the world around us. From the safety of our theatre seat, we can investigate the complex and emotional issues at the heart of a production like The Boys in the Band, Equus, or in this case, The Little Dog Laughed.

As a member of the theatre staff, I applaud Barksdale Theatre in continuing the legacy of Muriel McAuley and Pete and Nancy Kilgore in presenting the highest caliber of theatre in all of its forms; bold and brash comedy, on the edge drama and tap your toes and sing along musicals. I can't wait to see tonight's show and experience yet another opening night and share those feelings with both old and new friends alike.

- Bob Albertia

Looking Up at Willow Lawn

Posted by Jessica Daugherty


On your way in to see The Little Dog Laughed at Willow Lawn, lift your eyes up for a look at our new and improved building facade. Our old sign was damaged in a storm, and we've replaced it with new letters finished with hammered gold foil. The work was done by Carousel Signs.

The new building front:


















The original facade before the old sign was damaged in a hurricane:

More Coffee Please...

Posted by Jessica Daugherty

ROSTOV's Coffee & Conversations

This Tuesday, April 8 at 9:30 AM

Rostov's Coffee & Conversations
at Willow Lawn
On The Board's: The Role of Richmond's Theatre Trustees

Moderator: Peggy Baggett, Executive Director of the Virginia Commission for the Arts

Admission:
Barksdale at The Shops at Willow Lawn
Time: 9:30 -10:30 AM
Cost: Suggested $3 Donation includes Rostov's Coffee, Hot Tea and Pastries
No reservations required. Questions? Call our Box Office at 804-282-2620.

For the full schedule of Coffee & Conversations Events, click here. Three more Coffee & Conversations dates have been added to the schedule! Thanks to Rostov's for making this program possible.

Meet the Stars Cancellation

In response to cuts in state funding, Barksdale Theatre has cancelled the two remaining Meet the Stars events originally announced for the 2007-08 Season. Cancelled are the Little Dog Laughed discussion program on Monday, April 14, and the Guys and Dolls discussion program on Monday, June 16.

Those who would like to participate in discussions with the casts of these two productions may attend Rostov's Coffee & Conversation events scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 9:30 a.m. (Behind the Scenes of The Little Dog Laughed) and Tuesday, July 8, 9:30 a.m. (Behind the Scenes of Guys and Dolls). All Rostov's Coffee & Conversation events are held in the lobby of Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn.

'It's Never Boring' & Director's Notes for The Little Dog Laughed

It's been a busy few weeks here at Barksdale and Theatre IV. We just opened Greater Tuna at Hanover Tavern (great review in the TD!), closed Doubt: A Parable at Willow Lawn and had a successful Virginia Arts and Letters Live event at the Empire Theatre.

On the Theatre IV side, Peter Pan and the Fairy Tale Ball preparations are in full swing. You can see more about both on the TIV blog. Amidst the chaos at the Empire Theatre today, our new touring show, The Air We Share, commissioned by GRTC and written by Scott Wichmann, finished its last rehearsal before heading off to schools tomorrow morning. And of course the move-out of our storage/shop space at Tom Perry's.

That's the Cliff Notes version of the last few weeks. Now our marketing/PR/box office focus shifts more towards The Little Dog Laughed. And now, we realize this show may be more controversial than we previously expected. I personally have been very excited about this show and consider it a great addition to the season, but it does contain some language and content that may not be for everyone. Since everyone may not have a chance to read Bruce Miller's director's notes that we will publish in the program, we thought it would be nice to post them here and perhaps answer some questions.

-Sara Marsden

"Why The Little Dog Laughed"
by Bruce Miller

In November of 2006, Virginia passed the Marshall-Newman Amendment, also referred to as the Virginia Marriage Amendment, by a 57% majority. In so doing, voters amended the Virginia Constitution to define marriage as “solely between one man and one woman,” and to ban recognition of any status "approximat[ing] the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage.”

This was the first time in Virginia history that our constitution was amended to deny the rights of certain individuals. Virginia is now the only state in the nation to ban marriage-like contracts between unmarried partners. In The Washington Post, Jonathan Rauch wrote, “Virginia appears to abridge gay individuals’ right to enter into private contracts with each other. On its face, the law could interfere with wills, medical directives, powers of attorney, child custody and property arrangements, even perhaps joint bank accounts.”

In March of 1924, Virginia’s legislature passed the Racial Integrity Act. It required that a racial description of every person be recorded at birth, and made marriage between “white persons” and “non-white persons” a felony. Just like the Marshall-Newman Amendment, the Racial Integrity Act gave Virginia the dubious honor of having the nation’s strictest laws on who could and could not fall in love, be married, or recognized as legal partners within the state’s borders.

In 1958, Mildred Jeter (a woman of white, African-American and Native American heritage) and Richard Loving (a white man) fell in love in the racially mixed, low income farmland of Caroline County, Virginia. Because of Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act, they travelled to Washington, D. C. to get married. Shortly after their return to Virginia, police burst into their bedroom at 3 a.m., arrested man and wife, and carried them away to jail. The Lovings pleaded guilty to being married; they were sentenced to one year in prison. I welcome you to visit the Barksdale blog to read more about this couple. Type Loving Virginia theatre into Google, and it will take you right there.

In 1967, Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act was declared unconstitutional by the U. S. Supreme Court, ending misogenation laws nationwide. Today, virtually all those who objected vigorously to interracial marriage in the first half of the 20th Century (major political parties, churches, general public) have changed their minds.

It may take another generation, it may take longer, but I hope, pray and believe that during my children’s lifetimes, our state’s and our nation’s prejudice toward gay couples will go the way of yesteryear’s opposition to interracial marriage. I think the more we see gay characters loving each other on our TV screens, in our cineplexes, and on our stages, the quicker that day will come.

I’m reminded of President Kennedy when he made his historic, world-uniting speech in 1963. “Ich bin ein Berliner.” I am a Berliner. Set aside for a moment the urban myth that purports that “Berliner” in German vernacular means “jelly doughnut” rather than “citizen of Berlin.” John Kennedy’s clear intention was to take his stand beside, with and among West Germans shortly after the Communist state of East Germany erected the Berlin Wall as a barrier to restrict the freedom of its citizens.

I love The Little Dog Laughed because, as freedoms are being restricted here at home, it proudly seeks to establish solidarity with gay men and women who are feeling increasingly isolated and ostracized by the so-called Defense of Marriage agenda. The play suggests that love between two consenting adults is more vital, powerful and sacred than any credo or code. It shows that building barriers to limit love is hypocritical for societies, industries and individuals who pretend to salute freedom and embrace equality. It does so with a sense of humor. If we can laugh at this hypocracy, then perhaps we can also get beyond it.

-Bruce Miller