Back in Action!

Greetings Theatre Lovers!

After a nine month hiatus, the Theatre IV blog is back in action. No, none of us had a baby during that time, although we did produce a lot of wonderful programming!

A quick recap:

May: Our magnificent production of Annie closes. Again, hats off to all the stars involved, both on stage and off! (See photo at left: Alia Bisharat, Shalandis Wheeler Smith, Christopher Stewart, Sarah Day, Gordon Bass, Robin Harris-Jones)

June: Barksdale Theatre’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie opens with gusto on the Empire Theatre stage.

July: The Broadway Today Cabaret: Benefit for the Theatre Artists Fund starring many Theatre IV and Barksdale actors is a huge success, selling out and raising funds for that important cause.

August: Millie closes and the Tour and Production Departments start gearing up for fall arts-in-education tours.

September: Theatre IV withstands another Tourmite invasion! Tour actors converge from far and wide to rehearse for our Virginia school tour and national tour productions.

October: The first show of our 2009-10 Broadway for Families season opens with The Ugly Duckling on the Empire Theatre stage. (See photo at right, Eric Pastore and Aly Wepplo) Fall tours are out the door.

November: Over 300 youngsters and their families swarm Short Pump Town Center for The Sound of Music auditions, with 200 more landing on a waiting list. The day goes off without a hitch, thanks to careful planning by the Marketing and Production Departments.

December: A Christmas Carol opens on the Empire stage. Snow Bear and members of the Carol cast perform for kids at the Children's Hospital's annual holiday party.

January: Theatre IV sends costumed cast members from The Song of Mulan and Buffalo Soldier to escort senators to their chambers at the State Capitol on Arts Advocacy Day. Mulan opens to great reviews.

And here we are at February, Black History Month. Theatre IV is the premier presenter of educational plays and musicals based on prominent African-American figures in our nation’s history, including Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Buffalo Soldier, the first play ever to be presented inside the walls of the Pentagon.

Buffalo Soldier will be on stage at the Empire Theatre February 23-28. The book, music and lyrics for the production, created in association with the Virginia Historical Society, were written by our very own Bruce Craig Miller, co-founder and Artistic Director of Theatre IV.

And for all those sweethearts with kiddies, how about a family outing to the theatre this Valentine's Day? Call 344-8040 for tickets to The Song of Mulan, running now through February 14! (See photo at left: Hannah Zold and Yvonne Same)

SEE YOU AT THE THEATRE!

Ruth Salisbury Passes at 93

Few people had a bigger impact on the founding and building of Theatre IV than Ruth Salisbury, retired Associate Professor in the Theatre Department at the University of Richmond. When Phil returned from the Navy to co-found the company in 1975, Ruthie gave him free housing in exchange for a little bit of weekend yard work. After Phil and I moved into our Grove Ave apartment/office, every time we ran out of money Ruthie invited us over for spare ribs, cabbage, and gin and tonics.

Neither Phil nor I became skilled practitioners in stage make-up after taking Ruth's rigorous course at U of R--we're both extraordinarily untalented in that area. But when it came to theatre in general, Ruthie taught us more than she ever knew. Her professionalism, commitment and energy were second to none--and she demanded these attributes from her friends and students just as much as she demonstrated them herself.

Over the decades, we saw and discussed well over a hundred shows with Ruthie--here in Richmond and also in D. C. and New York. We spent endless evenings chewing the fat on her comfortable porch overlooking her showplace backyard. We mourned with her over the loss of beloved pets.

Saying goodbye to Ruth Salisbury is like saying goodbye to Mr. Chips. She was for us everything an educator could and should be. We learned just as much from her life as we did from her lesson plans. She was a very dear friend. We will miss her and treasure her forever.