March 22, 2019 -- Volume VI, Issue 9

Sometimes it’s good to remember that most things of quality and importance require years in the making. We’re exceedingly proud of In My Chair, Eva DeVirgilis’s brilliant one-woman exploration of twenty-first century perceptions of female beauty. There were many steps required to make this show possible. Steps 1-100: Eva herself. She is smart, talented, intuitive and audacious. Eva is at the beginning and end of every component of In My Chair. Also, there’s step 101: Theatre IV / Barksdale’s 2010 Strategic Plan identifies “new play development” for the first time as one of two cornerstone initiatives that will drive the company’s future. 102: The Cadence / Theatre IV / Barksdale partnership begins in fall 2011, creating an economic model to sustain an “Off Broadway” studio season in Theatre Gym. 103: In July 2012, Theatre IV and Barksdale merge to form Virginia Rep, elevating our nonprofit company’s development profile. 104: In December 2012, Henley Street Theatre produces The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, introducing Virginia Rep to Eva for the first time, prompting a lunch the next week in which Eva is invited to consider Virginia Rep as a new artistic home. 105: In 2014, Ted and Mary Linhart pledge their first $100,000 to create the Muriel McAuley Fund for New Play Development in support of Virginia Rep’s Strategic Plan.  

106: Linhart pledge in hand, Virginia Rep launches its 2014 search for a new Artistic Director, listing experience in “new play development” as a major criterion. 107: Eva delivers a 2014 TedTalk entitled “In My Chair.” It goes viral on the Internet and Virginia Rep checks it out. 108: In 2015, Virginia Rep expresses its desire to help Eva turn her TedTalk into a one-woman show, and Eva concurs. 109: In 2016, Nathaniel Shaw is hired as Virginia Rep’s new Artistic Director, and assigned responsibility for shepherding In My Chair. 110: Eva introduces her friend Vivian Keesler to the mix, and Vivian subsequently donates $50,000 to Virginia Rep to cover the costs of Eva’s dream of international research. 111: Now fully funded, Virginia Rep sends Eva and her videographer Matt Polson on their international research travels. 112: When Eva returns home, Nathaniel connects her to NYC director Lisa Rothe, the perfect fit for In My Chair. 113: Lisa connects Eva and the project with major development opportunities for both women to work on the script of the show together in 2018, first in NYC and then at the Tofte Lake Artists Retreat in Minnesota. 114: Vivian Keesler provides her second $50,000 grant to fund script development. 115: After nine years of strategic steps, In My Chair opens to rave reviews in Theatre Gym. What’s next? We’re putting it together. 

Because we love theatre, theatre ads pop up whenever we’re online. Recently, we’ve seen a lot of one particular ad promoting Broadway’s current production of To Kill a Mockingbird, with a clip of Mary Badham, who played “Scout” in the classic 1965 Mockingbird film, visiting the NYC cast. It’s fun to see our friend Mary, who lives just outside RVA, heralded in this ad: https://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay/VIDEO-TO-KILL-A-MOCKINGBIRD-Film-Child-Star-Mary-Badham-Visits-the-Broadway-Play-20190310 In the late 80s, Mary was in the cast of Neil Simon’s I Ought to Be in Pictures under Bruce’s direction in what was at that time the Regency Theatre, here at Virginia Rep. The Regency was the 80s name for what had been the Little Theatre in 1912, and the Maggie Walker beginning in ‘38. Today, the former stage of the Regency is the side stage of our November Theatre. Mary Badham appeared in Simon’s three-hander with Bob Albertia (replaced by Burt Richman later in the run) and Michelle Napier. It was Mary’s stage debut. It ended a 22-year hiatus that followed the five Hollywood projects Mary completed as a child: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, age 10), one episode of Dr. Kildare (1963, age 11), the final episode of Twilight Zone (1964, age 12), This Property is Condemned (1966, age 14, appearing opposite Robert Redford), and Let’s Kill Uncle (also 1966, age 14).

On Wed, National Kick Butts Day, we engaged in our first of three smoking / vaping prevention workshops with preschoolers at Fort Lee. Using theatre as a prevention tool is a cornerstone effort of our Community Health and Wellness partnership (CHW). Our Artistic Assistant, Rachel Dilliplane, arrived at the main gate of Fort Lee at 8:15 AM with two Terry Snyder puppets as cast mates. There she met Hattie Winstead, Pediatrics Nurse and Preventive Medicine Specialist, and together they ventured forth to engage with 30 eager four and five year olds who were ready to play. Rachel worked for two years in our education department and has extensive experience in creating story-dramas—interactive, age-appropriate theatrical workshops with preschool-age children. Working together, Rachel, the two puppets, and the 30 children re-enacted the story of the Three Little Pigs. With only one cough, the wolf successfully blew down the house of straw, and with only two coughs, the house of twigs. The house of bricks required more huffing that the wolf could muster. Taking pity, the smartest of the little pigs counseled the big bad wolf that his smoking and vaping had taken a toll on his health. The pig was kind enough to advise the wolf to stay away from cigarettes of ALL kinds. A happy ending followed. It’s never too early to advocate for positive life choices. 

It was a good week for feedback, and much of it this week involved questions about why Good News Friday was switching, as we announced in previous issues, to a Community Health and Wellness focus. In short, most of you don’t like that idea. Among those who wrote, NO ONE likes the idea. “As much as I have respect for your Community Health and Wellness programming,” stated donor and subscriber Betsy Conyers, “it’s not the part of Virginia Rep that I attend. Please, keep up the good work. But please also sneak in some articles about the plays you do for people like me. I like the ‘behind the scenes’ approach of Good News Friday, and hope you’ll continue with that. Honestly, I never was aware of any duplication before.” Well, all right, if that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll try to give, starting with this issue. Let us know if this mix hits the right balance for you!