Patience and faith. The patience to realize a vision and the faith that this vision will make a difference in the community. For more than 39 years, these two tenets have guided Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway, leaders of Virginia Repertory Theatre. In 1975, the college friends pooled $700 and created Theatre IV, the first professional children’s theater in Virginia. Their vision was to seek excellence in four areas: the arts, education, children’s health, and community leadership.
In 2001 Miller and Whiteway also assumed leadership of Barksdale Theatre, expanding their vision to target a wider audience and become a major regional theater. In 2012, Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV officially merged to form Virginia Repertory Theatre, now one of the leading performing arts organizations in Central Virginia serving more than 500,000 adults and children at four venues and in schools across Virginia and 32 states.
Miller, who is artistic director, speaks passionately about the impact of Virginia Rep. “When we began this company, we knew we wanted to go beyond producing art for art’s sake. We wanted to make a difference in the community. This influence in terms of artistic presence, economic impact, downtown revitalization, and education has been a uniquely defining feature of Virginia Rep.”
The theatre now has an annual budget of just under $5 million. According to external calculations by Virginians for the Arts in 2008, the economic impact of Virginia Rep exceeded $23 million, the largest of any independent arts organization in Central Virginia.
Whiteway, who is managing director, reflects further on Virginia Rep’s economic and artistic impact. “With 45 full-time employees and over 400 part-time and contracted actors, teaching artists and production staff, Virginia Rep is proud to provide consistent employment to many of the area’s finest professional theater artists.” Regional actor Scott Wichmann adds, “Virginia Rep has allowed me the opportunity to work and improve my abilities as an actor, a director, and a writer. The theatre supports AEA (Union) Artists with competitive contracts and nurtures new talent from the Central Virginia region. Virginia Rep is my home.” Taylor Richardson (leading role in the recent Broadway revival of Annie), Zach Resnick (Broadway’s Mama Mia), and acclaimed TV, film, and stage actor Blair Underwood all worked for Virginia Rep early in their careers.
The vision to have a downtown presence took more than patience and faith. It took imagination and an ability to take a risk. Miller recalls when Theatre IV bought the Empire Theatre in 1986, “The entire area was dilapidated and drug-infested. We knew it would take time, but we were committed to breathing new life in this area of town.” It took four years to complete the first renovations. Today, with a newly restored façade, the now Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre is an anchor in the bustling arts district and home to Virginia Rep’s Signature Season.
Board member Cal Jennison talks of the theatre’s mission to serve the community. “The outreach that complements our professional productions has inspired me to devote much of my volunteer time to this organization. This year we celebrated the 30th anniversary of our production Hugs and Kisses, Virginia’s principal child sexual abuse prevention program. Over 1.5 million students in Virginia have seen the show and anecdotally we are told that approximately 15,000 students have come forth for more information or help after seeing the performance.” Other outreach programs include Bifocals for seniors and the expanding FIELD project to support early reading skills in low-income communities.
While Virginia Rep strives to become a nationally recognized regional theatre producing great plays and musicals and fostering new works and world premieres, impacting the local community will always be a part of the theatre’s vision.