Shoes. No socks.

I read an interesting article from the MiamiHerald.com, via my daily ArtsJournal email. The article was about the troubles at the Coconut Grove Playhouse and the 21-year reign as artistic director of Arnold Mittleman. I found the article interesting for a number of reasons....

First, I have been to the Cocount Grove Playhouse, loading in and over-seeing a show that I worked on immediately before and immediately after it's run at the Playhouse -- it was one of those situations where an existing show was being brought in, but by some strange clause in the Equity contracts, they didn't have to bring in the stage manager of the show -- just my prompt book (I probably got paid a small stipend for it, I forget). While I had wished I could stay with the show for that period, I held no hard feelings -- my daughter had just been born and I was looking to spend some time at home with my new family anyway.

Second, the situation reminded me of my time at the old Los Angles Theatre Center, whose troubles mirror what was being reported on by the Herald. Any time there is evidence that grants and loans are being used to pay off other debts, rather than what the grants and loans are specifically ear-marked for, this should wave gigantic red flags! The article mentions this problem, but skims over it. I was immediately tossed back to 1982 where I lived through the same things -- building and construction grants being used to pay salaries. The LATC closed it's doors for good shortly after.

Third, I was reminded of my recent blog in which I wrote that the problem with theatre is not that there aren't any great plays being written, but that there aren't any great producers taking risks and nurturing talent. Was Arnold Mittleman an exception to that comment? I don't know. I don't know the precise history of his tenure at Coconut Grove, but the fact that he has been there a long time and maintained a vibrant theatre community for so long might suggest that he was certainly doing somethig right. I doubt he was a nurturing, progressive producer (but I don't know -- we'd have to see if any "new" playwrights were developing their craft there), but the role of producer for a regional theatre is very different. There is a constant battle to produce what the community wants to see (usually Neil Simon plays, and "feel-good" 1950's musicals) and maintain artistic standards and expose the patrons to new work.

That Mittleman and Coconut Grove is now in trouble suggests that there has been a severe failure in this battle. How much time and lenience do you give someone who has a good history, but who also appears to have been deceptive in use of funds?

Four, but mostly the article was of interest to me because I don't like Arnold Mittleman. It has nothing to do with his work in theatre, his hiring or not hiring me, or even his possibly running the theatre into the ground. My dislike springs from something entirely different.

After my very first introduction to the man, I turned to an actor friend of mine and said, "I dont know why, but I don't trust any man who does business, dressed in a suit, but doesn't wear socks. Shoes. No socks."