- Barksdale Theatre
Barksdale Theatre in
Richmond, Virginia ,United States is Central Virginia’s first nonprofit professional performing arts organization, founded in 1953 at the historicHanover Tavern by Tom Carlin, Stewart Falconer, David 'Pete' Kilgore, Priscilla Kilgore, Muriel McAuley and Pat Sharp. [GOING ON...Barksdale Theatre, The First Thirty-One Years; Text by Muriel Mcauley, research by Nancy Kilgore, remembering by David Kilgore. Copyright 1984. ISBN 0961390506. Printed by Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas] Today, Barksdale presents season at two home locations: Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern and Barksdale Theatre atThe Shops at Willow Lawn . [ [http://www.barksdalerichmond.org/history.html#history] Retrieved on2008-10-01 ]History
On August 1, 1953, six actors moved into the historic ruin that was Hanover Tavern. The transplanted New Yorkers founded Central Virginia’s first professional theater, and named the company in memory of a deceased college friend, Barbara Barksdale. When they began serving meals to lure Richmond residents out to
Hanover County , they created the nation’s firstdinner theater . [Galbraith, Kate: [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/theater/10galb.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin] New York Times December 10, 2006; Do-It-Yourself Entertainment, Way Off Broadway Retrieved2008-10-01 ] [Calos, Katherine: [http://www.discoverrichmond.com/dis/lifestyles/local_communities/hanover/article/no_barking_at_barksdale/1257/] DiscoverRichmond.com, July 22, 2008. No Barking at Barksdale; Retrieved2008-10-01 ]Barksdale was the first performing arts organization in Virginia to open its doors to an integrated audience, in defiance of
Jim Crow laws . [GOING ON...Barksdale Theatre, The First Thirty-One Years" Text by Muriel Mcauley, research by Nancy Kilgore, remembering by David Kilgore. Page 91. Copyright 1984. ISBN 0961390506. Printed by Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas] By 1960, four of the original cofounders had moved on. For the next 35 years, Barksdale was managed by Pete and Nancy Kilgore and Muriel McAuley.In 1990, the Tavern was sold to the Hanover Tavern Foundation. In 1993, the founders retired, and John Glenn was named Artistic Director. In 1996, to accommodate a full restoration, Barksdale left the Tavern for new facilities at Willow Lawn. In 1997, John Glenn left to pursue other opportunities, and Randy Strawderman was hired to replace him.
In 2001, leadership was transferred to Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway, Artistic Director and Managing Director, respectively. After a ten-year separation, Barksdale returned theatrical programming to Hanover Tavern in January 2006, initiating a four-play Country Playhouse Season designed to complement its five-play Signature Season at Willow Lawn. [ [http://www.barksdalerichmond.org/history.html#history] Retrieved on
2008-10-01 ]Notes
External links
* [http://www.barksdalerichmond.org Barksdale Theatre webpage]
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