December 22, 2006

(Columbia, MD) - Rep Stage, the professional Equity theatre in residence at Howard Community College (HCC), has experienced tremendous change in the past calendar year with new leadership, a new home, record-breaking box office receipts, and increased patronage. 

The year 2006 began with Valerie Lash, the "first lady" of Rep Stage, passing on the mantle of artistic director and producer to Michael Stebbins.  Lash, who remains founding director and an integral part of the artistic team, correctly foretold "Michael's passion as an artist and administrator will inject new energy into our ongoing efforts to expand, engage and diversify our audiences."

A spectacular change for Rep Stage is a new home on the HCC campus in the Peter & Elizabeth Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center.  Since the building opening in late August, audiences are enjoying performances in a new state-of-the-art black box theatre as well as in Smith Theatre, which is scheduled for renovation next year.

2006 has been a year of "firsts“ for Rep Stage, including:

• Expanded the season to five shows, including the first musical in years, and first-ever holiday offering.
• Added opening night receptions and more pre- and post-show lectures, talkbacks, and guest performances.
• Educational outreach resulted in 1,200+ public and private high school students attending "Hamlet" last spring.
• Season subscriptions increased over five-percent.
• Both productions so far in the new season out-performed revenue projections, and the opener "Stones in His Pockets" was a top five best seller in company history.
• Attendance more than doubled for the Rep Stage free play reading series.
• Donations more than tripled in 2006. 

As with any dramatic performance, the people behind the scenes deserve great credit for the organization's success.  In between acting roles, providing artistic direction, and administration of a professional theatre company and college staff, Stebbins believes it is his job to educate through outreach, saying "Rep Stage has so much for the public to take advantage of, but if we don't let them know about it, then who will?" 

In just one year since packing up his life in New York City and  moving to Columbia, Stebbins has succeeded in generating increased awareness and support for Rep Stage both within the college and community, including:

• Creation of a Rep Stage Advocacy Board.
• A free "Rolling Out the Rep Carpet" reception in October attended by over 175 subscribers and donors.
• Rep Stage participation with Center Stage in a Baltimore city-wide arts open-house and street festival.
• New local ad campaign, supported by Comcast and Patuxent Publishing, to remind Howard Countians of professional theatre in their own backyard.
• Volunteer speaking engagements by Stebbins at various local organizations, and service on the Howard County Tourism board.

Stebbins recognizes that he has a role in both the artistic and financial direction of Rep Stage, and believes casting a top-notch administrative team is crucial to success.  In a national search, two key positions were filled this year:

• Brett Ashley Crawford joins the company as production manager.  She holds a doctorate in theatre and performance studies, and has taught arts management and theatre history, including a graduate program at American University.  On the production side, she has worked 50 productions at 12 theatres and festivals from New York to Texas.  Crawford was managing director of an off-Broadway New York City theatre, and executive director of an arts alliance organization in Georgia.
• William Yarbrough III is the new technical director.  He has directed, acted, and designed in the Baltimore/D.C. theatre community for over ten years, including Towson University, The Top Floor Theatre and Cockpit-in-Court.  

Following the model of many regional theatres, Rep Stage has created the position of managing director as a co-partner with the artistic director, and Crawford assumes that role effective January 1, 2007.  Kasi Campbell, who has been Rep Stage’s general manager and associate artistic director, will transfer to HCC’s arts and humanities division as full-time faculty.  Campbell’s directing credits at Rep Stage include “Hamlet,” “The Seagull,” “Kimberly Akimbo” and “The Dazzle,” for which she received the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Direction.  She is also the recipient of the Howie Award and several recognitions in Baltimore City Paper. Stebbins remarks: “Kasi’s involvement from the beginning of Rep Stage cannot be underestimated.  She is a highly respected director and we hope to continue sharing her work with our future audiences.”

In 2006, Rep Stage received a new home and caregivers, but Valerie Lash's "baby" seems to be thriving nicely with continued success on stage and robust audience growth expected for 2007.

Now in its 14th season as a professional Equity theatre, Rep Stage has won 7 Helen Hayes Awards, garnered 30 nominations and received consistent acclaim from the media for its diverse programming and choice of challenging literature.  Rep Stage is located on the HCC campus at 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, Maryland 21044, and on the web at www.repstage.org.  Michael Stebbins, artistic director/producer, may be contacted at mstebbins@howardcc.edu or 410-772-4484.