PLAYHOUSE Former director agrees to return for a 3rd encore



Bentley Lenhoff says the Playhouse still has fire, and he'll stoke it.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- Bentley is back.
That may be the slogan of Youngstown Playhouse's season ticket campaign, now that former executive director Bentley Lenhoff is returning to his old job.
"There's a lot of work to do and darn little time to do it," said Lenhoff, 74, who is moving back to the Mahoning Valley from Harbor Springs, Mich.
Lenhoff said he was recently contacted by members of the Playhouse's board of directors about returning.
He understands that the Playhouse "has problems" and that "it has seen better days," he said, "but there's still a fire lit there, and I intend to stoke it."
Will volunteer
Lenhoff met with the board last week and agreed to return as a volunteer -- meaning no pay, he said -- beginning Monday.
The agreement is for "a few months, after which they'll know and I'll know whether it's feasible for me to stay on," Lenhoff said.
Lenhoff's return wasn't the idea of board president John Maluso, who said he was surprised to receive a call inviting him to meet with Lenhoff.
"If Bentley's reputation can move the crowd, it would be a waste not to reinvigorate the building," Maluso said.
Problems abound
Lenhoff will be the captain of a sleek ship that has taken on some water. Although the Playhouse building was recently renovated with a multimillion-dollar federal grant, the operation carries a debt of $70,000 and at times hasn't been able to make payroll or pay its bills. Attendance at productions has been spotty. Its board of directors has not announced a play roster for next season, which fueled speculation that the Playhouse was about to close.
It's far different from when Lenhoff led the Playhouse, from 1965 to 1985.
In November 1970, Vindicator theater editor Fred Childress wrote that the Playhouse was the third-largest community theater in the United States. There were eight main-stage shows that season and 115 performances. A production of "South Pacific" was sold out for six weekends, and average theater attendance was 95 percent. The Playhouse also was offering offbeat productions in its arena theater and acting classes for school-age children and adults.
Reunion in August
Lenhoff, who has a reputation as a fast worker, is planning a Playhouse reunion Aug. 15 for anyone who has been affiliated with the theater or wants to get involved. Admission is free, but people are asked to bring covered dishes, he said.
Lenhoff also wants a "Save Our Stage" fund-raising campaign; a season ticket campaign that focuses on his return and better times ahead for the Playhouse; and expansion of the board of directors from eight to as many as 30 people, to tap into their expertise and contacts.
Lenhoff expects 16 new board members to be elected Monday during a reorganizational meeting that will follow the previously scheduled annual meeting at the Playhouse.
Current bylaws call for a total of 13 members, "but that can be amended," Maluso said.
This will be the third time that Lenhoff has come to the aid of the Playhouse since he resigned in 1985. He was executive director during transitional periods in 1990 and 1993.
Upcoming season
The next season will begin Oct. 29, Lenhoff said. He is in the process of choosing five plays -- two musicals, two comedies and one drama -- and a Christmas show.
Youngstown Playhouse begins its 80th season this fall, which is historically significant but not a national record. American Association of Community Theatres reports that more than 200 community theaters are 50 years old or more. The oldest, The Footlight Club in Jamaica Plains, Mass., has been continuously producing shows since 1877.
shaulis@vindy.com

By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.

» Accept
» Learn More