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Playhouse director makes curtain call
John Holt will take a break from all theater pursuits for the immediate future.
YOUNGSTOWN — John Holt’s short tenure as managing director of the Youngstown Playhouse was marked by a recommitment to quality. But the theater’s financial woes were always just beneath the surface.
Holt took over in 2005, just as the Playhouse was beginning to emerge from a financial crisis that threatened its demise. He ran the business end of the house while overseeing the on-stage product. He also directed several shows each year.
Holt was known for making the most of the Playhouse’s facilities, staging technically dazzling musical productions that won multiple awards from the Youngstown Area Community Theater Alliance. Among his best efforts were “The Secret Garden,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Titanic: The Musical.”
He stepped down in December to help the Playhouse board cut costs and to also return his attention to his family.
“My work week generally consisted of 60 to 70 hours a week, and [my family has] earned some substantial time from me,” he said.
Holt will take a break from all theater pursuits for the immediate future.
He reflected on his stint at the helm of the Playhouse.
“I am extremely proud of what we achieved in such a short time,” he said. “We broke some barriers, raised our own level of achievement and had great fun in doing so. But, a person can only look at the sun for so long. A job like that is not meant to be easy, and it wasn’t. Most importantly, it’s not meant for one individual to take on. The duties need to be spread out ... other theaters have shown that it’s not necessary to be top-heavy with administration.”
Holt said he is confident that the Playhouse board — and its president, Rand Becker — will guide the Playhouse through this evolutionary phase.
“Even a perfect storm can’t last forever,” he said.