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    Fifty Years of Meadow Brook Theatre
    Fifty Years of Meadow Brook Theatre
    Fifty Years of Meadow Brook Theatre
    Ebook154 pages38 minutes

    Fifty Years of Meadow Brook Theatre

    By Thom F. Foxlee and Maryann Foxlee

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    Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) began in 1966 as part of a strategy to associate professional music and theatre with Oakland University's academic programs. The theater became a reality when John Fernald, an internationally acclaimed director and head of London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, accepted Chancellor D.B. Varner's invitation to establish a resident professional theatre company on the university's campus. In January 1967, the curtain rose; nearly five decades later, MBT remains a key element of Oakland County's cultural fabric. Many famous actors--including William Hurt, Curtis Armstrong, and Cindy Williams--have appeared on its stage.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJul 13, 2015
    ISBN9781439652312
    Fifty Years of Meadow Brook Theatre
    Author

    Thom F. Foxlee

    Thom F. Foxlee, MBT board president, and Maryann Foxlee, former MBT Guild president, are longtime season-ticket holders and members of MBT's 50th anniversary committee. With the support of the Oakland University Library Archives, as well as current and past technical staff, actors, university administrators, and managing and artistic directors, the authors capture the magic of MBT in this full-color pictorial history.

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      Book preview

      Fifty Years of Meadow Brook Theatre - Thom F. Foxlee

      (MBT).

      INTRODUCTION

      Meadow Brook Theatre, founded in June 1966 by the Michigan State University (MSU) Board of Trustees, has a long history of producing quality theatre. It officially began on January 3, 1967, with the first performance of The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht. Things really got going when Chancellor Durward B. Varner decided that, for Oakland University (OU) to become recognized as a center for fine arts, it needed to have a professional theatre company on campus. Provost Donald O’Dowd was given the responsibility to convince John Fernald, an internationally acclaimed director and head of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, to establish a resident professional theatre company at Oakland University. A theatre was not in the original plans for Wilson Hall. Wilbur W. Bud Kent, an associate professor of music, drew up plans to modify a planned lecture hall to accommodate the needs of a theatre.

      The Academy of Dramatic Arts (ADA), led by Fernald, was established in the fall of 1967. The ADA was not part of the university and did not offer academic credit. The intent was to have experienced actors teach aspiring actors how to become professionals. Instructors were the actors and technical staff from the Fernald Company, who were veterans of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. ADA was organized as the Studio Company with a separate season. Initially, it performed on the MBT stage in-between Fernald Company productions. In 1970, it moved to Varner Hall, and it lasted until 1977.

      Fernald mostly selected plays that were well known and had seen success in Europe or New York. He spared no expense for his productions; by the spring of 1970, the theatre was in debt. A budget disagreement led to a management change. Fortunately, Terence Terry Kilburn, a teacher at the ADA, had already acted and directed at MBT. He was named acting artistic director in July 1970 and was later named artistic director. The theatre flourished under his leadership. One of his special talents was the ability to create a season of plays and musicals that appealed to MBT audiences. He was also proficient at keeping costs in line, partially by careful planning and not picking plays with extremely large casts, and also by doing things himself. For example, he designed the costumes for many shows. An important commitment was to continue to deliver the high-quality productions MBT audiences grew to expect during the Fernald years. His recruitment of Charles Nolte was a key part of the success during his tenure. Nolte, a professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota, enjoyed teaching as well as acting, writing, and directing. For 30 years, he directed some of MBT’s most distinguished productions, among them The Andersonville Trial, Inherit the Wind, and Death of a Salesman. He directed the premieres of his own plays A Summer Remembered and The Last Days of Mr. Lincoln at MBT.

      For the first several decades of its existence, Meadow Brook Theatre produced high-quality, professional shows that featured classic playwrights such as Shakespeare and Molieré, along with more popular musicals appealing to both educated playgoers looking for an intellectual experience and those simply looking for good entertainment. During this period, the subscriber rate was very high, to the point where it was difficult to get tickets if one was not a subscriber, and the best seats were held by people who had season tickets for many years. Managing directors over the years included David Robert Kanter, Frank Bollinger, and Gregg Bloomfield, who oversaw theatre operations from 1993 to 2003.

      MBT’s competition has changed over the years. The Fisher Theatre and Music Hall are focused on Broadway hits brought in by national touring companies. In recent years, increased competition from smaller local theatres, combined with local economic issues, has also taken a toll on MBT ticket sales. The number of different events vying for people’s entertainment dollars has increased to include traveling ice shows, cable television, online streaming, and a revitalized movie

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