07/30/2024
Some communications are more challenging to write than others.
This is one of those.
Please join me from August 2 to 4, 2024, for the final production of Artisan Center Theater, generously hosted by Birdville High School as we present the Broadway musical ANASTASIA.
Performances are Friday at 7:30 PM, Saturday at 3:00 & 7:30 PM, and our final performance as a theater on Sunday at 3:00 PM. Please arrive early to tour the extensive collection of images representing twenty-one years of Hope, Joy, and Optimism on our stages.
ANASTASIA is typical of the visionary legacy of my late wife and founder, DeeAnn Sorensen Blair. The primary message of the musical is the power of hope, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit. It explores themes of identity, family, and the pursuit of one's true self. The musical encourages audiences to believe in themselves, embrace their past, and face the future with courage and determination. This has been the legacy of Artisan from the beginning.
Executive Producer Renee Norris and her leadership team have inspired this cast of extraordinary performers to create a âLove Letter to Artisan,â they would like to share with each of you.
Artisan Center Theater opened in the old Birraporettiâs Restaurant on March 28, 2003, with Steel Magnolias. Our co-founder and close friend Dorothy Sanders was part of the all-star cast that launched this upstart non-profit theater.
RESPECTED BY HER PIERS
Shortly before he passed away in 2013, Jerry Russell, founder of Stage West in Fort Worth, took me aside and said, âIf I have learned one thing in my 35 years of theater, it is that you canât charge enough money to keep people away if it is a great show, and you canât pay them enough to show up if the show stinks. DeeAnn picks 9 out of 10 shows each year that sell out. I donât know how she does that, but she is special.â
Jerry was spot on. DeeAnnâs passion for creating a performing arts organization was founded on her convictions that children deserve a place to develop their God-given talent and creativity without the negative influences so prevalent around us. To DeeAnn, it was essential that grandparents could bring their grandchildren to a live theater production without being embarrassed or ashamed of the content.
MOVING TO HURST
Artisan moved to Hurst in 2005, when a faulty sprinkler system in the North Hills Mall forced the evacuation of all tenants.
We were opening NUNSENSE about The Sisters of Hoboken traveling to a School auditorium to raise money. How appropriate.
Joe Allen Brown â ORIGINAL PATRON SAINT of Artisan
Texas Wesleyan University Professor Joe Brown took us under his wings, sharing his genius, resources, and connections to get us off the ground. He has designed, directed and constructed many shows over the years and is best known for Driving Miss Daisy which he directed two times.
My introduction to Professor Joe came while building a set for an early production. After watching me construct my version of a âtheater scenery flatâ using 2x4âs and plywood, Joe lovingly wrapped his arm around me and said, âRichard? You are building a HOME here! It is only going to be used for six weeks. I will teach you how to build a theater set, and you âdamnwellâ better learn it!â
âProfessor Joeâ still inspires students in the performing arts at TWU in his 47th year of teaching. After my mother and father, Joe Brown is the most influential teacher in my life and a patron saint of Artisan.
THE SHOW THAT LAUNCHED ARTISAN
In August 2003, DeeAnn introduced a musical that clarified our unique brand of âfamily-friendlyâ entertainment. The Sanders Family had just opened Smoke on the Mountain when a reporter from the Star-Telegram walked into the building asking if he could watch the show.
ï»żAs I recall, the performance was sold out, and he had to sit in the production booth with me as I ran the soundboard.
A few days later, my late mother called, shouting, âHave you read todayâs Star-Telegram?! Dave Lieber wrote a huge story about Artisan!â Even though he sat beside me reviewing the show, I had no idea who Mr. Lieber was.
âHe is only the most popular columnist in Texas! And he just wrote the kindest story about Smoke on the Mountain. I might even come to see it now!â I was still waiting for our family to catch DeeAnnâs enthusiasm for our new adventure.
âThank you for the encouragement, Mom. What did the story say?â
âOh, honey, youâll love this. He said, âI went to a play, and a church broke out!ââ (bwahaha - she could not stop laughing)
DAVE LIEBER â 2019 BECOMES A PLAYWRIGHT
After his introduction article in 2003, the theater grew quickly. We partnered with his charity, Summer Santa, for many years, and I followed his career as a journalist, considering him one of the finest writers in America.
He returned in 2019 as a budding playwright with AMON! The Ultimate Texan. DeeAnn allowed me to be the producer, and I was able to convince Connie Sanchez to direct Kelvin Dilks as Amon G. Carter, Sr.
The show is still touring after more than 50 performances, recently completing another successful production in Grapevine, Texas.
IMPACTING THE COMMUNITY
After moving to Hurst in 2005, Artisan Center Theater grew to produce over 100 musicals and plays, 45 special events, 200 childrenâs shows, acting camps, and theater intensives such as ANASTASIA, impacting over four million people in our community.
Through the years you could hear SINGING IN THE RAIN and THE SOUND OF MUSIC while watching CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG chase THE WIZARD OF OZ back to Kansas OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS.
THE LITTLE MERMAID followed Noah in THE ARK just before JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT turned FOREVER PLAID.
Entire families had opportunities to perform together in classic musicals like SCROOGE, and OLIVER! while PETER PAN was found WALKING ACROSS EGYPT on the way to OKLAHOMA! because there was NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS.
THE MAN WITH THE POINTED TOES also walked BAREFOOT IN THE PARK through BRIGADOON on his way to the SOUTH PACIFIC to SEE HOW THEY RUN.
The PILLOW TALK between HARVEY and ANNIE provoked THE FIDDLER ON THE ROOF to pour out a little ARSENIC AND OLD LACE in THE SECRET GARDEN when suddenly, THE MIRACLE WORKER stepped in so HEAVEN CAN WAIT.
These shows and so many more were brought to life at Artisan. They changed lives, inspired hearts, and taught lessons to those both on and off the stage and in the audience. The memories, marriages, and friendships made will last a lifetime.
2020 â 2022 PANDEMICS AND OTHER TRAGEDIES
In early 2020, during our production of Seussical, a pandemic swept across the globe. No industry was impacted harder by COVID-19 than the performing arts. We lost many patrons to the pandemic while others were permanently frightened into their homes.
On January 19, 2021, our friend and co-founder of Artisan, Dorothy Sanders, passed away. She had recently reprised her signature role as Daisy Werthan in her farewell theater performance, Driving Miss Daisy, directed by Joe Brown. Her loss saddened all of us.
Shortly after, DeeAnn experienced intermittent bouts of abdominal pain that presented as enteritis, an illness she had struggled with for decades. After returning from a trip to Utah and her alma mater, Hale Centre Theatre, tests led to the diagnosis of stage-four Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma, a rare form of ovarian cancer.
In December 2021, we shared the news of her terminal condition. As her health declined, we took her to visit family and loved ones across the country and accepted Donny Osmondâs kind invitation to be his guest at his show in her hometown of Las Vegas.
Her final weeks were spent in the home of our daughter, Orianna Nibarger, an ER/Trauma nurse capable of the complex care needed as the cancer raged on. Our children took turns to help with the 24-hour care, and DeeAnn passed quietly on April 12, 2022, surrounded by the family she loved.
HONORING DEEANNâS VISION AND MISSION
Following DeeAnnâs funeral, the outpouring of love and support from hundreds of letters and messages sustained me through the grieving process but also burdened me with a sense of responsibility to carry on DeeAnnâs vision. As noted above, she was the creative and artistic visionary behind our success. Providentially, Renee Norris, a 29-year veteran Haltom High School theater teacher, volunteered to replace DeeAnn as Executive Producer.
Tron Sutton and Jennifer McCallum had been shouldering most of Artisan's creative and management burden during DeeAnnâs year-long illness, and Reneeâs leadership was a welcome relief. They carefully analyzed our predicament and created a brilliant recovery solution to post-COVID-19 entertainment challenges that honored Artisan Center Theater's original mission and vision.
I must recognize and honor Jennifer McCallum, Tron Sutton, Christina Major Davis, Seret Ryan, Thomas Bartke, Daniel Sontag, Stephen Jakubik, and Meagan Douglas for their inspired wisdom in helping Renee Norris. Their collective vision and dedication went far beyond a âjobâ because they all could see our impact on the youth in our community.
THE LOCKOUT
Creating this new brand of theater was not without consequences. Though production costs were much lower than traditional main-stage musicals, ticket prices were also lower, impacting cash flow. My new wife, Veronica Wood, and I were supplementing payroll and overhead expenses by $50,000 per month, but this still fell short, and one of the casualties was our rent for January and February.
Sadly, on March 19, the landlord, losing faith and patience, locked the doors, demanding past-due rent plus interest and penalties before allowing Artisan personnel or students, parents, and school districts to collect their belongings.
Concurrently, we were notified to evacuate the old Belaire Theater (where over 150,000 costumes are stored) or pay more than double our monthly rent retroactive to January 1, 2024.
We retained a law firm to negotiate a work-through allowing the theater to continue normal operations while we sought to raise money for past-due rent. To avoid further enflaming relationships with our landlord, the attorneys asked me to avoid all communications regarding the matter, and I have remained silent for several months while discussions continued.
MIRACLES and TENDER MERCIES
When informed of the lockout, Renee Norris and the youth of Bye Bye Birdie were understandably devastated and feared the show would be canceled. In addition, children in our acting classes now had no access to continue their lessons and recitals.
Renee and staff made calls, and, within hours of news that we could no longer perform on our stage, First United Methodist Church of Hurst offered one of their sanctuaries for our Childrenâs production of Charlotteâs Web and Danny Derrick, Fine Arts Director for the Birdville School District and longtime supporter of Artisan Center Theater, offered Haltom High Schoolâs performance auditorium, microphones, and technical equipment to allow Bye Bye Birdie, Jr. to continue. With the school district's props, set pieces, and costumes (on loan to Artisan) now behind locked doors, the cast and crew ingeniously improvised and re-blocked the staging âfromâ theater-in-the-round âtoâ proscenium in only three days as they transitioned to Haltom High School. Parents and friends donated or purchased costume pieces to replace those unavailable.
School was still in progress, and access to the auditorium was limited. Thomas Bartke, with help from Stephen Jakubik, rebuilt the music and cues from scratch with only one day to work on the sound system. The resilient youth created magic on stage for patrons and family that proved âthe show will go on.â
APRIL 13 BENEFIT CONCERT
Over $25,000 was raised on April 13 on Haltomâs stage when professional opera singer Christina Major Davis and her Artisan theater students returned to her alma mater to join Bill Combs, concert pianist, and composer Michael Schneider, and Daniel Sontag to host a benefit concert on behalf of Artisan.
Despite the generous contributions, we have been unable to meet our landlord's financial demands, and they are making plans to sell all assets locked in the building to retire the $57,000 they allege we owe in rent and penalties for a lease that expires July 31, 2024. I welcome your continued prayers as we try to save the many items still under lock and key on Pipeline Road. Perhaps someone within the sound of my keyboard can help us recover these precious items before they are lost forever.
âBE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GODâ PSALMS 46:10
This scripture from Psalms best describes how I have learned to accept that some things are beyond our control. However, we have one last event that âISâ in our control⊠Closing Weekend.
Again, I invite you to join me as we celebrate our community's most precious resourceâthe rising generation of youthâas they present an emotional Love Letter to the Legacy of Artisan Center Theater with a full-length production of the new Broadway Musical ANASTASIA and its timely message of love, perseverance, and hope after being evicted from their beloved home in Russia. How interesting that DeeAnnâs final words to Renee about ANASTASIA urged her to, âPlease âTell the Storyâ as only you can.â
Little did we know at the time it would also become the story â and legacy â of Artisan Center Theater. Renee, the Creative Team, and these youth have created a beautiful tribute that will indeed âTell the story with pace, energy, and volume.â
Show times are Friday, Aug 2 @ 7:30 PM, Saturday, Aug 3 @ 3:00 PM, and 7:30 PM, and the final performance Sunday @ 3:00 PM.
I plan to attend each performance and welcome the opportunity to bid each of you farewell and thank you personally. If you cannot attend, may this letter serve as my sincere appreciation for your faith, prayers, and support during our years together.
The physical journey of Artisan is ending, but I pray the spiritual journey that so many walked together will live on in the hearts and minds of all those who passed through our doors. Peace be still.
https://ci.ovationtix.com/36016/production/1202884
