JONESBOROUGH REPERTORY THEATRE

Bob Browning believes arts organizations need a balance of right- and left-brain individuals.

Put a bunch of pure creative types in a room together and you have the ingredients for conflict, bankruptcy and schism.

So when Jonesborough’s town administrator learned that the Jonesborough Repertory Theatre was in financial difficulty, hadn’t put on a production in two years and the board was down to two people, he volunteered to step in and help.

“I’m wearing two hats on this one,” he told the Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Aldermen some time later when he put forth a proposal for the town to enter into a lease agreement with the theater.

Instead of a conflict of interest, Alderman Terry Countermine saw a synthesis of interest. The town needed a venue to hold events. The Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center, which can seat around 300 people, was booked most of the time, and the alternative of a cozy theater of about 150 seats was attractive.

According to JRT member Brian Ponder, JRT could use some help in improving the theater and in managing its affairs, leaving the company free to produce plays.

In simple terms, the board agreed to take over maintenance of the building plus a lot of the administrative and programming functions, giving JRT free space to put on four productions a year. The building has added heating and air conditioning, but is not insulated.

“JRT has been around since the 1970s, struggling off and on,” Countermine said.

The group lost its original home in a building behind Keene Gallery and was performing at available stages in Johnson City in the early 1980s. One member at that time joked that JRT was not doing repertory, it didn’t have a theater and it wasn’t in Jonesborough.

“Brian put some personal money into it, but there was never a sustained time that they were successful,” Countermine said.

Currently there are eight people active with JRT and casting calls for productions turn out many more. Last year Jon Ruetz wrote and produced “Toward the Setting Sun,” a self-satire of Jonesborough life that called for a cast of 100 local residents. It will reprise for three weekends beginning at the end of February with an abbreviated cast of about 50.

A Jonesborough Performing Arts Committee is involved with advising both the town board and JRT on possible uses. Parks and Recreation Coordinator Melinda King will be involved with non-JRT programming, including Halloween Haunts and Happenings, Christmas productions, theater training sessions and bringing in outside theatrical groups.

“By combining town staff with volunteers it makes it easier for the town to bring its resources to bear,” Browning said. “We’ve worked as a catalyst with many other organizations like Little League and Youth Soccer in the same manner.”

“We’ve had to turn down rentals due to a lack of venues in the town,” Countermine said.

“It makes sense that if we can get another venue for a small investment that has the capability of doing things for adults as well as children, then we should do it.”

He sees the possibility of coordinating ticket sales with Jonesborough restaurants, to combine a dinner-entertainment package in a single ticket.

“It’s a great room, especially for acoustic music,” Countermine said. “As soon as we get it insulated, I think you’ll see us ramping up some excitement.”

Article courtesy of johnsoncitypress.com

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