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Redhouse Arts Center in Syracuse is more than just a theater, says the organization’s executive director
By Mary Beth Roach
Q: How long have you been the executive director of Redhouse Arts Center?
A: Coming up on one year.
Q: Can you give our readers an overview of Redhouse?
A: Redhouse is far more than just a theater. Redhouse formed in 2004, over the past 20 years has added in robust programming for youth. We have partnerships with the Syracuse City School District and many outlying school district areas. We also have educational programming with Arc of Onondaga. All told, we bring about 15,000 people through our doors each year. In addition to our five main stage productions, we have about 40 youth programs that also some are held onsite in the theater and some are held out in the in the community.
Q: Can you share with us a little of your background?
A: I started in the theater in New York City back in the early ‘80s and pursued a career in theater for a good 15 some odd years, then moved into nonprofit event production. The last 15 years, I was the executive director for the American Heart Association in Central New York. Then when this position opened up, it was a natural fit for all of the theatrical experience I’ve had in the past in addition to running nonprofits.
Q: What attracted you to take the job as executive director?
A: We moved into our new space in 2018. We are in a 43,000-square foot, three-theater complex right on South Salina Street. With the pandemic and the construction of the City Center complex around us, people lost site that we were here. With City Center opening up, there’s more attention on us. And I’d say what attracted me to this position was just the robust, vibrant programming the Redhouse does throughout the community and how we seek to make our entertainment thought-provoking and educational at the same time. For example, we just did a production of “Inherit the Wind.” We are challenging our theatergoers to not just enjoy the show, but then what are the themes of the show that we’re encouraging our audience members to continue out in the community. Our message was get involved with your local schools, get involved in your local libraries. Get involved with your local governments, learn how civics works and be an active member of our community. Whenever we do a production, we put that thought process into it, choosing something that we’re hoping audience members will leave, not just having seen a show, but then think about how can that show relate to the rest of their lives.
Q: How do you do that? Do you have discussions?
A: We do have talkbacks. We added a collaboration with Onondaga County Public Library. We now have a pop-up library in our lobby and they curate a selection of books based upon the themes of the production that we’re doing. Then we also have an art gallery in the theater lobby and we curate specifically art that will reflect the themes that we’re exploring in each production and try to tie this all together so that as you leave the theater you might have more of a memory of what you saw. So, therefore, hopefully you can take it forward.
Q: Is that something that you instituted?
A: Yes, that is something that I instituted because I believe theater has a remarkable opportunity to be a truly immersive experience, unlike film, TV, any of the media you might see in your own home. We’re seeing people return to theater because they’re craving a live interaction in an audience with no CGI, no AI. All of this is real in real time and people are watching it together and responding to it together. And as we have a wonderfully diverse audience, we begin to realize as we all laugh together that we have more in common with people that were sitting next to than we may have thought before we walked in the theater.
Q: What goals do you have for Redhouse moving forward?
A: The main goal that I have is to bring theatrical pieces to life, but then demonstrate how they can reflect on our current society. I know this seems pretty intense, but when we think about what we’re going to do in and out of this space, we want this space to be all-inclusive. We have all sorts of different programming that allows people to see themselves on the stage. There are dynamite programs and activities that are happening at Redhouse right on South Salina Street in downtown and we want all of our community to feel like they can take part of it. It’s accessible in terms of pricing, in terms of wheelchair accessibility, in terms of parking under the building. Our focus is we want everyone to feel easily accessible in this space and included in what we do.