You were able to revisit The Comedy of Errors earlier this year as your last official directing project as artistic director, a return to a 2008 production that featured a new frame written by Ron West. Because you mentioned that you were thinking about leaving before the pandemic, was The Comedy of Errors always the choice for your final show?
Very good point. No, I think I was going to end with Cymbeline, which is one of my favorite plays. Which, actually in 1989, a few years after we started, literally not figuratively, saved the life of the company. We only had the money for one play a year. So the first year [at Ruth Page Dance Center] was Troilus. The second year, Antony and Cleopatra. And then we ran out of money. I went to the board of directors, a small group of stalwart generous souls and risk-takers, and I said, “We start rehearsal tomorrow [for Cymbeline]. We don’t have any money for actor salaries or crew. Can you help us?” And they did. It ended up, long story short, winning Jeff Awards for best production, best this, best that. It put our name on the map. It just exploded because of Cymbeline. It’s such a great show; it can be both painful and hilarious.
