ALMetro360 July 2018

Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s New Director Breaking Down Barriers B Y H ENRIETTA M C G UIRE P HOTOS BY D I A NNA P AULK T ODD S CHMIDT IS THE NEWLY APPOINTED E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR OF THE A LABAMA S HAKESPEARE F ESTIVAL . “I LIKE A CHALLENGE ,” WAS HIS CRYPTIC RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY HE CAME TO M ONTGOMERY . nd a challenge is exactly what he’s going to get at the ASF: he will manage an or- ganization with a budget of $8,000,000.00, a payroll for 367 employ- ees, and two theaters seating nearly a thousand people. In addition, he will collaborate with the Artistic Director of ASF, listen to a governing board, and answer to four official entities which sup- ply much of his operating budget. Schmidt does not seem fazed by the challenge. Cool and confident he chats easily with new friends about the theater world he knows. “It’s satisfying to look back on theaters which were failing and know that they often called me. The last place to nearly close was Pepper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. Now they’re op- erating on a $20,000,000 budget. But here in Mont- gomery it’s different. We have to develop larger audiences. We need to attract different ethnic popu- lations, Hispanics, Asians, and African Americans. We have to lure them into the theater so they can be touched and changed by what they’re observing on stage. That’s what theater in general does: it breaks down barriers.” Schmidt has spent his life among the footlights and has developed theories about the role drama should play in society. He believes the function of the theater is much more profound than just entertainment. For example, audiences seeing a play in which actions taken by the main character lead to tragedy can be ..................................................................................................................................................................... Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter JULY 2018 67 A