theater

Fran Smith has directed or performed for many local venues since coming to Central Virginia in 1976. To date she has over 155 productions to her credit spanning 40 years. From 1978-87 she was a mainstay with the Four County Players in Barboursville, VA. In 1979 she was hired by The Four County Board to administer the T.R.E.E. Program: A Theatre Related Employment Experience, a job training program funded under CETA teaching job skills to rural disadvantaged youth through the theater. During her ten years at 4CP she acted, directed and designed numerous productions. Her most memorable Four County experience was directing Elizabeth Swados’, Runaways a T.R.E.E. production. Seeing the transformation of young teens in performance is a powerful tool to craft self esteem.

After the T.R.E.E. program lost it’s funding, Fran took a part time job teaching Drama at Tandem School. She ignited the drama program with the very compelling musical, Pippin. And stayed with Tandem until 1984 when she became a production artist for Blue Ridge Graphics.

In 1989 her friend Michael Parent, a renowned storyteller, approached her about performing in a Sam Shepherd play, Lie of the Mind, directed by Larry Goldstein. It was that performance that seeded the idea of a new theater space that came to be known as Live Arts. Initially, Live Arts was founded as an umbrella 501c (3) organization, housing Kerner Brothers music, acid house dances contra dancing, and the Live Arts Theatre Ensemble which Fran founded along with 4 or 5 key performers, one being Dan Scott (now deceased). Fran served as Artistic Director of the Ensemble until 1996 when it was formally disbanded and is presently a resident director with Live Arts. Please see Live Arts history by Michael Parent written for Live Arts’ 15th anniversary

Photos and theatre resume will be forthcoming.