live arts history

As one of the "founders," I'd like to offer what I remember about the birth of Live Arts.
I may not remember all the dates, or all the people, but I remember the basic story. I'm not striving for perfect coherence or literary merit here, only trying to get the essential events of Live Arts' beginnings into a digestible, readable form.

First, I'd like to say that, like any good team, there were countless instances when individuals came through for the "cause."  Of many people can it be said that
"it probably wouldn't have happened without ________." 
Or,  "________ really came through for us when we desperately needed . . .
[information, know-how, physical help, money, etc.]"
If there is a through-line to the early history of Live Arts, it might be:
THE RIGHT PEOPLE, AT THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME.

Larry Goldstein (in 1989?) sowed the seed by producing and directing Sam Shephard's "Lie of the Mind." The fact that we had a great time putting it together, that it was well received, AND that using someone else's space (the CHS black box) was such a pain in the butt, inspired the idea that we might find our own space.  Larry put a lot of energy into getting the ball rolling for Live Arts.  I can easily say that I would probably not have done what I did to get Live Arts going if Larry had not done what he did.

After the dust had settled from "Lie of the Mind," a few of us (Larry, Fran, Debbie Booth, Liz Porter, and _______  I've forgotten who else) got together at my place on Lexington St. and asked the big question:  "Might it be possible to have a theater space in C-ville, preferably downtown (since some of us hoped that a good theater would help revitalize the then-struggling downtown area) that would provide a place to do high quality, alternative performances, (primarily theater), a place where the performers would have a significant amount of control over how the space was run?"
After some deliberation, we decided to pursue it.

I started looking for potential spaces downtown, hopefully a ground floor space on the mall.  I discovered that such spaces, though some were available, were prohibitively expensive.  Then I heard about the development of the Michie Building that Gabe Silverman was undertaking.  As I recall, there were at least 3 spaces that might have served well as theater spaces, but there was only one on the ground floor.  Though the space had the two substantial and infamous columns that caused Fran to groan (or moan, or say something to the effect of  "What the hell are we going to do with these damn things?!") when I first showed her the space, we eventually decided that would be the one.

Will and Thane Kerner were simultaneously looking for a space to host dance and music events. The initial idea was that we'd form a beneficial partnership with them, but they got more and more involved with all the Live Arts projects and were very soon an absolutely integral part of the team.  At this point, we started having most of our meetings  at Will's house on East Market St.

Lengthy meetings and negotiations with Gabe Silverman and his partners followed, endless work days constructing, adapting the space, and taking on the formidable task of sound-proofing it (with the generous help of Jeff Bushman) for what seemed like years. We decided to have events in the space while it was under construction.  And those events were an adventure, the audience sometimes enjoying the warmth of industrial, construction-site heaters, sitting mere yards away from piles of dirt and construction debris. It seems fitting to mention at this point that Live Arts would not have happened,
at least not in that space, had it not been for Gabe Silverman's willingness to work with us, and trust that we could make this theater thing go.

Fran Smith was not only a "founder," she was the artistic soul of the enterprise. She provided much of the creative energy, the directing mastery, and immense theater know-how. And she, of course, directed our first official production, "No Exit."  It was definitely her vision that shaped Live Arts artistically.  And I can say that I likely would not have taken the "Live Arts Leap" if Fran had not been aboard.  It was also Fran's presence and energy that persuaded many other key people to hop aboard.

Cate Andrews provided her genius for getting things done, whatever needed to be done, and her tireless energy.  She was a trooper who could be counted on to apply her various skills to further the cause.  She was as willing to take truckloads of debris to the dump as she was to create publicity materials. Cate came through for Live Arts in so many ways, put in countless hours and never seemed to need more reward for her efforts than to know the dream was becoming a reality.

Mark Schuyler came on the scene (thanks to Fran) when we sorely needed technical and lighting expertise. He helped pull us out of many technical quagmires and really brought us up to speed in terms not only of equipment, but the crucial element of know-how.  Mark was another person who got little or no remuneration, and who pitched in because he believed in the project.

Will Kerner, our first official paid employee, who, by the time we got around to paying him for his fine work, had already put in hundreds of hours doing absolutely everything that needed doing.  Will dealt with all the thorny issues on a daily basis and basically held the whole thing together for a long time.  Will was the day-to-day captain and anchor of our sometimes shaky, leaking vessel.  We averted many disasters because Will's steady hand was on the tiller.

Thane Kerner, who along with Will, gave us a solid, grounded financial outlook. 
The amount of time and money the Kerner Brothers put in to Live Arts, doing the hard work of making the project fiscally viable, and offering their invaluable realistic business viewpoint, cannot be overestimated or fully appreciated.  Thane brought invaluable business acumen and his gift for negotiation to the table when we were desperately in need of that.  Thane plugged countless leaks and prevented many others.

Bill Thomas, may his sweet soul rest in peace, rescued us when we were unsuccessfully wrestling with the 501 C-3 application process.  He led us through the labyrinth when we were reaching a point of heightened group frustration regarding our non-profit status. Then he directed shows, acted in shows, took on the formidable task of running the box office, and put in countless unpaid hours keeping our finances in order.  He also brought many talented people to Live Arts and put together our first productions for kids and family audiences.

My own role in the beginning could be described as "instigator."  As things got rolling, I also became somewhat of an unofficial volunteer coordinator, getting various people in the community to commit time and skills to the many projects involved in getting the space ready and getting the organization off the ground.

It would be difficult, if not impossible, to name all the people who "came through" for us at a time when Live Arts could easily have been perceived as a pipe-dream.  There is really no one person who can tell the beginnings of the Live Arts Story completely clearly, absolutely accurately, and in its entirety.  Perhaps this version will inspire other folks who were involved in Live Arts' beginnings to tell it from their point of view.  Whatever our collective memory will be about the facts and events, with whatever disagreements might arise, I feel confident in saying, once again, that the Live Arts Story, in the beginning as in the present, can be fairly well summed up in the phrase -- THE RIGHT PEOPLE, AT THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME.    Happy 15th anniversary!

All the best,
Michael Parent