The Francis Wilson Playhouse marks 75 dramatic years by resurrecting the satire it opened with in 1930.
By PAMELA GRINER LEAVY
Published September 10, 2004
CLEARWATER - The Importance of Being Earnest must go on. The Francis Wilson Playhouse is celebrating its 75th season, and a damaged rehearsal hall roof, courtesy of Hurricane Frances, can't stop the show.
Back to the future could describe the venerable little theater's 2004-2005 season premiere.
The Little Theatre of Clearwater opened in 1930 with The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde's satire on 19th century English aristocracy. In 1935, the name changed to the Francis Wilson Little Theatre and the troupe moved to its current home on Seminole Street, overlooking the city boat ramp and Clearwater Bay. Over the years the theater morphed into the Francis Wilson Playhouse, named for a Broadway actor, playwright and Clearwater winter resident who was a founder and initial president of the Actors Equity Association in 1913.
Crowd-pleasing shows have packed the theater during its long history, and many Pinellas County actors have tread the boards on Francis Wilson's hardwood stage. In 1996, Betty Upson-Schmitz of Seminole, a registered nurse with Hospice of the Suncoast, played the coveted role of Clairee in Steel Magnolias at Francis Wilson. A strong community theater, Upson-Schmitz said, enriches everyone who participates, including actors, backstage people, theater executives and contributors, as well as the community.
She recalls the emotional drama of Steel Magnolias and Francis Wilson.
"The experience was wonderfully rewarding and satisfying, received very well by audiences and we all felt like it was a good production," she said. "It's a tribute to the community that they have supported theater for this long and a tribute to the theater. It proves the theater has been a quality entertainment venue for Clearwater."
Sheila Wessner of South Pasadena directed Steel Magnolias and other plays at Francis Wilson, including Life With Father, Forty Carats and Wait Until Dark. Former owner of Act Now Studios in St. Petersburg, Wessner currently offers private acting lessons to clients in Los Angeles and New York. Francis Wilson's longevity mirrors professionalism in the community theater venue, Wessner said.
"We all know that a lot of professional theaters just come and go," she said. "Community theaters serve the need for the actors, too, that they are willing to do this all these years for no money because of the love of doing it."
A handful of paid staff members keep the theater going, including box office manager Sharon Price, set designers, maintenance staffers and lighting designers.
Ray Kenney, board of directors president and executive director, also volunteers as an actor. He's nominated for a 2004 "Larry" award, which honors local community actors, for his December 2003 role as Sheridan Whiteside in The Man Who Came to Dinner.
Community theaters compete for talent, including good directors and good actors who enjoy working in theater, Kenney said. Production costs, script costs and rising royalty fees are additional challenges.
"We try to keep ticket prices at a reasonable amount and break even," Kenney said. "We feel we can only go so high on ticket prices before people get turned off."
The future looks bright, he said. Francis Wilson's "From Page to Stage" summer camp attracted 50 thespians ages 12 to 17. When auditions were announced for the upcoming The Miracle Worker, response was overwhelming from interested young people, Price said.
"I received calls from people as young as 8 years old with the initiative to be included in the actors database to be considered in the auditions," she said.
The Francis Wilson Playhouse will endure, said Gloria Marvin, a longtime Pinellas County actor who played the Dowager Empress in Anastasia at the theater.
"I love that theater and was thrilled to participate in productions in this historic waterfront setting," she said. "Francis Wilson should go on for another 75 years."
If you go
What: The Importance of Being Earnest, tonight through Sept. 19. Wednesday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees, 2 p.m. Box office open daily 1:30-3:30 p.m., and one hour before curtain
Where: Francis Wilson Playhouse, 302 Seminole St., Clearwater, 446-1360
