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New direction in leadership takes flight at Weathervane
NATALIE PEACOCK
Legal News Reporter
Published: June 25, 2015
Weathervane Playhouse will be kicking off its new 2015-2016 season in July with Peter Pan and for the first time the executive director will not be flying solo.
That’s because the board of trustees split the position into two separate roles and hired Melanie Y.C. Pepe as Weathervane’s artistic director and Lisa Mansfield as Weathervane’s managing director.
Pepe was working as the director of education and producer of the theater’s emerging artist series. Mansfield was serving as the education programs coordinator and had also served as patron services manager. When the opportunity came up to interview for the director jobs, both women jumped at the chance.
“For me, I definitely wanted it to be someone from inside the theater to take the helm because it’s such a family atmosphere as far as the audiences who come, the actors, the volunteers and the staff,” Mansfield said. “There’s really no greater compliment to an organization than someone who wants to work their way through it.”
For Pepe, the new artistic director position includes what she did in her role as director of education.
“I produced three shows a year,” Pepe said. “This was just an opportunity to do more of that with the education program I’ve enjoyed building over the last nine years.”
Splitting the job into two directorships is a new direction for this theater, which began in 1935.
“It’s new for our area, I know and it’s definitely new for our theater,” Pepe said. “I’m really excited about it. I think one of the challenges that we’ve had is that at the top level, there is so much to do but it’s a matter of trying to prioritize. So now we have twice as much time and focus to look over all those aspects of the theater.”
Mansfield said it’s great to have someone to share ideas.
“It really helps that we have worked together so long and so well,” Mansfield said. “If I have an idea, sometimes I just need to hear it out loud, even if I know it’s the right idea and it’s the direction that I want to go.”
Pepe was a Kent State University student when her sister was cast in a Weathervane show 15 years ago.
“I started teaching here 15 years ago and stage managing and acting in performances,” Pepe said. “When an opportunity opened up to apply for a job on staff, I had a chance to work on my art with the people I love.”
Mansfield returned to theater after 20 years away raising three sons. When her children expressed a desire to audition she said it was an “a-ha” moment.
“So it was my kids who brought me back to theater,” she said “That’s why I think the education department has value to theater. I can’t tell you how many parents we see now performing in mainstream shows or working sound or trying something they may have never tried because we have their kids here and now they’re performing for us, too.”
When it comes to education, both women are very connected to the Akron Public Schools. Mansfield is president of the school board and tries to see many of the arts activities in the district.
“So many kids come here because they’ve taken a class or seen us at an Akron Public School,” Mansfield said. “Once we know them, we go and see them wherever they are from – Medina, Hudson, Akron, Cuyahoga Falls. That’s another way we are connected to all the schools and not just Akron.”
As the former director of education, Pepe was responsible for a partnership program between Weathervane and the Akron After School program.
“That’s a partnership that existed before my time,” Pepe said. “We’ve had the opportunity to teach in every school, every single teaching day and that’s been an incredible opportunity for us.”
For Pepe the educational part of theater is important for many reasons.
“I think it’s important to be able to get up in front of people and talk,” Pepe said. “Whether you want to be an actor and help tell a story that is important to you or to someone else, if there is something that you need the world to know, you have to be able to get up in front of people and talk to them from the heart. I don’t think there’s a better place to learn that than the theater.”
As the new leadership team, the women are very familiar with the community-based theater’s strengths and challenges.
“The strengths are easy,” Pepe said. “We have a strong and passionate volunteer base. We have a fantastic facility. We have support in the Akron community. We have a fantastically qualified staff. I feel it’s just such a golden era for this theater.”
Mansfield said the challenges are the same challenges facing all live theater today.
“There are so many entertainment opportunities that we have to continue to remind people how relevant the arts are,” Mansfield said. “We must continue to make everything we do high quality and continue to bring in the youth and vitality.”
Unlike the other entertainment forms people are drawn to such as the Internet, iPhones and iPads, Mansfield said live theater will never be “on demand.”
“We talk to our little kids in our classes about how there is no rewind button in theater,” she said. “It’s one chance, it’s ephemeral. It’s there and then it’s gone. One performance is never identical, no matter if it’s the same play, the actors say all the words exactly the same way and everything goes perfect (which it never does). But the thing that makes it different is that it is interaction between people. That is what makes us so special.”
As far as long-term goals for the theater, the two women have very specifics ideas.
“I hope that we can continue to build on our volunteer base,” Mansfield said. “It’s harder and harder to get people to come give of their time and talents. We’re always excited and I hope that we can continue to find ways to make that relevant to people’s lives.”
Pepe wants to keep building on technical resources.
“I’m hoping for more technical resources as we move forward. I think that’s something we need to work on every season is building on the capacity that we have.”
Taking over from the former interim Executive Director Janis Harcar in May, the two women feel that they are well prepared for their new season.
“She (Harcar) has just set us up for an incredible season of success because of her hard work.” Mansfield said.
When the curtain rises on Peter Pan, it will be a particularly meaningful moment for Mansfield.
“It was the first show I ever worked on outside of school,” she said. “It was the first performance I ever really saw performed and to have that be our show in the first season that we’re working together is an amazing full circle moment for me.”
For more information on Weathervane Playhouse’s 2015-2016 season and a list of shows, visit www.weathervaneplayhouse.com