The Uphill Climb
David Frank, born in Belfast and educated in England, was 27 years old when he arrived in St. Louis. Possessing a sharp business sense and seeming to combine the desire of Margo Jones to produce new theatre with the willingness of Sir Tyrone Guthrie to please audiences, David Frank believed that it "is one of the essential roles of regional theatre -- to present worthwhile plays that might never be seen otherwise...to achieve an interesting blend of the contemporary and the classic." Years later, he observed wryly, "Everything was delightfully simple when I came here. The one objective was to survive."
Survive the theatre did. In fact, it thrived. From a season subscription of about 3,500 in 1971-72, the list reached over 16,500 in five years. That new life was achieved with an astonishing synchronization of cooperation among many segments of the St. Louis community. To distinguish one part as especially significant is futile -- everything worked as a piece of the whole.
To the company of Bredan Burke, J. Robert Dietz, Michael Genovese, James Paul, Don Perkins and Arthur A. Rosenberg, were added, in various seasons, Robert Ari, Alan Clarey, Ellen Crawford, Robert Darnell, Cara Duff-MacCormick, Michelle Giannini, Mickey Hartnett, Stephen Henderson, Keith Jochim, Joneal Joplin, Wil Love, Vance Sorrells, Robert Spencer, Henry Strozier, Karen White and Margaret Winn.
To direct half of the season's plays, Frank brought in Davey Marlin-Jones as artistic consultant who admitted that while other individual actors might be more brilliant, the combined "talent of this company is dazzling."
One goal was to make the Loretto-Hilton Repertory Theatre known in the area, and to develop a broad audience, so everyone -- David Frank, Davey Marlin-Jones, the actors in the resident company, and many volunteers -- was available to speak any time to any sort of group meeting.
For the first time, in September of 1972, professional subscription experts were brought in and sold 2,200 more season tickets than had been sold the year before. The theatre ended it 1972-73 season with attendance markedly up, and a surplus of $36,000. In the spring of 1973, whoever sold the most season tickets was the recipient of a free party where David Frank and the company were waiters.
Later that year, another prize for ticket sales was free passage on the London theatre tour which David Frank led. (For those who had to pay, the trip cost $389 for everything, with $100 of that going to the theatre!) By October 1973, season subscribers reached 12,500 for the 1973-74 season.
Special discounts were offered to senior citizens, to educators and to schoolchildren. The Missouri Arts Council underwrote student matinee performances, and people were invited to build a ticket fund for disadvantaged children.
There were children's art contests, a May Mime Festival in 1973 and three annual Theatre is Fun Fairs in 1972, 1973 and 1974 which brought youngsters, their parents and grandparents to the grounds of the theatre, and made money, too. Story Theatre summer workshops for youngsters in 6th through 9th grades were held in 1977 and 1978.
For several years, the theatre helped sponsor mimes Bert Houle and Sophie Wibaux, who performed at the Loretto-Hilton and toured the region. Theatre for children existed in several forms. In 1975, with financial assistance from the Missouri Arts Council, the Young People's Touring Company toured eastern Missouri and, as The Imaginary Theatre Company, made a 13-week young audience tour and a pilot four-week senior citizen tour during 1977-78. When the time was ripe and finances were available for an alternative to the larger Mainstage, the 125 seat black-box Studio Theatre (located below the Loretto-Hilton Center's Mainstage space) opened in 1978 with Ashes.
During these years of the Loretto-Hilton's growth, the Missouri Arts council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis made grants to the theatre. The Loretto-Hilton's deficit, which stood at $96,000 at the end of the 1972-73 fiscal year, was removed when the Ford Foundation made an award in 1974 of $222,000, of which $166,000 was a four-year cash reserve and $56,000 was an operating grant that had to be matched by patrons of the theatre.
Along with the board of directors, the Backers assumed fundraising responsibilities, and the president of the Backers Board sits on the board of directors during her term of office. Over the years, the Backers have given some of the most attractive, amusing fundraising parties St. Louis has seen. Whether with a lavish Persian Persepolis Party, a breakfast fashion show, a gala in the Old Court House, Monte Carlo night, treasure hunts, gourmet tasters or season openers, the Backers raised money for the Loretto-Hilton. There was a "Be a Rep Sweetheart" party. And a "Pooh Party." And coffee in the theatre lobby and backstage tours.
Once, the Backers gave a Depression party to help finance the company meals they served every Saturday during the season, and in 1976, they began renting a "Costume Caravan," a collection of period dresses, to any group willing to pay their fee. If there was an excuse for a party, they gave one! And the Backers made it their practice to bring along at least one interested friend to every party, which built their pyramid of volunteers.
The Backers had an office across the street from the theatre in the Brown House, once the home of the college president. As a service to the acting company, and as an attraction to new members, they decided to establish an eating club by renovating the first floor of the house.
While Glenn Sheffield met all the challenges necessary for special municipal permits and liquor licenses, other people plastered and painted and hammered away until The Backstage Club opened in October 1973 with a Backers membership of 300. By 1978, over 700 Backers were eligible to join the club. They formed a Monday evening theatre arts discussion group and a playreading group, both of which met at The Backstage Club, to educate themselves and to draw newcomers in to the theatre's circle.
