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New Strike in War for Control of Youngstown Playhouse
By George NelsonGIRARD, Ohio -- A boycott called this week by the Save Our Stage committee already is costing the Youngstown Playhouse in money and talent."It's so foolish. It needn't have been this way," said Ruth Wean of Austintown, a past Playhouse board vice president, one of about 60 people who attended an SOS rally Tuesday afternoon on Motor Inn Drive, near the Holiday Inn Metroplex.Wean, a member of one the Mahoning Valley's most prominent industrial family, supports the return of former managing director Bentley Lenhoff, and said her son was among the financial donors Lenhoff had secured for the community theater had its board of directors accepted his conditions. Under the current circumstances, however, she doesn't see the Wean family donating money to the Playhouse."I feel very bad because they lost a golden opportunity," she said, noting that Lenhoff initiated several Playhouse programs over the years, including the successful Youth Theater. She also doesn't understand why the board declined Lenhoff's proposal to return as managing director -- at no pay. "When someone comes and wants to make Youngstown a better place to live in and offers his services free, why would they reject that?" Wean asked.Documents distributed to news organizations by Lenhoff reveal the Playhouse owes $183,000 to a variety of creditors, including past employees. Donna Wilson, former Playhouse board member and treasurer, was pointed in her criticism of the theater's board members. "They don't think they have to raise funds. They think they should micromanage every area of that theater," she said.In addition to seeking the return of Lenhoff, SOS on Monday also called for the resignation of the Playhouse board, described in a prepared statement read to the crowd by SOS spokesman John Ballentyne as "ineffectual, duplicitous and generally out of touch with reality in many areas." Specifically, Ballentyne claimed the Playhouse has discarded "thousands of dollars" in usable costumes; canceled Youth Theater classes for the summer as well the production of A Chorus Line; failed to properly promote shows and refused to follow through on free promotion of the recent production Carousel; canceled the 80th anniversary celebration and the annual Arthur Awards; and refused to provide written contracts for independent contractors hired to do work at the Playhouse, and to take or return calls from production personnel still owed money by the Playhouse. Ballentyne also said board president John Maluso had forbidden the Youth Theater from performing at the recent Summer Festival of the Arts at Youngstown State University and the upcoming Canfield Fair. "If the board does not resign, the list [of grievances] will undoubtedly grow much larger. If this happens, chances are good the Youngstown Playhouse could close its doors forever," Ballentyne said, calling again for Lenhoff's installation as managing director. "At the very least, if this board continues to refuse to resign, Bentley and his board members must join the current board members because it has become evident that the current board of directors is in dire need of adult supervision."In response, Maluso said the Playhouse was $326,000 in debt when he joined the board, a number that since has been cut that in half. "There are still debts that we can't pay off," he continued. "The box office has been less than triumphant and funding sources aren't what they used to be." Maluso said Lenhoff presented "an excellent" proposal to the board but a majority of members balked at his demand that they immediately sign off on the conditions he set forth at their recent meeting -- including a demand that the board relinquish oversight power. "We said, "Bentley, work with us, not over us,'" Maluso related. "We said, 'We want you here.' ... Nobody said, 'Bentley, leave.' " Maluso said the board didn't confer the Arthur Awards this year because they wanted to stage them "right and properly," but couldn't due to the financial difficulties. He also denied the SOS group's claims that he prohibited the Youth Theater from performing at YSU and the fair. "That's blatantly a lie," he said. At Tuesday's rally, Veteran Playhouse actress Donna Downie of Austintown read a published statement from the board stating that its members have no intention of resigning and expects to disclose its plans for the 2004-2005 season within a couple of days. Downie, who said she had helped the board choose the shows for the season without knowing this was going on, said she was invited to direct one of the productions, Nunsense. Though she has always wanted to direct at the Playhouse, "In light of what has been happening and in light of things that have been coming out, in all honesty I don't feel that I can fulfill that commitment," she lamented. Playhouse production volunteer and actress Paula Strobel of Youngstown also said she would not go back to the community theater while the controversy continues. Terri Wilkes of Boardman, another veteran performer, said the Playhouse needs cooperation in order to survive. "I see a little bit of that here. I just wish it would carry over," she remarked, also expressing her disappointment that Lenhoff would not be returning. "I just wish something could be worked out."Visit Save Our Stage at www.saveourstage.com"