Washington Theater Club*

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Ml -1810(3 18 Bi:Df CRD ROW, LONDON WC 1 R 4L.I, LNOLAND 1314450 BAKER, HARICEL QUINTANA THE WASHINGTON THEATER CLUB* THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, H.A., 1979 COPR. 1980 BAKER, HARICEL QUINTANA UniwersiV Mlcrdrilrns International soon zlebroao.annAneoR.miasiog 0 C0PYRK2ÎT by MARICEL QUINTANA BAKER 1 9 8 0 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THE WASHINGTON THEATER CLUB by Maricel Quintana Baker Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of the American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Master of Arts in Arts Management Signatures of Committee: Chairman / / l — ^ y Dean ofir rnethe Collegeuoixege y/ ' / j -, ‘7 / V79 Date ' Date 1979 The American University Washington, D.C. 20016 THE AliLRI LUl UilIV^aSIVY LIBRARY 5 7 ^ 8 PREFACE The following chapters are a study of the problems which befell the Washington Theater Club and which eventually caused this professional resident theater to permanently close its doors. The first chapter is a historical overview designed to give the reader an understanding of the birth, evolution and growth of the organization. Chapters II and III are an analysis of both the management structure and the financial records of the Club. It is in these two chapters that the reader perceives the problems which are examined as conclusions in Chapter IV. Chapter V proposes certain recommendations based on the research and evaluation of the four previous chapters. My thanks to Hazel Wentworth and Martin Thaler, whose help and assistance made the research possible. To Valerie Morris for her patience and help in completing this document. To my mother for always instilling in me an ambition and thirst for knowledge, and to Ken for his love and support throughout all. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ............................................................... il LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................... iv Chapter I. A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW ......................................... 1 II. WTC'S MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE..................................... 23 Wentworth's Early Control: 1957-1963 .................... 25 Marlin-Jones' Leadership: 1964-1969....................... 26 Marlin-Jones* Controversy: 1970-1972 .................... 29 Merger Prolongs Life: 1973-1974........................... 32 III. WTC'S FINANCES.................................................. 36 Financial Information— A History of Crises................ 36 Grants and Contributions.................................... 44 Loans and Trusts............................................. 47 IV. CONCLUSIONS ..................................................... 49 Lack of Strong Leadership .................................. 49 Lack of Sound Management.................................... 50 Limited Financial Resources ................................ 50 Decline in Box-Office Appeal................................ 51 Internal Conflicts........................................... 52 V. RECOMMENDATIONS................................................ 54 Employment of a Qualified Business Manager................ 54 Low Overhead Costs........................................... 54 Striving Towards Financial Stability. ............. 56 Balanced Seasons............................................. 57 Other Recommendations ................................. 58 APPENDIX A: WASHINGTON THEATER CLUB PRODUCTIONS................... 59 APPENDIX B: WASHINGTON THEATER CLUB BOARD OF TRUSTEES PAST AND PRESENT.................................................. 63 SOURCES CONSULTED .................................................... 64 iii LIST OF FIGURES 1. Stage A: 1957-1963 ..................................... 24 2. Stage B: 1964-1969 ..... 28 3. Stage C: 1970-1972 ....................................... 30 4. Stage D: 1973-1974 ....................................... 33 5. Stage D: 1974 (after the merger) ....................... 35 i v CHAPTER I A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW In Washington, D.C., on August 13, 1957 a meeting was called by a group of local citizens to discuss the organization of a theater club. The formation of a club was a necessary step which allowed the group to occupy a newly acquired building at 1532 "O" Street, N.W. as a non commercial organization, and still comply with the area's zoning regula tions. 'Club' is a misnomer that was necessary because District zoning laws prohibited a theater in the residential neighborhood of north west Washington where the group found quarters in a former coach house and stable.^ The Washington Theater Club came into existence. John and Hazel Wentworth were the founders of the Washington Theater Club (WTC) and of its parent corporation, the Washington Drama Center, Inc. The Wentworths purchased the building at "O" Street, and leased it to the Corporation. The Club contracted with the Corporation to produce the plays, and in turn, it was to give a percentage of the net profits to the Corporation. The Corporation also sponsored other activities designed to involve the theater with the local community. These activ ities were the Center Stage, Junior Stage and the Teenage Theater. Since, according to law, only members and/or their guests can view a show or engage in the activities of a club, the WTC had to sell club memberships to those persons wishing to attend any functions. There were two types of membership sold: Active and Associate. Active ^Joseph Wesley Zeigler, Regional Theatre (New York: Da Capo, ]977), p. 97. members paid a higher fee, and had the privilege of voting. Stock in the corporation was also sold to members of the club, although member ship was not to be confused with ownership of stock, John and Hazel Wentworth invested $2,500.00 of their own funds as seed money in the corporation, in addition to purchasing the theatre building. To finance the renovation of the building and convert it into a theatre, more cash needed to be raised- Shares in the corporation were initially sold for $50.00 each. There were two types of stock offered, preferred and common. Owners of either type of stock were automatically members of the Theater Club. The sale of stock was not as successful as expected, raising only about $5,000.00 to $6,000.00 in cash during the early days of the organization. The Wentworths purchased the building (a carriage house and stables} at "O" Street for $25,000.00. At the time of purchase, the building was filled with second-hand furniture. Some of it was sold and the rest of it was disposed of in various other ways. For instance, John Wentworth tells of the reputable local antique dealer who took three very valuable Tiffany lamps with him under the promise to bring the money by later. The dealer was never heard from again.^ John Wentworth went to the drawing board to devise a plan for a theatre which would house about 150 seats, concentrating first on the type of stage which would fit best with the present shape of the building. The Wentworths moved their family's living quarters upstairs so that their rent paid the mortgage, and proceeded to renovate the rest of the building. This was truly a family affair. John, who according ^Interview with John Wentworth, Washington, D.C., 28 May 1979. to his wife, "had barely put up a curtain rod"^ beforehand, did a lot of the work with his own hands. The renovation work went on for two years. "We'd do some work, then run out of money and have to wait until we had some more. John put up the floor above the theater him self. Money often was raised through the sale of shares of steel and AT&T stock which John had inherited from his mother upon her death in 1956. John Wentworth recalls that

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