This column centers on the arts. And so, in the interest of full disclosure, it should be noted that I am not as cultured as some.
Given the choice, for example, between tickets to a performance of the philharmonic and say, a Tom Petty concert … I’m going to see Tom Petty.
And when I think of a good play, the images I conjure up are more likely to involve a baseball diamond or football field, as opposed to a theater.
But the arts are on the minds of lots of people in and around Providence these days. Reports out of New York suggest that Oskar Eustis, artistic director at Trinity Repertory Company for the past 10 years, is the leading candidate to head The Public Theater in New York, regarded as one of the top theaters in the country.
First of all, it should come as no surprise that Eustis is a candidate for such a prestigious job.
At least twice since his arrival in Providence, he has been publicly identified as a candidate for high-profile theater posts. On one occasion, he was among those to be considered to run the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, where he had previously worked. On another, Eustis was at the top of the list to head the Yale Repertory Theatre and dean of its drama school.
Both times, Trinity Rep dodged a bullet, so to speak.
That others continue to reach out to Eustis are simply reminders of something we all know here. That is, Oskar Eustis is a real talent – that he is among the very best at what he does and that those in theater circles know it.
His tenure at Trinity has been critically acclaimed. Eustis brought “Angels in America” here and Paula Vogel’s “The Long Christmas Ride Home” and “Hughie/A Pound on Demand,” which featured Brian Dennehy. And of course he has maintained the Trinity tradition of somehow coming up with new and exciting ways to present “A Christmas Carol” every holiday season.
I have met Eustis just a couple of times. He is one of those people who come across not only as a nice person, but more than that. He is genuine.
On the few occasions that I have needed to talk to him for a story or column, he has always been accommodating. He has a unique perspective on the Rhode Island arts scene and the important role it plays in the ongoing Providence renaissance.
On several other occasions I have witnessed Eustis’ generosity and good nature from afar. Often, he pops up to help a nonprofit or some other organization working for the public good. A few months back, he, along with NBC-10’s Frank Coletta, co-hosted a spelling bee to benefit the Dorcas Place Family Literacy Center.
One time I even saw him at Roger Williams Park Zoo with his family and I remember thinking that he seemed every bit as nice and genuine away from Trinity.
All of that being said, there seems to be a school of thought among some that the departure of Oskar Eustis from Trinity Rep would be a crushing blow to the theater – that the momentum for artistic endeavors in the capital city would somehow come to a screeching halt.
I just don’t get it.
Trinity Rep goes way back. And long ago, long before the Providence renaissance, it was a critically acclaimed regional theater with a national reputation. Have we forgotten Adrian Hall?
Sure it has had its ups and downs. Like sports teams, that happens to theaters. Eustis, thankfully, has provided us with a long run of ups.
But someday he is going to leave. He will answer the call to an even bigger stage. And guess what?
Someone will take his place. Someone with new ideas and a spirit of his or her own. And Trinity Rep will be just fine. In part, because of what Eustis has done. His efforts here will make it easier to attract someone of similar caliber.
All of the reasons that Oskar Eustis has found it so difficult to leave Providence, are the same reasons that Trinity will indeed find someone to replace him.
I think Arnold A. “Buff” Chace, chairman of Trinity’s board of directors, should make a reasonable effort to convince Eustis to stay. That’s what you do in these situations.
And if Eustis decides to move on, we should all thank him for all that he has done. And remind him to steer young talent in this direction whenever possible.
Like I said, I don’t know much about theater. But I don’t have to know much about your business either to know that if its success is tied solely to the talents of a single individual, it isn’t nearly the successful operation you think that it is.
