hmmmm, Interesting email circulating about a little coup at the Rep. :scratch:
To the patrons, donors, sponsors, and the entire Seaside Repertory Theatre community,
On Friday, February 12, three members of the Rep?s Executive Committee, (SoWal.com edit:it is no secret who volunteers for the Rep, but publishing names in a mass email or on this forum serves little purpose other than harm) entered my office and informed me that the board had voted to remove me from my position as Executive Director of the Rep. They refused to give me any reason, saying only that the board felt it was ?in the best interest? of the company. They produced a letter of resignation and asked me to sign it. I refused. In the days since, I have been given no information whatsoever from any of the current board members, including my long-time friend and ?co-founder? of the Rep, Jennifer Steele-Saunders. On the advice of counsel, I delivered my resignation letter this afternoon.
I founded the Rep when I was 23 years old, and have spent the last ten years building it into at worst, a reputable, well-respected professional theatre company. The Rep has brought joy, tears, and laughter to hundreds of thousands of people in our nine seasons, and for that reason alone, I do not regret one bead of sweat that I have given to this theatre However, I do owe an apology to the thousands of people that have contributed in some small way to my vision of this theatre. Whether you donated your time, money, or expertise, you believed and trusted in the mission and the trajectory of this organization. However, as Founder and Executive Director, it was my responsibility to not only to manage the theatre company and the talented professionals under my charge, but also to ensure that the Rep had a responsible governing body, as well as organizing documents that would prevent a takeover by a group of people whose lifetime contributions to the Rep are miniscule, at best. Clearly, I have failed in that regard, and for that I truly am sorry.
The last three years has been difficult for many non-profits. Professional theatre companies with much longer, storied histories than this one have been collapsing all across the country in the wake of the devastating recession. However, the Rep is fiscally stable (if not completely healthy), and is emerging from three months of near-record generosity thanks to the support of Robert and Daryl Davis, many of the Seaside Homeowners, and the countless loyal members and patrons of the Rep. What breaks my heart even more than the loss of the theatre company that I have worked so hard to build, is the fact that I will not be given the opportunity to deliver the product in which so many of you have so recently invested.
Clearly, I cannot support the decisions that this board has made. And only because I have been given no information regarding the direction in which they intend to steer the Rep, I feel I must publish my disapproval. I had planned our most ambitious season to date in celebration of our tenth anniversary, and once that plan was in place and communicated, I was removed. So, I have no idea what is next for the Rep, nor why I was terminated. I hope you will sympathize with my decision to put the ordeal behind me, and allow me focus on what lies ahead for my family. This communication will be my final one on this matter. I have nothing to be ashamed of, I have nothing to hide, and I have absolutely nothing for which I feel I need to answer. I do not claim to have been the perfect arts executive, but I feel very confident that I made the most of the resources at my disposal, and I have pursued the theatre?s mission with an ethical, professional, and artistic standard of which I remain most proud.
It has an incredible honor it has been to entertain and enlighten you over the last ten years. It hasn?t always been easy, but I have risen each day profoundly grateful for the opportunity to do this work, in this place, and for you.
Sincerely,
Craige Hoover
To the patrons, donors, sponsors, and the entire Seaside Repertory Theatre community,
On Friday, February 12, three members of the Rep?s Executive Committee, (SoWal.com edit:it is no secret who volunteers for the Rep, but publishing names in a mass email or on this forum serves little purpose other than harm) entered my office and informed me that the board had voted to remove me from my position as Executive Director of the Rep. They refused to give me any reason, saying only that the board felt it was ?in the best interest? of the company. They produced a letter of resignation and asked me to sign it. I refused. In the days since, I have been given no information whatsoever from any of the current board members, including my long-time friend and ?co-founder? of the Rep, Jennifer Steele-Saunders. On the advice of counsel, I delivered my resignation letter this afternoon.
I founded the Rep when I was 23 years old, and have spent the last ten years building it into at worst, a reputable, well-respected professional theatre company. The Rep has brought joy, tears, and laughter to hundreds of thousands of people in our nine seasons, and for that reason alone, I do not regret one bead of sweat that I have given to this theatre However, I do owe an apology to the thousands of people that have contributed in some small way to my vision of this theatre. Whether you donated your time, money, or expertise, you believed and trusted in the mission and the trajectory of this organization. However, as Founder and Executive Director, it was my responsibility to not only to manage the theatre company and the talented professionals under my charge, but also to ensure that the Rep had a responsible governing body, as well as organizing documents that would prevent a takeover by a group of people whose lifetime contributions to the Rep are miniscule, at best. Clearly, I have failed in that regard, and for that I truly am sorry.
The last three years has been difficult for many non-profits. Professional theatre companies with much longer, storied histories than this one have been collapsing all across the country in the wake of the devastating recession. However, the Rep is fiscally stable (if not completely healthy), and is emerging from three months of near-record generosity thanks to the support of Robert and Daryl Davis, many of the Seaside Homeowners, and the countless loyal members and patrons of the Rep. What breaks my heart even more than the loss of the theatre company that I have worked so hard to build, is the fact that I will not be given the opportunity to deliver the product in which so many of you have so recently invested.
Clearly, I cannot support the decisions that this board has made. And only because I have been given no information regarding the direction in which they intend to steer the Rep, I feel I must publish my disapproval. I had planned our most ambitious season to date in celebration of our tenth anniversary, and once that plan was in place and communicated, I was removed. So, I have no idea what is next for the Rep, nor why I was terminated. I hope you will sympathize with my decision to put the ordeal behind me, and allow me focus on what lies ahead for my family. This communication will be my final one on this matter. I have nothing to be ashamed of, I have nothing to hide, and I have absolutely nothing for which I feel I need to answer. I do not claim to have been the perfect arts executive, but I feel very confident that I made the most of the resources at my disposal, and I have pursued the theatre?s mission with an ethical, professional, and artistic standard of which I remain most proud.
It has an incredible honor it has been to entertain and enlighten you over the last ten years. It hasn?t always been easy, but I have risen each day profoundly grateful for the opportunity to do this work, in this place, and for you.
Sincerely,
Craige Hoover
