Jim Kenyon’s recent commentary on Northern Stage is a new low as he crosses a line into a mean-spirited and personal attack on Northern Stage and our managing director, Irene Green. I am deeply honored to work with Irene and share responsibility for every decision made at Northern Stage.
There is not enough space to address all of Kenyon’s misleading statements. For now, let’s set the record straight on apprentice compensation. Research shows Northern Stage is one of the most generous regional theaters for apprentice compensation. In addition to $12 hourly with overtime pay, our apprentices are offered Northern Stage subsidized affordable housing, benefits and career mentorship. Change in Vermont minimum wage to $12.55 resulted in a January meeting with our apprentices and an agreed-upon bonus mechanism to match that wage for the remainder of their contracts. We know not-for-profit pay is never enough and work to improve our company compensation.
Suggesting a nonprofit theater is rich is absurd. 75% of the funds Kenyon targeted as under our control are in fact passed on to other nonprofits or restricted programmatic funds we have worked tirelessly to attract to the Upper Valley. They support arts access programs for thousands of students and a national program to support women’s leadership in theater. The remaining 25% of contributions goes to production costs, artist housing/travel, insurance, facilities, salaries, etc. We are proud to have just broken even the last four years.
Kenyon suggests Northern Stage is anti-union. Not true. Northern Stage is in contractual relationships with three unions. The current petition by a union not common in regional theaters has triggered an educational process for the company and we will consider it with the greatest care.
Calling a brilliant, compassionate leader like Irene Green names is personal and ugly. Kenyon often ends his pieces with cliched theater quips. Let’s instead quote Shakespeare and say it is time for Kenyon to “hold the mirror up to (his own) nature” and end his bullying tactics and misleading commentary.
Carol Dunne
White River Junction
Carol Dunne is Producing Artistic Director at Northern Stage
Ideally, Vermont’s next representative in Congress will be someone who is extremely smart, principled, deeply devoted to public service and an expert in the workings of government. That individual will also have great people skills, will already have worked on Capitol Hill and will have extensive experience in international relations.
I am describing Molly Gray, the leading candidate for election to the House of Representatives in November. Molly has served as Vermont’s Lieutenant Governor for the last year. Before that, she was an Assistant Attorney General for Vermont for two years, after clerking for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Peter Hall. Earlier, she worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross, leading missions to Eastern Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Earlier still, Molly served as an intern for Senator Patrick Leahy and worked on Congressman Peter Welch’s staff in Washington.
Molly Gray is a native Vermonter who grew up on a farm in Newbury, so she knows us well. She is also an independent thinker who refuses to accept campaign contributions from corporations. She has exactly the right skills and experience not only to represent us in Washington, D.C., but also to help lead the nation in these perilous times.
Stephen Dycus
Strafford
I am appalled by our town manager, Tracy Yarlott-Davis, who did not see what the town’s people see in our Interim Police Chief Brad Vail. It is a sad day in the town of Hartford to see such a fine man leaving our town. What did the town of Barre, Vermont, see in him that our own town did not? I am requesting that our town manager publicly address the residents of the town as to why she and the Selectboard felt Brad was not a good candidate for our police chief when he has been acting as our police chief for the past 12 months.
I have sent an email to Tracy and the Selectboard and look forward to see her answer to the taxpayers of the Town of Hartford.
Rhonda Littlefield
Hartford
Sailing into the sunset through these dark, fascist squalls has been difficult enough, even for me. But now that I have to start worrying about the “Gazpacho Police,” I can’t even look forward to summer. Damn them.
Paul Bogosian
Windsor