Maryland Theatre delays hiring office manager

October 25, 1997

By JULIE E. GREENE

Staff Writer

The Maryland Theatre won't be hiring an office manager this year after all.

The historic South Potomac Street theater also won't be scheduling any more nonrental performances for the 1997-1998 season after losing $22,447 this month in two shows, the theater's acting executive director said Friday.

Patricia Wolford, who also is the theater board's president, said the decision whether to hire an office manager will be revisited in the spring.

For now, everything is running smoothly so she plans to continue volunteering her time as acting executive director, Wolford said. She said she spends about three days a week at the theater as well as show times.

Wolford said she didn't want to give up her summer training someone for the position after training Don Wiswell for about six weeks to be the managing director. He resigned on April 11, after about a month on the job and after becoming sole owner of the Washington County Playhouse.

After Wiswell's resignation, Wolford said theater officials instead would hire an office manager and part-time technical director.

The theater won't be hiring a technical director since the theater already has four part-time crew chiefs who are called in for shows, Wolford said Friday.

Only one nonrental show is booked for the remainder of the season, "Bye Bye Birdie" on March 3.

The theater takes on more risk when theater officials negotiate directly with the artists, as they did for this month's "Carousel" and Irish Rovers performances.

Wolford said she won't schedule any more such shows this season because the theater lost $15,206 on "Carousel" and $7,241 on Irish Rovers.

That policy will be reevaluated in the spring as well, she said.

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