Director marks 10th year
BUTLER TWP — Larry Stock this year will celebrate his 10th season as the director of Butler County Community College's Cultural Center, which includes both the Succop Theater and the Mary Hulton Phillips Art Gallery.
Stock, a Butler native, has run the theater since its first performance on Aug. 20, 2002.
One might imagine a theater director to be a maestro of sorts, and he is, but on show days Stock says he's more likely to be found doing a sound check than wearing a tuxedo.
“I'm on my knees plugging in sound equipment,” Stock said. “I'm in the trenches.”
Together with Mike Beck, technical specialist, and a handful of volunteers and students, Stock works at least 50 hours a week from September to May, ensuring that performances run smoothly.
“We can't just unlock the doors and let them in,” Stock said.
Stock is responsible for advertising, manning the box office, confirming hotel rooms and providing hospitality for performers. Midweek, he puts up signs to shuttle buses and parking lots. He's also responsible for programs and their inserts.
Once performers arrive, they decide with Stock how they'll be introduced. He answers their technical questions, refreshes microphone batteries and runs the sound.
And after the show, it's all about cleaning up, taking down sets and signs and making sure performers leave nothing behind.
Even with so many details to address, Stock is passionate about his job.
“The arts are so critical to everything,” Stock said, “economic development, education, community development.
“I think they're a fantastic morale booster.”
His efforts to help make Butler a “healthy community” include mixing up performance styles so that BC3 offers residents and tourists entertainment that they won't see elsewhere.
“After nine years I've seen what has succeeded and what has not,” he said, adding that even performances that did not attract large audiences were well-liked by those who attended.
“It is that good,” Stock said of entertainment at the college. “By the time performers get to my stage they're tried and true professionals.”He's had good luck with folk music and jazz, dramas and comedy shows.He's never presented a ballet, but he has found audiences for opera, musicals, Shakespeare and modern dance.“The language barrier goes away when people see Shakespeare performed,” Stock said. “The acting tells the story.”Succop's audience is a combination of retirees, baby boomers and younger generations, he said. He's found that younger generations are more attracted to modern dance than other age groups, and he collaborates with the Slippery Rock University dance department to fill seats for those performances.“Dance is hard to sell in Butler,” he said.In the upcoming season, for which tickets go on sale Friday, he will present Taylor 2, an offshoot of the renowned Paul Taylor Dance Company. Paul Taylor is one of the pioneers of American modern dance.“Taylor 2 fits the technical ability of the theater,” Stock said. “Otherwise it (Taylor 2) is identical to the larger company.”The season also includes performances by Chapter 6, an a cappella group that appeared on “American Idol” and in television commercials, and The Pittsburgh Philharmonic.“We're trying to build an audience for them,” Stock said of the philharmonic. “It's fun to see a 70-piece orchestra on stage.”In developing a season, he considers the dates performers are available, the theater's budget, the grants available for funding and the time of year.“There's no real formula to make it work,” Stock said, although he tries not to compete with other community venues.He finds performers several ways. Agents contact him. He joins colleagues from across the state at Pennsylvania Presenters meetings and conferences where they discuss and preview a variety of performers. And, he attends national conferences, such as the Performing Arts Exchange Sept. 21 to 24 in Baton Rouge, La.I'm the only one in town doing a series with out-of-town artists,” Stock said. “It's world class entertainment at hometown prices.”Grants have been invaluable to holding ticket prices down, Stock said, along with performers' willingness to negotiate their fees.Prices also have benefitted by the Succop's small staff, comprised of just Stock and Beck, who Stock calls his “right and left arm.”“It's a little crazy on show days,” he said.Stock has launched a technical theater production class he teaches in which students gain experience by working on shows.In addition, he credits his sister Maggie, a BC3 professor and Butler mayor, for organizing ushers.Stock said the theater's volunteers, who he estimates have logged about 11,000 hours since 2002, are invaluable.“Two people can't run a theater,” he said.Stock welcomes more help. He invites volunteers to call him at 724-287-8711, Ext. 8425.
