the impresario
Story by Susan O'Connor, Photos by Dero Sanford

With the launch of the Fowler Center’s 2009-2010 season next month, patrons can expect an exciting “sampler season – a little of everything,” as Jeff Brown, new executive director of Northeast Arkansas’ premiere venue for the fine arts, welcomes the opportunity to bring the performing arts to life in his inaugural season at the center.

Raised in the greater Los Angeles area, Brown arrived in Jonesboro in January with a wealth of world-class experience in tow. With double master’s degrees in theater technology and playwriting from the University of California in Los Angeles, Brown knows theater inside and out. From award-winning set design, to technical direction, teaching, playwriting and management, he has worn many hats in the business.

Brown served as executive director of the prestigious La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts for 15 years, with 23 years total at the 1,250-seat venue.

Heralded by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the best Broadway-style houses in Southern California,” the list of awards for La Mirada performances includes Ovation Awards, an Emmy Award and several Tony Award nominations. Shows produced at La Mirada Theatre now tour the country, and the theater’s production of Peter Pan, starring Cathy Rigby, landed on Broadway. In 1999, the theater was awarded by the city of Los Angeles for significantly improving the quality of life in the area.

But it was not always so, according to Brown. In the early 1990s, the city was seriously contemplating closing the municipally-owned theater. Times were recessionary, and the theater’s annual $800,000 subsidy was proving too much for the city to bear. Brown was promoted to executive director and given a window of three years to turn the theater around.

“Paramount to a successful turnaround was improving the quality of the productions on stage,” Brown said. “I recruited the husband and wife producing team of McCoy Rigby Entertainment to produce a professional theater series of musicals and plays.”

Brown also “improved the marketing material to recapture the image of La Mirada Theatre, which over the years was misused or misrepresented by the many users of the facility,” he explained, and a complete physical overhaul of the building was necessary at two points during his tenure. He re-staffed the entire box office with patron service coordinators to ensure the best possible service, and instituted an in-house telemarketing campaign with the purpose of assisting patrons with their purchases.

These experiences carry over into his work at the Fowler Center, a huge plus for the university. A beautifully designed, high-end, 28-page brochure enclosed in this issue of Occasions puts a new face on the venue’s marketing, and patrons will enjoy perusing the new website launched Aug. 1, www.yourfowlercenter.com, which includes links to the Arkansas State University box office, the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, as well as restaurants and hotels.

Upon entry into the theater lobby this fall, brochures will be prominently displayed, along with a new video loop of upcoming shows.
“We’re trying to make it exciting to be here – to give people a reason to come.”
Brown’s wife, Stacy Sullivan, is a performer. They have two children, Sullivan Brown, 19, and Savannah Brown, 18.

What impacted your decision to leave La Mirada and take the position at ASU? I come from a long line of educators and it had been a dream of mine to return to the creative college environment, bringing with me my extensive experience in the commercial and non-profit world of performing arts. ASU was offering an associate professor position in the field of my expertise. It felt like a good fit; a place where I could make a difference.

What was your initial reaction to ASU, we well as the city of Jonesboro? I grew up in Los Angeles so yes, there is a stark difference on many levels. But the people of Jonesboro have been very welcoming to me and I’m enjoying the community.

There are many distractions in a city the size of Los Angeles and many things to do. That’s the upside. The downside is there are many distractions in a city the size of Los Angeles and many things to do. If you’re not careful, those distractions can prevent a person from fulfilling their potential. Outside of my duties as director of the Fowler Center, I’m a writer and I’m finding I now have the time to rekindle a part of my life that I’d been sorely neglecting.

I think the campus at ASU is very attractive. I know there is a lot of construction taking place at the moment, but I think the aesthetic appeal is quite pleasing. I was drawn to the Fowler Center at first sight. I think attending a performing arts event should be special, and it only helps to have a venue that is attractive even from a distance.

2009-2010 season
The curtain rises on The Fowler Center Series Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. with the powerful sounds of San Jose Taiko, a presentation inspired by traditional Japanese drumming.

A complete schedule is available in the enclosed brochure.
Corporate sponsors for the season include: Occasions Publishing Group, the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, Posey Peddler, Hilton Garden Inn, The Jonesboro Sun, KAIT, Stephens Inc., Savvy, Footcare of Northeast Arkansas and Sodexo.

In addition, guests to the Fowler Center will enjoy the ongoing exhibitions of art at the Bradbury Gallery, featuring the work of regionally, nationally and internationally recognized artists. The Bradbury Gallery also brings the nationally recognized Delta National Small Prints Exhibition, a juried show anticipated annually by art aficionados across the region.

The Fowler Center also hosts plays by the ASU Department of Theatre and concerts by the university’s department of music. The center is also available for private dinners, parties and receptions.