FEATURE, MAY 8, 2008
Regime Removal
Plotting to oust Patty: What you are about to read will come as a shock to you: Patty Wente may actually survive this storm and remain at the top at KWMU. ["Radio Active," Chad Garrison.] But in the end, it's going to take the entire community and the corporate world to send a clear message that she needs to go. Here are a few options, based on my experiences in the corporate and nonprofit sector: First, that UM president Gary Forsee is flooded with numerous e-mails and phone calls from members of the public — not affiliated with the station — but those who are current donors will be heard the most.
Second, that she's placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. An interim GM is named and eventually all the interviews result in her being slowly pushed out the door.
The only way a difference can be made is from people or companies who would consider pulling time and bucks from the station. To everyone reading this, you must e-mail the UM president or your elected official. Based on my experience in the workforce, she won't just step down because of what is being written. She will hold on for dear life until someone else takes control of the matter.
Sobriety Rules, via the Internet
NEWS REAL, MAY 8, 2008
Poison Ivory
Good theater, bad landlord: In Aimee Levitt's article about the Ivory Theatre, "Stage Fright," theater manager Donna Perrino tries desperately to make the case that all the various individuals and companies who have suffered through problems at the Ivory are just overreacting or lying. In other words, it's everyone else's fault but hers. But the real shocker came at the end of the article, when Donna Perrino said, "Honey, it's community theater." No, honey, it's not. In fact, all the companies that have suffered through the abuses at the Ivory have been professional companies, including New Line Theatre and the NonProphet Theater Company. Perrino knows this, but perhaps she thinks her condescending dismissal of St. Louis theater artists makes her look better in this whole sad mess.
For the record, New Line is now in its seventeenth season of professional, alternative theater, and has been treated with enormous respect and professionalism by the press, funders and previous landlords — everyone, in fact, except the folks at the Ivory.
Scott Miller, artistic director, New Line Theatre
Put a gag on her: WOW! I can't believe Donna Perrino still has a job. And I can't believe that Mike Allen would be backing this horse. It sounds like much of what she says is lies. I have seen shows by both New Line and NonProphet, both professional companies, not "community theater," as she falsely states. And it makes me sad that this woman is allowed to get away with treating these companies with such disrespect and disregard. St. Louis has a great theater community filled with talented people, but it is small, and pissing people off who are fairly influential is a bad PR move by Peter Rothschild, Allen and Perrino. Maybe they should gag this Perrino lady. She obviously shouldn't be allowed to talk to the press. Pity. It could have been a great space and a great addition to Carondelet.
Appalled, via the Internet
