Flat Rock Playhouse veterans quit over beef with leaders

The Times-News covers the resignations of Flat Rock Playhouse production manager Billy Munoz and public relations director Sharon Stokes:

Citing “philosophical differences” with leadership about the Flat Rock Playhouse’s direction, two veteran members of the theater company’s staff resigned in the last two weeks.

The departure of Production Manager Billy Munoz and Public Relations Director Sharon Stokes brings the number of recent resignations to four. Both Business Manager Dale Jones, who resigned Dec. 2, and YouTheatre Music Supervisor Eric Leach gave notice after getting other job offers.

Munoz, who has been with the Playhouse for 25 years and helped orchestrate the successful “For The Rock” benefit Dec. 11, said he quit after failing to come to terms with Producing Artistic Director Vincent Marini and board members about the direction the 60-year-old theater was heading.

“I don’t like where he (Marini) is taking the theater, but it’s a philosophical thing,” Munoz said....

Munoz said his disagreements with the board and Marini boil down to differences of opinion: “They believe that by producing more shows, you get more income. And I’m of the belief that if you produce more shows, it costs more money. And who builds those shows but the technicians? They’re the ones who will be putting in longer hours.”

The 2013 season planned by the Playhouse also is “pretty ambitious,” Munoz said, particularly when the theater is still $2.3 million in debt.

“Where is this budget going to come from to build an Evita, a CATS, a Les Mis?” he asked rhetorically. “They require a lot of glitz. I don’t think we need all the glitz to produce a show. If he (Marini) wants a ton of lights and projectors, then that’s his vision. But that’s a vision I don’t subscribe to, especially if we need to cut back.”

Munoz admitted it’s possible that the Playhouse’s aggressive business plan for 2013 will pay off, and he credited Marini for modernizing equipment and other infrastructure. But he said the disregard shown for the theater’s “human investment” was too much for him to bear, personally and professionally....

Read it all.