Retiring from Columbus Children's Theatre
Bill Goldsmith has worked for the Columbus Children’s Theatre for 30 years and has directed more than 250 productions, performed in approximately 50 shows, served as president of the Ohio Theatre Alliance and the Central Ohio Theatre Roundtable. With such an impressive resume, a performer may be tempted to regard this director as Mr. Goldsmith.
However, Goldsmith prefers a different kind of approach.
“From the beginning, I was never Mr. Goldsmith,” he says. “I was Bill, even to the children. It empowered them and put them on the same level as the adults.”
Goldsmith has spent many years working in youth theater, performing in his first show at age 9 and eventually studied acting at Bowling Green State University on a talent scholarship. He was required to audition for every show and, coincidentally, his last college performance was a children’s production.
“I’d never even seen a children’s show,” Goldsmith says. “But I did it, and there was something about how captivated and engaged the audience was. I immediately thought, ‘This is for me,’ and that was it.”
Wizard of Oz
As for his career in Columbus, Goldsmith was originally involved in CATCO, which happened to be right next door to what was then the Columbus Junior Theatre of the Arts. According to Goldsmith, the performing arts organization was struggling and its arts director up and quit one day, leaving it leaderless. There was talk of shutting it down entirely.
(Enter Goldsmith: stage right.)
Upon accepting the position as managing director, Goldsmith immediately set to creating the very first youth theater program. Although budgets were low and funding was scarce, he never wavered in his passion and perseverance for the arts.
“I wasn’t scared at all – I was excited at the challenge,” Goldsmith says. “I knew children’s theater, I just needed time to turn the organization around.”
As the children’s series began to grow and mature, the theater received more publicity. Larger audiences were being drawn in and eventually, the series was thriving. The organization changed its name officially from the Columbus Junior Theatre of the Arts to Columbus Children’s Theatre in 1998.
“It’s a different animal now, growing, maturing and becoming a major institution.” - Bill Goldsmith
Goldsmith says what makes the performances unique is the fact that children play child roles – not adults hired to pretend to be kids.
“I believe that children are more engaged watching a child perform, rather than an adult playing a child,” he says. “I just thought it was important for kids to be able to relate to a show.”
Although CCT offers many roles to young people, everyone involved is treated equally. Goldsmith believes a cast should get to know each other and always requires bonding activities so everyone involved can feel more comfortable.
“If you’re not having fun doing theater, what’s the point?” Goldsmith says.
When asked about retirement, Goldsmith doesn’t plan to exit stage left entirely.
“I’m retiring from this role of directing – not from theater,” he says. “I’m excited to open that door of acting and performing and revisit that aspect of my life now that I’ll have more time.”
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
With many years as an experienced actor, Goldsmith remembers several roles he enjoyed like Ebenezer Scrooge and Captain Hook. During his time as director, if an actor fell sick and couldn’t perform, Goldsmith would take the stage. In one showing of Oliver!, the actress who played Mrs. Corney fell ill, and Goldsmith didn’t waste any time shaving his beard and throwing a wig on to take her place.
Though he will be leaving CCT’s director chair, he has no doubt that the theater will continue to positively impact children and families in the community.
“The skills that we’re teaching kids through theater will impact them for a lifetime,” he says.
As he finalizes his last few months, getting his ducks in a row and working to transition duties over to others, Goldsmith looks back on how things have changed since he arrived at the theater.
“We started with a $110,000 yearly budget – now we’re at around $1.6 million,” Goldsmith says. “It’s a different animal now, growing, maturing and becoming a major institution.”
You can practically hear the smile as he concludes, “I’ve played my part.”
And even as Goldsmith leaves his director’s chair at CCT, Columbus eagerly awaits his next appearance. This is certainly not a final curtain call, but we’re happy to give a standing ovation all the same.
Into the Woods
The new director of the Wexner Center for the Arts
Johanna Burton is officially six weeks in.
As the new director of the Wexner Center for the Arts, Burton’s arrival in Columbus is more pertinent than ever with the upcoming 30th-anniversary celebration of the center. The official celebration will begin in the fall with an exhibition, public programs, performances and more.
Previously, Burton was Keith Herring Director of Education and Public Engagement at the New Museum in New York City, where she has been thoroughly acknowledged and revered for her talents. Through fresh eyes, she sees Columbus as a place of civic drive and conversation.
“What I’m seeing in Columbus that I really like is the kind of verbal and artistic interpretation around civic responsibility,” Burton says. “I’ve noticed that people here are kind of cheerleaders for each other.”
Burton believes that while each city has particular concerns relative to location, the increasing interconnectedness of the world allows artistic conversation to flow everywhere. With the accessibility and technology artists now have, shared questions and answers are now being focused on more than ever.
The Wexner has always been known for pushing boundaries and taking risks, and Burton intends to continue to do so, particularly through social impact.
“The kinds of projects that are about meeting audiences halfway and engaging with them – a lot of artists are working that way these days.” Burton says.
She also hopes to partner with cultural leaders in Columbus and collaborate across institutions.
“Our place at the Wexner has been to show cutting-edge art, to highlight artists who are willing to take risks,” Burton says. “I’d like to focus on that, in terms of what’s going on in the world.”
Recently, the Wexner featured a performance called The Symphonic Body/Food by choreographer Ann Carlson. The orchestral dance was created on the basis of engaging the community on what the Columbus food system means to them. Each movement was built from everyday movements, from a mundane meeting posture to teaching a cooking class.
“I think that’s the kind of project that keys into the specificities of what goes on in real life,” Burton says. “People get really excited when art intersects with questions people are already asking.”
Now feeling acclimated to her new surroundings and home, Burton looks forward to planning all the exciting celebrations that are included in the Wexner’s 30th anniversary.
“Here, I feel a lot of desire for people to see each other do well,” Burton says, “and as a new leader in the community, I’ve felt people are welcoming and excited to see what we do next.”
Mallory Arnold is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
