Monday letters: Trustus Theatre should focus on what it does best

In discussing his decision to step down as managing director, Larry Hembree cited an aggressive plan to “regionalize” Trustus Theater. I fear that this will translate into a more mainstream, conservative operation to appeal to a broader audience.

This troubles me. As a theater-goer, I have always appreciated Trustus for its creative, edgy, often irreverent sense of being. Such qualities define the organization, making it one of our city’s most unique venues. Columbia will not benefit from an operation that churns out more productions of “Annie Get Your Gun.”

If, indeed, this is the direction the board has chosen to take, then I recommend a name change, because to me and like-minded others who have supported the institution over the years, they can no longer say “trust us.”

This story was originally published August 30, 2015 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Monday letters: Trustus Theatre should focus on what it does best."