MIAMI MONTHLY MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2007 Miracle on the Mile By Deseraè E. Del Campo
Keeping regional theatre alive is a labor of love for Actors' Playhouse executive producing director Barbara Stein
The dream of operating a theatre in South Dade became a reality for Barbara and Lawrence Stein in 1987 when the couple leased a twin cinema complex tucked away in a Kendall strip mall. For six months the Steins ran the 99-cent cinema hile fomulating plans to remodel the space into a theatre. On February 3, 1988 the Actors' Playhouse staged its inaugeral show, "Man of La Mancha." As word of the playhouse spread and theatre lovers near and far found their way to what was then a small bedroom community, none could anticipate the real-life drama that would one day envelope what is now the country's largest self-producing regional professional theatre. Barbara Schoenberger was eight years old when she moved to South Florida from Akron, Ohio with her own childhood dreams of singing and dancing on the Broadway stage. A South Florida resident for over five decades, she graduated from North MIami High School and studied dental hygiene at the University of Pennsylvania, where she met Lawrence Stein, now a well-known dentist. "My husband and I have always been doers," says Actors' Playhouse executive producing director. "We always had an enthusiasm for doing something for the community. We love the arts, and we love the theatre." MOther Nature deceided to challenge that devotion when Hurricane Andrew slammed into Miami-Dade in 1992. The little playhouse sustained serious damage, but the Steins were determined to rebuild, and the main stage reopened on February 17, 1993, with "Damned Yankees." In the audience that night was a special guest: 105-year-old George Abbott, who had originally staged the play on Broadway. As the Kendall strip mall geared up for a major makeover following the storm, the landlords pressured the Steins to make the space available for a fitness club. So the Playhouse looked east and found a new home: the historic Miracle Theater in downtown Coral Gables. Under an agreement with the City of Coral Gables, the non-profit Actors' Playhouse obtained a 40 year rent-free lease for the rundown city-owned property in exchange for bearing all operating and capital improvement costs. A $7 million makeover restored much of the art deco theatre's original splendor as it transformed the space into a performing arts center that would play a big part in the revitalization of the Coral Gables downtown district. On November 17, 1995, the Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre opened with "Man of La Mancha" - again. "Barbara is a driven woman whose drive is beneficial to the whole community," says Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick. As then-chairman of the Dade County Cultural Affairs Council, he was one of the many who played a key role in saving the Miracle Theatre from demolition. "Barbara has a great life partner in Larry...it's not everyday you find a couple devoted to the same thing." Cathy Swanson, the city's development director, is also a fan. "Barbara has introduced new audiences to culture and the arts and has helped bring back residents that haven't come to the Mile in a long time," she notes. Since its inception, the Playhouse has showcased more than 100 main stage productions and 120 children's shows. It has garnered numerous professional awards, including record numbers of Carbonell Awards, South Florida's top honor for regional theatre. Along the way, Barbara Stein has been widely recognized as a business and community service powerhouse. "Barbara has such skill in her ability to raise funds for the theatre. I rest easy every night knowing I'm able to come to work tomorrow because she she is here overseeing everything," says Earl Maulding, director of musical theatre for children. Maulding has been with the Playhouse since those Kendall days 20 years ago. "This has become a second family to me," he says. Stein wants everyone in the organization to feel that way. "We have created an organization that has history," she says. "This is their home and they have pride in this theatre." Above the 600-seat main stage auditorium, the second floor administrative offices resemble an acotrs' dressing room. A costume from "Man of La Mancha" decorates one wall, and a theatre poster from "Little Shop of Horrors" hangs in Stein's office, along with memorabillia and costumes from seasons past. Here she oversees her labor of love, juggling fundraising efforts, a $4.3 million operating budget and myriad production details. One of her main goals at the moment is increasing Playhouse membership, which currently stands at 2,500 subscribers. The challenge of successfully running the Theatre is keeping everything at the top of its game, Stein notes. "I'm not a perfect person, but I am a perfectionist."