As members of the Malibu Stage Ensemble who have appeared in several productions with the company, we were outraged to learn that there is an effort, instigated by two board members (Aron Schiffman and David Weintraub), to flout the artistic mission of the theater and turn it into an amateur stage where virtually “anything goes.” There is a gigantic difference between a professional theater for the community and an amateur-driven “community” theater.
The main strength of Charles and Jane Marowitz’s efforts at the theater is that they are able to present first-class artists in fully professional productions — which is exactly what the Malibu community, through their donations, have indicated they want. To try to change that policy is to cheat the community of the theater which, for over 10 years, they have actively supported.
We wish to register our strong protest against this small contingent who, with no knowledge or background in theater, appear to be trying to effect a hostile takeover of a theater company which has been in existence for over a decade. We urge all those who have donated funds to the original vision of the theater to join in this opposition.
Kevin Carr, Thomas C. Elliott, Kathy Bell Denton, Mark Bennington, Todd Conner, Jack Kandel and Shannon Holt