San Antonio Symphony News and Archive

Theater names interim director




From the San Antonio Express News 5/23/99

By Dan R. Goddard



David Schillhammer, former San Antonio Syphony executive diretor, has been named interim execuive director of the San Pedor Playhouse.

"I think the San Pedro Playhouse is a great organization and a wonderful place to be," said Schillhammer, who has served on the community theater's board of directors since 1995. "I have tremendous respect forthe work of (artistic director) Vivienne Elborne."

"There are a lot of similarities between running a symphony and running a theater: building a board, managing a staff, selling tickets and putting on shows. A lot of the issues are the same. I don't think the size of the budget determines the quality of an arts organization."

The symphony's annual budget is about $6.5 million, while the playhouse's is $375,000.

Schillhammer on May 1 assumed the position vacated by Francis Elborne, who resigned to join the staff of Our Lady of Atonement Catholic Church. Schllhammer said he had accepted a 6-month appointment, and then the board will evaluate his performance. He said he would consider accepting a permanent position.

Schillhammer resigned from the symphony in December, three months after musicians demanded a change in management in exchange for wage concessions.

However, Jean Robinson, musicians' representative, said Schillhammer's resignation was not part of the collective bargaining agreement signed last September by the musicians.

"We wish (Schillhammer) well," Robinson said. "We have no interest in bashing him and want him to succeed in the rest of his career. We have enjoyed working with Vivienne Elborne on the symphony's concert musicals (including 'Guys and Dolls' and 'The Music Man')."

Janet Neuenschander, chairman of the playhouse's board, said, "The board of trustees is pleased and excited that someone of David's talent and depth of experience (is) joining the playhouse team. His intimate knowledge of our local community, combined with hisnational reputation and previous arts administration experience will prove to be a tremendous benefit."

The theater has received a $10,000 grant from the Kronkosky Foundation to undergo a two-and-a-half month planning process, Schillhammer said. The playhouse's board has recently completed a weekend retreat to explore ways of improving the organization.

"We want to strengthen the board and to inprove our ability to raise money. I think we have to be aggressive insearching out sources of funding, be more donor-friendly and write as many grants as possible. We need to find more supporters who agree with our vision for the theater's future. I think the theater has a wonderful staff and I don't foresee any changes," Schillhammer said.

The San Pedro Playhouse Foundation has already announced that it is on track to match a $500,000 challenge grant from the Russell Hil Rogers Fund for the Arts by the Dec. 31 deadline. The money will be used to fund the $1.2 million second phase of the theater's renovation.

Schillhammer, 33, was director of the San Antonio Symphony from 1993 to 1998. With a degree from the New York's Eastman School of Music, he has served in administrative positions with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in Minnesota and the Rochester Philharmonic in New York.

He worked with music director Christopher Wilkins in developing the semi-staged theatrical productions directed by Elborne, now being duplicated by other orchestras across the country. Last weekend for the Portland symphony in Oregon, Elborne directed "My Fair Lady," which will be in San Antonio Symphony's summer production.

Elborne said, "David is tremendously creative and totally committed to the arts in San Antonio, and we share a great passion for theater. I look forward very much to working with him."



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