While the construction crew continues the renovation of the Granada Theatre, Anna Ryan will be busy building her vision of what its new patrons will come to see.
Ryan has been named executive director of the Granada Theatre Alliance, President Duane Henrikson announced in a statement on Thursday. She starts her new job Monday.
Henrikson said Ryan’s primary responsibilities will be developing the theater’s rental policies and developing relationships with people and programs who would like to use the venue, both inside and outside the Emporia community.
Ryan’s academic experience in the arts gave her the desire to hold a job like this one. She’s a graduate of Emporia State and most recently was a music and theater instructor at ESU.
“The longer I continued to do that, the more I wanted to find ways to bring opportunities to audiences and for performers to the community I live in,” she said, “versus having all of those things always happen in Kansas City, or Wichita or New York.”
As Ryan begins her job and awaits the completion of construction on the Granada, she said, she will be researching the development of rental policies. She also plans to contact representatives of venues in the Kansas Association of Historical Theaters to find out what has and hasn’t worked for them.
Another top priority of hers will be getting word out that the Granada is open for use, “attracting, perhaps, organizations or other businesses who have thought, ‘Well, I can’t have this event in Emporia because there’s really not a venue that meets certain demands,’ and letting them know that yes, there will be a venue that will satisfy you.’”
Henrikson said there was an excellent field of candidates to fill the position left open by Vickie Hayes-Walworth’s resignation last June.
Ryan’s combination of experience in theater programming, experience in the community and enthusiasm set her apart from the other candidates for the job, Henrikson said.
“Our finalists were very good,” he said. “It was nice to have to make a hard decision.”
The position opening was posted in October. Doug Ford, who was serving as interim director, will continue working part-time for the Granada and help to train Ryan.
There is no completion date scheduled for the theater, but Henrikson hopes it will be ready by late summer or early fall.
wanderer (anonymous) says...
Anna Ryan has long been one of the guiding lights of theatre for the Emporia area. Having her at the head of the Granada is a good sign for both the theater and its future. Break a leg!
January 5, 2008 at 1:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )