By Will Frank, arts and culture reporter
The Mill Mountain Theater’s Producing Artistic Director, Ginger Poole, has officially retired, placing the theater’s future in new hands.
Mill Mountain Theater has been a symbol of arts and culture in Southern Virginia for over 60 years, hosting hundreds of talented artists and programs on its stage since 1964. What makes the theater unique is its emphasis on supporting the arts with various performances and programs, not just the typical musical or theater performances expected at a theater.
Ginger Poole, the previous Producing Artistic Director of the last 15 years, is credited for revving the theater twice through financial struggles and leading it through the COVID-19 pandemic. During the economic struggles, she continued to open the doors by hosting classes and a holiday show once a year for four years, while being the only full-time employee at the theater.
“It’s an interesting take to apologize for a problem that you didn’t create. I knew the past of Mill Mountain and the quality of productions, and it would have been a detriment to the community if it were lost. That was my thought line to keep fighting for the theater, while we were digging ourselves out of a big, big hole. The other part was I truly enjoyed the people that I was working with”, stated Poole.
While at the top of their game, like most other art organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic lowered the theater’s curtains. Poole led the charge of navigating the theater through this difficult period and was able to skillfully revive the theater to its present-day stature.
“Through COVID, however, it was different, because the first round of debt was Mill Mountain’s problem, and it was Mill Mountain’s problem to fix, where COVID was out of all of our control. It wasn’t just a Roanoke-centric problem, we were all in it together, nationally and globally. It had a different flavor [than the debt] but I had the same drive of wanting to keep Mill Mountain going. I wanted to keep my staff and my guest artists in my community and my volunteers safe. We were all in it together, and that comradery, and accountability, kept us going”, remarked Poole.
Poole journeyed to Roanoke 18 years ago to pursue her career in acting and was asked to perform and choreograph in the MainStage Seasons, which turned into an opportunity to join the Mill Moutain Theater family as the Director of Education. She became the first female to hold the position of Producing Artistic Director at the theater.
“My first time in Roanoke, I was brought in as an actor, and then I was brought back as a director, choreographer, and actor. I would come and go from Flatrock, North Carolina to Roanoke, for probably two years, back and forth, just being a guest artist in productions. From that, I built the relationship with Mill Mountain and became their Director of Education in a pinch”, Poole recounted.
After a staggering 35-year career in the industry, 18 of which were with Mill Mountain, Poole will step down from her leadership role but will remain on a consulting contract with the theater to ensure a smooth transition.
After a grueling 11-month period and reviewing hundreds of applicants, Matt Shields, a Radford University alum with a BS in theater, was selected to fulfill Poole’s position.
Shields grew up outside of Washington D.C. and fell in love with Southwest Virginia after his time studying in Radford. He has worked in the Mill Mountain Theater family for seven years, learning the ins and outs of every corner of the theater, previously handling the responsibilities of Director of Productions, prop master, costume manager, teaching artist scenic designer, and company manager.
When asked what about Southwest Virginia influenced Shields to stay he remarked, “I loved the lack of traffic and how beautiful it is. The mountains, the rivers, the streams, we don’t have anything like that where I’m from, and lastly its sense of community. Roanoke is still a city, but it has a small-town feel. You get to meet your neighbors and the community members have so much support for what’s going on around here. That was awesome, to be a part of a community.”
Shields plans to continue in the direction that Poole has been leading the theater down and wants to embody the leadership that he saw Poole demonstrate.
“Always lead with compassion. I don’t think any leader is successful unless they’re compassionate about the people who work with them and the staff around them. Secondly, it is being a servant leader. I try not to just sit at my desk all day, I try to be up helping the production staff build the show, or a development person write a grant or our business person write a budget. We are a team and it’s important that your staff sees that you’re still a working member of the staff”, said Shields.
Poole and Shields have been working closely with each other during this period process to ensure a smooth transition between responsibilities.
“Ginger and I have a great working relationship, so I think it makes the transition a lot easier, knowing that I can call on her when I need help. She is still in an advisory role while I put everything in my name. We are going to continue to prioritize our staff, our people, and our community. I want Mill Moutain to be a full experience as opposed to a ‘just come and see a show’. There will be small changes, but it’s still going to be the Mill Mountain that people know and love”, expressed Sheilds.
Everyone in the Mill Mountain teams seems to believe that Shields is the perfect replacement to fill the gap that is left with Poole’s departure.
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