Kathryn Page Hauptman

is honored with a Brick from the Stage One Singers - 1997.

Kathy Page Hauptman, founder of Stage One, spends her time directing. As Executive Director, she defines the philosophy and mission of the company. As managing director, she handles all the business: negotiating and writing contracts, fundraising and writing checks, budgeting and planning, organizing the office and volunteers. As artistic director, she shares with Laura Bergquist the decisions of which shows they will do.

The only directing she doesn't do is directing the shows. She hires those directors. Through theatre networking, she finds directors who have a strong vision about new shows. Stage One incubates new musical theatre. Its mission is to encourage and develop the musical art form. The need is obvious, Only a handful of new musicals have appeared in the past two decades.

How did Kathy become the founding mother of a major visionary project? Her family teases that she has been involved in productions since she was a wee child. Her cousins assigned the preschooler the major task of shining the flashlight on their music while they performed!

Kathy, born on May 30, 1952, grew up in Wichita. She attended Jesse Chisholm Elementary, Mead Junior High and Southeast High School. She started in the theatre curriculum at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. "I kept resisting finishing a degree in theatre because I felt I couldn't earn a living at it," she rationalized as she worked at Bank IV and then at Pizza Hut headquarters. "I hated those jobs because they were all business: spreadsheets, budgets, project planning. Why would I want to learn that? I only worked to pay the rent while I spent my free time performing."

Between Crown Players, Wichita Community Theatre, Wichita State University Theatre and Empire House, she found lots of creative outlets. For four years she directed the melodramas and olios at Empire House in Cowtown.

In her mid-thirties she recognized her need to change course. She resigned from Pizza Hut, enrolled full time at WSU and worked at "a million jobs" for two years to complete her degree. One of her part-time jobs opened a door into the Wichita Art Association. There she taught a drama class, moved up to children's theatre and finally became director of the fledgling theatre program.

Her business experience at Pizza Hut had taught her that the program she designed must be top quality and different. We already had community theatre, summer music theatre, dinner theatre, college theatre. She found exposure to creative minds and visual arts at the Association, now called the Wichita Center for the Arts, and opened doors to form new directions. She traveled to other theatres, attended conventions and workshops, and saw what other groups were doing--the first steps to forming a professional theatre.

She selected "Baby," a musical new to us. She hired Laura Bergquist and partnered with Wayne Bryan. Together they worked to find the next level - what would inspire the three of them. Kathy developed the big view but she also enjoyed dealing with the details. Always interested in costume design, she even enjoyed sewing all the little beads on gowns. During "She Loves Me" she even dipped into her own wardrobe to outfit the leading lady.

In 1988, she produced "Rags." Its composer, Stephen Schwartz, came to see how she handled it. He described his new project, "Children of Eden." Kathy pursued permission to stage that show, and suddenly Wichita became an innovator city.

Her contacts allowed Kathy to develop "Jane Eyre," a huge undertaking. The WCA was overwhelmed with creative and business dealings. Only six weeks before opening night, the New York backers pulled $50,000 from the show. Kathy did "the hardest thing in the world" - went on stage at another play and explained the vision and the need. Wichitans responded with open checkbooks. One group of senior citizens pooled everything in their collective pockets and purses to contribute $25. Kathy was relieved but not surprised. "I believe in grass roots--the masses bringing a little bit, not one or two bringing a lot. That's what makes things happen. That base of support provides not just the money, but also the numbers who will attend the show.''

The success she had with "Jane Eyre" led to forming Stage One. Husband Terry fueled her fervor. "He is my rock - 100% supportive of me." She built national and regional boards, found office space, made a theatre commitment, developed the educational programming "Words and Music By" with Laura and formed a corporation. "We have re-defined 'non-profit,' they laugh."

The Stage One Singers thank Kathy for taking the risks in this new venture and cheer her on, singing her praises for providing our community choir.

Submitted by Liz Hicks

September 3, 1998