The executive director of the historic Michigan Theatre of Jackson is making his official return to the venue Wednesday with a sold out community celebration featuring actor Jeff Daniels.
Earlier this year, board members for the Michigan Theatre of Jackson suddenly dismissed longtime Executive Director Steve Tucker.
That decision sparked community outcry, a lawsuit by theatre members and eventually the resignation of two board members.
Tucker say these past six months have been an "incredible journey" and now he's planning to move forward.
"I learned a lot of about myself, and I learned a lot about the community, and I learned a lot about what disappointment is like."
Tucker says his way of paying back the community for their support will be to work as hard as he can to make the theater better.
"It is a gem, but to get it going even stronger with more programming and more youth programming, and more live theater, and more films, and more everything," he said.
Tucker says he hopes to make it to the theater's 100th anniversary in 2030 before considering retirement.
Interview Highlights
On his plans for his future with the Michigan Theatre
I had made some comments that I would like to go until the 100th birthday of the theater, which would be in 2030 so that's another four years from today, from April, actually, four years and a couple months, so I'm shooting for that, you know, barring nothing unforeseen, and I feel pretty good physically and mentally. I'm getting back in shape mentally too, and physically, to do this kind of work. But yeah, I wanted to go to the 100th birthday. I think that's a real milestone for any building, and especially an organization, and especially an historic theater that is so incredibly beautiful.
On support from Jackson community members
I figured the only way I could respond was to promise to work as hard as I possibly can to make this place an absolute gem. It is a gem, but to get it going even stronger with more programming and more youth programming, and more live theater, and more films, and more everything. So, I know that I have that. I'm committed to that, and I owe it to the people of Jackson. They were incredibly gracious and kind to me, and supportive in so many ways, and there were so many times I couldn't respond, because I just was, you know, couldn't respond.
On the event to welcome him back to the theater
I look forward to being here, and we're sold out. We've been sold out for over a week, and it's been great. Now, we're just planning on making everybody happy, and there's going to be food trucks out in the parking lot, and everybody will get a free popcorn made by my son Stephen James Tucker and everybody get a free soda pop to drink, and a sandwich, a pulled pork sandwich, or barbecue beef sandwich. There's going to be some options, and then they'll just come into the theater. They can eat right in the theater.
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: Earlier this year, board members for the historic Michigan Theatre of Jackson suddenly dismissed longtime Executive Director Steve Tucker.
That decision sparked community outcry, a lawsuit by theatre members and eventually the resignation of two board members. Now, Tucker is back leading the nonprofit with a community celebration Wednesday night scheduled to welcome him back. Steve joins me now. Thank you for being here.
Steve Tucker: Oh, thank you for having me.
Saliby: How would you describe these past six months from being dismissed to now being able to come back?
Tucker: It was an incredible journey. I learned a lot of about myself, and I learned a lot about the community, and I learned a lot about what disappointment is like, and I learned how to handle disappointment, and how poorly I handle disappointment.
Saliby: So, prior to your dismissal by the previous board, I believe they said that you were set to retire this spring. Was retirement ever on your radar?
Tucker: Always. You know, I'm not young, but there had been some talk about that, but I never really issued anything definite that I wanted to leave.
And as recent as I think October, I had made some comments that I would like to go until the 100th birthday of the theater, which would be in 2030 so that's another four years from today, from April, actually, four years and a couple months, so I'm shooting for that, you know, barring nothing unforeseen, and I feel pretty good physically and mentally.
I'm getting back in shape mentally too, and physically, to do this kind of work. But yeah, I wanted to go to the 100th birthday. I think that's a real milestone for any building, and especially an organization, and especially an historic theater that is so incredibly beautiful.
Saliby: I remember when this announcement was made, I think, in late January, early February, and immediately there was a large amount of community support for you, feeling like your dismissal was unjust.
And then, obviously, this kind of went into the lawsuit, and then kind of a new board taking over. What has it been like to see this many people backing you?
Tucker: Overwhelming, no doubt. Overwhelming, and very emotional, sometimes debilitating, in that, you know, you're crippled by that, because you really don't know how to respond, and it was an incredible thing.
And I figured the only way I could respond was to promise to work as hard as I possibly can to make this place an absolute gem. It is a gem, but to get it going even stronger with more programming and more youth programming, and more live theater, and more films, and more everything. So, I know that I have that. I'm committed to that, and I owe it to the people of Jackson.
They were incredibly gracious and kind to me, and supportive in so many ways, and there were so many times I couldn't respond, because I just was, you know, couldn't respond.
Saliby: Have you spoken to the board members who ousted you, or do you plan to ever hash things out with them?
Tucker: Oh, you know, I've been so busy with getting everything back around and back in the groove. All of the other employees came back to work, which was a real joy, because we have a pretty solid system, and everybody came back when I came back, and I was so excited to see everybody, and I generally think they feel the same way. So, we're planning on just moving forward at this point, you know.
Saliby: Tell me about this celebration on Wednesday. Actor Jeff Daniels is performing. How did he get involved in all this?
Tucker: One of the main components of the theater, not only as far back as 2012 when I started, has been Philip J. Curtis and his support for the theater, not only for the Michigan Theatre of Jackson, mind you, Jackson School of the Arts, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Ella Sharp Museum, various schools throughout the area.
He's what you would call a community activist, a very quiet, subdued community activist, but he works so hard, and he has supported so many different good causes in the community. Without him, you know, there's this wouldn't have happened. None of it would have happened.
This theater, I wrote him yesterday, I said, you know, in retrospect, Phil, had you not been involved since 2012 in so many ways, not only through his own personal generosity, but his inspiration to others, we would have been in rubble. We would have been a really nice big parking lot.
Saliby: So, he was involved with bringing in Jeff Daniels?
Tucker: Yeah. He sits on the board of the Purple Rose Theatre, and he brought Jeff here when we kicked off, and you reported on that when we kicked off our capital campaign. So, Jeff came then and did a show on stage, played his guitar and sang, did some original work, and I'm expecting much of the same this time. And I look forward to being here, and we're sold out. We've been sold out for over a week, and it's been great.
Now, we're just planning on making everybody happy, and there's going to be food trucks out in the parking lot, and everybody will get a free popcorn made by my son Stephen James Tucker and everybody get a free soda pop to drink, and a sandwich, a pulled pork sandwich, or barbecue beef sandwich. There's going to be some options, and then they'll just come into the theater. They can eat right in the theater. We ask them to watch the sauce, but yeah, we're excited about it. It's going to be like, I mean, the balcony is 1,100 people, nearly. That's our max.
Saliby: Steve Tucker is the executive director of the Michigan Theatre in Jackson. Thank you for joining me.
Tucker: Thank you very much, Sophia.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
