Things Unseen has new leadership
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Things Unseen Theatre Company is under new co-artistic directors as co-founder and co-artistic director Valerie Stratton and co-artistic director Tom Liszka retire in May.
Active in the local theater community for more than 25 years, Stratton, 78, founded Things Unseen Theatre with the late Jody Hesley and recently directed her last production -- the company's 45th production -- in March. For a dozen years, Things Unseen has been the resident theater company at the Church in the Middle of the Block Cultural Center/Sweitzer Theatre at 217 Fifth Ave. Stratton and Hesley founded the company as an outlet for emerging artists onstage and backstage and to provide affordable entertainment that explores social issues such as child, drug and domestic abuse, racial issues, homosexuality, women's health issues and bullying, among others.
Stratton, an emeritus psychology professor at Penn State Altoona, is moving to Middleburgh, New York, a village of 3,500 people west of Albany. She and Jim, her husband of nearly 54 years, are relocating to spend more time with their son, daughter-in-law and 4-year-old granddaughter.
"I see a lot of baby-sitting in my future," Stratton said.
Leaving the theater company has given rise to "very mixed feelings," she said. "I kind of feel like it was time for me to be done in a sense but it's also difficult. What helps is knowing that it will continue and be in good hands."
Those "good hands" are Emily Evey of Hollidaysburg and Matt Michrina of Altoona, who have been active in the company and assume volunteer positions as co-artistic directors.
Michrina, 34, has served as technical director at Things Unseen. He's been involved in Altoona Community Theatre since 2004 in various capacities, especially backstage leadership positions as director, lighting and sound design, and has participated in Things Unseen productions for 10 years.
Since 2017, Evey, 31, has performed on stage and directed productions with Things Unseen and Altoona Community Theatre and has experience in arts administration and marketing.
Evey credits Stratton with creating an atmosphere where newcomers are warmly included and that prompted her to get more and more involved.
"(Stratton) has touched a lot of people as a professor, in doing shows with ACT and starting Things Unseen. She's had a huge impact on Blair County," Michrina said.
Liszka of Altoona will be "taking a step back" but will remain active in set design and as a director and actor. He became co-artistic director in 2013.
The Stratton-Liszka artistic partnership expanded their roles as friends and colleagues at Penn State, where Liszka taught English before retiring in 2012.
Things Unseen has been "an outlet for serious acting in the community" and allows actors to do things they might otherwise not have an opportunity to practice, Liszka said. "Things Unseen makes all the other theater groups better because it's an outlet where actors can practice skills that they might otherwise not have an opportunity to do."
Stratton and Hesley "wanted to stretch what was available in the area and they have succeeded quite well," he said.
Stratton takes with her many fun and warm memories from productions and counts "An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe" and a night of adult comedy featuring the work of Shel Silverstein among her most memorable. Behind the scenes, she did all facets of production from buying the rights to plays to sewing and repurposing Mishler Theatre draperies salvaged by John Rita, who saved the Church in the Middle of the Block from destruction. Stratton spent much of the pandemic turning the drapes into curtains that adorn the theater's back windows and enhance the sides.
When Stratton decided to retire, Liszka said he felt it was an appropriate time for him to also step down.
"Matt and Emily need free reign and don't need to feel that they have to answer to me. I'll still be involved but I won't be in charge. I'll help build sets and direct," he said.
The transition has been planned for about a year and has allowed Stratton to share her production expertise with Michrina and Evey.
Things Unseen will continue to provide creative opportunities to local playwrights and tackle productions on social justice issues "that make people think," they said. In between productions, the pair plan to offer additional "one-off" events such as workshops, play readings and more.
Mirror Staff Writer Patt Keith can be reached at 814-949-7030.