[NEohioPAL]Death of the Founder of the Barn Theatre

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Hello, please pass this on to anyone you know who worked at the Barn Theatre=
=20
in Augusta, Michigan. Thanks . . . A. Kern

Jack Ragotzy, Michigan Barn Theatre Impresario Who Touched Many Careers, Dea=
d=20
at 81
By Kenneth Jones
16 Dec 2003=20


Jack Ragotzy, founder of the landmark summer stock company, The Barn Theatre=
=20
in Augusta, Michigan, died Dec. 15 of a heart attack in his home on the=20
grounds of the theatre, one day shy of his 82nd birthday.

New York-area press agent Charlie Siedenburg, who spent formative years=20
working at the Barn as one of the nicknamed "Barnies," sent out the sad news=
 via=20
press release. Siedenburg =E2=80=94 one of countless showfolk whose careers=20=
were touched=20
by Mr. Ragotzy and his wife, Betty =E2=80=94 started at the Barn as an appre=
ntice=20
actor in the late 1980s and ended up being the troupe's press rep into the e=
arly=20
1990s. He would later rep Broadway shows and currently handles media relatio=
ns=20
for Paper Mill: The State Theatre of New Jersey.=20

Mr. Ragotzy served as its executive producer for 57 consecutive summer=20
seasons, where he wrote, acted, produced and directed =E2=80=94 and opened d=
oors for=20
hundreds of young artists, who would loyally return to his playhouse, a conv=
erted=20
dairy barn in western Michigan.=20

Barnies, the affectionate nickname for those who got their professional star=
t=20
or have worked there while their careers were in full bloom, include=20
Broadway, television and film actors Jennifer Garner, Tom Wopat, Marin Mazzi=
e, Melissa=20
Gilbert, Adrienne Barbeau, Dana Delany, Barbara Marineau, Patricia Wettig,=20
Becky Ann Baker, Robert Newman, Kim Zimmer, James B. Sikking, John Newton, J=
on=20
Cypher, Eric Riley, Darius de Haas and Edwina Lewis.=20

The late Pulitzer Prize-winner Jonathan Larson (Rent) got his Equity card=20
there, and tried out early songs at the Rehearsal Shed Lounge.=20

Countless musical directors, technical people and designers also worked ther=
e=20
over the years. Other New York theatre folk who were attached to the Barn=20
over the years include actor-lyricist Scott Burkell (a Barn regular in recen=
t=20
years), composer-musical director Paul Loesel (a Broadway pit musician), Amy=
=20
Francis of CAP21, actor Joe Aiello (a Barn regular in recent years) and acto=
r=20
Robin Haynes (another regular).=20

Born Jack Peyton Ragotzy, on Dec. 16, 1921, he was raised in Kalamazoo.=C2=
=A0 A=20
World War II Army Air Force veteran and a 1948 BA graduate of Kalamazoo Coll=
ege,=20
he also worked at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, where he met his future wife=20
Betty Ebert (1923-1995).=C2=A0 They were married in 1946 and that summer the=
y=20
founded the Village Players in nearby Richland.=20

The Ragotzys' theatre became so popular they began renting a former dairy=20
barn in Augusta.=C2=A0 They were incorporated as The Barn Theatre in 1949 an=
d began=20
converting it into an esteemed Equity resident summer stock theatre and one=20=
of=20
the only remaining structures of its kind in the United States. It is billed=
 as=20
Michigan's oldest summer stock theatre.=20

Mr. Ragotzy was the first Theatre Arts Master Degree recipient from UCLA.=
=C2=A0 He=20
was also the recipient of honorary doctorates from Western Michigan=20
University and Nazareth College.=C2=A0 He was an active member of Actors' Eq=
uity Association=20
and other show business unions.=20

Mr. Ragotzy was a director who staged Broadway's Angela with Geraldine Page=20
in 1969 and won a 1959 Obie Award for Direction for Arthur Laurents' A Clear=
ing=20
in the Woods and The Time of the Cuckoo. He was also a television actor,=20
director and movie actor for over 20 years.=20

A book, "Man in the Spangled Pants," was written about Ragotzy, his career=20
and the Barn.=20

Mr. Ragotzy is survived by his son Brendan, daughter-in law Penelope and fou=
r=20
grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife of 49 years, Betty Ebert.=20

In lieu of flowers, the Ragotzy family has asked donations be made to The=20
Barn Theatre School for Professional Training, Highway M-96, Augusta, MI, 49=
012.=C2=A0=20
Services will be held at the Gull Lake Community Church in Richland, MI on=20
Dec. 19.=C2=A0Visit www.barntheatre.com.=20

   =20





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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT  SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">Hello, please pass this on to anyon=
e you know who worked at the Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan. Thanks . . .=
 A. Kern<BR>
<BR>
Jack Ragotzy, Michigan Barn Theatre Impresario Who Touched Many Careers, Dea=
d at 81<BR>
By <I><A HREF=3D"mailto:kjones at playbill.com">Kenneth Jones</A></I></I><BR>
16 Dec 2003 <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Jack Ragotzy, founder of the landmark summer stock company, The Barn Theatre=
 in Augusta, Michigan, died Dec. 15 of a heart attack in his home on the gro=
unds of the theatre, one day shy of his 82nd birthday.<BR>
<BR>
New York-area press agent Charlie Siedenburg, who spent formative years work=
ing at the Barn as one of the nicknamed "Barnies," sent out the sad news via=
 press release. Siedenburg =E2=80=94 one of countless showfolk whose careers=
 were touched by Mr. Ragotzy and his wife, Betty =E2=80=94 started at the Ba=
rn as an apprentice actor in the late 1980s and ended up being the troupe's=20=
press rep into the early 1990s. He would later rep Broadway shows and curren=
tly handles media relations for Paper Mill: The State Theatre of New Jersey.=
 <BR>
<BR>
Mr. Ragotzy served as its executive producer for 57 consecutive summer seaso=
ns, where he wrote, acted, produced and directed =E2=80=94 and opened doors=20=
for hundreds of young artists, who would loyally return to his playhouse, a=20=
converted dairy barn in western Michigan. <BR>
<BR>
Barnies, the affectionate nickname for those who got their professional star=
t or have worked there while their careers were in full bloom, include Broad=
way, television and film actors Jennifer Garner, Tom Wopat, Marin Mazzie, Me=
lissa Gilbert, Adrienne Barbeau, Dana Delany, Barbara Marineau, Patricia Wet=
tig, Becky Ann Baker, Robert Newman, Kim Zimmer, James B. Sikking, John Newt=
on, Jon Cypher, Eric Riley, Darius de Haas and Edwina Lewis. <BR>
<BR>
The late Pulitzer Prize-winner Jonathan Larson (<I>Rent</I>) got his Equity=20=
card there, and tried out early songs at the Rehearsal Shed Lounge. <BR>
<BR>
Countless musical directors, technical people and designers also worked ther=
e over the years. Other New York theatre folk who were attached to the Barn=20=
over the years include actor-lyricist Scott Burkell (a Barn regular in recen=
t years), composer-musical director Paul Loesel (a Broadway pit musician), A=
my Francis of CAP21, actor Joe Aiello (a Barn regular in recent years) and a=
ctor Robin Haynes (another regular). <BR>
<BR>
Born Jack Peyton Ragotzy, on Dec. 16, 1921, he was raised in Kalamazoo.=C2=
=A0 A World War II Army Air Force veteran and a 1948 BA graduate of Kalamazo=
o College, he also worked at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, where he met his f=
uture wife Betty Ebert (1923-1995).=C2=A0 They were married in 1946 and that=
 summer they founded the Village Players in nearby Richland. <BR>
<BR>
The Ragotzys' theatre became so popular they began renting a former dairy ba=
rn in Augusta.=C2=A0 They were incorporated as The Barn Theatre in 1949 and=20=
began converting it into an esteemed Equity resident summer stock theatre an=
d one of the only remaining structures of its kind in the United States. It=20=
is billed as Michigan's oldest summer stock theatre. <BR>
<BR>
Mr. Ragotzy was the first Theatre Arts Master Degree recipient from UCLA.=
=C2=A0 He was also the recipient of honorary doctorates from Western Michiga=
n University and Nazareth College.=C2=A0 He was an active member of Actors'=20=
Equity Association and other show business unions. <BR>
<BR>
Mr. Ragotzy was a director who staged Broadway's <I>Angela</I> with Geraldin=
e Page in 1969 and won a 1959 Obie Award for Direction for Arthur Laurents'=20=
<I>A Clearing in the Woods</I> and <I>The Time of the Cuckoo.</I> He was als=
o a television actor, director and movie actor for over 20 years. <BR>
<BR>
A book, "Man in the Spangled Pants," was written about Ragotzy, his career a=
nd the Barn. <BR>
<BR>
Mr. Ragotzy is survived by his son Brendan, daughter-in law Penelope and fou=
r grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife of 49 years, Betty Ebert. <B=
R>
<BR>
In lieu of flowers, the Ragotzy family has asked donations be made to The Ba=
rn Theatre School for Professional Training, Highway M-96, Augusta, MI, 4901=
2.=C2=A0 Services will be held at the Gull Lake Community Church in Richland=
, MI on Dec. 19.=C2=A0Visit <A HREF=3D"http://www.barntheatre.com/">www.barn=
theatre.com</A>. <BR>
<BR>
    <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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