by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
With more than 200 events annually and an average combined attendance of more than 300,000 patrons of the arts each year, the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts is one of the major reasons people come Downtown.
Last week, Sarah Bartlo, the venue’s new facilities director, moved into her office in the riverfront entertainment and community center.
Bartlo was transferred to Jacksonville from Ogden, Utah, where she was the theater director at Peery’s Egyptian Theater. Like the T-U Center, it’s managed by SMG, the company the City has retained to manage publicly owned sports and entertainment venues.
Bartlo has spent her career in the theater business, first as a performer, then on the technical side of the craft and later in the front office.
“I decided I wanted to eat. Technical people get paid more regularly than actors,” she said.
After Bartlo was a production stage manager, she decided to continue her career evolution and earned a master’s degree in theater management at the Yale School of Drama.
She worked at the Yale Repertory Theatre, the Ensemble Company for the Performing Arts in New Haven, Conn., and the Val A. Browning Center for the Performing Arts in Ogden.
Peery’s Egyptian Theater, like Downtown’s Florida Theatre, was a historic movie palace. When it re-opened in 1997 after a restoration, Bartlo went to work there and was theater director when SMG took over management of the theater in 2007.
She said when offered the opportunity to move to Jacksonville and the T-U Center, it was the natural next step.
“I have always liked performing arts centers,” she said. “They have such a strong place in the community because they have the power to bring disparate groups together. I call it cross-pollination. You can have very different events going on at the same time with completely different audiences which can be exposed to other things,” said Bartlo.
As facility director, Bartlo is responsible for all phases of operations, including scheduling, contract negotiations, development and implementation of the annual budget and administration. Having three halls under one roof offers a high level of flexibility when it comes to the business side of the arts center.
“We have three completely different venues,” she said, referring to the 2,979-seat Moran Theater, the 1,874-seat Jacoby Hall and the 602-seat Terry Theater. The T-U Center also offers space for other functions.
“We can do everything from a meeting to a Broadway show,” said Bartlo.
It’s also a great time to be in the entertainment venue business, despite the slack economy, she said. Movie theaters, legitimate theater and concerts have fared better than many other businesses during the downturn.
“The same thing is happening now that happened during the Great Depression. People need an escape, a way to forget their troubles and celebrate what’s beautiful. We all need to have fun,” said Bartlo.
Another advantage that came with the Jacksonville job is that Bartlo’s predecessor, Bob Papke, was promoted to SMG vice president of sports and entertainment-theaters and transferred to the company’s headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa. In that role, he’ll be booking acts and tours on a national level for stops at SMG venues.
“He knows Jacksonville and he knows the Times-Union Center,” said Bartlo.
She’s only been in her new job for a week, so Bartlo is still learning her way around.
“I want to get to know Jacksonville and its people and become part of the community. I want to help provide more opportunities for quality entertainment and if there are any community organizations looking for a venue, I hope they’ll consider the Times-Union Center and give me a call,” she said.
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