Starting the country’s premier African American theater company

Acting sounded so much more interesting, Ron laughs as he explains the path he took. Yet looking back on his life story, the founder and producing director of the St. Louis Black Repertory Company (The Black Rep) has been able to mix the two skill sets to garner rave reviews for 30 years.

As a student at Washington University in St. Louis, he contemplated careers in medicine and law, and explored a variety of fields that included psychology, sociology, and even Eastern philosophy. He then settled into business courses and pursued a business administration degree through University College, the evening division in Arts & Sciences.

One area in which he didn’t take classes was drama. However, in his junior year he auditioned for a friend’s play on a dare and got the part. It was then that he realized he had a passion for theater. Shortly after that experience, he learned from theater-major friends that they were not being cast in plays. Ron encouraged and organized them to perform their own plays using University facilities. The Phoenix Theater Troupe was soon performing at churches, community centers, high schools, even at other colleges and universities.

After graduation, Ron drew upon his business knowledge to keep the theater company alive, and oversee its successful evolution into the St. Louis Black Repertory Company.

Today The Black Rep is the country’s largest premier African-American theater company. It produces dramas, comedies, and musicals primarily by African-American and third-world playwrights. It is committed to entertaining diverse audiences, educating youth, and enriching the community through main-stage productions and educational programs that combine to reach 150,000 people annually.

There’s no doubt that his business background helped, Ron says. While pushing artistic growth, he also thinks of it as a company that does theater. In the early days he admits to working just as hard in the office as he did on stage, taking on responsibilities such as bookkeeping, writing proposals, securing funding, and marketing.

Also of benefit was the variety of fields of study he was exposed to as an Arts & Sciences student. It’s a luxury to be able to study so many different things and to take advantage of things outside the classroom, such as performances and lectures, like the Assembly Series, he adds.

He is quick to add that Gloria White, his advisor and mentor, also had a big influence on his path to success. In addition to being an academic advisor in Arts & Sciences, she held a number of key posts at the University, including vice chancellor emerita for human resources.

Mrs. White was my advisor, my counselor, my motivator, my mentor, my second mother, Ron explains, her influence on me was tremendous, she kept me focused and goal oriented.

Although he has been recognized nationwide for his contributions to the arts, Ron can still be found on campus as a lecturer in the African and African American Studies Department and as an artist in residence in the Performing Arts Department, both in Arts & Sciences.

We must educate the community on the significance of theater and the type of work produced at The Black Rep, he says, underscoring the importance of preserving African-American literature for the theater.

When asked to reflect on his accomplishments, Ron doesn’t mention the more than 100 plays he has produced and directed; the many awards he has earned, including an honorary doctorate from Washington University in 1998; or serving on advisory councils and boards for organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts or the John F. Kennedy Center. He simply pauses and talks of continuing to grow The Black Rep and expanding its programs and facilities. There’s no doubt that the company, under his leadership, will continue winning critical acclaim.

Congratulations to Ron Himes, who received a University College Distinguished Alumni Award on March 27.

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