Preface

Fun loving and full of unconditional love for each other, the McCurdy family’s energy is dynamic. Their family drama is of the creative inspiration kind, not the Jerry Springer kind. Their dialogue with one another has a cadence and comedic rhythm to it. They’re genuine, humble and kind. They’re entertaining and don’t even mean to be.

One of my favorite moments from our interview was when I asked Mike and Melissa McCurdy what kind of parents they thought they were. At the exact same moment, they both exclaimed, “Terrible!” They then went on to say they remind themselves of the family in the Patricia Heaton sitcom on ABC, “The Middle.” Mike says, “We put the ‘fun’ in dysfunctional.”

Hardly, I say. They are engaged and personally committed to raising great little human beings who have a love for and interest in the world around them. I give the McCurdys two thumbs up!

Acknowledgements

Seeing as how 2016 marks The Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s 40th season, we closet thespians at Little Rock Family felt it was a banner time to feature their resident family man and manager, Michael McCurdy and his exuberant brood. We sound the trumpet of thanks to the McCurdys and the entire Rep team for allowing us a backstage pass into the world of theater on Main Street. This story in words and pictures would not have been possible without their patience and props o’ plenty, including a few parasols.

Dramatis Personae
(The Cast)

MIKE has been The Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s Managing Director since 2000. He’s played an instrumental role in the opening of The Rep’s Education Annex. Both entities are the first tenants in the new downtown Little Rock Creative Corridor. He’s a board member of the Downtown Partnership and the Production Manager for the annual “Hill Cumorah Pageant,” presented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Palmyra, New York. He also serves on national boards including the Shakespeare in American Community Grant Panel, Union Negotiating Committee and Theatre Communications Group (TCG) Continuing Education Panel. MELISSA works at Central Arkansas Library System and does a “Best Book I Shelved Today” feature on her personal Facebook. She’s a member of The Rep’s Young Artist’s Guild and a volunteer policy advocate for the Pediatric Congenital Heart Association. She enjoys writing and reading and is active in her kiddos’ schools. Check out her blog at GerberaDaisyDiaries.com.
ANNIE is involved in Central High School’s theater department, most recently appearing as national network reporter Paula Zahn in their production of “The Katrina Project.” The play is a collection of stories and actual interviews of Hurricane Katrina survivors. She has participated in The Rep’s SMTI program for four years and also studies dance. JOE is in middle school and has participated in SMTI for two years including the productions of “Really Rosie” and “Project Élan.” He has also appeared in The Rep’s MainStage Production of “A Christmas Carol.” He’s active in Boy Scouts and Junior Deputy baseball. At 9, MAX is the tween of the McCurdy family. He was born with congenital heart disease and had open heart surgery when he was five weeks old. He is an Ambassador for Arkansas Children’s Hospital, is involved in Boy Scouts and plays Junior Deputy Baseball. He appeared in The Rep’s MainStage Production of “Elf” last year and was cast alongside the Senior/Junior Session participants (ages 12-22) in the SMTI Production of “Once On This Island.”

Act I-Footloose & Fancy Free
a.k.a. the time before tots

Mike and Melissa met at church in Washington, D.C. Melissa was a lobbyist for a telecommunications group and Mike was working in the Shakespeare theater there. Melissa says with a grin, “We dated. Broke up. Dated and broke up. And dated.”

They were later married and lived in New York City. Mike was from New York and had aspirations of being a talent attorney. He had gotten into law school but deferred a year and worked for the William Morris Talent Agency. He recalls, “There was a talent lawyer there with this gorgeous corner office with all these windows, but he couldn’t enjoy the view because files were stacked so high.” Mike decided then it was not what he wanted to do with his life. He started his own theater company in Manhattan called the Handcart Ensemble.

Act II-From the Big Apple to Little Rock

After working for a while in New York, Melissa became pregnant with Annie. Around that same time, Mike interviewed for the Managing Director position at The Rep. Mike asked her if she’d ever been to Little Rock since she was from Oklahoma. She had not. He was offered The Rep job and accepted it. To keep their health insurance coverage, Melissa stayed in New York until Annie was six weeks old and then made the move too.

“We love raising a family in Little Rock. It’s calmer and more manageable than New York and it’s an affordable place to live,” Mike says. They also love all of the artistic venues in central Arkansas and enrichment opportunities for their children. Melissa shares, “The boys are even bigger theater rats than we are…theatre and baseball.”

The McCurdys fondly refer to The Rep as their refuge and home away from home. Their children have grown up around everyone at the theater. Annie’s birthday parties every year have been at The Rep because it lands during the winter show. Melissa jokes about how it was fun at first, but Annie’s not really interested in having a “Little Mermaid” themed party for her 15th this year.

Mike and Melissa both share their love for parenting their three kids. Being the daughter of a football coach, Melissa says, “With one, you’re good, but by the time you have three kids, you have to play zone!” Here, Mike and Melissa share more of their thoughts on parenting and the theater.

LRF: What is your favorite thing about being a parent?

Mike: Watching each of them grow up and develop their own unique personalities with differing interests and abilities.

Melissa: There’s a meme floating around that, in part, says something like, “your kids will turn out fine, even when you think you’ve failed.” Not a quote—but something like that. I’m amazed at the resilience of my children. When I think I’ve totally screwed up or failed them in some way, they continue to grow and progress and become really cool human beings. They seem to succeed in spite of my failures.

LRF: What do you want people to know about The Rep?

Mike: That we are here at the corner of 6th and Main and whether you come down for one show or a full season of productions, we have something for everyone—something for the entire family. Our mission is to engage, enlighten and entertain our audience. And we’ve been doing it for 40 years. I can’t wait to see what the next 40 years bring.

Melissa: That we are NOT a touring house. The Rep designs, creates, builds 99 percent of everything you see on stage. We employ artists and designers and craft gurus who transform a black stage into an alternative reality seven times a year. The NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) has a slogan, “A great nation deserves great art.” A twist on that slogan could be, “A great state deserves great theater.” And we accomplish that every time we open a show.