But Rogers insists he never resigned.
Rogers said the company’s budget has been shrinking as a result of the economy. In an attempt to remedy the situation, the board asked Rogers and production manager Rebecca Eddy to have their contract salaries reduced to $12,000, while interim executive director Anne Thibault would receive the same salary as last year. Rogers said that for about the past five years, all three had been paid the same — close to $30,000 per year.
Rogers said he declined the board’s offer and instead offered that all three take pay cuts, suggesting they instead each receive $15,000 annually for their work.
“I’ll take any cut you (the board) offer — but it has to be equal,” he said.
Instead, he received a letter from board president Susan Stitham accepting his resignation.
“I thought we had a good solution, but they didn’t need our opinions,” Rogers said.
Stitham said in a statement via e-mail that the board hopes Rogers will reconsider its offer.
“The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre Board of Directors recognizes and appreciates Bruce Rogers’ unique contributions to the artistic community of Fairbanks, and to the company and its mission to bring high-quality Shakespearian drama to Interior Alaska,” she said. “We are hopeful that he will reconsider our contract offer as artistic director, which remains on the table, and that we can move forward together as we build another great season for 2012.”
She declined further comment, citing confidential personnel contracts.
Rogers said former Managing Director Steve Mitchell offered to negotiate a contract between the board and Rogers, but the board declined.
Rogers was co-founder of the company, which started in 1992.
A Facebook group, “Keep Bruce Rogers as FST Artistic Director,” started on Friday, had more than 300 members by Monday. Graham Watts, a group administrator and the director of this summer’s production of “Measure for Measure,” asked people to send letters to Stitham opposing the resignation.
Rogers said he would not return to FST unless the offer was renegotiated.
“I suspect I can do a play easier than them,” he said. “If I have to, I’ll start a different theater company.”
He was disappointed, however, to lose his connection to the history of the company.
“It’s a history you don’t want to give up,” he said. “But it’s out of my hands.”
While I do not condemn FST's Board of Directors for their actions, I disagree with their decision to effectively fire one of FST's co-founders when they still had an option to negotiate, or to resolve any issues that led to their actions. Should Mr. Rogers not be reinstated as a member of FST, my husband and I will refuse to provide any more support to the company. We will instead give that support to Mr. Rogers, no matter which path he chooses.
Susan Stitham – President
Jan Dawe – Secretary
Helen Burrell – Treasurer
Greg Hill
David Burrell
Melanie Hadaway
Are you saying Mr Rogers WAS fired by the Board Rex, over grants or something, and the resignation story is untrue? If you have accurate information that you are allowed to legally post, please share it.
Here's what's been bugging me. Whenever I've left a job I've been told to put my resignation in writing. Mr Rogers didn't write a resignation letter. So they can't accept his resignation - can they? Surely Susan Stitham has acted illegally? Any lawyers out there care to enlighten me?
That is congestion.
Consumption be done about it?
Of cough, of cough!"
.