MJ Bruder Munafo to retire

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MJ Bruder Munafo, artistic and executive director at the M.V. Playhouse, will be retiring at the end of the year from a place she has called home since 1986. Surprisingly, Munafo had never been involved in theater before she arrived on the Island. As it happened, one of her friends here, Sandy Stuart, was working with Theater Arts Productions in the late Seventies: “Sandy asked if I wanted to help out with the show, and I said, ‘Sure.’ It was ‘Guys and Dolls,’ and I did the props. That got me hooked on the theater.” From there, Munafo started working in production.

When the Playhouse began, she decided in 1984 to try her hand in front of the footlights, auditioning for “Bus Stop” and landing the role of Grace. “In 1986, they asked me to be the managing director, and I said, ‘Sure.’ But I didn’t really know what it entailed.” In 1995, Munafo became the artistic director, working full-time at the Playhouse and earning her ALB with a concentration in drama at Harvard University’s Extension School, where she graduated summa cum laude in 1997. 

Munafo states that the role of artistic director is the most important job title for her, which, in her case, also includes being the executive director. Munafo is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and during her 30-year tenure as artistic director, has produced more than 250 plays. Every summer, the season typically includes four Mainstage productions and one (usually by Shakespeare) in the Tisbury Amphitheater. Sometimes, there’s also a play in the fall, or around the holidays: “Our seasons are very eclectic. I always enjoy a good story and a well-written play — something that makes us think and entertains us. We try to have a mix of different cultures and productions that appeal to our community. In recent years, we’ve developed many new plays. So the season might feature one new play, one that people know, a comedy, and a play about a current issue.”

Munafo says about being both artistic and executive director, “Honestly, I don’t know how I did it. It is a constant juxtaposition of roles. With my producer hat on, I’ve had to watch the money. I quite like looking at budgets and making sure the numbers line up. There is also fundraising and PR. With my artistic hat on, I just wanted the best play or person to be cast. And I like the chaos of creating something off the top of your head when working with a show. It was a lot, but the best of all worlds, and somehow it worked. It is nice to have both the creative and business sides of your brain working.”

Throughout her career at the theater, Munafo has initiated an impressive array of educational programs. There was the Fourth Grade Theater Project, which ran for 20 years, starting in 1993, which touched the lives of some 2,000 Island children. “At one time, it was done with all the schools on the Island. It started when the Tisbury School was undergoing some construction. They had all the fourth graders in one small room, and the principal asked if we could do something to get the kids out of the school. The theater itself was the classroom. It was a four-month project that was part of their curriculum in the arts and English department. I still run into people who fondly remember what play they were in in the 1990s.”

Munafo started the Summer Stars theater arts program in 1994, later adding a winter component. Liz Hartford, who ran the Summer Stars theater program and performed in many plays at the theater, says, “When I first started working with MJ, I was early in my career. She has definitely shaped me as an actor, and how I teach and direct. She’s given her all to the Playhouse.” Other programs include the Fabulists: Theater for Children, performed in the amphitheater, as well as a Teen Improv performing troupe: “They were wonderful, wonderful years of working with many talented teenagers. We laughed our heads off.”

During her tenure from late 2011 to June 2014, the Playhouse underwent a $2.5 million renovation. “When the building was completed, well-insulated, and the heating system was operational, we realized we should do something for the year-round community.” The wide range of arts programming has included, among others, Molly Conole’s Wicked Good Musical Revue, Wintertime or Springtime Melodies, Jenny Allen’s Drama Salon and Show Biz Trivia, Arnie Reisman’s Poetry Café, and Monday night screenings of classic movies: “The great thing about the Playhouse is that it’s been the mothership for all these various programs. If someone had a great idea, like Shakespeare for the Masses, I was all for it.”

Munafo finds it hard to select a favorite memory, noting, “There’s a lot packed into a lifetime of work at the theater.” However, one was the start of the summer college intern program. Jon Lipsky, her associate artistic director, conceived the idea, identifying eight students. “I said, ‘John, we have nowhere to put them. How about if we have them camp out?’ I used to camp when I was their age, living in a tent from May to October. They set up their tents, and we had a rainy, rainy June, and they just hated it. I said to John, ‘Two things we learned: One, we should only have two interns, and two, we can never have them live in a tent again.’”

Munafo reflects on how both her Playhouse “family” and her real family have been intertwined. Her husband, Paul Munafo, has long been involved with the theater in various capacities, including acting and singing, building sets, and hanging art exhibitions. “All four of our parents have been involved. Additionally, our daughter, Jenik, was a terrific actress. Then my granddaughter has also acted here, and worked at the Summer Stars camp throughout her high school years.”

Regarding new adventures, Munafo has several plans, including traveling, working on her photography, writing, and training her beloved dog for therapy work. She also looks forward to being less busy: “People have always told me, I know how busy you are. So now people can call me and invite me to places. Also, I can just catch my breath.”

Currently, the board of directors is working on the next steps for the Playhouse. Gerry Yukevich, chairman of the board, remarks, “MJ’s made it happen: The MV Playhouse is now revered as an intimate space where inspiring stories are told, dreams are made manifest, and the creative heartbeat of the Island can be felt beating powerfully all year long. Her gift to the Island is generous and profound.”