Building Platforms
by VICKI RAMIREZ

When Elizabeth Theobald Richards chose to join the Ford Foundation, it wasn't a choice that seemed aligned with her career path. With a BFA in drama from NYU and an MFA in Theater Administration from Yale School of Drama, several prestigious productions under her belt, and a reputation as a talented and gifted director, Betsy's career seemed on track as the next up and coming Native director. Perhaps, after a while, her career might've expanded further in the New York theater scene, then nationally and then maybe developing a reputation at an international level. That's the natural progression for a career director.

Betsy arrived in New York City in 1980, headed for the prestigious NYU theater program. Like a lot of Native artists, Betsy, wasn't driven by a political agenda, she was in it for the love. "I came to New York to be an artist, not necessarily a Native artist but an artist. That was my plan." After toiling diligently in the larger New York theater community, Betsy was living the "young hip artist" dream that beckons so many of us to New York . After a stint as Development Director at Dance Theater Workshop and then as the Producing Director of the Obie award-winning experimental collective Cucaracha Theater in Tribeca, it seemed Betsy was on her way. So, why was she dissatisfied? She had the funky East Village apartment; she had the edgy theater credentials. But soon the appeal waned. "One thing I learned was that you can't live the edgy artist's life without having a trust fund." She got tired of surviving on macaroni and cheese while being surrounded by people who couldn't relate to her culturally.

"Once I mentioned I was Indian, (they) wanted me to do something ‘Indian’ for them. I realized that piece of me had to be carved up and put away in order to function." Betsy was disillusioned. "I had all these ‘job’jobs in arts organizations that I ended up hating and (I was) feeling really, really empty. I was getting sick of the arts, even the edgy stuff, being the product of a very dominant culture."

Around the same time Betsy lost a sister to cancer and met her husband Scott Richards, a composer and tenure track professor in Music at Montclaire State University and Adjunct Faculty in Graduate Musical Theater writing at NYU/Tisch School of the arts. It was a tumultuous time and Betsy found herself at the American Indian Community House, doing PR for the Columbus Quincentennial. Ironically, it was during this time that Native theater began an exciting phase as more funding opportunities appeared and Hollywood started calling. It was a perfect time for Betsy to immerse herself.

As Betsy focused on Native theatre, she started on her path towards development. She joined Chuka Lokoli Native Theatre Ensemble in 1992. She directed Chuka's piece, In the Spirit, a collaborative piece developed with Ensemble Studio Theater and playwright Edward Allan Baker, at the American Museum of Natural History. She also did two New Works Now! At Joe Papp's Public Theater (Bill YellowRobe's Sneaky and Terry Gomez's Intertribal). She revisited her old stomping grounds when she directed Chuka Lokoli alumni Steve Elm's solo piece, Stagestuck, at Dance Theater Workshop. Betsy headed to the first Native Voices Play Festival in Normal , Illinois where she met friend and often collaborator Drew Hayden Taylor (then the artistic director of Native Earth Performing Arts). Already on her path of shaping new ideas, Betsy directed two pieces for the Weesaugachak Begins the Dance aboriginal play development festivals in Toronto.

Soon Betsy was at Native Earth directing Hayden Taylor's Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth, which received a Dora Mavor Moore Award, which is Canada 's equivalent to the Tony awards. Betsy later directed a workshop of another Hayden Taylor play, The Baby Blues starring noted First Nations actor Tamara Podemski. All this and a new marriage in the mix, and Betsy seemed to have the Ind'in Theater dream.

But it was during this time that Betsy realized the field wasn't quite what it could be. "I realized that for me to do what I truly wanted to, the field needed to change."

Betsy starting thinking of her options. "There were so many things, all happening at once, all sliding into place, that eventually the creator made it very clear to me, that I had a responsibility to use my talents and skills to make the arts field a better place for Native people." Arts philanthropy had always been at the back of her mind. During her years at NYU and Yale she had met many creative artists who had turned towards arts philanthropy and development. She realized, "That was where the changes happen. I realized that I could impact the field and not just one individual production."

It was perfect timing. Just as Betsy came to that conclusion, she received an offer to become the Director of Public Programs at the fledgling Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center . With a state of the art theater at her disposal Betsy was being given the opportunity to spearhead a national program. She had always wanted to work for Native people on a national level. Perfect. Then the Ford Foundation came calling.

"I had said I only wanted to work for Native institutions, this is what my life is about. But after five years programming Native speakers, plays, dance, then the offer from Ford came, and I thought: Wow, this is truly an opportunity to do something for my community." Betsy is the first Native Program Officer at the Ford Foundation.

As a Program Officer, Betsy is able to shepherd forward thinking Native institutions who have potential to make changes in the field. She is able to recommend ideas and assist in creating platforms where there was none before. She has chosen not to focus on developing individual pieces, but rather on developing the organizations that will support individuals.

Her particular focus has been on the infrastructure of the Native Arts field. "I have this initiative on re-granting. I'm giving to intermediary Native organizations that have a focus on making grants to other artists, for example, The First Nations Composers Initiative (FNCI) at the American Composers Forum in Minneapolis . They're making grants on local and national levels. Because there's money, now the field is empowered." She's also particularly proud of linking together a lot of folks who are doing the work. "They're all talking and thinking about the future. The pleasure is when you make a grant and people take the ball and run with it. When I recommend funding, I have been able to help people do things, but when people take the Ford Foundation funds and make things happen, that’s when it's great! It isn't me, it's them."

It's undeniable that Betsy's efforts have made a positive impact on the Native Arts field. There are many opportunities out there for Native artists that simply weren't available before. However, Program Officers are temporary at Ford. What is going to happen when our enthusiastic champion bows out?

When asked about her plans Betsy is noncommittal. She focuses on the now. "I'm not interested in the larger arts field, just in developing Native arts." Between her initiatives and her family, it doesn't seem as though she would have much time to focus on the larger arts field. "With this job I get to travel to all these wonderful places, all over Indian Country and to places like China and India but I go for three days and I leave. I need to be back for my children."

Truth be told, I think Betsy is a very gifted director. When I hint, overtly, that she should be back directing full time, Betsy laughs. "I am still an artist. I still want to direct. But who knows what's going to happen in the future? One of the things that's so difficult is that I have two small children, I have to do what makes it work. That's what makes me happy. If someone told me tomorrow, you can be Queen of the Universe, but you have to move to Northern California and you can't bring your children or your husband, being Queen of the Universe wouldn't do it for me."

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