In 2000, WHRO’s Art Beat turned its cameras on Virginia Stage Company, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary. The episode also spotlighted the historic Wells Theatre, VSC’s longtime home. Watching it now feels less like nostalgia and more like a reminder of how unlikely this whole thing once was. At the time, Art Beat host Jeff Lindquist spoke with then-artistic director Charlie Hensley and founding board president Bob Brown about VSC’s early days. What comes through clearly is that Virginia Stage Company was never just about putting on plays. It was about proving that professional theatre could survive and matter in Hampton Roads.
