As Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp prepares for another busy summer, it’s enjoying the leadership of a new executive director who is not only familiar with the camp’s 113-year-old legacy, but also with the financial and logistical challenges, and opportunities, of sustaining it.

Brad Kindred, a former board member and longtime community advocate, stepped into the executive director role out of necessity. 

“I came in to stabilize what we had,” Kindred said. “I wasn’t a paid professional at the time. I was just trying to keep the programs going and pay the bills at Perry-Mansfield.”

Kindred brings a deep background in education and public service, including a master’s degree in curriculum and early education as well as experience founding schools and working on education-related legislation. His connection to Perry-Mansfield is also personal, as both his children attended the camp.

Kindred’s son went on to become head of the school of theatre at Pace University in New York City.

“There’s a long family connection here, and the bottom line is, I care,” Kindred said. “I care about this place, and I care about our community.”

That personal investment has helped guide Perry-Mansfield through what Kindred described as a “herky-jerky” transition period. In recent years, the camp has seen several leadership changes, including four different executive directors, while continuing to address the challenges of maintaining an 80-acre historic ranch that comes complete with its own road and water systems.

“Nothing’s getting cheaper,” Kindred said. “Insurance hasn’t gone down, utilities haven’t gone down. It’s a real financial strain just to keep the operations going.”

Still, Kindred is optimistic about the future. Summer staff arrive on May 19 to prepare for a full slate of summer programming, including weekly performances and a return visit from Jacob Jonas The Company, a professional dance group that will perform the first week of June.

“We’ve increased our day camp offerings, too,” Kindred said. “We’ve added a section for 9- to 12-year-olds, where they’ll get the Perry-Mansfield experience including horse time, theater time, dance, music and nature. All of that is really important to us.”

In addition to the summer programming, the camp now operates year-round through its Academy of Arts initiative, which includes outreach to schools in Hayden and Oak Creek, and a partnership with Colorado Mountain College for construction and stagecraft education. Rocky Mountain Youth Corps remains a longtime partner as well through their help with fire mitigation efforts and workforce training on-site. Additionally, The Players at Perry-Mansfield continue to perform at the Julie Harris Theater and have already chosen plays for the upcoming year, which will be announced in the coming months. 

“We’re working on our partnerships,” Kindred said. “We’re no longer just a summer camp. That camp is still a big part of our mission, but we’re evolving to meet the demands of modern life.”

That evolution means adjusting to shifting expectations, regulatory demands and community needs. All those aspects, Kindred pointed out, differ greatly from when co-founders Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield launched the camp more than a century ago.

“When they started this thing, it was a far different world,” Kindred said. “They had more freedom to explore. Now, we’re constrained by regulation, cost and modern expectations.”

Even amid constant change and new expectations at all levels, the core mission of Perry-Mansfield remains remarkably consistent.

“Our mission is to give students an artistic exit in a natural setting,” Kindred said. “That hasn’t changed. We’re still doing that, and we’re internationally known for it.”

Despite that global reputation, Kindred acknowledged a disconnect between Perry-Mansfield’s international prestige and its ties to the communities throughout the Yampa Valley.

“You ask a dancer in New York City about Perry-Mansfield, and they’ll know it,” he said. “Ask someone downtown getting coffee, maybe not.”

Part of that reputation stems from the camp’s long list of alumni who’ve gone on to professional careers including lighting designers in Europe and dancers and performers across the world. Still, Kindred said community engagement remains the camp’s most pressing need.

“We’ve made big impacts on people’s lives,” he said. “But love for Perry-Mansfield doesn’t always translate into donations. The best way to support us is to come to a show and be part of the audience. That’s the most important part of the performing arts.”

Sustaining Perry-Mansfield, Kindred said, requires a shift in perception from seeing it as an elite institution to embracing it as a community resource for people from all walks of life.

“It’s still elite in terms of the performing arts world,” he said. “But here, locally, our arms are wide open. We’re inviting all of the community in.”

To help with that outreach, the camp has begun offering more performances at the Julie Harris Theatre and expanded its educational offerings through year-round arts instruction. While fundraising remains a challenge, Kindred believes community partnerships are the key to long-term sustainability.

“I really do feel like we’re building for the future,” he said. “We’re looking for ways to continue that sustainability, not just financially, but through deep community roots.”

Part of that vision includes honoring the camp’s legacy instructors, many of whom return year after year. Rusty DeLucia, who leads the day camp program, started as a camper herself and still returns each season at age 82.

“Our staff and instructors are the ones who really run this camp,” Kindred said. “They’ve done an exemplary job for years.”

As the summer season approaches, Kindred isn’t looking for recognition for himself. Instead, he is seeking a deep level of community support and recognition. 

“I’m a quiet executive director,” he said. “I don’t need to be out front. My job is to support our staff, honor our legacy and make sure this place is still here 100 years from now.”

For more information on summer programs and upcoming performances at Perry-Mansfield, visit Perry-Mansfield.org.