Support for CTG’s top guy

I know I speak for our staff when I say we could not disagree more with Charles McNulty’s opinion of artistic director Michael Ritchie’s first season at Center Theatre Group.

Michael has great instincts developed over a 30-year career, and more important he is collegial, solicitous of new ideas and unafraid of disagreement. And he has the fortitude to take calculated risks.

My 40 years of working with artistic directors such as Nikos Psacharopoulos, William Ball, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gordon Davidson have shown me that only strong, decisive personalities are successful in this extremely difficult role. Art isn’t created by committee.

Mr. McNulty also lamented the lack of new, homegrown work in our season, but he studiously avoided mention of “Solomania!” at the Douglas and “Water & Power” at the Taper. And what theater would not be proud to have new plays by David Henry Hwang and David Mamet in its next season -- all choices criticized in advance by Mr. McNulty?

We are proud to be working with Michael.

CHARLES DILLINGHAM

Dillingham is managing director of Center Theatre Group.

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CHARLES McNULTY has the right to his opinion of Michael Ritchie’s first season as artistic director of Center Theatre Group. But we would like to provide some facts:

Michael has a five-year plan in place that includes the highest artistic standards and organizational goals. He developed that vision with the input and full support of his senior team and the CTG board.

In his first year, Michael developed and produced seven world premieres and two Broadway-bound musicals, an impressive record for any theater. His first two seasons include seven works by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights. In addition, Michael’s new play production plan calls for presenting the diverse work of other L.A. theater companies, a strategy that McNulty characterizes as “a desperate measure,” but is an innovative policy that has broad support in the L.A. theater community.

We could continue at length, but the bottom line is this: If Center Theatre Group were to choose an artistic director again today, we would hire Michael Ritchie, without hesitation.

PHYLLIS HENNIGAN AND RICHARD KAGAN

Hennigan is chairman of the Center Theater Group’s board of directors. Kagan is its president.

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AS a Mark Taper subscriber and Ahmanson theater fan who has managed to see most of the plays at both venues this past season, I applaud the direction that Michael Ritchie is taking the Center Theater Group. Ritchie has brought a new energy and excitement that is palpable.

L.A. is in great theatrical hands with a leader who is willing to try new things and take risks.

KAREN KRYGIER

Los Angeles