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Toledo native steps into leadership with a vision to expand the Valentine’s reach
Michael Murray, 32, is the new executive director of Toledo’s historic Valentine Theatre. When he learned of the resignation of the former director, Murray then in a leadership role overseeing multiple departments and about 170 people, thought “What does this mean for my team?”
Murray then had conversations with mentors, friends and began. asking a different question. “Why am I not putting myself in the equation (for the role of executive director)?”, he explains.
Young leader, big responsibility
As a born-and-raised Toledoan, Murray is proud of the changes happening throughout downtown. He wants the Valentine to be part of that momentum.
Despite a new job that involves work- ing with groups, performances, public speaking and community events, Murray also possesses a desire to get away from it all. He enjoys hiking and has visited many US National Parks, considering himself an avid outdoorsman. Perhaps
the perfect counterbalance to running a 130-year-old theater in the middle of downtown Toledo.
Murray acknowledges that his young age has generated both excitement and skepticism. “The biggest obstacle is to think that someone at 32 can’t do this job,” he said. “(But) just because I’m young doesn’t mean I’m not good enough.” He also admits that he is apprehensive about the responsibility. “I never want to fail the Valentine,” Murray said.
Murray’s background includes him earning a business degree. The theater world came along and he was drawn to the architecture of the Valentine.. Murray’s love of history and the stories of the past of the Valentine fascinated him.
Plans for the Valentine’s next era
Murray seeks to preserve the Valentine’s history while also embracing the future. “I don’t believe the organization can survive on history alone,” he said. “We have to make it relevant.”
He plans to expand community partnerships, broaden programming, modernize the organization and reach out to people who may not currently be Valentine patrons. The direction is clear: make contact with more people, offer more varied experiences and develop a wider connection to the community.
Murray estimates that only about 20% of Toledo area residents have visited the Valentine.
“To me, that is a shame and a loss for everyone,” he said, as he sees the theater as a hidden gem.
Visitors are regularly impressed by the building’s architecture, the lobby mural and the historic performances that have graced the stage. Murray is convinced that the theatre’s history is something Toledoans should know. He especially wants to reach young people. “It’s easy to stay home and watch (TV),” he said, adding, “But when you go see a live performance, it’s another experience.” There is something special about a child’s attendance at their first live performance.
That’s part of the magic. “By nature, there will always be a slight human error that changes a show,” Murray said. And that makes the experience something a screen can’t (provide).”
Murray doesn’t see the Valentine as just a place where people buy tickets and sit in seats. When schedules and costs allow, the theater shares its space with local nonprofits, sometimes at little or no cost. It has staged galas, Toledo Police Department graduations and other community events, hosting large local groups and high school performers. The goal is not simply to fill the theatre’s calendar, but rather to help Toledo’s arts community thrive. “We are helping sustain Toledo as a whole,” Murray said.
Murray admires the Valentine’s history and wants to guide it through the future. His hope is that, in the next five years, more Toledoans and those from surrounding communities will walk through the Valentine’s doors, see a performance, attend an event or simply discover the building for the first time.
“I would like to know when I leave here that it will be around for another 100 years,” he said.
