News Roundup: Coverage of the Jim Rideoutte retirement at Naples Players

It was a week. Season started with a boom, didn't it?

Jim Rideoutte

Jim Rideoutte, longtime executive director of the Naples Players, announced his retirement (effective Dec. 31, 2013) Monday. Naples Mayor John Sorey plans to take over.

Conflict of interest question remain, as well as whether the busy mayor will have time to do both the job Neapolitans elected him to do AND run the business arm of a major arts organization.

Here's a round-up of the coverage so far: (drop a line if I missed anything)

Commentary: What does the Jim Rideoutte retirement mean for the Naples Players?
Chris Silk (The Stage Door)

Does the mayor of Naples have time to run the business arm of the Naples Players, no matter how financially healthy it is? Sorey told the Naples Daily News in February of 2012 that he worked 125 hours a month while a council member and expected to work 200 hours a month while mayor. http://ndnstagedoor.blogspot.com/2013/09/naples-players-executive-director-retires-john-sorey-jim-rideoutte.html

John Sorey

Naples theater troupe will see changing of guard
Charles Runnells (The News-Press)

Sorey said the new position won’t conflict with his mayor’s job, which he called a part-time position. That leaves plenty of hours to run the business side of the theater. Neither Sorey nor Rideoutte would say how much the position pays, but Rideoutte described it as “peanuts” … http://www.news-press.com/article/20130919/COASTAL_LIFE/309190005/1054/ent/Naples-theater-troupe-will-see-changing-guard

Editorial: Changing of the guard at The Naples Players
(Naples Daily News)

His successor with the Players, Naples Mayor John Sorey, indicates he will have the good sense to be on guard for potential conflicts of interest as the city takes up regulations dealing with downtown activities and parking. Sorey says he will be paid $60,000 a year, about half of the market rate — a precedent set by Rideoutte, which Sorey says came to a $1 million donation over the years. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/sep/20/editorial-changing-of-the-guard-at-the-naples/ ($$)

Naples Players get new manager, and he's the mayor
(Naples Daily News)

Rideoutte felt he was leaving Naples Players “on a high mark” after its subsequent productions of “Les Miserables” with an adult and a teen cast last summer. “I want to go out on top,” he said. http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/sep/17/naples-players-get-new-manager-and-hes-mayor/ ($$)

Brent Batten: Sorey's new post evokes plays on words
(Naples Daily News)

Drawing on past and present controversies, the upcoming Naples Players schedule might include some of these soon-to-be hits. Remember when Collier County was starting its public transit service? The city of Naples wasn’t too thrilled about buses spewing diesel fumes tying up traffic on its streets. The essence of the city-county conflict will be explored in the Players’ treatment of a Tennessee Williams classic, renamed for our purposes, “A Streetcar Named Undesirable.” http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/sep/19/brent-batten-soreys-new-post-evokes-plays-on/ ($$)