Muni president addresses controversy

It may not have been the full-throated apology critics wanted, but a top official from Springfield Municipal Opera says mistakes were made in the handling of sexual harassment complaints against a man ultimately banned from participation in the organization.

Kevin Burke III, president of the Muni Board of Managers, told Illinois Times that the 76-year-old nonprofit is surveying cast members about their experiences, potentially revising the code of conduct and improving internal communication.

He said Muni officials also will have discussions with “stakeholder groups” to figure out why problems connected with the man that were reported in 2024 and 2025 weren’t addressed until now and ensure that similar situations won’t occur in the future.

“The systems and processes broke down where things were being handled at the production level by the staff, by the producer and whomever,” Burke said. “And for whatever reason, it was never elevated up to a level where the executive committee, or me as the president, was aware of it.”

Some people critical of the way the Muni dealt with complaints about former Muni cast member Marc Wilson said they were surprised and frustrated that the community theater group didn’t learn more from criticism three years ago related to the organization’s delay in removing a controversial figure, Bill Bauser Jr., from the board in 2023. 

There were allegations, but not criminal charges, that Bauser, of Petersburg, failed to do enough in 2018 and 2019 to protect children from inappropriate online and text messages from Adam Power of Petersburg while Bauser was on the board of another nonprofit, Springfield Theatre Centre.

Bauser, 59, ended up resigning from the Muni Board of Managers in April 2023.

Power, 32, a former music teacher and volunteer at local community theater productions, including those sponsored by STC and the Muni, pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and was sentenced in 2025 to 60 years in federal prison.

Burke, 55, a civil engineer and Springfield resident, said he wasn’t part of the organization’s all-volunteer leadership during the Bauser controversy.

Some critics say there are lackadaisical attitudes toward sexual harassment at the Muni and a reticence to believe women’s complaints.

In response, Burke said, “That’s not my experience. What I can say is we are constantly improving. If you have a concern while I’m on the board, reach out to me and let me know what your concerns are. … To me, the important thing is to actually make sure that concerns are being listened to and then also resolved in some manner.”

Burke spoke with Illinois Times on June 11 after the Muni, based at 815 E. Lake Shore Drive, issued a statement June 5. The statement didn’t name Wilson but indicated that the Muni Board of Trustees – a related, smaller group of eight people focusing on the long-term health of the organization – voted to permanently prohibit Wilson from taking part in Muni productions and related activities.

The trustee statement came after several announcements by Muni cast members that they resigned from the casts of Muni shows this summer in dissatisfaction with the lack of action against Wilson.

The Muni statement said the decision on the ban followed “an appeal process by a complainant and a review of additional information presented” to Muni officials.

The Muni said in a different statement a few weeks earlier that “concerns” related to the code of conduct were reviewed by “independent investigators” and “addressed,” and that “appropriate follow-up actions” were taken.

Wilson’s name wasn’t mentioned in that statement, either. Neither were the ways concerns were addressed and any actions taken. But at that time, Wilson wasn’t removed from the Muni show he had been cast in, Disney’s Frozen.

Wilson, who has faced no criminal charges in the controversy, later resigned from the production. He told Illinois Times in a text message June 2 that he regretted making anyone feel uncomfortable but was “falsely accused of a wide range of misconduct.”

A local group called “Safety for Arts” that is calling for reforms at the Muni is working on a list of demands to present to Muni officials and has been contacted by a dozen or more people willing to take part, according to Robert Glatz, one of the group’s coordinators.

Burke said he and other Muni leaders will agree to meet with Safety for Arts members “if they have constructive stuff to say.”

Safety for Arts has called for a boycott of Muni concessions and Muni-related merchandise, but not a boycott of attendance at Muni shows. Burke said it’s too early to determine whether the boycott is having a financial impact.

Any boycott will only hurt the cast members and other volunteers, Burke said.

“Outside the orchestra and a few others, we don’t pay anybody. We are 100% volunteer,” he said. “So the long-term effect of potential boycotts is not going to impact the Board of Managers or the Board of Trustees. It’s going to potentially eliminate another theater opportunity.”

The cast resignations, estimated at nine to 12 people, won’t cause shows to be delayed or canceled, Burke said. Some existing cast members were transferred to the open roles, others were asked to join the cast from the outside, and some ensemble roles may not have been filled, he said.

To those who demand apologies for survivors of harassment, Burke noted that he said in a June 2 statement that the Muni failed members of the local theater community and was sorry.

“We recognize that people were hurt, and we apologized that they felt that they weren’t heard,” he said. “Again, the process broke down, and we need to figure out how to improve that process so it doesn’t break down and we can recognize patterns.”

But Springfield resident Reggie Guyton, 35, a professional actor and Sangamon County Board member who has participated in community theater and been critical of the Muni in the past, said Muni officials need to go farther to restore trust.

Guyton said Burke and other Muni leaders owe in-person apologies to people who have been harmed and called liars.

Officials have failed for years to encourage scrutiny and have uncomfortable conversations about “a mindset of people who don’t want change,” Guyton said.

“There’s no reason whatsoever that these repeated issues should be occurring,” Guyton said.

Burke asked for patience while the Muni works to improve. He said he hopes at least some changes can be in place before auditions in spring 2027 for that summer’s performance schedule.

“We’re dealing with stuff that HR departments in Fortune 500 companies have trouble dealing with,” he said.

Michelle French, 43, mother of a teenage girl who complained about Wilson’s behavior in 2025, said Burke “seems to be understanding and working toward positive change.” But French added, “What we need to see is collective action from the organization rather than action by a few individuals.”

French said the Muni needs to be more “transparent” by releasing its bylaws, opening its board meetings to the public and coming up with an action plan and timelines for enacting reforms.