Exit Stage Left: Jim O’Neil, the Rubicon, and Why Theater Still Matters

After nearly three decades after founding, and leading, the Rubicon Theatre Company, James O’Neil is stepping into his next act.As Co-Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus, Jim helped transform a regional dream into a nationally respected theater — earning Drama Desk recognition, Ovation and NAACP awards, and, more importantly, the enduring loyalty of a community that learned to gather in the dark and think together.In this wide-ranging conversation, Jim reflects on:• Why live theater remains a civic necessity, not a luxury• The mystery of inhabiting complex characters, from Pontius Pilate to Clarence Darrow• The tension between artistic risk and financial survival• The highs, near-misses, and standing ovations that shaped the Rubicon• And what it means to hand over something you built with your own handsAs Jim and his wife, Caryl Lynn Burns, retire and head to Kansas City to be closer to family, we take stock of a career that proves culture doesn’t happen by accident — it’s made, night after night, by people willing to step into the light. We did not talk about fish species in Lake Malawi, palm oil deforestation or whether the KC Chiefs can get their groove back.This is a conversation about legacy, community, and why the stage still matters. Check out more about the Rubicon at https://rubicontheatre.org/