{image1}Mark Bucher is NOT running for public office. But to hear him talk about community revitalization, misplaced public funds and the dwindling accountability of people in positions of authority, you might be forgiven for thinking he has political aspirations.

Like any good politician, Bucher has the presence of an accomplished actor. That's to be expected of someone who has performed onstage for a number of years. For the past 20, he's spent a lot of time out of the spotlight serving as artistic director of The Boulevard Theatre.

Despite managing an active theater company for two decades, there is hardly a hint of weariness in his voice when he talks, with considerable enthusiasm, about operating in the black for the entire run of the Boulevard, managing to maintain economic viability by keeping things small.

Entering the Boulevard, you know exactly what he means. It's a very intimate theater with sets, which often make use of every last inch of available space. He's probably not kidding when he says that he has, "1.75" people on staff and he's very aware of the problems this poses to the potential longevity of the company.

When he begins a statement on the company's future with the phrase, "If I get run over by a beer truck...," it's easy to see that his identity is present in everything the Boulevard does, giving the theater a face the community can relate to.

"We're the Goldmann's of theater companies," he says, referring to the support of a dedicated audience from the Boulevard's Bay View home and beyond.

And the future feels quite stable. After two decades, Bucher is getting ever closer to paying off the mortgage on the space, a subject referenced in the Boulevard's 20th season brochure. Bucher, who waited tables for a number of years, has been very enthusiastic about supporting the community that supports him.

Keeping that kind of personal identity firmly attached to the company has allowed Bucher considerable creative freedom. The Boulevard's mission of providing opportunities for new, emerging and returning artists is apparent in some of these choices he's made over the years. He occasionally casts actors against type and has launched a number of artistically skewed productions of well-established plays. Bucher's proud of what he's been able to achieve.

"The Boulevard," he says without fear of appearing immodest, "deserves to be cherished fiscally, geographically and civically."

With a strong sense of self-promotion creeping into his conversation every now and again, one might be tempted to dismiss Bucher as being a bit vain -- a sort of P.T. Barnum of the Milwaukee theater scene. Bucher's sense of accomplishment isn't exactly unfounded.

In the past several years, Boulevard's presence on South Kinnickinnic Avenue has been influential in bringing businesses to a previously dormant section of Bay View. It's a contribution that hasn't gone unnoticed in the community. As we talked in a pleasant South Side café, a number of the Boulevard's neighbors said hello.

There's no bigger sign of success with a small theater company than 20 consecutive years of stable operation. While Bucher admits that he could be a bit more formal in the way he presents himself, Milwaukee, thankfully, will be spared that kind of overly stuffy Mark Bucher. He knows better than that.

"Gentleman," he says, "are the people who get their food last."