By Rich Larson
After nearly four years helping shape the Northfield Arts Guild’s performing arts programming, Performing Arts Manager Pauline Jennings is stepping back from her role. Jennings will continue overseeing the popular 411 Concert Series while Johanna Drentlaw takes over as Performing Arts Director in a carefully planned transition.
Jennings said the decision was driven by a desire to reduce her workload and focus on health concerns while ensuring the Guild remains in good hands.
“I wasn’t giving the Guild what I felt I should be,” Jennings said. “If we could find somebody that I felt good about handing this baby off to, then I knew I could do it.”
That person, Jennings said, turned out to be Drentlaw, a Northfield native with deep roots in the community and extensive experience in theater and music. A graduate of Kalamazoo College with degrees in theater and music, Drentlaw has been involved in local performing arts since childhood.
“I’ve been doing theater and music in town since I was a kid,” Drentlaw said. “I’m just so excited to get to do this job.”
Drentlaw is no stranger to the Arts Guild. She came up through its Young People’s Theatre Workshop program and has participated in numerous productions over the years, including Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Her first task in the new position is already focused on the future, preparing director invitation letters for the Guild’s 68th season in 2027-28.
Executive Director Michael Johnson praised both Jennings’ contributions and her thoughtful approach to the transition.
“Pauline’s been a gift,” Johnson said. “I can’t say enough good things about what you’ve done for our programming and what you’ve done for the whole community.”
The transition will take place gradually over the next several months, allowing Jennings to remain available as a mentor and resource. For Jennings, the arrangement offers “the best of both worlds,” while giving the Guild a leader she believes will be “a gift to this community and to the Guild.”
Rich Larson is the owner and General Manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
