This is the third of four features as Virginia Wesleyan bids farewell to this year's retirees.
By Megan Zirkle '06
Born and raised in the Hampton Roads area, Bentley Anderson, professor of Theater/Communications, fit right in when he came to Virginia Wesleyan College in 1972. Now, 32 years later, Anderson is retiring, but his legacy of love for theatre, speech and bicycling around campus will live on.
After a time at North Carolina School of the Arts, a friend of Anderson recommended him to Virginia Wesleyan and, while he enjoyed his time acting in a community theatre in Nor
th Carolina, Anderson felt that Virginia Beach was the place for him.
“I felt better off in Norfolk/Virginia Beach,” said Anderson. “I had grown up here – hometown boy and all.”
Once a professor, Anderson quickly associated himself with the theatre department at Wesleyan.
“Bentley is a very gifted actor and he gave productions his personal stamp,” said Kathy Merlock Jackson, professor of Communications.
Anderson’s love of theatre and creativity will always be a part of Wesleyan. He was the one who recommended the Black Box Theatre in the Fine Arts Building, which lets in no light and allows students to produce different types of plays. In addition, he estimates that he has been associated with about 100 plays here, his role ranging from director to set designer.
“I have directed a lot plays and I’ve got a whole box of T-shirts from over the years,” said Anderson.
Jackson remembers when she first came to Wesleyan. As she was unpacking her apartment, her phone rang. With boxes and stuff all around, she could barely find the phone, but when she did, it was Anderson on the line.
“My very first phone call on my phone was Bentley,” said Jackson. “He was just making sure that I got in OK and wanted to know if I needed anything. That is Bentley—a very kind, caring person, which certainly translated to his students.”
As much as the faculty and students loved Anderson, he feels there are many things about the Wesleyan community that kept him here all these years.
“One of the things I enjoy about Wesleyan is the people,” he said. “I think they’re wonderful people.”
Another aspect of the college that attracted Anderson was the focus on liberal arts.
“The students get a chance here at VWC,” said Anderson. “We take people who have never been in a play.”
Along with theatre, Anderson also taught speech class for the communications department.
“Bentley’s passion was diction,” said Jackson. “He wanted his students to speak properly and articulately. In fact, the license plate on his car is ‘diction.’”
Jackson feels that while Anderson related to students, especially student-actors, he also shaped the way that speech was taught at Wesleyan.
“He approached speech from more of a performance aspect and a lot of students benefited from his approach,” said Jackson.
As his retirement approaches, Bentley is looking forward to expanding his love for the arts.
“I guess I’ll do some ceramics and let Professor Phil Guilfoyle teach me,” he said.
And so Virginia Wesleyan says goodbye to yet another professor who has contributed so much to the campus community and who also helped spread the name of Virginia Wesleyan theatre throughout the Hampton Roads area.
“He was a colorful member of our campus community and I think we’ll most remember him for his acting and directing,” said Jackson.
The Virginia Wesleyan community wishes Mr. Bentley Anderson a very happy retirement.