Deborah Lielasus Tombleson takes the stage. Sort of.

June 4, 2006 - PORTSMOUTH HERALD
By Andrea Bulfinch

Deborah Lielasus Tombleson can remember her first visit to a Prescott Park Arts Festival production so many years ago. The show was "Carousel." The weather was beautiful, the stage lively and the park was full.

That lasting impression of a summer night in the park, taking in the show onstage and being surrounded by so many members of the community, is what ultimately drew Tombleson back to Portsmouth and what makes her love her role here so much.

"It’s the spectacle of it. I wake up thinking about the night at the park," she said.

That night she’s referring to, though, isn’t the one set in her memory. It’s the one she’s helping bring to life this summer as executive director for PPAF.

As of Feb. 1, Tombleson has filled a position that had previously been vacant for a few months. In doing so, PPAF acquired a one-woman force of professionalism, experience, and a love for community arts. More specifically, a woman with a love for this community and the arts within it.

"I am really enjoying it, I feel very well-suited for it," she said.

Tombleson, 46, is part of the team of people making this summer’s main stage production, "Oliver!", a reality. While her role is more of the behind-the-scenes kind, her presence is huge, her responsibilities varied and her eye is focused on the future.

"It’s time - past time maybe - to look toward the future and start running this place like a business," she said. That’s not to say the community aspect of PPAF will be lost or lessened in any way. In fact, that’s one of her favorite things about PPAF and she’s adamant about keeping "that whole coming together of community in the park."

"That’s, for me, the soul of it," she said. While writing her "From the executive director" piece for the playbill recently, those summer nights and this town are what first came to mind. Because of that, she titled it "Portsmouth in the Summer 2006."

Tombleson’s resume for this job is a lengthy one. Before joining the PPAF family, she held the position as director of development and community relations at Star Island. Before that, she ran her own nonprofit management and consulting business in California, where she resided for about 14 years.

Also during her California days, she was executive director for Pocket Opera in San Francisco and program director for California Lawyers for the Arts.

While her experience and education tout places from the West Coast, she lived in Portsmouth for eight years as a child in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, a time she remembers when the town wasn’t quite as quaint and pretty, save for the docks.

So after graduating from California State University with a combined degree in communication and design (one she created herself) and working out there, she decided in 2001 it was time to come back to New England. And after working on Star Island, she decided to move to a position where she could be more involved with the whole community, "not just one slice of the pie."

"I really wanted to come back to a community where you have neighbors," she said and emphasized her interest in being a part of the community.

As executive director, she gets to be just that. She’s able to put her 23 years of nonprofit experience to work in a place she loves.

"It really fits with my life goals," she said.

With about three weeks left to go until opening night, her thoughts are focused on the show and making the experience a magical one for all members of the community.

"The thing that I get a charge about with PPAF, is that it’s accessible," she said, appreciating the fact that anyone can attend the donation-based event, whether they can afford the $5 donation or not.

"I think a lot of people who might not get to see a theater performance will have their first experience in the park," she said.

Speaking to her managerial style, she says she likes being able to hire "very capable people and hold them accountable." This year, she helped select the play and her thoughts and input are valuable to its production. Main Stage Director Michael Tobin has free range, though, she said.

"I trust that he’s going to deliver a beautiful play," she said.

Russell Bolian, festival production manager, also works closely with Tombleson and took a brief respite from his work in the park Thursday morning to give her praise.

"So far it’s been a joy," he said of working with her. "She’s actually given me a lot of guidance" Just like Tombleson, this is Bolian’s first year as part of PPAF. They bring together the non-main stage events, like music festivals, art shows, and the annual chowder festival, held yesterday in the park.

"For all those types of events, we work hand-in-hand," he said. "She’s been a great help and she’s a nice person."

Although she spent a lot of time outside of New England, (bitten by the "moving bug," she says, something she credits her father, who was in the Navy, for), she doesn’t plan on or want to leave anytime soon.

"This was about coming home," she said.

That home, located in the South End, is where she, her husband, and 7-year-old daughter, Nola (for whom she made a quick trip home to give a hug and kiss between work and this interview), live. Her family is part of what helps her keep her sanity while juggling her responsibilities at PPAF.

Taking a stroll downtown (especially near the tugboats or ducking into the various boutiques), spending time at the library ( "I was a bookish, kind of nerdy kid," she remembers with a laugh), and enjoying the local culture and art, help, too.

And let’s not forget the cuisine.

"My husband and I are foodies," she said, unable to name just one favorite eatery. "We spend a lot of money eating out."

One place you won’t spot her, though, because of a fear of public speaking, is the stage.

"You won’t see me onstage, addressing the crowd," she said.

But you can be sure she’ll be there somewhere to enjoy all the magic as it unfolds in the park.