Later while his sons, Brad and Chuck, studied at Indiana University, Kirlin and his wife, Chris, fell in love with Brown County as tourists. They relocated here 22 years ago, and Kirlin quickly established himself as a community leader and advocate, serving as Nashville Town Council President for a decade, opening two stores downtown, championing the Salt Creek Trail from concept to completion, and serving on a plethora of boards and committees in between. Kirlin’ s said his heart hung heavy after the community felt the economic loss of Ski World closing, and then the Little Nashville Opry burned and closed. When rumors surfaced that the Indiana University Foundation, which ran the Brown County Playhouse, considered closing the theater, Kirlin was CEO of the Brown County Community Foundation and said he
“ knew that sucker had to stay open.” He helped form a committee to secure its future. The foundation ultimately gifted the Playhouse to the community.“ My dreams come true now every single day I see it open,” Kirlin said.
He believes the theater’ s future is brighter than ever. The board recently hired its first assistant executive director, Indiana University graduate Hannah Estabrook. Coupling fresh talent with fresh movies and programming on stage, outreach to make the theater available for other Brown County nonprofits’ fundraisers, and the theater’ s 70 th anniversary this year, Kirlin said,“ It’ s a really exciting time for us.”
And frankly, it’ s an exciting time for him, too. The now 76-year-old grandfather of four has been testing the retirement waters over the past few months with what he’ s dubbed
“ Retirement Friday.” One recent Friday, he cheerfully stayed home and accomplished little other than watching basketball. But the idea of slowing down hasn’ t quite stuck yet, between the playhouse, selling real estate, and serving on the boards at Nashville United Methodist Church and the regional nonprofit Thrive Alliance, which provides housing and meals for low-income senior citizens.
Kirlin simply loves Brown County too much to give anything less than his best. He credited the tight-knit community for supporting his family after his and Chris’ s son, Chuck, died three years ago from a brain tumor.“ We made it through because of these folks,” Kirlin said.
“ So, when I die, I want to make sure we’ ve left it better than when we came. I just follow my mom’ s saying,‘ I am only one, but I am one. What I can do, I will do.’” •
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812.988.6555 · BrownCountyPlayhouse. org
Showtimes, tickets & schedule online Box Office: Thursday – Sunday | 70 S. Van Buren · Nashville, IN
May / June 2019 • Our Brown County 17