Alyssa Preston moved nine times in four years as she and her husband Dan scraped together a living while he worked as a cabinet maker and studied to become a pastor.

She went back to college in her early 40s to finish her theater arts degree and obtain a teacher’s license so she could pursue a passion she first fostered in high school.

So when the opportunity arose to become the executive director of a 131-year-old performing arts venue that’s literally leaning to one side, sh...