Theatre of the American West
March 2008
This past year saw the greatest changes in the nearly twenty-year history of Theatre of the American West. We want to thank you for your support during that pivotal time. Kris, Ryan, Dustin, the Theatre Company, and thousands of other supporters, donors and patrons really appreciate all the local and regional media organizations, businesses, and members of the public that helped make 2007 possible. We especially want to thank Community Bank in Alma and also Commercial State Bank in Republican City for what they did to secure the future of the Theatre last year. The Village of Republican City and the Republican City Theater board continue to provide vital in-kind and mediatory assistance. Sarah and Stanton Nelson continue to donate hours of their talent and use of their musical instruments.
Income from Season Discount Card Sales, Admissions, Concessions, and Sponsorship, i.e. Curtain, Wall, and Program Ads/donations, was $54,768.63, and the Theatre received $22,651 in other donations. Donations of $500-$15,000 came from Edith Chapman, Sharon Lippstreu, Duncan Thompson Group, Becton Dickinson, First National Bank Holdrege, New West Sports – Physical Therapy, and the David Kelly Memorial. Expenses included $14,018.76 for facilities and production materials, $9,579.36 for royalties, $7,231.79 for electric, $5,468.08 for gasoline, $4,173 for building, liability, and truck insurance, $2,543.10 for telephone and internet, $2,254.47 for printing program books, mailings, handbills, and t-shirts, and $1,488.97 for postage. $15,000 was a donation from Kris’s mother and was used to keep Kris in a reliable vehicle that can haul costumes and actors. The Theatre covered Kris’s health care for part of the year. Ryan and Dustin’s parents provide them coverage. Other than that, the 2007 Company and Board of TOTAW were all completely unpaid volunteers. Almost all of those seventy or so volunteers – age 5 to 82 – from LA, Boston, Phoenix, Chicago, Lincoln, Kearney, Minden, Eustis, Long Island (KS), Holdrege, Alma, Republican City, and others also donated most or all of their frequently-significant transportation expenses. The remainder of the $80,000 in total 2007 expenses went for office and concession supplies and equipment, feeding the Company, cast, and other volunteers, advertising, natural gas, trash collection, etc. and does not include the $5,700 worth of natural gas usage we deferred till this year and does not consider service on TOTAW’s approximately $18,000 remaining debt or repairs to the roof, damaged in last year’s hail storm. Thanks in part to the sacrifice of a number of people and organizations, the Theatre has equipment and intrinsic value sufficient to collateralize those obligations. The Theatre is a non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation.
Last year was also by all accounts certainly one of, if not, the best season ever for Theatre of the American West. That is exceptional, even awe-inspiring if every donated hour or gallon of gas could be measured in additional production value enjoyed by us and audiences alike. Volunteerism, sacrifice, and a can-do, doesn’t-have-to-be-expensive-to-be-good attitude have always been and will always remain important parts of the Theatre’s aesthetic and operating philosophy. While this year bodes an even greater transformation than last, that much will remain the same. Highlights from the 2008 business plan are below.
www.TOTAW.org
All performance dates and times, added or cancelled events, season and show posters, company biographies, history of the Theatre, press releases, etc., will be available here. The public is encouraged to visit often. Reducing our printing and mailing cost by communicating via the Internet not only saves the Theatre money but also saves trees!
SALES MANAGER – Spring Campaign
Luke Leibbrandt is stepping further on board as the Theatre’s full time front man, allowing Kris, Ryan, and Dustin to focus on producing eleven shows. Luke is conducting a spring campaign through May 1 to raise awareness, attendance, sponsorship, volunteerism, grant-funding, and donations for the Theatre. Luke will be able to devote more time to communicating than ever before, and credit cards are now accepted to facilitate paperless exchange.
ACTORS AND PLAYWRIGHTS
The Theatre will continue to rely on the steady stream of highly talented actors (both amateur and trained) who have worked with us over the years. Auditions are scheduled for April 12, June 1, and August 31, with details soon to follow at www.totaw.org. A Young Actors’ Workshop and a Playwrights’ Festival are planned. Details online.
LOCAL AND REGIONAL MEDIA
With a clear and vested interest in the success of the Theatre and the arts in general, members of local and regional media organizations have always been strong supporters of TOTAW. We are counting on them to keep us in the public eye and ear again in 2008, so we are inviting them to join us during rehearsals for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) on March 9 at 2:00 p.m., Spoon River Anthology on April 13, The Call of the Woods on May 11, A Midsummer Night’s Dream on June 15, Pippin on June 22, Grease on July 20, The Follies on August 17, Thurber Carnival on September 7, Count Dracula on October 5, Seussical on November 16, and A Christmas Carol on December 7. The date is always the Sunday before the opening of a show. These dates will be rehearsals, not performances, but will provide the media a preview of the content and quality of the show early enough, we hope, to share with their viewers, listeners, or readers. We are not looking for free advertising, but to the extent what we do is newsworthy, we will strive to keep the media more informed than we were able to last year.
PATRONS, SPONSORS, DONORS, AND FRIENDS OF THEATRE
Season Discount Cards, worth $85 in admissions in Republican City, are available for only $75 through May 1. Businesses, organizations, and individuals who donate $95 receive a hand-rendered two-foot by three-foot wall sign and may purchase the $85 Season Card for only $55 through May 1. The Season Cards are not valid at A Christmas Carol or at performances outside Rep City. Reservations are encouraged. Posters for the season and posters for each show will be available on the website for anyone who can print and distribute them or at the Theatre for anyone who can just distribute them. The Theatre is also seeking sponsorships of $1000-$1500 for individual shows, and as well as donations in any amount. The Theatre is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, and all support may be tax-deductible. In-kind donations from cookies to canned goods to professional services are also deeply appreciated.
Success in 2008 and beyond will depend on everyone working together, and together we really can do all these amazing things. Let us ALL count on each other to make 2008 another historic year for TOTAW.
Very truly yours,
The Theatre of the American West
RJB – 2/18/2008 KLD/DTW - 3/4/2008