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Flourish Online Magazine | Winter 2009 |
Much ado about something : Supporting local theater
By Lauren Highfill
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Mayor of Dunwoody Ken Wright |
Many people have made donations to support the arts in their communities, but the mayor of the newly formed City of Dunwoody, Ken Wright, is a unique case. In October 2008, Wright announced that he would donate his first year’s salary as mayor to the Stage Door Players, a local theater company that Wright had been patronizing more than three years. Wright, who’s also the president of an e-learning and IT solutions company in Dunwoody, may seem like an unlikely advocate for the arts. In college, he studied political science and criminal justice and focused on business and entrepreneurship after graduation. He was actively involved with the campaign to establish Dunwoody as a city and is a firm believer in achieving a thriving and balanced community.
“I got plugged into our local theater about three years ago and started attending as a date night with my wife. I ended up really enjoying the experience, so I started spreading the word to make people in the area aware of it.”
When Wright decided to run for mayor, he recognized that this new position would allow him to do even more for the community. “I thought it would be a nice gesture and set an example if I donated my salary as mayor,” said Wright. “The Stage Door Players were the first group I thought of because I had a great connection with them and they have such a need for exposure, much like other arts and nonprofit organizations.”
Wright’s significant contribution has encouraged others to give to the Stage Door Players, said Robert Ezigio, artistic director for the theater company. “Ken’s gift was a great kickoff to the new season. Established donors have increased their donations and we’ve gotten more support from local businesses and merchants,” Ezigio said. “Thanks to Ken’s support, people are coming out in droves!”
According to Ezigio, Wright’s donation will go into the general operating fund for the Stage Door Players to pay for “everything from royalties to salaries and rent.” Although that might not sound exceptionally glamorous, covering these costs is essential to most local theaters’ continued existence.
“Without donations from corporations and private citizens, we really couldn’t survive,” said Tess Kincaid, resource director at Georgia Ensemble Theatre in Roswell. “It’s not accurate to say that ticket prices cover all costs; they’re only a small part of what goes into running a theater.”
With the relative infrequency of Wright-like donations, many local theaters strive to find creative ways to fundraise. At Dad’s Garage Theatre in Atlanta, where they target the 18- to 35-year-old market, a popular fundraising event is the annual Bacon Fest. The event offers food, drinks, entertainment and a silent auction provided by local businesses and bands. Dad’s Garage’s appeal to their target market “helps create demand for live performance with younger audiences,” said Lena Carstens, managing director at Dad’s Garage. “We consider ourselves to be the gateway; by coming here, our audience members are more likely to try other more traditional theatre venues.” Likewise, by contributing during these types of fundraising events, patrons may become more comfortable with the idea of donating to support the arts.
Donations to local theaters make possible many of the events and programming that benefit the community. Some of the activities that Georgia Ensemble Theatre presents include offering nonprofit groups the opportunity to use preview shows as fundraisers for their organization and providing discount tickets to students of several area schools. “We never want to turn anyone away because they can’t afford to come to a show,” said Kincaid.
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Many area theater companies also offer education programs for young people like this one at Stage Door Players. |
Underprivileged elementary school children have the chance to experience live theater at the Stage Door Players’ annual Christmas show. Last year, the group did a special live performance for members of a school’s chorus. “They were able to see their first professional production and meet the cast after the show,” said Ezigio. “These are kids who had never had this kind of exposure or opportunity.” For this most recent holiday season’s special showing, the Stage Door Players performed “A Taffeta Christmas,” which was choreographed by KSU alumnae Elizabeth Neidel (theatre and performance studies, 2007).
Many theaters gain additional financial support by offering classes, workshops or residency programs that students and the general public can take advantage of and contribute to. One unique class at Dad’s Garage partners engineering students from an Atlanta-area technical college with an improv instructor. “This class helps students further develop their people skills, presentation skills and other abilities that will make them more competitive in the job market,” said Carstens. They also offer a similar program to area law firms.
The asset that local theaters offer their communities is a large component of why Wright chose to donate his gift to his local theater.
Even in sluggish economic times, it’s important to support the arts—perhaps even more so. To Wright, “it’s almost more important for regular citizens to start contributing because, for example, a corporate sponsor that’s been relied on might drop off. This is the most important time to keep the support up.” At Georgia Ensemble Theatre, when last year’s high fuel prices forced many schools to cancel field trips, the theater started The Lunchbox Campaign to offset these costs and give students the chance to experience theater at little or no cost to them.
When money is tight and people start adjusting their budgets, arts venues
often suffer. This trend has created a unique situation for Dad’s Garage. Instead of struggling to fill the seats during the recent economic downturn, the group has seen increased attendance, according to Carstens. “Our sales have been strong and we think that’s due to our theater being an inexpensive option for entertainment.”
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Courtesy of Stage Door Players |
Ken Wright’s gift to his local theater spotlights not only what people can do to support their communities but also what local theater adds to where they live, work and play. “The arts are definitely an important aspect of keeping the community healthy, viable, attractive and balanced,” said Wright. Additionally, although he didn’t donate to the theater for personal recognition or attention, Wright hopes that his gift can serve as an inspiration for other community members—whether artists or non-artists—to give. “Even though the arts may not be your background or something that you do every day, it’s a critical lynchpin of a community. And, the only way for it to survive is through support from the community.”
Whether you enjoy comedy or drama, are an artist or an arts appreciator, the next time you attend a show with family and friends, remember that there’s more to your local theater than what’s going on onstage. From supporting other nonprofit organizations to exposing new audiences to the world of theater, the programs offered by local theaters help support a thriving, healthy and balanced community. Most of these programs—and the theaters that offer them—wouldn’t be possible, as Kincaid said, “without the kindness of wonderful donations from the community.”