Shadowbox Live's 25th Anniversary Fundraiser Raises Over $100,000

On Tuesday evening, October 7th, Shadowbox Live, the largest resident theater company in America, officially kicked off its 25th Anniversary year with its annual fundraiser, Shadowbox Live 365. The evening, which featured historical retrospectives and the naming of Shadowbox Live's top 25 Influencers, was a massive success, raising over $100,000 for the not-for-profit troupe of metaperformers!

"I'm still utterly speechless," said Stacie Boord, Community Relations Director for Shadowbox Live. "This was by far our most successful fundraiser to date, and it was a highly emotional evening. Not only did we ask for and accept help from our wonderful donors, but we also had the opportunity to honor some extraordinary people who've been pivotal to our growth and to share our unique story with our patrons."

The evening ranged from light-hearted to poignant, almost always with a touch of irreverence. As attendees approached the Shadowbox Live building, they were first greeted by a group of metaperformers posing as picketers protesting the continued success of the popular group, holding signs that stated "Stop Dropping 'F' Bombs!" and "You're not a REAL theater!"

"The picketers were a nod to a marketing strategy we employed back in 1999," said Executive Producer & CEO Stev Guyer. "After a fire destroyed our theater, we performed for a short time at the Riffe Center. We needed to let people know we were there, so we protested ourselves!"

As patrons entered the building, via a red carpet, their photos were 'taken' by 'paparazzi', as performed by students from the Shadowbox Live Academy. Later in the evening, Kyra Vasquez, who participated in this year's Academy Boot Camp, demonstrated what she'd learned and performed the rock song CrushCrushCrush by Paramore for the crowd.

"The Shadowbox Live Academy is a relatively new chapter in our history," said Boord, "but I can promise that it will be a very meaningful part of our future, and we felt it was extremely important to represent our students."

Also in attendance Tuesday evening were Mayor Michael Coleman and City Councilwoman Eileen Paley, who presented Shadowbox Live with a Resolution of Expression from City Council "To honor and recognize the 25th Anniversary of Shadowbox Live."

"Receiving recognition from the City of Columbus was such a high point of the evening for me," said Guyer. "A city is only as strong as its arts scene. It's one of the most important ways of retaining young professionals and maintaining a vibrant energy for the city at large. To me, this resolution says Columbus acknowledges Shadowbox Live as an important player in that effort and we couldn't be more grateful."

The event was peppered with videos and stories of Shadowbox Live's first quarter of a century, as well as a few musical performances and several live auctions. However, the majority of the evening's fundraising came from what Boord titled the Rock and Soul Auction, where donors had an opportunity to pledge their support and say a few words which varied from dedicating their donation to sharing an experience to stating why they choose give their support.

"I couldn't believe how touching the Rock and Soul Auction was," said Boord emphatically. "There were funny moments, stories that made me cry, and everything in between. I felt completely reaffirmed in what we do for our audience and in what they do for us."

"Shadowbox Live has long existed with the belief that art should be created for an audience," said Guyer, "and Tuesday night was confirmation that we've lived up to our philosophy. We quite simply could not have made it through these past 25 years without our patrons. They are why we are what we are, why we do what we do, and we can never thank them enough."

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