Cesear's Forum Receives $5,000 Funding To Continue Season

Cesear's Forum, one of Cleveland's small professional theatre companies, has received strategic development funding from the George Gund Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council in the amounts of $3,000.00 and $2,000.00 respectively.

The combined grants will further governance stratagems in a consultancy with Janus Small & Associates, a community service management firm that specializes in working with local civic and non-profit organizations.

"In these challenging economic times, recognition and assistance to a regional theatre of our size is significant," said Linda Regan, board president, "and we are most grateful." Slowly expanding production budgets, producing intermittently and evolving an infrastructure not bound within a traditional producing (subscription) timetable, the company, which generally seats between 40 and 60 patrons, has progressed to the Small Professional Theatre

Contract with the Actors' Equity Association. Still, according to a recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts, theatrical growth and management throughout the U.S. has not increased audience numbers; theatres are particularly vulnerable during recession, as ticket sales and contributions decline.

"Economic events continue to challenge managerial decision-making in individual nonprofit theatres," according to Greg Cesear, producing artistic director, "but creative innovation often stems from hard times and the balance between money and art."

Indeed, after a producing hiatus, the company is pleased to have rescheduled a production of Edward Albee's Marriage Play for an April 17th through May 23rd run (with one Sunday Matinée, May 3rd at 3 p.m.) at Kennedy's Down Under, PlayhouseSquare Center. The play portrays Jack and Jill, a social climbing couple evaluating their investment fraud and domestic bailout options.

http://www.cesearsforum.com/