Actors Theatre Reaches Halfway Point to End-of-Year-Goal
With less than three weeks left in the year, Actors Theatre is halfway toward its end-of-the-year fund-raising goal to keep the 26-year-old theater company open and operating.
The company hit its first goal of $70,000 two weeks ahead of schedule with support from over 500 donors. The effort is now underway to raise an additional $170,000 by December 31. Currently, Actors Theatre has raised more than $130,000 toward the $240,000 needed to complete the current season. More than 50 percent of the donors are new to Actors Theatre and 51 have signed up for recurring monthly gifts. Before the fund raising effort began, there was only one donor making monthly donations.
There are several opportunities to support the company’s ongoing efforts to overcome this crisis and additional fund-raising events are being planned for early next year at the Dearing Acting Studio in Phoenix and a concert featuring Valley jazz icon Dennis Rowland.
Current opportunities include:
• Make a direct donation online at www.actorstheatrephx.org and follow the prompts. Several donors have agreed to match donations up to $25,000 between December 10 and December 31.
• A special one-time only concert-type performance of “A Christmas Carol in Concert: A Special Fundraising Event to Benefit Actors Theatre” is planned at 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24 at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe. Cast members from the past 10 years are donating their time to read all the lines and sing all the songs. There will be no sets or costumes. Tickets are only available online at www.actorstheatrephx.org or by phone through the Actors Theatre office at (602) 253-6701. Tickets are $50 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under. All seats are general admission except for “Angels” providing an additional $500 in support of Actors Theatre’s fund-raising efforts.
• Buying tickets for Hunter Gatherers, a very funny show that is a mash up of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe, Lord of the Flies and South Park, which runs from Dec. 30 through Jan. 15. Single tickets range from $27.50 to $43.50 and be purchased online at www.actorstheatrephx.org or at the Herberger Theater Box Office at (602) 252-8497.
• Host a dinner party for your friends and ask each guest to make a donation to Actors Theatre.
“We continue to hear incredible words of support from the community in the Valley and outside Arizona, but the pace of donations has certainly slowed down in the last week or so,” said Producing Artistic Director Matthew Wiener. “We remain very hopeful that we’ll be able to overcome our financial challenge and continue bringing great, thoughtful theater to our audiences in the Valley.”
Once Actors Theatre completes the second of its three-phase fund-raising effort by the end of the year, another $260,000 will be needed by June 30 to stabilize the company, establish a strong financial footing and move forward.
The company has already cut costs, reduced staff, frozen salaries, explored a merger, strengthened the board and restructured debt. A management reorganization separated operations from the artistic side with Erica Black, who has been General Manager and has worked with Wiener for 16 years, named Managing Director.
To develop more profitable programming, Actors Theatre will introduce new, lighter-fare off-season programming similar to “summer stock” to generate income. The first summer show in June 2012 will be “The Wallace and Ladmo Show” in a collaboration with Desert Foothills Theatre and Centennial Theatre Foundation.
Wiener is asking for donations that range from one-time contributions to regular monthly pledges. Donations can be made online at www.actorstheatrephx.org or by mailing a check to Actors Theatre, PO Box 1924, Phoenix AZ 85001.
He also asks that individuals use their personal email and social networking communities “to spread the word quickly and efficiently.”
For more information, call Actors Theatre at (602) 253-6701 or visit the website.
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