A major part of what got us to this point: the industry standard in professional, nonprofit theatre is that contributions from audience and community members make up the bulk of revenue, and we haven't seen the ongoing donations that are necessary to sustain the level of theatre produced here at Wayside. Don't get me wrong--our donors have pulled through in spades for us, and we're eternally grateful for their support! However, we need to reach out to those who may not have donated, or who may have contributed once, but not renewed their support each year.
This need for support above and beyond ticket sales from the community is not unique to Wayside Theatre. In for-profit businesses, if the sale of your product doesn't pay for you to make it and then some, there's something wrong. However, nonprofit business works very differently, and so does nonprofit theatre. Ticket sales at any nonprofit theatre will only cover the first act of a three-act play. The other two acts need to be funded by grants, ad sales, sponsorships, and individual donors.
Now that you have a little bit more information about why we need regular, annual, ongoing support, here are the words of some Wayside Theatre family members--parents of the kids in our education programs--explaining why members of the community should consider renewing their support annually:
From Cheryl Lemire Nakagawa:
Why would the closing of Wayside Theatre be a huge loss? For me, it's personal. My daughter, Audrey, fell in love with Wayside at the age of nine with her first summer camp. From then on, we have considered Wayside a second home for our family. Now 12 years-old, Audrey has had many, many amazing experiences through this wonderful theater and the amazing people who run it. She has attended several workshops, where her acting and singing skills were honed. She was the Ghost of Christmas Past in "A Christmas Carol", and then was honored to play Glory Bea for two years, a story so well written worthy of broader attention. She has learned the value and beauty of live theater, where every movement and sound is scrutinized by attentive audience members. Who taught her this? An AMAZING staff! The tone begins from the top, from Artistic Director Warner Crocker, whose patience and skill are astounding to observe. And Thomasin Savaiano, who also has a amazing way with children herself, passing on her acting and singing knowledge almost selflessly. There isn't enough space to name everyone important to us and to Wayside, but I can tell you, EVERYONE who works there -- box office, awesome Musical Director Steve Przybylski, actors, interns, directors, board members -- everyone loves that theater and will work countless hours to support it.
I pray that this isn't the end of Wayside's history or Audrey's Wayside experience. The skills she has learned will be valuable throughout her life, no matter what she does. My hope is that this wonderful gem stays afloat for years to come, so that children and families can put down their ipods, cell phones, computers, and video games, for at least a little while, to experience entertainment the ways it has been done for centuries -- through PEOPLE.
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| Audrey Nakagawa as the title character in Glory Bea! in 2011. |
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| Audrey Nakagawa reprising her role in Glory Bea! in 2012. |
From Tara Brecht Shostek
I can't even begin to tell you how much Wayside Theatre has helped my daughter, Jessica, to blossom from being quiet and shy into a confident and self-assured 8 year old. Because of Wayside Theatre, she has an amazing ability to speak with confidence in front of her 25 classmates or in front of a theatre filled with 200 people. Wayside Theatre is an amazing place that has taught my child poise, self-confidence, discipline and how to work with adults in a professional setting. The opportunity to perform at Wayside Theatre, and the myriad of lessons she has learned from the professionals there, are gifts she will take with her for the rest of her life. She will always be a "Thtar!" Please help to keep this amazing place alive.
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| Jessica Shostek as Rebecca Estep in Glory Bea! in 2011. |
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| Jessica Shostek as Danielle Cupid in Cupid's Website in the Summer YPW session. |
Thank you for taking the time to learn about our plight, try to understand it, and consider contributing to our current fundraising campaign as well as to our future campaigns! Your support is always appreciated, and we are so very grateful for all that our audiences do for us and with us.
If you have questions, would like to talk more about anything you've heard or read about, or would like to make a donation, please call the theatre at 540-869-1776 or email info@waysidetheatre.org. Thank you again!
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