tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5100733135888489462024-03-08T06:08:25.095-08:00All the world's a stage...dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-25567671612919812672018-06-29T12:00:00.000-07:002018-06-29T12:00:00.825-07:00Retrospective (Guest Blog)<br />
There are countless theaters in the world. A fathomless number of them that are constantly pumping out various amounts of entertainment for the masses, but in this expansive mass, there is one single theater. A small theater tucked away inside a small valley with a small stage and an even smaller budget. However, what they lack in physical space and financial backing, they make up for in talent, ingenuity and heart. This place is called the Hamilton Players and it is my favorite place on this earth.<br />
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For five years now, I’ve been a part of the Hamilton Players productions, both on stage and behind the box office window. From a jealous space-faring cook to a drunk cockney ruffian to a kind-hearted chief clerk who fell in love in a single evening. I’ve loved every role, every stage direction, every late night line memorizing sessions. After <i>Hello, Dolly!</i> is finished, I’ll have concluded my eighth production with the Hamilton Players.<br />
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As much as I enjoy being on the stage, the majority of my time here has been spent behind the desk, selling tickets and making calls. It’s been an incredible learning experience! As far as first jobs go, I couldn’t have been more lucky with the one I ended up with. My time here has taught me the ins and outs of theater, how it’s managed and how it’s run. It’s taught me people skills and how to handle customers and work under stress. Through both ups and downs, I’ve enjoyed every second of it.<br />
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My five years at this magical place have been the best of my life. My experiences on stage are what have shaped me as a person and allowed me to realize what I want to do with the rest of my life, which is professional theater. Everything I know, I learned in a small house with 168 seats with character that is bursting out of every seam. Here’s to the next grand adventure! <br />
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Hamilton Players, thank you for all the memories! <br />
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-Nathaniel Heckerothdtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-32232710400243826022018-06-28T13:32:00.000-07:002018-06-28T14:43:30.164-07:00Blog, Blog, Bloggidy, Blog (Guest Post)<br />
Hi everyone, my name is Morgan Kellar! The E.D. asked me to be the guest blogger and to tell everyone about my Hamilton Players experience.<br /><br />I have been an employee at Hamilton Players all throughout high school and while people usually have terribly strange first jobs, I can safely say that I was extremely lucky. My “debut” at the playhouse was through various theater camps once I moved to Hamilton in 4th grade. My first official production was Return to the Forbidden Planet where I played a robot that shot an alien and got into a fist fight (a.k.a. the best role EVER). After that, I talked to the E.D. and became the theater intern which sounded like an elaborate role to me as a 13 year old but basically consisted of organizing and cleaning. After my year-long internship I was offered a part time job! Working at the playhouse has had ups and downs, like anything, but when I look back over my four years in high school, there is nowhere else I’d rather spend so much time.<br /><br />To give you some background, theater has always been a part of my life. My older cousin used to write short skits that I’d perform with my cousins every holiday. There was thanksgiving in space, cowboys at Christmas, and many more embarrassing memories. Since becoming a Hamilton Player I have performed in Music Man, Into the Woods, Singing in the Rain, and more. I have also participated as an assistant director and stage manager for Pride & Prejudice, Into the Woods, Chicago, and most recently I was the director of Charlotte’s Web! Directing a show at 17 was an incredible experience and I learned so much about theater that I hadn’t thought about before.<br /><br />It is hard to summarize how much one place means to me. My parents divorced in 8th grade and while both are incredibly supportive I switch houses every week so there isn’t a “permanent” home. I have decided that while I have two homes, I consider the playhouse a third one. I have a new family here, new friendships and new memories. I have learned about teamwork through volunteering, patience in the box office, problem solving during shows, and compassion with my fellow cast/crew. Participating in theater at the Playhouse was one of those moments I know I’ll remember and carry with me all through my life. I hope that students and community members of all ages will continue to participate and support their local theater because Hamilton Players certainly is an organization that embodies inspiration, education, and community.<br /><br /><br /><br />dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-67095640128407386262018-04-30T15:53:00.000-07:002018-04-30T15:53:19.243-07:00Theater etiquette...revisited Part 1I have posted about this before, but since our theater continues to grow and bring in new participants, patrons, and actors, I think it's time to revisit the idea of theater etiquette. What is acceptable for a move theater is very different (although, truth be told, it shouldn't be!) that what is acceptable for live theater...but unless you have really stopped to think about it, you may not realize it. The main difference is due to the fact that in live theater there are real people in real time performing for you, whereas in a movie it is pre-recorded. What this means is that the performers in a movie will not be distracted or interrupted by the reaction or action of the audience and their performance is the result of multiple takes, editing, and camera angles to bring you the best possible performance. In live theater, the real actors are right there in front of you, in real time and not only can they be distracted or interrupted, but they have only one chance at each show to bring you the best performance they possibly can. They don't get another "take" to get it right. So let's look another look at the etiquette expected from a live theater audience.<br />
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First and foremost: BE ON TIME. In most professional theaters, if you arrive after curtain (start) time, you will have to wait until intermission to be seated. Many community theaters will still try to seat you, but you may have to wait until a scene change/break in the action. However, even in a community theater you may not get to take your seat late if the house if full and your seats are located where it will create a great distraction to get to. We know you paid for a ticket, but so did everybody else and it is not fair to the other patrons or the actors to interrupt the whole show to help you find your assigned seat in the darkened theater. Most theaters cannot compete with the special effects and point of view created by movie magic, so it relies on the willing suspension of disbelief from its audience. Interrupting the flow of the show once it has started takes the audience out of the fantasy and makes it difficult to recapture the magic. Many theater also have a 10 minute policy for will-call tickets: if you haven't picked up your ticket by the 10 minutes to curtain mark, you ticket may be released and resold. The best solution is to simply plan ahead and make sure you arrive in plenty of time to find parking, use the restroom, hit concessions, and pick up your ticket.<br />
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Second, and another important point: TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE! Taking a call during a show is one of the rudest and most disrespectful things you can do in live theater. Not only does it show a total lack of respect for the patrons around you, but it also shows a disdain and disrespect for the actors on stage. Texts are no less rude. The noise and light of a cell phone is distracting to the show for both the audience and performers. And filming or photographing is also right out. Theaters and production companies sign contracts when the license show rights and these usually include a stipulation to not record the show. Even for marketing purposes, the rights to record even small sections are severely restricted. So not only is it distracting to other audience members and the cast of the show, it is also very likely illegal. Not to mention that it could be considered intellectual theft.<a href="http://www.playbill.com/article/ask-playbillcom-why-cant-i-take-photos-in-a-broadway-theatre-com-180456"> (<span style="color: cyan;">http://www.playbill.com/article/ask-playbillcom-why-cant-i-take-photos-in-a-broadway-theatre-com-180456 </span></a>) Some theaters are relaxing their pre-and post-show photography rules, but even then it is not okay to take pictures during the show. There have been instances in live theater where an actor has stopped the show to call-out a cell phone user. (<span style="color: cyan;"><a href="http://people.com/celebrity/kevin-spacey-in-character-stops-show-to-scold-audience-member-for-ringing-cell-phone/"><span style="color: cyan;">http://people.com/celebrity/kevin-spacey-in-character-stops-show-to-scold-audience-member-for-ringing-cell-phone/</span></a> <a href="http://people.com/theater/glenn-close-stops-sunset-boulevard-photo/"><span style="color: cyan;"> http://people.com/theater/glenn-close-stops-sunset-boulevard-photo/</span></a> </span>) I would say that is an inappropriate response, but day after day of audience disrespect can wear on an actor and sometimes enough is enough.) Suffice it to say: Don't be that person. Turn off your cell phone.<br />
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UNWRAP YOUR COUGH DROPS BEFORE THE SHOW. Unwrapping cough drops or candy is surprising loud when everyone around you is being quiet. Paper crinkling is an unwelcome distraction.<br />
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Along the same lines is: DON'T TALK ONCE THE PERFORMANCE HAS STARTED. The only noise in the theater should be coming from the stage (or speakers) as part of the show. Talking, unwrapping candy, squeezing your plastic water bottle...all of these things are distracting to the patrons around you and to the actors on stage. And along with don't talk; DON'T HUM OR SING ALONG WITH THE ACTORS unless they have asked you to. People around you paid good money to hear the actors perform. Buy the soundtrack and sing along in the car. In the theater it is just rude.<br />
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REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE BEHIND YOU. Leaning together and cuddling or wearing a large hat, or not sitting correctly in your seat blocks the view of the stage for the people behind you. Please remember to be courteous to other patrons; they want to see the show too.<br />
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I can't say I thought I would ever have to actually say this one, but based on actual experience, I must. DO NOT TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF IN THE THEATER. This is not your living room and removing your shoes is inappropriate and potentially offensive.<br />
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Theater etiquette basically comes down to common courtesy and common sense. If you take a moment to think about it, you won't have any trouble. Theater is a shared experience and a good audience member will do what they can to be a positive part of theater experience for themselves and everyone else.<br />
<br />dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-81458205893037255102018-04-30T15:52:00.000-07:002018-04-30T15:53:28.335-07:00Theater Etiquette Part 2: Children and live theater? YES!Live theater can be a magical and memorable experience for children of all ages. It truly is one of life's greatest cultural treasures. When the experience is done well, it can create a lasting joy and appreciation for theater for the rest of their lives. Done poorly, it can be a disaster for everyone: the child, the rest of the party, and the other patrons. What makes the difference? Preparation and education. Below are some guidelines for bringing children to the theater.<br />
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1. Show selection is the foundation on which everything else is built. If you bring a child to a show that they won't enjoy or understand then it will be impossible to keep them engaged in the production. Not all shows are a good fit for children; including musicals. Make sure you have selected a show that will be of interest. Shows designed for children (like Broadway Jr. shows or ones based on children's books like Charlotte's Web) are a good starting spot. And remember, just because a musical is a classic, doesn't mean it doesn't have adult content. Even <i>The Sound of Music</i> has Nazis! Everyone is different, but typically: Toddlers through the age of 4 do well with short productions (>40 minutes) with a lot of audience participation. Pre-schoolers, ages 4-5 can handle longer shows (50-75 minutes) as long as the material is interesting to them. Another plus to choosing a show designed for children is that the actors expect a certain amount of fidgeting, as that's part and parcel of childhood!<br />
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2. Get your tickets for seats near the aisle, if possible. That way if it turns out that it just isn't a sit quietly kind of day (and don't we all have those?), you'll be able to take your child out to the lobby for a break. The House Manager will be probably be able to help you rejoin the show later.<br />
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3. Speaking of tickets, ALL patrons require a ticket no matter their age or if you expect them to sit on your lap. (And please remember that having a child sit on your lap can block the view of the person behind you.)<br />
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4. Make sure children use the restroom before the show. Remember: their bladders are smaller than yours!<br />
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5. Go over general theater etiquette with your kiddoes before they arrive at the theater.<br />
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<li>They will be expected to be quiet, sit still in their own chair and not disturb others around them</li>
<li>They should not put their feet on the seats or kick the seat in front of them</li>
<li>They should not stand during the performance</li>
<li>They cannot eat in the theater</li>
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6. It is also helpful to let them know what to expect from a show:</div>
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<li>Theater lights will dim at the beginning of the show and it may get quite dark</li>
<li>Sometimes there a sudden, loud noises in a show</li>
<li>Sometimes the audience claps during a show (after a song or at the end of a scene)</li>
<li>Let them know if there will be an intermission and that you will be watching a second part after a short break</li>
<li>Everyone can join in to clap and show appreciation for the actors at the end of the show!</li>
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7. And tell them a bit about the plot of the show so they know in advance who the characters are and the generalities of what will happen in the show.</div>
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8. Remind them that the actors are real people just like them. They may be wearing a mask or makeup, but underneath they are a real person!</div>
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The memories created by a live theater experience will last a lifetime. It can be a life-changing event and a wonderful experience for anyone of nearly any age. (An exception may be babes-in-arms because there is not way to prepare them or explain what is going on. Loud noises and changing lights can startle an infant and cause distress that results in fear and/or startled crying. For the benefit of everyone - including the infant! - we do discourage you from bringing babies to a live theater production.)</div>
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With a little bit of preparation, live theater can be an exciting part of any child's life!</div>
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<br />dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-4821359550287243362018-03-05T08:00:00.000-08:002018-03-05T08:00:49.938-08:00Theater JargonLike any specialized industry, theater has it's own set of jargon. In looking for gifts for your theater friends, you have probably seen the "Theatre Dictionary" on mugs, t-shirts and the like at Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com)<br />
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<img alt="Related image" src="https://www.mastersimage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/481608234v2147483647_480x480_Front_Color-Black_padToSquare-true.jpg" /></div>
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Not sure who came up with it, but it's pretty darn funny, as theater jargon goes. Not all community theaters have the facilities to require the use of all these phrases, but let's take a look at a few that are specifically used at the Hamilton Playhouse.</div>
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HOUSE: 1.) The auditorium area where patrons sit to watch to the show, 2.) The audience</div>
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PROSCENIUM: The opening of the wall between the audience and the stage or, more poetically, the picture frame through which the audience watches the performance.</div>
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APRON: The part of the stage in front of the proscenium</div>
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BACKSTAGE: The part of the stage and theater that is out of sight to the audience</div>
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BLOCKING: The movement actors do onstage</div>
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CHOREOGRAPHY: The dancing actors do on stage</div>
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CALL TIME: The time an actor needs to arrive at the theater</div>
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CALL TIMES: (verb) To verbally note the countdown to the start of the show.</div>
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FLAT: A wood frame covered in muslin or wood (plywood, Masonite) that is used as backdrops, walls, and masking on a set.</div>
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SET: The stage setting for a scene or show</div>
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MASKING: Flats or curtains used to block the audiences view of something offstage</div>
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GREEN ROOM: The backstage area where actors relax. It is not usually green. At Hamilton Players it doubles as the dressing room.</div>
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CHEAT OUT: Angling your body (as an actor) to face the audience.</div>
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COUNTER: An actor's stage move to naturally get out of the way of another actor</div>
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WINGS: The out-of-view area to either side of the acting area</div>
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THE FOURTH WALL: The invisible "wall" between the audience and the actors</div>
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STAGE DIRECTIONS: 1.) The directions in the script telling actors how and where to go. 2.) How an actor orients himself on stage: Stage Right - the actors right, facing the audience; Stage Left - the actor's left, facing the audience; Up Stage - the stage area away from the audience, towards the back wall; Down Stage - the stage area nearest the audience, towards the apron of the stage: Center Stage - the area in the middle of the stage.</div>
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**Here are a few more phrases you should be familiar with, even though they may fall more into the category of theater lore than actual theater terminology:</div>
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BREAK A LEG: The traditional statement that replaces, "Good Luck!" ...as it is considered bad luck to wish an actor good luck</div>
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THE SCOTTISH PLAY: This is what superstitious actors call Shakespeare's <i>Macbeth. </i>It is considered extremely bad luck to say the word "Macbeth" inside a theater at any time. Lore says that if you say it, to remove the curse you must leave the theater, spin around 3 times to your left, spit, curse, and then knock to be readmitted.</div>
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GHOST LIGHT: A single, uncovered light left on onstage when the theater is dark (closed). In terms of safety it helps the first person in find the light switches, but superstition says it gives the theater ghosts a light to perform by.</div>
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To learn more about theater terminology, check out these links:</div>
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<a href="http://www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/60-theater-terms-every-actor-should-know/">www.backstage.com/advice-for-actors/backstage-experts/60-theater-terms-every-actor-should-know/</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.aact.org/theatre-terms">www.aact.org/theatre-terms</a></div>
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dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-62982590855125992272018-02-27T08:00:00.000-08:002018-03-21T14:24:58.032-07:00This is community theater...part 1<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2012 the British Museum had a book on display that
rivaled the Gutenberg Bible for media attention. The book was not particularly old, it wasn’t
a rare text, it wasn’t a clean text; it had scribbles in the margins and was
obviously well used. It had been owned by Nelson
Mandela. but more than that, it had been owned by Nelson Mandela in prison and for years this so-called "Robben Island Bible" sustained and inspired him.. He often read aloud from it to his cellmates
and it inspired and sustained them all. The book? Not scripture, but sacred
nonetheless. It was the <i>Collected Works of William Shakespeare</i>. Those characters, those stories…they
sustained him and others through those dark years in prison. That, my friends, is the power and magic of
theater.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hamilton Players’ mission is to put the spotlight on education,
inspiration, and community through the performing arts. But even more important than our mission, is “why”
behind it. What drives us, as an
organization, is a belief that live theater has the power to change
individuals, both those who participate in it, and those who view it. Performing on stage is a life-changing
event–you can never be the same, afterward, when you’ve worn another person’s
life in front of an audience. Each time, you become a little more open-minded,
a little more understanding, a little better parent, a little better
neighbor. Just a little better. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Over the years Hamilton Players has staged more than 100 major
productions, everything from classic Shakespeare to a drama about the effects
of 9/11; from big musicals with upwards of 50 performers, to intimate 1- and
2-person shows. In the course of a
typical year, easily 5,000 people--and sometimes as many as 7,000--will attend
or participate in our productions and events. Imagine that: 7,000
opportunities for our community to become just a little better.
That’s the power and magic of theater.</div>
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Hamilton Players has a large and growing number of
all-purpose volunteers of all ages; an extraordinary corps of performers,
directors, musicians, dancers, costume builders, designers, helpers, advisers, and artists. All of them participating
because they have each, on their own, decided that this is the most valuable
thing they can do with their time, the most important thing they can do for
their community. Not everybody enjoys
being out in front of an audience, but nearly everyone enjoys the feeling of
having contributed to something larger than themselves, and a Hamilton Players
production offers just that. Beginning
with nothing more than words on a page, everyone - from the director right on
down to the person who checks to make sure there’s toilet paper in the
bathrooms - begins working together to create the transforming experience
that the audience has. Inspiration. Teamwork. Community. That’s the power and magic of theater.<o:p></o:p></div>
dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-90226066798605986502018-02-09T12:44:00.000-08:002018-02-09T12:44:28.476-08:00The volunteer conundrumI don't know how it works at other nonprofit community theaters, but here at Hamilton Players we have only a tiny paid staff: Executive Director (FTE), 2 box office interns (>.5 FTE), a house keeper (.25 FTE) and a handful of transient or "seasonal" artistic staff that come and go; tied to a specific show. Everything else is staffed by volunteers...which is amazing...and also difficult.<br />
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For years our organization has had a paradigm of very loose leadership for volunteers; if you want to volunteer, great! Have at it! That worked well when Hamilton Players was a loose collective that came together to put on a show and then disperse. But once the Players had a formal venue that required constant attention and upkeep, and expanded the programming to more than two isolated shows per year, AND became a corporation and nonprofit; the volunteer needs increased substantially and more often than not, the old-school "Have at it!" concept led to dissatisfaction for both Hamilton Players and the volunteer. Projects would get started by one and then finished by another; leaving both frustrated and dissatisfied. Information, or rather; misinformation, was passed along according to each individual's varying understanding of the situation. The administrative learning curve for nonprofit and corporate legal requirements was steep and suddenly there were a lot more volunteers to keep informed and many of them were disgruntled to find that the way they had been doing things was no longer acceptable to the organization. Plus there was the added pressure of satisfying insurance requirements or face constantly increasing premiums. This led to a huge turnover in volunteers, a variety of unsafe practices, and a widely varying quality of experience for volunteers, patrons, and donors. Dissatisfaction led to reduced volunteerism which in turn led to more work and responsibility being heaped upon volunteers, which led to more dissatisfaction and reduced volunteerism. It was a slow, deepening spiral of negativity that was impacting the organization on all levels.<br />
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Fast forward to today. 2016 marked the 20th anniversary of the Hamilton Playhouse, Hamilton Players home venue. It also marked the start of a newly reorganized volunteer committee with a commitment to growth and excellence. By "growth" I refer to volunteer recruitment and by "excellence" I refer to both the experience to and from the volunteer. Hamilton Players has made some mistakes in the past, but we are working hard to create an environment where volunteers are integrated into the day to day culture of the organization, given responsibility and autonomy, and are appreciated and rewarded. We want volunteers to become a part of the fundamental structure of the Playhouse day-to-day activities. In the name of transparency, volunteers need to know that there will be some training up-front. Policies and expectations will be clearly outlined as will the structure and processes of the organization. Depending upon the position, there will also be periodic evaluations to help keep expectations - on both sides - in alignment. Sure, there are rules, but within that framework real magic can happen. Change cannot happen overnight, but Hamilton Players is making a dedicated commitment to develop an organizational culture that is open and appreciative and values dedication, creativity, collaboration, and accountability - both from employees and volunteers. <br />
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Hamilton Players invites you to become a part of the theater family. See what's new and bring your own special talents and strengths to work with us at the Playhouse! We look forward to seeing you soon!dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-48345890531662495942018-01-20T10:35:00.000-08:002018-01-20T10:35:18.095-08:00Make this year a win/win: goals for 2018Back in a December blog post I talked about it being the time for"taking stock and setting new goals," but I never really got past the "taking stock" part of the post. So today's post will look at the second half of the equation: setting new goals.<br />
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As always, Hamilton Players will strive to produce high quality shows that entertain and educate. Our goal for 2018 season ticket shows is to increase participation/attendance by actors, volunteers, and patrons. Part of the reasoning behind the selection of 2018's line up was to try to bring new faces to both the audience and the actor/volunteer pools. So far this strategy has been working very well. <i>Chicago</i>, the first show of the 2018 season, is in rehearsal and out of a cast of 22 actors, 11 of them are new to Hamilton Players! The next show, <i>Charlotte's Web</i>, features a 1st-time director and we expect that the final show of the season, <i>12 Angry Men</i>, will bring in another new group of actors. Each actor new to Hamilton Players brings along a handful (or more!) of new patrons that will attend the show. (Children's shows are particularly good at leveraging attendance as each child has parents, siblings, extended family, teachers, mentors, etc. who usually attend the show...and usually more than once.)<br />
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A second goal Hamilton Players is working hard toward is to expand our volunteer program and recruit more volunteers. We now have an official volunteer coordinator and are working to restructure and expand the volunteer committee. The committee instituted training programs for house staff and general volunteers and is also actively recruiting volunteer House Managers to train for show nights. <br />
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As far as non-season ticket programming goals are concerned, Hamilton Players is trying to expand the programming and bring in more participants. We are expanding the reader's theater program from 3 to 4 titles a year. We are also adding a 3-day Haunted Playhouse event in October to augment the Mansion Murder Mystery and the Halloween Spooktacular. We are adding another day to the Murder Mystery, so it will now go 4 days and we will be opening ticket sales a day earlier for a special "full table" event for people who are purchasing a full 8 seat table. And we are looking for ways to market and increase the attendance of the Halloween Spooktacular - Hamilton Players' adult Halloween costume party.<br />
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The goals for fundraising are much the same as always: raise as much money as possible to support our mission. To that end, Hamilton Players is instituting a plan to do a fundraiser every September. Every other year (starting last year) we will host a gala titled, <i>All the World's a Stage</i>. On <i>ATWAS</i> off years, we will present a performance based fundraiser. Our formal fall fundraising event this year will be <i>Forbidden Bitterroot; </i>a comedy roast and Broadway inspired musical parody. <br />
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A final goal Hamilton Players is working towards is increasing awareness in our community about Hamilton Players and our programming. We are partnering with several downtown businesses to have "Hamilton Players Nights" where employees and volunteers of Hamilton Players attend to meet the public and answer questions while the business donates a percent of the evening's proceeds to us. Currently the 2nd Tuesday of every month is Hamilton Players Pasty Night at MineShaft Pasty Co., and Tuesday, February 20 will be Hamilton Players Night at Pizza Hut (in Hamilton). <br />
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As you can see, we have a lot going on all year long and the common thread throughout ALL of the goals is to increase participation. The Bitterroot Valley an amazing community, full of talent and compassion, and right now participation levels have barely scratched the surface! Hamilton Players has so much to offer the community and the community has so much to offer Hamilton Players...let's just join forces, spread the joy, and make it a win/win for everyone! See you at the Playhouse!dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-73014519803576844662018-01-15T13:33:00.000-08:002018-01-15T13:33:39.862-08:00Anatomy of the Season SelectionHappy New Year!<br />
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We are a couple weeks into 2018 and already it's time to start thinking about the 2019 season line up. Different theaters have very different methods of selecting season titles. Some have Artistic Directors that choose the season, others accept Director proposals, and still others have committees or Boards that make the decision. Hamilton Players has tried several different methods over the years, with varying degrees of success, but has in recent years found a formula that seems to work.<br />
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Hamilton Players has a "Play Reading Committee" whose function is to read and assess plays and then come up with a season recommendation. There are parameters laid out by the Board and the Executive Director regarding what the goal of the season is (usually ticket sales and community involvement), and the committee works within those guidelines to pick what they believe would be a strong, successful season for the Playhouse. The committee consists of some Board members, the Executive Director, some long-time Hamilton Players (actors and directors), and some community volunteers.<br />
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There is a list of play and musical with about 220 titles on it that is generally considered. Titles are added to the list whenever someone recommends a play/musical for the committee to consider. Members of the committee read scripts and fill out evaluation forms that list the cast and show requirements and why or why not they think it is a good fit for Hamilton Players. Some of the issues the committee has to consider are as follow:<br />
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RACE: There are many shows that the Players would love to do (and based on word-of-mouth, the public too!), but due to a lack of diversity in our community, it just isn't possible. Color blind casting aside, there are just some roles that require a person of color and whitewashing the role would be insensitive at best, if not outright racist or offensive. Consider the musicals <i>West Side Story </i>or <i>Once on this Island </i>who's major plot components revolve around Puerto Ricans or West Indians; or the classic, <i>Guess Who's Coming to Dinner</i>, where it is plot-imperative that the fiancee be a man of color. How are these to be cast in a community of 42,088 that is 95.9% white (according to the 2010 census/2016 update)? There are approximately 50 adult actors in a given year who participate in Hamilton Players Productions. That is .0012% of the population. If 4.1% of the given population are persons of color,(1726 people), and .0012% of them participate that gives a grand total of 2 people. And that doesn't take into consideration scheduling issues or just standard color-blind casting: just because a show needs a certain ethnicity for a single role does not mean that is the only role an actor of that ethnicity can audition for!<br />
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ADULT CONTENT: Historically speaking, the average audience member for Hamilton Players productions is averse to significant adult content. And by "adult content" I refer to profanity - the f-bomb in particular, sexual situations, and overly risque costuming. This is evident through the reduced ticket sales we see for shows with this content. A show with substantial adult content is considered a "risk" show in a season and Hamilton Players must balance that out with a show that has a better than average ticket sales expectation (like <i>Annie</i> or <i>Sound of Music</i>).<br />
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STYLE: Dramas are a very hard sell in this community. Dark shows are too. Sondheim is also a hard sell. Shows that are complicated, dark, negative, or deal with sensitive issues do not tend to play well in this community. There is definitely an audience for them, but it is a small audience, so dramas and the like are also considered "risk" shows.<br />
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NAME RECOGNITION: Again, historically speaking, the Hamilton Players' audience likes titles they already know. New shows, original shows, or just lesser-known shows do not perform strongly in our community. If the production is excellent (which we always strive for!), then ticket sales will pick up by the 3rd and final weekend because of word of mouth...but that is too late to make up for two weekends of less than stellar ticket sales. Shows with little or no name recognition are considered "risk" shows.<br />
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HAS IT BEEN DONE RECENTLY: Hamilton Players does not want to be in direct competition with other, local theaters. It does not benefit anyone to play the comparison game of "who did it better?" Arts organizations need to collaborate; not compete: a rising tide raises all boats We need to help each other succeed, not sow seeds of conflict and dissension. Plus, theater audiences can get burned out; why should they by a ticket to a show they saw 6 months ago? This is a weird and contradictory line to walk because there are a lot of theater goers who would buy tickets to <i>The Sound of Music</i> EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. But the other half of this particular issue is found in the next issue to consider.<br />
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THE ACTING POOL: Most actors like a challenge. That means with the exception of a favorite role, they want to try new things. And actors have egos that balk at criticism; especially when it comes in the form of, "someone else played it better." When there are two productions of the same show in close proximity, inevitably there will be comparisons and someone will come out on the losing side. Leaving a space of 5-10 years between repeating shows allows comparisons to fall into a mode of sweet nostalgia and the discussion becomes more of a comparison of strengths rather than a tally of weaknesses.<br />
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THE TALENT: When selecting shows, the committee can only work with the information they have. When it comes to actors, directors, crew and whatnot, they have to consider whether or not the necessary talent exists. Even if it does exist, there is no guarantee that the talent will be available or even willing. So the committee has to ask itself, "Does the talent exist in the community to pull this off?" Take for example the musical <i>Cabaret</i>. It may be well known, but it falls under the "risk" show category because of the adult content and dark themes. Add to that the challenging featured role of the Emcee (who's portrayal runs the gamut from asexual or sexually ambiguous to highly sexualized) and the committee has to ask itself, "Do we have someone who can play this role?" Do we have someone who can direct this show and be sensitive to the issues that it will bring up?" Can we do this show well?" If the answer to these questions is "No" or even "Not sure," then they probably cannot risk putting the show into play. Please do not confuse this with pre-casting; it is not that at all. It is simple figuring out if the resources necessary even exist. <br />
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THE MISSION STATEMENT: In addition to all the above issues, the Play Reading Committee must also consider the mission statement: <i>Putting the spotlight on education, inspiration, and community through the performing arts. </i>The mission statement can offset a number of other considerations if the committee believes that a particular title is a fantastic mission fit and bring in new participants and patrons. Conversely, it can also put a stake in a title if it is too controversial or divisive for a season ticket production.<br />
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As you can see, the committee has its work cut out for it. But I am confident that they will, as they usually do, wind up proposing a stellar line up for the 2019 season. If you have any titles you would like to see added to the list for consideration, please feel free to contact me at boxoffice@hamiltonplayers.com.<br />
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<br />dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-33346194547402625752017-12-29T12:47:00.002-08:002017-12-29T12:47:53.226-08:00State of the Players 2017<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The end of the year is just days
away and for many that compels them to take stock of the current year's achievements
and start plotting goals for the upcoming year. I am no exception.
This past year at the Hamilton Playhouse has been full of ups and downs.
The beginning of the year was marred by the social media fiasco carrying over
from November of 2016. "What social media fiasco?" you
ask? In November of 2016, then Vice President elect Mike Pence attended a
showing of </span><i style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Hamilton</i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> on Broadway. The powers-that-be for
Hamilton decided to offer a post-show message tailored to their unexpected
audience member. Now, this isn't quite as one-off as it may sound as it
happened during the weeks of the Broadway Cares fundraisers where many Broadway
casts do post-show curtain speeches to help fundraise for Broadway Cares/Actors
Equity Fights Aids. This time, however, the curtain speech was delivered
to entreat not monetary support for the fight against AIDS, but rather to
entreat tolerance, love, and dedication for upholding American values for
all. This was not well received by a very large group of Trump/Pence
supporters and as far as we are concerned, it escalated rather quickly.
By the following morning, we were flooded with tweets, PM's, emails, and
reviews that 1.) confused Hamilton Players, a small community theater in
Hamilton, MT with </span><i style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Hamilton an American Musical</i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, a global phenomenon
on Broadway in New York, and 2.) were angry, accusatory, vile, and in some
cases, threatening. Our office (me) contacted or replied to every one to
let them know that Hamilton Players and </span><i style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Hamilton an American Musical</i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> were
two, separate entities. Once that information was clarified, </span><i style="font-size: 13.5pt;">MOST</i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> people
were apologetic and a little sheepish. They either removed their posts,
posted retractions, or both. Only a handful of people refused to
acknowledge their mistake and those we had removed. It was a rough couple
of months in the internet world but eventually the hubbub died down and new
"scandals" arose to draw the attention of the Facebook world and Twittersphere.
Not an ideal way to start the new year; but it could have been much worse!</span><br />
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We had 4 season ticket productions in 2017: <i>The Mystery of Edwin
Drood; Love, Sex, and the IRS; She Loves Me;</i> and <i>Enchanted
April</i>. Each production had its ups and downs; from little known
titles, to new directors, to casting issues, to marketing setbacks. But
overall, the production value was high and we were happy with the final
products. That being said, perhaps the community felt differently because
ticket sales were down between 5 and 9% (depending on the show) from the projected
values. (The projected values are derived from a conservative
underestimate of actual mean values from the last 3 most equivalent
titles.) Since the projected value is already an underestimate, to come
in 5-9% less in ticket sales is an even bigger problem than it may seem at
first glance. Some of this can be attributed to the brutal weather we had
during the winter production, but mostly we find it is because despite it being
a solid line-up, none of the titles were old, standby classics. While we
love the old standbys, we try hard to mix it up for both patrons and
performers, but run the risk of not meeting our bottom line when we do.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Our reader's theater program is really beginning to take off. We had 3
productions in 2017 and plan to have 4 in 2018 (one per quarter-year). 3
will continue to be themed events: International Women's Day, Halloween,
and Christmas. The 4th production will probably be a high quality drama that
would not work for us a season ticket production, but would be an opportunity
for actors to really dig deep. An example of this would be 2016's
reader's theater of <i>Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.</i> It was a
pretty remarkable production that garnered rave reviews from the small audience
that attended. All of our reader's theaters are free to the public and
are accompanied by a pretty stellar bake sale to offset the production costs
and sometimes raise a little money.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The K-12 summer theater program is really going strong and we had our regular
session 1 and session 2 programs in July and we added an "Introduction to
Theater" week-long morning class for 3 and 4 year olds! We didn't
have enough interest to be able to hold our after school spring and fall
classes (we need a minimum of 6 students), so those programs came in under the
projections as well.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Our community/education branch of programming is growing. We had a
presence at Farmers Market each month, participated with an information booth
at Daly Days and the Ravalli County Fair, on Hamilton Tonight 2nd Fridays we
partner with Chapter One Book Store and the Executive Director reads aloud for
a toddler story time, hosted a Halloween costume party with live music, and
helped local schools with resources for their performance related events.
Our volunteer program is really taking off as well and despite the reduction in
ticket sales we have increased our volunteer pool by nearly 5% this year.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Going into the 3rd quarter, Hamilton Players was down nearly $10,000 in
projected income and our reserves were tapped out due to mix of emergencies,
illnesses, and unforeseen circumstances. This was going to leave us with
a huge deficit to start the new year, and quite honestly could have been the
straw that breaks the camel's back. It could have closed our doors for
good. Luckily for us we had a major fundraiser planned for September
16: <i>All the World's a Stage</i>. It was our first, classic
dinner and auction fundraiser event and it was successful enough to bring us
current and make up for the ticket sales deficit. And then we were
visited by a Christmas miracle: The Ryan Foundation offered up a $5000
matching grant to replenish our reserve fund! This grant opportunity was
presented to us on December 22 and as of today (December 29) we have raised
$3475. With only $1235 left to raise, we are really hoping to secure the
entire $5000 match!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Auditions
for the first show of 2018, <i>Chicago</i>, are underway and the cast list should be
posted on New Year's Day. We are all really looking forward to that
production and it will be a great kickoff to what is promising to be a
fantastic 2018! As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to
contact me at boxoffice@hamiltonplayers.com. Have a safe and wonderful
New Year!</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-51015196424471340032017-12-06T12:40:00.000-08:002017-12-06T12:40:12.881-08:00A Christmas CarolJust started prepwork for our annual holiday show: a reader's theater production of Charles Dickens' <em>A Christmas Carol. </em>For mainstream America, it's a pretty well known title and just about everyone has seen at least one version (if not more!) of it. There are a lot of amazing interpretations out there (I think my favorites would be A Muppet Christmas Carol and Scrooged, starring Bill Murray) and all of them are fun in one way or another. There are also, as it turns out, many stage versions as well. But here's the thing about all of them: They follow the story line and hit all the high points, but you really don't get to experience the full impact of Charles Dickens' remarkable and moving prose. The reason for that is that all the descriptive narrative in the Dickens text is turned into visual production value. Consider the following text:<br />
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"<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile
the fog and darkness thickened so, that people ran about with flaring links,
proffering their services to go before horses in carriages, and conduct them on
their way. The ancient tower of a church, whose gruff old bell was always
peeping slily down at Scrooge out of a Gothic window in the wall, became
invisible, and struck the hours and quarters in the clouds, with tremulous
vibrations afterwards as if its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up
there. The cold became intense. In the main street, at the corner of the court,
some labourers were repairing the gas-pipes, and had lighted a great fire in a
brazier, round which a party of ragged men and boys were gathered: warming
their hands and winking their eyes before the blaze in rapture. The water-plug
being left in solitude, its overflowings sullenly congealed, and turned to
misanthropic ice. The brightness of the shops where holly sprigs and berries
crackled in the lamp heat of the windows, made pale faces ruddy as they passed." (Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, (c)1905 The Baker and Taylor Company)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It paints a picture for you, right? That is Dickens' prose. But instead of experiencing those words the artistic minds responsible for the movies and plays interpret that into a visual representation. So you see cold people warming their hands and you see frozen water, and you see shop windows decorated with holly and berries. You probably even see people peering in the shop windows and the light being reflected off their faces. And that's great; it's made for some stellar movies. But you lose something in the translation from page to screen. You lose the <em>words</em>. You lose the chance for your immeasurably and endlessly creative brain to paint its own picture. The written word, like the spoken word, has a special and powerful magic all its own. And Dickens' was a master of that magic. That is why we have chosen to take the text of his original 1842 novella and adapt it into a reader's theater. Instead of paring the story down into its dialogue and doing a stage version that presents the rest as a visual statement, we have left the narration in and formatted the show to have a staged dialogue section and a narration section. So the structure of our show is that we have a contemporary clothed narrator sitting in a wing chair "reading" the story to the audience and then when we reach action or dialogue moments, the focus switches over the Victorian costumed stage actors who then perform the dialogue intereactively. It's fun. It has strong visual production value. And you get the rare privilege of experiencing most of the original text.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">AND as icing on the cake? Well, all the reader's theaters at Hamilton Playhouse are free to the public. We offset the costs of the shows (costuming, props, tech, licensing, etc) by hosting a bake sale fundraiser at each event. The holiday bake sale that accompanies A Christmas Carol is epic. There are tons of delicious goodies that you can enjoy as a concessions treat or take home in bulk as holiday treats to be shared with friends and family. So mark you calendars and get ready to experience A Christmas Carol in a whole new way! Friday, December 22 at 7pm. (doors open at </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">6 pm; seating begins at 6:30 pm). See you at the Playhouse!</span>dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-8646924136137747932017-12-02T15:14:00.001-08:002017-12-02T15:14:20.392-08:00End of year giving<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dear Friends,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is difficult to think about the arts in the wake of the
disastrous summer and fall we all just faced.
Storms, floods, fires, earthquakes, mass shootings, social unrest; there
are so many pressing needs and so few hands and pocketbooks to fulfill them. Geographically, Ravalli County, Montana is a relatively small community but we
are still global citizens and as such, we have a responsibility to take
ownership of the present and the future. So support the cause you believe
in. Help people who need help. Give (food, clothing, time, money) to someone
or something that you feel needs your attention. Be a beacon of light and hope. Make a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While you are making a difference, don’t forget to
celebrate. Strong communities are
defined not only by their shared difficulties, but also by their shared
celebrations. We need to celebrate
successes, achievements, beauty, kindness, strength, perseverance, and much
more. We celebrate and grow together. At the Hamilton Playhouse we put the
spotlight on education, inspiration and community through the performing arts. Hamilton Playhouse is more than just a
theater; it is a haven where community comes together to make magic and
memories…and celebrate. When all is said
and done, live theater provides respite, inspiration, and entertainment in a
world where those things are increasingly difficult to find. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Here at the Hamilton Playhouse, we strive to be a beacon in our community and Hamilton
Players’ success relies on end of year donations. And every nonprofit arts organization is in the same boat. So while you think about how to make a difference this year, please don't forget the arts organization in your communities. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Your tax deductible donation makes it possible to continue to celebrate
and provide amazing artistic programming, offer special events, provide
educational opportunities, and much, much more! So celebrate the season in whatever way feels right to you and know that with the support and love of the community, Hamilton Players will be celebrating along with you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Happy Holidays!</span></div>
dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-2137281148054454212017-11-11T20:11:00.000-08:002017-12-02T15:16:16.709-08:00It's not quite 2018 yet, so it isn't a new year's resolution, but it is a resolution nonetheless. Hamilton Players has had a blog for several years now and at best I've posted quarterly and at worst, I'm ashamed to say, I have gone more than an entire year without posting at all. It's time for that to change. Hamilton Players is a theater and a nonprofit and dang it!, I have a lot to say about that! So I resolve here and now that starting in December, I will post a minimum of twice a month for the next 12 months and we'll see where it takes us. New content will begin next week! I look forward to our journey together.dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-12701109960554776102015-12-01T14:54:00.001-08:002015-12-01T14:55:26.735-08:00Isn't this worth fighting for?<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At the end of today's post, you'll see the year-end letter that the Players sent out back in October. I have been thinking about it a lot these past weeks because it is always a struggle to write. It's purpose? Ostensibly to remind friends and patrons to make a donation to our organization this calendar year, but I always want it to do more than that. I want people to step outside the box of thinking of the Hamilton Players as just a community theater, because "just" is word that has no place there. The Hamilton Players is so much to so many...but how do you explain that in one single, simple page?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course we put on plays and musicals; that is a prime part of our mission statement. But it is the why we put on plays and musicals that people seem to miss. Our mission statement reads, "Hamilton Players: Putting the spotlight on education, inspiration, and community through the performing arts." Education. Inspiration. And Community. That is the true core of the Hamilton Players. We love plays. And we love to put on plays, but it is the <em>why</em> we love it that makes it so important. And that why is confidence, self-esteem, empathy, beauty, friendship, fun, laughter, joy...if there is a positive adjective out there, you can apply it here. That's why we do it. And why it's so important that we keep doing it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have had parents and grandparents come to me and tell me how the Hamilton Players made a life saving difference for their loved ones: depressed /sad children finding skills to bolster their self-esteem, bullied children finding a haven of acceptance, lonely children making friends and finding mentors. I have seen the Players community come together to help a struggling family with food. I have seen new friendships grow into life-long relationships; romances that blossomed into dedicated partnerships, and I have seen Hamilton Players mourn together, cry together, and support each other through the darkest times life can offer. We laugh together and cry together.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have received letters, like the one below, that thank and credit the Players with helping children grow and mature.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<em>Dear Hamilton Players,</em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today I had the great joy of
accompanying my daughter to a school function. Normally she doesn't like to go
to these things but was insistent that today we go. So of course I jumped
at the chance to take her. Once inside I was met by one of her teachers who
pulled me aside and wanted to tell me how much M had changed over the
course of the year. They couldn't believe how this once painfully shy girl
could have bloomed into this talkative, confident young girl. One of her other
teachers then joined our conversation and told us that she had seen M in
her play and how blown away she was by the fact that M was not only
standing up on that stage, but was really good at what she was doing. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wanted to take a moment to share
this story with you because as a parent hearing such things is so wonderful
that you want to share them with them people who helped make them possible.
M auditioned for a play at the Playhouse two years ago and had trouble
standing on the stage, but DR cast her in the chorus. This year she
auditioned for another play, and stood up on that stage without any fear and
was cast in one of the lead roles. I am very confident when I say that had she
not been given the chance to stand up on the stage two years ago, she never
would have auditioned for another play, or had the confidence she does now in
her classroom. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you! You provide an invaluable
service to the community. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
-NA</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>
</span><div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I distinctly remember that incident and have had the pleasure of working with her several times since. That day, she tried to perform her audition 3 times! 3 times she asked to go up onstage and try and 3 times she froze in tearful misery, unable to vocalize. There were few dry eyes in the audience as she struggled and failed to master her shyness. Bravery like that cannot go unrewarded, so we cast her in a chorus role so that she could be surrounded in performance and not feel the spotlight quite so keenly. She was able to perform surrounded by new friends and was a delight to have backstage. A mere two years later, she auditioned and earned the only child's role - a featured cast member - in an acclaimed production of Clare Booth Luce's <em>The Women</em>. When I see her in the community now, I see only a confident and beautiful young woman and I am so proud and moved to have been a part of her life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are hundreds, if not thousands, of these stories that come from the Playhouse: people of all ages who's lives have been touched and bettered by their participation with the Players. Not all of the stories are as dramatic or publicly awe-inspiring as rescuing a child or feeding a starving family, but for every person - man, woman, or child - who holds their head a little higher, or sees new beauty, or empathizes a little more because of their participation here; it makes our community better, stronger, brighter, and more successful. And that, my friends, is the magic of community theater. And isn't that worth fighting for?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em>Dear Friend of the Hamilton Players</em>,</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em>What if a community had a place that allowed people of all
ages and walks of life to come together for a shared experience?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A place that fostered an appreciation of
diversity and beauty; a place that allowed people to put aside their
differences and be a part of something larger than themselves: a place where
everyone uses their strengths AND weaknesses to achieve something magical?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Hamilton Playhouse is that place</em>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em>The Hamilton Players are getting ready to celebrate their 20<sup>th</sup>
Anniversary at the Hamilton Playhouse (1996-2016).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like all businesses, the recession hit the
Players hard: ticket sales went down, donations decreased, and sponsors were
increasingly difficult to find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
Players persevered and so did you. Together we kept the magic of community theater
alive in the Bitterroot Valley. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as the
Players enter their 20<sup>th</sup> Anniversary Season, I ask you to continue your
amazing support. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your tax deductible donation
makes it possible to continue amazing artistic programming, offer special
events, provide educational opportunities, and much, much more!</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Hamilton Playhouse is
more than just a theater; it is a place where community comes together to make
magic and memories…and when all is said and done, its success rests squarely in
your hands. Please help keep that magic alive by remembering the Hamilton
Players in your end of year giving.</span></em></span></div>
<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sincerely,</span></em></span></div>
<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">denise rose</span></em></span></div>
<em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><em>Executive Director</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></span></div>
dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-80663456274709840432015-11-05T15:47:00.000-08:002015-11-05T15:47:59.603-08:00Spotlight on Theater Production<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Hamilton
Players just closed a box office record breaking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pride & Prejudice</i> production and are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>preparing the 2016 / 20<sup>th</sup>
anniversary season, it seems a good time to take another look at what it actually
takes to mount a theatrical production. The details may come as a surprise to
you. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a rule, scripts are not free to the public.
Most scripts are copyrighted and theaters
are required to pay a substantial royalty to produce them.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each licensing house has a slightly different
formula for determining royalties that can be as simple as a set price per
performance (as is often the case for non-musicals) or as complicated as a
proprietary algorithm combining number of seats available, ticket prices, actor
pay scales, and professional/amateur standing into a per-performance royalty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The performance rights for non-musicals are
less expensive than those of musicals and are often a set price regardless of
venue size or ticket price and averages $75/show. There is no materials
deposit:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you buy and keep the scripts.
Musical licensing is more complicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Musical royalties for the Hamilton Players average $200 per show, and in
addition require that you RENT the musical scores and scripts as well as
provide a security deposit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this is
due prior to advertising auditions, much less starting rehearsals!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to these licensing fees the artistic
budget (set, costumes, hair, makeup, props, tech, SFX,); artistic payroll
(director, music director, choreographer, musicians); marketing budget (print
ads, digital ads, posters, flyers) and direct show expenses (programs,
concessions, box office personnel, ticket stock and fees); and the average
Hamilton Players production costs $7450 for a non-musical and $13,695 for a
musical. What’s more, these numbers do not include venue overhead (phone, heat,
lights, internet, property tax, cleaning, maintenance), or administrative costs
(office management, grant writing, fundraising, insurance) or the thousands of
other expenses a venue generates (snow removal, repairs, supplies).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expenses are only ½ of the equation. There
is another set of numbers that needs to be considered when discussing a
community theater production and that is volunteer hours. In the most recent
Hamilton Players production, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pride &
Prejudice</i>, more than 4200 volunteer hours were put in to make the show come
to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>27 actors rehearsing 14.5
hours/week plus 9, 5.5-hour show days equal over 3600!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition there was an average of 5
volunteers working 5 hours/Saturday for 6 weeks building set (150 hours), 3
costumers working 12 hours a week for 6 weeks, (216 hours), house volunteers
for the shows (70 hours), and offsite hours for artists that equaled more than
350 hours!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As employees, at<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> minimum wage</i> these hours would be
valued at over $32,000! As volunteers, their hours are priceless and indispensable.
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what exactly does it take to produce a
show?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Passion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Commitment. And community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Hamilton Players invite you to be a part of the magic in their 20<sup>th</sup>
Anniversary Season. Volunteer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buy a
ticket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sponsor a show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep the arts alive in the Bitterroot
Valley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For more information, visit the
Players online at </span></span><a href="http://www.hamiltonplayers.com/"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">www.hamiltonplayers.com</span></span></a><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-51841569215791324512015-05-22T15:59:00.001-07:002015-05-22T15:59:42.249-07:00More "State of the Players!"
<br /><br />
Hamilton Players, Inc. - a non-profit (501 c 3) community
theater. Its mission? Putting the spotlight on education,
inspiration, and community through the theater arts...and I believe we
do a fantastic job of doing just that. Each year we offer 30 weeks
of K-12th grade education classes, 2-7 weeks of adult education, a 4-5 show
season ticket, two concert fundraisers, and a handful of other
events including reader's theaters, a comedy roast, and a black tie awards
event. In the last few years we have staged more than a handful of productions
that are still getting rave community reviews! I have been privy to
testimony that credits the Players with "saving the life" of not 1,
but 3 separate children; bullied and depressed children who found mentorship
and self-esteem in participating in Players programming. I have letters from
parents about painfully shy children who "found their voice" on
the Players stage. <strong>And </strong>we have a
bottomless well of talent in the Bitterroot Valley; full of
professional artists and other stunningly talented entertainers who
regularly grace our stage, providing riveting, professional quality
performances. So why, then, is Hamilton Players struggling from month to
month to keep the doors open?<br />
<br /><br />
The short answer is simple: in an income/expense based analysis, the
Hamilton Players expenses exceed their income. Simple, right? Just
spend less money. ...Which brings us to the long answer, which is not quite so
simple.<br />
<br /><br />
We have worked hard to keep expenses down to the essentials and trim the
financial fat wherever we can, so we are really operating as tight as we can.
At this point, for nearly every additional expense dollar the Hamilton Players
cut, income will also be cut. Decrease administrative staff/payroll?
Right now there is one full-time employee and one part-time employee who
function as the Executive Director, Managing Director, Education Coordinator,
Box Office Manager, Special Projects Coordinator, Costume Shop Manager, Safety
Officer, Accessibility Liaison, Volunteer Coordinator,
Administrative Assistant, Grant Writer, Patron Services
Manager, Development Director, and 24/7 on-call emergency person...as
well as do anything that comes up needing to be done. Between the two of
them, they do the work of 3-4 full time staff positions! Decrease
marketing? Lose ticket sales. Decrease show budgets? Shows with lower
production value = less ticket sales. Cut production stipends? Lose
production staff = less shows or lower production value and that equals, yep,
you guessed it: less ticket sales.<br />
<br /><br />
Here's the general breakdown of our last musical:<br />
Materials rental
.......................$900 (cost to rent music & scripts)<br />
Materials deposit......................$400 (damage deposit)<br />
Royalties.................................$1845 (cost per show x 9 shows)<br />
Musicians................................$1250 (piano + 3 musicians)<br />
Art/Music
Direction...................$1500 (Directors' stipends)<br />
Artistic Show Budget.................$2800 (Set, Costumes, Props, etc.)<br />
Admin/Box
Office.....................$1650 (Show related admin costs)<br />
Ticketing.................................$150 (ticket fees & ticket stock)<br />
Programs................................$900 (printing fees)<br />
Bldg. Overhead.......................$1000 (Heat/Air, utilities for show)<br />
Marketing...............................$1300 (posters, ads, etc.)<br />
<strong>TOTAL</strong>..................................<strong>$13,695</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
If every showing of a musical sold out (165 seats x $15 x 9 shows)
the Players would make $22,275 -$13,695 for a total of: $8,580. Unfortunately,
average attendance for a NOT well-known, musical is <55% (or >93). So 93 seats
x $15 x 9 shows =$12,555 - $13,695= <span style="color: red;">-$1140</span> (Yes,
a LOSS of $1140!). This musical averaged 97 per show which
came out to $13,095-$13,695 = <span style="color: red;">-600</span>.
Luckily, this production had a 1/2 sponsor that helped offset the royalties
leaving the Players with a profit of $600...for the production
itself. Now, this budget does not include day-to-day operations,
salaries, and show incidentals (like custodial services and feeding the work
crew); nor does it quantify the burden placed on our volunteer pool for the 1200+
DESIGNATED volunteer hours it took to bring this show together.
Non-musical comedies are less expensive to produce, but they also
bring in <u>significantly </u>smaller houses as they run about 25% or less
(>42)...and if it is a drama? We're looking at houses that are >
15% or an average of 25 people per show. That is why the Players do 2 or
3 musicals a year out of their 5 show season, and why we choose at least one
well-known, popular musical; because popular musicals (think: Sound of Music,
The King and I, My Fair Lady) bring in houses that average 115 people or 68%
for a profit of $1830.00...more if the director can come in under budget and we
get a sponsor. <br />
<br /><br />
Without sponsors, it is almost impossible for a show to break even.
Thankfully, THANKFULLY! Most of the 2015 shows have sponsors, (A HUGE thank you
to: Taco Del Sol in Hamilton, Ravalli County Bank, Family Medicine Center
of the Bitterroot, Ann and Paul Thomas, Chapter One Book Store and Roaring Lion
Ranch!), but we are still looking for a partial sponsor for <em>Pride &
Prejudice, </em>and 4, $250 sponsors for the Summer Session 1 Theater
Camp. It is the rare performing arts organization that can survive on
ticket revenue alone, and when I say rare I mean not just unicorn rare, but
rainbow-maned-flying-unicorn rare. And Hamilton Players is not one of
those unicorns. So we plead for community sponsorships, madly write
grants and compete with the hundreds of other non-profits in the community and
thousands in the state (and sometimes more if it's national) for the same grant
dollars, and continually reach out to our community for support. <br />
<br /><br />
The Hamilton Players is a non-profit community theater. We love what
we do and judging by the fact that we are still open and going on our 20th year
at the Playhouse, you love us too. We need your continued support. And in
return, we will give back all that we can: our talent, our time, our
gratitude. We will keep reaching out to this community to
entertain, educate, mentor, and help. We will still: partner with other organizations to
raise awareness and money (for them and us), donate tickets to fundraisers,
give away tickets to other non-profits (youth homes, SAFE, 4H mentorship
program), and try to help out the schools whenever we can by supporting their
projects (musicals, wax museums). We will work every day to fulfill our
mission statement and prove that we are worthy of your support!<br />
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<br />dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-37633954098693592682015-05-12T16:47:00.000-07:002015-05-12T16:47:28.043-07:00Introducing the new and improved...So much has happened since my last blog...in 2013! As a mid-year resolution I have decided to make weekly blog posts a priority. There is always so much happening with the Hamilton Players, that the issue isn't finding something to say, but rather, finding the time to say it! So in the upcoming posts, I will be talking about events, funding, programming, wants, needs, wishlists, thank you's and everything in between. <br />
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Just a quick update/overview...a snapshot, so to speak, of the 2015 Hamilton Players:<br />
<ul>
<li>We currently have an 8 person Board of Directors that meets at 5:30 pm on the third Thursday (generally) of every month at the Playhouse.</li>
<li>We have an amazing 5-show season that started in February with <em>The Drowsy Chaperone, </em>followed in April by <em>The Curious Savage. </em>The remaining 3 shows of the 2015 season are: <em>Singin' in the Rain </em>(June), <em>The Odd Couple </em>(August), and <em>Pride & Prejudice </em>(October).</li>
<li>As of today (May 12, 2015) our sponsors for the season are: TACO DEL SOL, RAVALLI COUNTY BANK, FAMILY MEDICINE CENTER OF THE BITTERROOT, ANN & PAUL THOMAS, MONTANA CULTURAL TRUST, and ROARING LION RANCH. Without these sponsors, we would not be able to keep the doors open. Thank you, Sponsors, for keeping the magic alive!</li>
<li>We just closed out an amazing performance tech upgrade made possible by a grant from the Montana Department of Tourism combined with the generosity of our theater donors. This $33,855.00 project enabled us to purchase new light and sound boards and upgrade the wiring, acquire new masking curtains (legs), a new scrim, a new performance keyboard, monitors, 28 new light fixtures, 4 headsets, a tech laptop, 2 LED spotlights AND install new dimmer packs. This upgrade, along with the new seating installed in 2010 takes your theater experience to a whole new level. The production value is at an all time high and you will just have to see it to believe it.</li>
<li>The K-12th grade education program has expanded to include 2 weeks in the summer, 12 weeks in the fall and 16 weeks in the spring. This summer the session 1 camp ends with a production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Jr. (licensed by MTI: Music Theater International).</li>
<li>We have added 3 reader's theater productions to the season lineup: March, September and December. The September title is <em>Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf </em>featuring denise rose, Terry Croghan, Mara Luther, and Eric Monson. The December title, which is going to be an annual event, is Charles Dickens' <em>A Christmas Carol.</em> Anyone who is interested in participating in that production should contact the Playhouse Box Office.</li>
<li>We are currently engaged in campaign to recruit volunteers for all aspects of Playhouse functions, but we are focusing on recruiting builders and carpenters to help build sets. If you have any interest in volunteering in any capacity, please contact the Playhouse Box Office.</li>
<li>Box Office Hours were reduced to Wednesday-Friday, 1-5pm to help reduce the operating budget and keep the Playhouse afloat. This economy has been rough on the arts across the nation and the Playhouse is no exception. But we are passionate about what we do and we will fight to keep the magic alive!</li>
<li>2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the Hamilton Playhouse. We will be kicking that season off with the first show ever produced at the Playhouse: <em>Something's Afoot. </em>It is our dream that this production will bring the Playhouse full circle and bridge the gap between the past and the future at the Playhouse. Bring back our favorites from the Players past and sprinkle in new faces and talent...both on and off stage! </li>
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...and that, in a nutshell, is where the Hamilton Players are today. I look forward to sharing more about the Players; where we've been and where we're going. And I look forward to hearing from all of you: your thoughts, your ideas, your suggestions...let's make some magic happen together!<br />
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dtrose/Hamilton Playershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08462601738099236924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-68463992635178665842013-02-05T16:52:00.000-08:002013-02-05T16:52:28.715-08:00"just" is a four letter word of the worst kindIf there is one phrase I dread hearing more than any other (excepting, of course, "You're fired" or "You have {insert number here} weeks to live") it is: It's just community theater. As in, "I don't want to go see that, it's just community theater." Just? JUST? What exactly does that mean? That phrase instantly attempts to devalue hundreds of hours of collaboration and work and worry from scores of talented, busy people by implying that the scope of community theater is inherently less than...well...apparently less than anything that could be construed as important. I get that we are not actively and immediately saving lives like a doctor - no one says, "Oh it's just heart surgery" - but that does not make community theater worthless. <br />
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Anyone who has participated in community theater can tell you that it takes hard work and dedication to put on a show. And it takes a lot of hard work and a ton of dedication to put on a good show. They don't just, "happen." For roughly 7 weeks, actors attend 12.5 hours of rehearsal per week. This is actual specific, required rehearsal time. This does not include any time spent at home memorizing lines (anywhere from 1-8 more hours a week), learning blocking, learning music (1-8 hours a week), practicing choreography (1-8 hours a week), or helping build set, create costumes, or props (1-4 hours a week). In essence, an actor in a non-professional, community theater production could spend anywhere from 12.5 - 40.5 hours a week, for 7 weeks, to put on a successful show. This is <em>in addition </em>to their day jobs, their family time, and whatever social life outside the theater they can manage to eke out during the production time frame. Now, multiply that by 15 (the size of a modest musical): that's 7 weeks x 13.5 hours/week (low estimate of: required rehearsal + 1hour) x 15 people. That equals 1,417.5 man hours. For one show. That does not include the hours spent by the director, assistant director, designers, seamstresses, builders, painters, house volunteers, and organizational personnel...which can add 600+ more hours. 2000 or more hours of labor and love; and that's "just" community theater!<br />
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You can talk about the heart surgery being important. I will talk about the little girl who wrote an essay on the topic of her proudest moment and cited stepping on the Hamilton Players' stage in her very first production...because she never thought she would be capable of doing something like that. Or the young woman who was being bullied and in despair but found confidence and acceptance in the theater that armed her to not only succeed on stage, but to go out into her community and work with at risk youth thru the process of performance based ministry. I would argue that the impact community theater has had and will continue to have in those girls' lives is every bit as important as life saving surgery... with a much farther reach. But that's "just" community theater.<br />
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The confidence and self-esteem engendered by participation in a theater performance will impact a person for the whole of their existence. It will make a difference every day. It will support the child, strengthen the adult, and make our world a better place to live...every day. Technological visionary, Paul G. Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, summed it up when he said, "I have seen the critical role that the arts play in stimulating creativity and in developing vital communities...the arts have a crucial impact on our economy and are an important catalyst for learning, discovery, and achievement in our country."
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Take the time to appreciate your community theater and all it has to offer. Whether you participate onstage, offstage, backstage, or in the audience...it will change your life. Call the Hamilton Players and buy tickets to a show, volunteer to work on set or as a lobby volunteer. Take an improv class or audition for a show. You can even make donation the general fund or the theater school. Every little bit makes a difference and you'll be able to walk away knowing that you contributed to an important, life changing, confidence inspiring, self-esteem fostering, problem solving, community building project...even if it is, "just" community theater.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-47492813426957812272012-06-13T18:25:00.000-07:002012-06-13T18:25:45.470-07:00<u><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt;"> <div align="center" class="MsoHeading7" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Live theater is a wonderful beast but it is NOT a movie! The success and pleasure of the experience depends on several factors; the most important being the ability of the audience to willingly suspend their disbelief and get "drawn in" to world of the play. Any interruptions to the audience's ability to stay immersed in the world of the play ruins the experience and the hundreds of hours that the cast and crew and worked to create their unique fantasy is destroyed. Having been on the receiving end of having my hard work, sweat, and tears rendered useless by one thoughtless audience member's cell phone<span style="color: white;"> </span></span><span style="color: white;">("<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Out, out damned spot</span></span><span style="color: white;">"</span><span style="color: red;">.</span><span style="color: red;">..<em>brriiiinng, brriiinggg...'oh hey, I can't talk right now, I'm at a play....really? When? what did he say</em><em>?"</em></span><em><span style="color: white;">)</span><span style="color: white;"> </span></em></strong></span><span style="color: white;">I have some very specific suggestions to you. Now these are specific to our community theater: professional theaters are far stricter. (For example, if you are late you may not be let in until intermission. No latecomers will disturb the show.)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 18pt;"><u><span style="color: white;">THEATER ETIQUETTE FOR THE COMMUNITY THEATER AUDIENCE</span></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">BE ON TIME.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arriving late and having to open and close the door and walk in front of people is loud and distracting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Professional theaters will not let you enter the house after the show has started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A professional theatre will make you wait for intermission AND they will not refund your money if you choose to leave because of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plan ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you have ample time to find parking and pick up your will-call tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be courteous, be on time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;">DO NOT UNWRAP CANDY IN THE AUDIENCE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Candy wrappers are very distracting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The audience </span>can hear them, the actors can hear them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have a cold and need throat lozenges, be prepared. Unwrap </span><span style="color: white;">them before the show begins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same goes for any noise making activity…including squeezing water bottles or crumpling paper – it’s very distracting!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>nothing</u></i></b><u> </u>that is more rude and disrespectful than texting or answering a cell phone during a performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is bad enough when it rings and distracts the entire house and ruins the in-the-moment live theater experience, but to answer or text is just plain wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actors dedicate a lot of time, energy, and emotion into their shows and when you use a phone during a performance you are telling the actors, the directors, the producers, and your fellow audience members that you are rude and selfish and could not care less about their efforts and time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn off your cell phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the event of an emergency page, please exit quietly and discreetly, with as little disruption as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Deal with it in the lobby or outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">NO PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOTAPING.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Flash photography is especially bad, because the flash is startling and very distracting to the actors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But non-flash photography and videotaping is also distracting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is often a red light on the front of the camera that the actors can see and be distracted by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, holding up a camera or standing up block the view of audience members around you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Professional theaters will throw you out if you are caught recording the show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many shows, it is illegal and an infringement of the copyright laws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A theater can lose its contract rights if an illegal “bootleg” is discovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No contract = no show.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">DO NOT EVER WAVE AT ACTORS ONSTAGE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter how cute they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they are not in an interactive production that deliberately engages the audience, DO NOT ENGAGE THE ACTORS!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have worked too long and too hard on developing a character and a show to spoil it for the others by waving to grandma in the audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hugs before the show and flowers after are always appropriate, but save the by-play until the show is over.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">SPEAKING OF FLOWERS…it is common theatrical tradition to give an actor/actress flowers after a performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many choose opening night, but others choose whatever performance they attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But without fail, actors love flowers. Directors, Stage Managers, and Accompanists love them too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Just be courteous. That's all we ask. We work hard to entertain you - and for your viewing pleasure: we are <u>always</u> in 3D!</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-10455100435745715702011-09-09T14:47:00.000-07:002011-09-09T14:47:33.083-07:00This is your mission, should you choose to accept it....<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><em><span style="color: black;"></span></em></span></span></span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: yellow;"><em>The Hamilton Players mission is "to provide high quality live community theater to the Bitterroot Valley audiences, to develop local talent, and to provide opportunities for the public to participate in the performing arts. Opportunities…will be provided by producing a varied theatrical season... and performing a variety of plays and musicals throughout the year.”</em> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">That doesn't sound like it should be very difficult, does it? Well, surprise! It is much more difficult than it sounds. In preparing to announce the programming for the next season, we have been struggling with a multitude of questions, not the least of which is, "How do we choose a season that appeals to a diverse community, fulfills our mission statement, and still manages to keep us financially sound enough to keep the doors open?" The Bitterroot Valley is populated by a wide range of demographically different populations - all of whom have varied likes and dislikes, political views, religious views, social views, ethical mores, prejudices, opinions, and sensibilities. Oh, and don't forget the differences in social circles, financial backgrounds, environmental views, maturity, education, and good old nature vs. nurture. Now, pick one show that appeals to a large portion of this diverse community; both in audience and performance values. Now pick a second show...one that appeals do a <em>different </em>large portion of this diverse community...without gravely offending the first group. Possible, yes. NOW, pick a third show, that appeals to another portion of this community - without offending - well, you get the picture. Now pick a total of 5 shows that offer opportunities to everyone who wants to act or sing or see a show, that cover topics and styles that have broad enough appeal to fully cast and create a show as well as put enough butts in the seats to keep the theater financially solvent. Not so easy anymore, is it? Now, add to that the need to find a competent, passionate director AND enough actors to physically make the show happen: just because it appeals to actors and audience doesn't mean that the actors will be available for the 8 - 10 week commitment it take to put on a show. Add to this the competition for the acting, directing, and audience pool as well as a very full community calendar with competing events AND the need to duplicate this process (with different results) year after year after year...it can be be far more difficult than you maybe ever imagined.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Topping off this surprisingly difficult endeavor of choosing a season is the need to expand our audience pool. Now we have to try to step outside of the safe zones to try to bring in a few new audience members for each show, without losing the already existing ones by moving too far too fast. The same goes for the audition/acting pool. How do we entice new actors into the fold? If we cannot continue to expand our patron, volunteer and actor pools, then we fail, because without a slow and steady infusion of new blood, the theater will cease to exist. Most of the amazing group of people who founded this theater have, in the last 30 years, moved on. Some of them can be found in the audience and still, occasionally, on stage. A new generation of artists have inherited their passion and are carrying their torch: I am one of them. but who will this generation bequeath the theater to? If we cannot grow our only other option, in the end, is to turn out the lights and lock the door. But I don't think that's going to happen. At least I hope it won't, because if it does, the Valley will have lost something precious and irreplaceable.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Calibri", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">So, when you see our upcoming season and are disposed to grumble or criticize, please remember how difficult the task was, and know that we are trying to serve our community - our whole community - in the best way we know how. Take a risk, step outside of your comfort zone and go on the journey with us...you just might like it!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-73250837807556231022011-07-19T15:12:00.001-07:002011-07-19T15:13:11.430-07:00All the world's a...swamp?!It has now been 3 weeks since the first flood of the parking lot and the subsequent flood of the crawl space and basement costume shop. We are still pumping water out and desperately trying to save the costume inventory from mold and mildew. It's a sad, sad situation and in the end, the Players will lose a substantial amount of inventory - much of it irreplaceable vintage clothing. Ultimately, it will be a loss to the whole community, as those will be costumes that will not be available for the wax museum, or the high school musical, or to any one of a hundred community events. We haven't been able to do much with the costumes for the last 18 months as we have been sorting and organizing and trying to find a way to make our storage system more accessible and the flooding is essentially the nail in the costume shop coffin. It's no longer a matter of convenience or organization: now it’s a matter of health and safety. We desperately need to build an above ground, environmentally controlled costume storage space. <br />
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A new costume shop facility has been on our list of delayed maintenance for a very long time. With the risk of dangerous mold spores higher than ever before and the sheer monetary cost of losing so much inventory, a new costume shop has to be a priority. Every show the Players put on increases our costume inventory. Every children's camp production, every main stage production, every fundraiser, every concert. And when I think of the time and effort that goes into the creation of every costume, and that costume just being...destroyed by our inability to keep it safe...it makes me want to scream.<br />
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I am putting this project at the top of my "to do" list. I know that the economic climate we live in today is not one of financial largesse but this theater has meant a lot to a lot of people over the years - me included - and I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that together we will be able to resolve this problem. In the meantime, please be patient with our inability to commit our meager costume resources to the full spectrum of community use.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-510073313588848946.post-70709970493574490292011-06-22T15:22:00.000-07:002011-06-22T15:22:42.700-07:00Welcome to the new millennium!It's finally happened. The Hamilton Players have opened the gates and welcomed in the new millennium! We are on facebook, twitter...and now we even have a blog! Couple that with our outstanding performance history and we may well be nigh unstoppable! <br />
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A little excessive bravado? Perhaps. But we are still in the game and going strong, and sometimes that alone is enough to warrant bragging rights.<br />
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As it has for so many in our country, the first decade of the new millennium has brought both joy and sorrow. We have welcomed new actors, patrons, and volunteers into the Hamilton Players family and had to say goodbye to some of the same who were very near and dear to us. We've survived and lauded the changing of the guard in both the Board of Directors and the administrative staff. Many of the ambitious and dedicated Players who founded our theater have stepped down to allow other, equally passionate, artistic souls to shine in both leadership and in support roles. Like a family, the Hamilton Players have weathered the storms brought on by so many wonderful and contradictory personalities and come out on the other side closer, stronger, and more dedicated than ever. <br />
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So right here and right now, the Hamilton Players would like to thank every actor, every volunteer, every employee, every patron...every person who for even one minute was a member of the Hamilton Players family. For every hour worked, we thank you. For every dollar donated, we thank you. For every kind thought, smile, moment of applause, for every conversation, recommendation, and constructive criticism, we thank you. But most all, for all the love...we thank you. We couldn't have done it without you! The Hamilton Players have been your community theater for over 30 years, and we look forward to another 30+ more!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0