July 2007 Field Letter
Written on June 22, 2007
Dear Colleagues,
2007 National Conference: Thank You Guthrie Theater
The month of June was characterized by the excitement of participating in my first National Conference as TCG's executive director. With its highest attendance ever (850), the conference was a resounding success. Big thanks go to Joe Dowling and everyone at the Guthrie Theater for hosting us so well. The Guthrie's new digs on the banks of the Mississippi River are truly impressive. The magnitude of the accomplishment of building that three-theatre facility served as inspiration for participants as we contemplated "Artistry in a New Century" and how we can accomplish big—sometimes seemingly impossible—new ideas. The Guthrie provided a beautiful setting for formally scheduled sessions, as well as the all-important activity of networking, making new friends and reconnecting with old friends. And I can't begin to describe for those who weren't there the impact of standing at the end of the Endless Bridge, embracing the panorama of the Mississippi. The Endless Bridge is a long cantilevered space that extends from the side of the Guthrie out over the Mississippi River Road. St. Anthony Falls is right there, and you know that it's roaring, but at the same time there's a profound and stunning silence about the river as it winds its way south to the Gulf.
While everyone leaves TCG's conferences with different impressions of and opinions about the scheduled sessions, it's generally unanimous that the convening's unique value is in the people you meet and the relationships that develop. In the past, conference schmoozing has lead to important new collaborations and projects.
So my question of the month is this: Do you have any good stories about friendships, professional relationships, projects or strategies that have developed for you as a result of TCG's National Conferences or other similar convenings you've participated in?
By the way, for me it was meeting Peter Brosius at the 1996 Conference in Princeton. It was my first Conference, and he was the first person I saw when I walked into the first plenary session. At the time he was the artistic director of a theatre in Honolulu (and I think he was actually wearing a Hawaiian shirt). Three years later, I became managing director of the Children's Theatre Company where Peter was artistic director. We had a fantastic partnership for at CTC 7 ½ years before I came to TCG.
First National Asian American Theater Festival
Speaking of projects that were inspired by TCG convenings, the first National Asian American Theater Festival took place from June 11–24 in New York and featured more than 25 Asian American theatre companies. The idea had its genesis at a TCG convening of 21 theatres of color in 2003. Out of this session, six Asian American companies (Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, East West Players, Ma-Yi Theater Company, the National Asian American Theatre Company, Second Generation and Mu Performing Arts) decided to hold the first ever national Asian American Theatre Conference in 2006, which lead to an even bigger idea: a national Asian American Theatre Festival. While travel schedules precluded me from attending more than two performances, I thoroughly enjoyed and was moved by Refugee Nation by TeAda Productions of Santa Monica, California. Using first-hand accounts, this piece explores the lives of Laotians who were forced to resettle in the U.S. as result of a secret war in Laos at the time of the Vietnam War. It poetically brought to life the stories of refugees and their complex efforts to create a new life in the U.S. while staying connected to their culture and homeland. I also attended Tea, a beautiful and profound production at Pan Asian Rep about four Japanese war brides who gather to have tea and remember their departed friend.
TCG Planning Process: Identifying the Issues
As reported in previous field letters, TCG has launched a planning process and we are interested in thoughts from the field about the key issues TCG should be aware of and seek to impact in the coming 5 to 15 years. A committee of board, staff and field representatives will convene twice this summer, and TCG's board will continue the planning discussion at its November board meeting.
At the 2007 Conference, affinity groups talked about planning issues for their specific genres, such as theatre for young audiences, classical theatre, touring theatre, etc. They also identified larger issues for the entire field. Consultant Eric Booth presented his distillation of these conversations at the TCG annual meeting on June 8. The top three issues that emerged were technology (we are fascinated by the potential, but we are also concerned about what effects it may have on our audiences—and we aren't sure about the best ways to interface); globalization (we are excited about increased opportunities to work internationally but also concerned about shifting resources as companies invest more outside their U.S.-based communities) and funding (there's not enough, and we need to think about structures and ways of doing business that will ensure that we can continue to develop as a field). Also on the list were: sustaining a life as a theatre artist; theatre education and developing young audiences; partnerships and collaborations; and the need to connect more meaningfully within our communities.
My June question of the month was also on TCG planning priorities and I'd like to highlight two responses.
Kyle Clausen, marketing director of Mixed Blood Theatre Company, wrote in with two comments:
1.) A very large majority of the population never even considers live theatre as an entertainment option. Something I'm working on at Mixed Blood right now is a series of three plays spaced throughout our 2007-08 season that will be free to anyone and everyone living in our immediate neighborhood. It's very ethnically diverse, but it is also the ZIP code where Mixed Blood draws from the least. I'll be working with the community center across the street to encourage locals to walk through our doors and share a little community time with us. I am also excited about Free Night of Theater (which will launch in the Twin Cities this fall), and I would love to see TCG work on more large scale ideas to help increase audiences for theatres around the country.
2.) I'd like to see more professional development opportunities for early career administrators and artists. Speaking from experience, I think there are many people like myself who really want to continue in this field for a long time, but who could benefit from some encouragement and opportunities to develop their skills and abilities. Are there ways to replicate the TCG conference experience on an ongoing basis? Possibly grants for young professionals to take classes, go to graduate school, etc., if they are working for a member theatre? Or teleconferences aimed specifically at people new to the field or new to management positions? I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'd love to have TCG tackle the problem of how to retain smart, motivated people in the not-for-profit theatre.
Sergi Torres, an MFA theatre administration student at Yale School of Drama, wrote:
I believe that almost everybody in the theatre field would agree that changes in philanthropy and philanthropic priorities are going to be a major challenge for theatre organizations in the future. This challenge is addressed in a Wall Street Journal article from last fall titled "Hunger vs. the Arts."
It seems that the threat we are talking about is large enough that not any theatre alone—not even the theatre field alone—would be able to make a significant change. And it seems to me that there exists in theatre a general reticence about collaborating with other art forms. Is the National Performing Arts Convention [see below], scheduled for Denver in 2008, an appropriate place to join forces in discussing the funding challenges? If we are to improve the public perception of the value of art, the entire arts sector must be involved; sending a unique, clear and irrefutable message. It is not just about getting a bigger piece of the pie, but about making the pie bigger.
More on the Topic of Innovation
In my June Field Letter, I talked about innovation and a variety of artistic and business strategies that theatres have deployed. Charles Dillingham of Center Theater Group wrote to me recently in response to my use of the example of the Metropolitan Opera's simulcast program in which operas were simulcast into movie theatres, leading to dramatic audience expansion. The Met used some of its endowment funds to launch this program, and Charles pointed out that theatres are more often than not operating on the "razor's edge" financially and don't have start up or risk capital to try new ideas. So how do we look at innovating or taking "managed risks," and identifying funding sources for this work?
Richard Evans and Melissa Dibble of EmcArts have been actively working on ways to build capacity for innovation within organizations. They've designed and are managing a major innovation project, the New Strategies Lab, in partnership with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This project is intended to serve the entire arts sector, though in its pilot phase it has focused on orchestras. (In my July/August American Theatre column, I write about the performing arts in the online 3-D social networking world Second Life, including a premiere by Red {an orchestra}, a project that came about through the New Strategies Lab.)
There are so many ways to think about innovation, and it seems that one of the challenges we face in exploring innovation together is in defining our terms.
I've found EmcArts' definition of innovation in an organizational setting to be useful. Innovation is: "instances of change that provide new pathways to fulfilling the mission, are discontinuous with business-as-usual and result from a shift in fundamental organizational assumptions." For more on their work, visit the EmcArts website.
MacArthur Foundation Sets Up Shop in Second Life, the 3-D Online Social Networking World
And now funders are even opening offices in Second Life! Again, see my American Theatre column, "Shakespeare in the Metaverse," for information on Second Life. And read this article from the June 22 New York Times ("Foundation With Real Money Ventures Into Virtual World)" to see how one major foundation is seizing a new opportunity in a virtual world.
Theatre Facts 2006
The long-awaited Theatre Facts 2006 is ready and will be posted on the TCG website on Thursday, July 5. The report is a mixed bag of optimistic findings tempered by trends that are cause for concern. 2006 proved to be a period of continued growth for the field's health over a 5-year period (although with a slight decline from 2005) as both earned and contributed income outpaced expenses. The average theatre in every budget group ended the year with a positive Change in Unrestricted Net Assets. Despite data showing that subscription sales continue to slide and single ticket income did not keep pace with inflation, single ticket sales and overall attendance are on the rebound after a 2-year drop. At the same time, working capital and cash reserves were at a 5-year low, and substantial increases in occupancy, equipment and maintenance costs (which rose at a higher rate than any other expense category) are areas for serious consideration. The report, though lengthy, is a must-read for all theatre professionals and trustees and is the only national analysis of the fiscal health of our field. Kudos to the Management Programs team (Chris Shuff, Ilana Rose and Jason Schroeder) for a job well done. And many thanks to Zannie Voss for undertaking the daunting task of writing the report.
And for those of you who did not participate in the Fiscal Survey, did you know that the 201 TCG member theatres that did complete it have exclusive online access to all of the data? Survey participants have the ability to generate standard or customized reports or download the 2006 raw data in its entirety. Participants can also view all of the completed surveys of individual theatres. This is a very powerful benchmarking tool—now that you know, you should definitely consider completing next year's survey!
Free Night of Theater Research
Free Night 2006 research is in and the results are encouraging. The Free Night of Theater 2006 program made 35,627 tickets available to 522 performances at 387 participating theatres in Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; Cleveland, OH; Lexington, KY; Los Angeles, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Sacramento, CA; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; and Washington, DC; and statewide in Connecticut, Oregon, New Jersey, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Shugoll Research sent an online survey to 14,706 viable email addresses provided by theatres participating in the Free Night program, with 3,159 people responding to the survey, yielding a 21% response rate. The survey of audience members that attended Free Night performances in 2006 revealed that 2 out of 3 Free Night audience members said they attended a theatre they had never been to before, and of those trying a new theatre, 32% have been back to purchase a ticket. Perhaps even more striking, of the 32% returning to purchase a ticket, 49% have bought a full-price ticket.
National Performing Arts Convention
TCG's 2008 National Conference will be combined with the National Performing Arts Convention in Denver, from June 11–14. The conference will bring together all performing arts disciplines to discuss our work, our challenges and opportunities for the future. Using "America Speaks" technology, we will work to assemble a common agenda for action. In addition to the meetings across disciplines, there will be TCG-specific convenings and receptions. So mark your calendars, and plan to be at this historic event.
My best to you,
Teresa Eyring
Executive Director