Demian Bichir in the revival of Demian Bichir in the revival Zoot Suit Zoot 2016 - 2017 at Center Theatre Group. Photo by Craig Schwartz. Photo by Craig Group. at Center Theatre ANNUAL REPORT 2 2 2 2016 -17 HIGHLIGHTS It has been a year of significant accomplishment as • Our Spotlight Series events happen we continue the rewarding work of supporting our throughout the year for employees of our theatres and their communities. The next three supporting organizations. Held at Broadway’s pages feature our initiatives from the last year: most popular shows, our Spotlight Series Special Events, Access Programs, Advancing events allow employees to experience the Strong Theatre, Educating Through Theatre and hottest tickets in town at a discounted price. National Society. Last year we hosted 32 events including The Lion King, The Great Comet, Hello, Dolly! and SPECIAL EVENTS Waitress. • The Chairman’s Awards Gala, held at the Pierre New York on April 3, 2017, honored Glenn Close with the Theatre Artist Award, Center Theatre Group with the Achievement in Theatre Award and philanthropist Roe Green with the Theatre Forward Leadership Award. The incredible evening raised $533,000. We also kicked off the Gala season with two Theatre Forward Executive Director Bruce E. Whitacre and exciting cocktail receptions at the beautiful Trinity Repertory Company Executive Director Tom Parrish. homes of board members Pam Farr with her husband Buford Alexander and Tom Quick. Both events helped spread the word about Theatre Forward and our activities. • On February 3, 2017, we held our 14th Annual Broadway Roundtable hosted by UBS. The Participants in the Bank of America and Theatre Forward luncheon explored the current Broadway and Black History Month Panel. regional theatre landscape with a specific focus on diversity. Panelists included Michael Ritchie, Betty Buckley, Kathleen Marshall, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Nelle Nugent, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. ACCESS PROGRAMS Board Member Brian Harkins and actor Ruben • Over 27,000 patrons and corporate employees Santiago-Hudson at the 2017 Broadway Roundtable. nationwide accessed SAVE MY SEAT®, which offers discount and full price tickets on and Off-Broadway as well as nationally through our website www.theatreforward.org. • Our House Seat service provides the best seats in the house at standard prices, and saved our Actors Richard Thomas and Elizabeth A. Davis at the 2016 Gala Cocktail Kickoff Party at the home of Pam supporters thousands in premium and broker Farr and Buford Alexander. fees. We booked 506 House Seat tickets and 3 generated $139,259 in sales in the 16-17 year. ADVANCING STRONG THEATRE During 2016-17 Theatre Forward laid the groundwork for a major new initiative to support greater access and opportunity through artistic projects, known as Advancing Strong Theatre. This new program will launch in 2018. • Through our Advancing Strong Theatre initiative competitive $50,000 grants will be awarded in 2018 to our member theatres to advance the recipient theatre’s holistic plan for achieving Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Orlando Hernandez, who plays Romeo in Trinity through collaboration, engagement and Repetory Company’s production of Romeo and Juliet for “Shakespeare en el Verano” meets audience artistic expression. members. • This initiative is a direct response to the fact that while theatres have striven to express diversity on their stages for decades, “Advancing Strong Theatre is the most critical there is still a need to create long-term initiative being launched in the country today. It speaks to the deep seeded challenges that authentic community relationships or to exist between regional theatres and diverse change the composition and outlook of the communities, and provides a pathway to a theatre itself. future in which the national theatre audience truly reflects the wealth of diversity that makes • Advancing Strong Theatre aims to promote and up our nation. Advancing Strong Theatre has sustain new models and practices while the potential to advance the field, and make challenging our theatres to think of innovative, theatre the invaluable societal resource it authentic and sustainable ways to address hopes to be.” - Will Power, actor and playwright critical EDI issues. We thank our board members, individual donors, as well as foundation and corporate supporters who have taken a leadership role on this issue with their financial support. Daniel Duque Estrada leading a pre-show discussion before Fuente Ovejuna at Trinity Actor and playwright Regina Taylor discussing Repertory Company. Advancing Strong Theatre at the 2017 Chairman’s Awards Gala. 4 Arts education can help prepare young people for all kinds of jobs across all industries. EDUCATING THROUGH THEATRE • Our Impact Stories highlight the incredible Studies continue to show that children in poverty work being done at our theatres - both on and and at-risk benefit especially from an education offstage. These features demonstrate the rich in the arts and yet their access is the most importance of regional theatres across the limited. To address this issue and make impactful country and the impact that theatre has on change in this area, Theatre Forward supports people’s lives. Visit theatreforward.org/impact- access and opportunity initiatives at our member story to read them. theatres at every grade level and beyond. • We provide funding support for the programming and assessment of one selected program within each our 19 member theatres around the country. This program is generously supported by The Hearst Foundations, Wells Fargo and our patrons. • We are continuing our Southwest Airlines AT&T check presentation to support Staging Success program evaluating theatre education supported professional development program programs at four member theatres. for educators and are excited for the future of this partnership. This is a self-facilitated professional development program for education staff at member theatres to share best practices and the issues of the day. It includes webinars, travel stipends and airfare provided by Southwest Airlines to enable theatres to connect in person as well as virtually. Students perform in the 2016 Pam Farr Summer Shakespeare Studio culminating performance on August 15, 2016, following an intensive four-week • We successfully launched our Staging Success program in performance. program, with a $200,000 contribution from AT&T which enables us to measure and evaluate the aggregate results of the educational work with at-risk youth at four of our theatres. Embarking on its second year the Staging Success study will span a two-year time period, tracking participation, school engagement and students’ beliefs and attitudes over time. We are so proud of the incredible work of our theatres through this At the Strand: Peter Pastreich, Executive Director, A.C.T.; Bruce Whitacre; Carey Perloff, Artistic Director, collaborative program and thrilled to have been A.C.T.; Ellen Wong, Principal, Downtown High School; Cammy Blackstone, Director of External Affairs, AT&T; able to see some of their final exhibition Elizabeth Brodersen, Director of Education, A.C.T. projects this year. 5 NATIONAL SOCIETY • Theatre Forward welcomed over 20 National Society members in its inaugural year. The National Society is a dedicated group of individual donors who support our efforts with their philanthropic contributions. In return, they receive access to exclusive events and unique experiences while connecting with one another at: • Creative conversations with artists and industry leaders David Hyde Pierce discussed Hello, Dolly! at a post-show talkback for National Society and board • Private hosted parties with theatre insiders members. • Organized travel to our member theatres for key events • National Society members have access to concierge service and the opportunity to purchase house seats – the best seats in the house – at Broadway and off-Broadway shows. This is in addition to easy access to a wide range of Broadway, Off-Broadway and shows nationwide at significant savings of 25% to 50%. • Over the past year our National Society members dined with director Jerry Zaks from Director Jerry Zaks visiting with National Society members at a pre-show dinner before that evening’s Hello, Dolly!, held a talk with the actor David performance of Hello, Dolly!. Hyde Pierce from Hello, Dolly!, had drinks with Will Roland from Dear Evan Hansen, enjoyed a post-show reception with actors and the creative team of Come From Away, cheered on the students at the finals of the annual August Wilson Monologue competion, and traveled to see the pre-Broadway run of Anastasia at Hartford Stage. • Member benefits start at $1,500. Visit theatreforward.org/support or call (212) 750-6895 to learn more about our exciting National Society members and supporters attend the first monthly Happy Hour before seeing the upcoming events and programs. evening performance of Napoli, Brooklyn. Theatre Supporters “in the know” are National Society 6 Members FUNDERS Gregory S. Hurst * National Society Membership July 2016 - June 2017 Howard and Janet Kagan Theatre Forward and our theatres are most Mary Kitchen & Jon Orszag* †Includes In-kind support grateful to the following funders: Ken Klein & Christine De Lisle Anthony & Diane Lembke, in honor of Educating Through Theatre Support LEADERSHIP CIRCLE ($100,00+) Brian J. Harkins, board member* ♦ AT&T Georgina & Adrian Liddiard* You can access our list of funders at theatreforward. The Hearst♦ Foundations Bill & Ellyn Lindsay org James S. & Lynne Turley ♦ Jody & David Lippman ♦ Evelyn Mack Truitt* Theatre Forward supporters are former supporters of THEATRE EXECUTIVES ($50,000-$99,999) John Mathena & Michael Forester National Corporate Theatre Fund and Impact Bank of America Jonathan Maurer & Creativity. Gretchen Shugart BENEFACTORS ($25,000-$49,999) Susan & John Major Donor Advised In 2016-2017, Theatre Forward’s Buford Alexander & Pamela Farr Fund at the Rancho Santa Fe budget was $1.8 Million. Financial Statements BNY Mellon Foundation* available upon request. Steven & Joy Bunson Louise Moriarty & Patrick Stack * Citi Nederlander Producing Company of EY America Goldman, Sachs & Co.