Email
PrintLabor of Love
Theatres Surviving and Thriving Despite the Economy
In a country where many used to think nothing of dropping five dollars for a latte at a big chain, people have become a lot less reckless with their cash over the last several years, especially in Michiana. Having a job you love takes a backburner to just having a job. That’s where people like John Shoup and Tami Ramaker are lucky.
John Shoup, artistic and technical director for Elkhart Civic Theatre at the Bristol Opera House, began volunteering back in 1984 and has been working with the theatre ever since. He builds the sets, he’s on the production committee, he directs, he acts – you name it! He also knows what a struggle it is to maintain a theatre at this time. As a not-for-profit organization, funding comes from ticket revenues, private donations, corporate or private underwriting (when a business or individual directly pays the costs for a specific show or season), and in-kind donations such as costumes, props, and building supplies.
“Donations and underwriting have been severely limited by the current economy,” says Shoup. “We’ve been pretty fortunate, though, and haven’t seen a decline in ticket sales – that’s a good thing!”
Tami Ramaker, artistic director for South Bend Civic Theatre (SBCT) agrees. “The nonprofit business model is being challenged significantly, intensely so in the past decade, particularly for the arts. In the past two years, since the economy hit such a low, SBCT has successfully replaced lost donations with increased ticket sales, enough so to stay even, to not lose ground, which is saying a lot, actually.”
So why are people still willing to spend their hard-earned dollars on theatre? Jack Cittadine, project manager for the renovation of the Lerner Performing Arts Center (formerly known as the Elco), says, “It’s a quality of life issue. It makes Elkhart a place we want to live. Arts are vitally important! You want to attract new people and new industry? The first thing people do is see the quality of life and decide if they want to live here. Now we have a magnificent, restored theatre, a ballroom that can seat 500 people – we put in a fantastic audio/visual system from Crown International, right here in Elkhart. We have the ability to bring in anything we want – any large Broadway show; we could do classic movies. We’ve had 120 bookings just since July 1st.”
That sentiment rings true everywhere, it seems. “Live performance enhances the life of a community in so many ways,” begins a passionate John Shoup. “Many people think that it is mostly about giving performers, musicians and technicians a chance to get the “drama” out of their systems, and it is partly that. But it also allows the audience to enjoy a great story line or relish a beautiful song. Theatre, along with all live performance arts, can uplift the spirit, hold a mirror up to the culture and allows us to reflect and evaluate, or just allow us to escape into a fantasy world.”
Perhaps even more importantly, it helps to shape the young people of our society. Shoup continues, “Theatre allows our children to stretch and grow, to think outside the box, to problem solve and to become more secure in their abilities to stand up in front of a group of people without fear.”
Tami Ramaker has the same passion for what she does. “As an art form, theatre has a tremendous capacity to transform lives and is accessible to a broad range of audience members and participants. Audiences grow through the questions our plays ask, the issues they explore, and the dialogue they inspire. For participants, young and old learn more about themselves, and, by living in another character’s shoes, they learn to empathize with others who may be radically different than they are. I know of no other place where life skills like confidence, teamwork, discipline and real commitment are learned more completely than in the theatre process.”
Most importantly, theatre and other arts are instrumental in enhancing the economy. Shoup puts a wise spin on things: “We help other businesses by bringing people into the town or city where we perform. These people, in turn, use local hotels, restaurants, tourist locations and specialty stores to continue their theatre experience. Having a theatre in your town is a win-win situation.”
Jack Cittadine, an attorney, believed so strongly in the Lerner Theatre restoration project that he did all of his work as project manager pro bono. The entire project took three years.
These people believe in the theatre. They believe in the value of the arts in our lives. They are strong, intelligent, hard-working people that realize not only the value of performance on the stage, but of performance in your own job and in your community.
If you would like to contribute to the arts, there are several ways you can do so. “Attend!” says Tami Ramaker. “Attend often, and bring friends! You will grow as a person and celebrate life in a radically different way if the arts are a part of your family’s routine.”
Be willing to spread the word about what’s happening at your local theatre. John Shoup says, “Local television, radio and newspapers need to continue to support the live performing arts – theatrical, dance, symphonic and visual. Help us get the word out that Michiana has an amazingly vibrant and exciting arts community just waiting to share its talent.”
Adding a bit of humor, Jack Cittadine tells us, “If you break even, it’s a home run, and if you make money it’s a grand slam. I think we have the possibility of a home run – maybe even a grand slam!”
Elkhart Civic Theatre is celebrating 50 years at the Bristol Opera House this year. Shoup invites us: “We have a great combination of musicals and plays this year, which includes the area’s community theatre premier of the Tony award winning, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
For more information on attending, donating or volunteering, check these websites for information.
