2012/2013 annual report - american blues...
TRANSCRIPT
2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
CONTENTS
2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT
Contents
Producing Artistic Director Letter 3
About American Blues Theater 4
Our Family 5
Season Production 7
Education Outreach 11
Blue Ink Playwriting Award 12
Financial Balance Sheet 13
Financial Snapshot 14
Corporate & Foundation Sponsors 15
Individual Donors 16
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
The 2012/2013 Season was a transformative year filled with incredible artistic and operational growth.
We expanded to three (3) mainstage productions, added a 10-minute play showcase—Ripped: the Living Newspaper Festival, and launched an education outreach program, The Lincoln Project, utilizing a Pulitzer Prize nominated script.
Our ambitious season began with the world-premiere of Artistic Affiliate James Still’s Illegal Use of Hands and teamed Tony winners Dennis Zacek and Sandy Shinner together again. Our 11th annual holiday event It’s a Wonderful Life played to record-breaking, sold-out crowds and celebrated our 100th performance at the Biograph. We concluded the season with the critically-acclaimed Collected Stories directed by the award-winning mother-daughter team Mary Ann and Jessica Thebus. We began development on six (6) new scripts. We also created “Town Halls”, an audience development program, to engage patrons to significant issues concerning the plays.
We moved to a downtown office supported in part by the Ruth Page Center for the Performing Arts. We hired a second full-time employee (General Manager Jaclyn Holsey) and added part-time support staff, including an Education Outreach Manager and Executive Assistant. After establishing three years of fiscal responsibility, we qualified for numerous granting opportunities and increased our development capacity.
This exceptional growth elevates American Blues to one of Chicago’s leading mid-sized theaters.
Production photo credits by Johnny Knight. On the cover (l to r): Dennis Zacek, Steve Key, & Howie Johnson; John Mohrlein; Carmen Roman &
Gwendolyn Whiteside. Contents page: Carmen Roman.
PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR LETTER
SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS & HONORS
Producing Artistic Director Whiteside became a Kellogg Executive Scholar in Non-profit Management (Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University). We rebranded the logo, mission, tagline and established a strategic plan. We added two (2) Ensemble members (Dara Cameron & Michael Mahler) and five (5) Artistic Affiliates (Ian Paul Custer, Christina Gorman, Sandy Shinner, Arianna Soloway, Kaelan Strouse) to our family. The Joseph Jefferson Award committee recognized us with multiple nominations: Production-midsize (Collected Stories),
Principal Actress in Play (Carmen Roman), and Scenic Design-midsize (Sarah E. Ross). Ensemble member Lindsay Jones earned a Drama Desk Award nomination, Joseph Jefferson nomination for Original Music, and Sound Design. Ensemble member Michael Mahler received a Joseph Jefferson nomination for Original Incidental Music. Ensemble member Manny Buckley won 2013 Best Actor from the Chicago Reader and a nomination for Featured Actor from the Black Theater Alliance Awards. Three (3) plays in our Blueprint Development program will receive fully-mounted productions.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
VISION American Blues Theater is the premier American theater producing visceral theatrical works while engaging its audience in worthwhile missions of local service agencies.
MISSION American Blues Theater illuminates the American ideas of freedom, equality, and opportunity in the plays we produce and communities we serve.
OUTREACH We believe it is an honor and duty to serve our community. We raise awareness of other non-profit organizations’ commendable causes through creative collaborations. Using the themes of each manuscript, we choose outreach partners for every production. This season we distributed promotional materials (Illinois AgrAbility), provided complimentary tickets (Anixter Center, Misericordia), and held book drives (CPS, Open Books). We donate proceeds from “Pink Previews” to The Lynn Sage Foundation for breast cancer research. We also served Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Safe Schools, Center on Halsted, and the USO.
ABOUT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
“American Blues Theater still burns blue—the hottest flame of all!”
-Brian Hieggelke Publisher of Newcity
“We’re grateful for the support this program provides. The entire troupe’s talent is matched by its generosity!”
-Laura Sage Chairman of The Lynn Sage Foundation
Residents of Misericordia with cast of “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
Our multi-generational and interdisciplined artists have established the second-oldest professional Equity Ensemble theater in Chicago. Our 38-member Ensemble has over 500 combined years of collaboration on stage. As of 2013, we’ve individually received over 125 Joseph Jefferson Awards and nominations that celebrate excellence in Chicago theater and over 20 Black Theatre Alliance Awards. Our artists are honored with Pulitzer Prizes, Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards, and numerous other accolades.
OUR FAMILY
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2012/2013 term, as of June 30, 2013)
Lawrence Schulman, President
Douglas Gourley, Vice-President
Burton X. Rosenberg, Vice-President
Shelly Reitman, Treasurer
Joan Esposito, Secretary
Dawn Bach
Phil Calian
Jill DeVaney
Matt Hafter
Chip Pringle
Gwendolyn Whiteside, ex-officio
ARTISTIC AFFILIATES Austin Cook Ian Paul Custer Olympia Dukakis Andrea J. Dymond Christina Gorman James Joseph Zachary Kenney Keith Pitts Richard Shavzin Sandy Shinner Arianna Soloway John Sterchi James Still Kaelan Strouse Wandachristine Dennis Zacek
OUR FAMILY
“The Ensemble founded one of Chicago’s most venerable Off-Loop theaters.”
--Chris Jones Chicago Tribune
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
World Premiere ILLEGAL USE OF HANDS August 31 — September 30, 2012 by Artistic Affiliate James Still Directed by Artistic Affiliate Sandy Shinner In a small town where buzzards feast on a dead Chevy and the local WalMart hires only college graduates, three men wait out the night with a high school football trophy they stole. It’s a story about revenge, glory, and being a man—if only the characters could agree on what they can’t remember.
SEASON PRODUCTION
“A sterling cast...perfectly calibrated in drive and desperation by the always excellent Sandy Shinner.”
-Larry Bommer Chicago Stage Style
Photo by Johnny Knight. (l to r): Howie Johnson, Dennis Zacek, & Steve Key.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
SEASON PRODUCTION
IT’S A WONDERFUL: LIVE AT THE BIOGRAPH! November 23 — December 30, 2012 From Frank Capra’s film Directed by Ensemble member Marty Higginbotham From the moment you walk through the doors, you will be transported back to the Golden Age of Radio and experience the Frank Capra holiday classic as a 1940s radio broadcast with live Foley sound effects, an original score, and a stellar cast of eight that bring the entire town of Bedford Falls to life.
Dean Richards’ list! Also recommended by WGN, CBS Chicago, NBC, ABC, WXRT, WBEZ, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Tmes, Chicago Magazine, Newcity’s “Best of Chicago”, & the Chicago Reader.
11th11th smash year!smash year!
First-class holiday fare!” - Chicago Tribune
Photo by Johnny Knight. (l to r): Ian Paul Custer, Dara Cameron, & Kevin R. Kelly.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
SEASON PRODUCTION
COLLECTED STORIES April 19 — May 19, 2013 by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies Directed by Mary Ann Thebus & Jessica Thebus The relationship between a celebrated New York author with a dry wit and her bright eyed protégé spans six years in a two-character tour-de-force. As the line between fact and fiction blurs, their fascinating story comes to an explosive conclusion which leaves the audience to question personal aesthetics and ethics.
“Three & 1/2 stars! Whip-smart!...this production is so darn on-the-money.”
-Chris Jones Chicago Tribune
“Spectacular! Actors working at the top of their form.”
-Jonathan Abarbanel WBEZ
Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for
Production-midsize, Principal Actress
(Carmen Roman), and Scenic Design-midsize
(Sarah E. Ross).
Photo by Johnny Knight. (l to r): Gwendolyn Whiteside & Carmen Roman.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
SEASON PRODUCTION
RIPPED: the Living Newspaper Festival June 24, 2013 by Catherine Butterfield, Darren Canady, Tony Fitzpatrick, Christina Gorman, Ike Holter, Joel Drake Johnson, Rohina Malik, Joe Meno, Jamie Pachino, Rocky Russo, Jeremy Sosenko, Charles West, and Gwendolyn Whiteside.
Directed by Will Clinger, Ann Filmer, Adam Goldstein, Hans Fleischmann, Gus Menary, Heather Meyers, Richard Shavzin, and Sandy Shinner.
“Working alongside some truly wonderful actors...so proud to support a theatre company with heart, guts, and legacy!”
-Madrid St. Angelo actor
Over 50 contributing artists!
Photo by Johnny Knight. (l to r): Michael Mahler & The Lincoln Squares.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
EDUCATION OUTREACH
We launched an award-winning integrated arts education program, The Lincoln Project, to Chicago Public Schools and the surrounding communities.
Our innovative program aligns with Illinois Core Curriculum standards to engage 6th – 10th graders of the circumstances leading to the Emancipation Proclamation.
“Their spellbinding performance brought home the human cost of slavery in the United States and offered a nuanced look at Abraham Lincoln’s evolution on the issue of abolition.”
-David Oberg Executive Director of Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum
Grayslake Heritage Museum. (above): audience members. (right): Manny Buckley & Kaelan Strouse.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
BLUE INK PLAYWRITING AWARD
We received nearly 200 Blue Ink
submissions across the United
States, Canada, and the United
Kingdom. In addition to our winner,
we named two (2) finalists and
seven (7) honorable mentions.
FACT
“Many theatres give out playwriting awards, but it’s rare to find a theatre that produces the prize-winning play. It’s laud-able and gutsy...the perfect descriptions of what American Blues is today!”
-Christina Gorman Winner of 2012 Blue Ink Playwriting Award
Photo by Johnny Knight. Blue Ink Playwriting Award winner, Elaine Romero.
2013 WINNER GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES by Elaine Romero The Blue Ink Playwriting Award was created in 2010 to support new work. The winning playwright received a $500 cash prize and a staged-reading with the American Blues Theater artists.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AND STATEMENT OF ACTIVITY
Total Earned Income $123,648 — $123,648 $ 89,004
Total Public Support 250, 818 100,000 350,818 126,780
Released from Restriction 63,275 (63,275) — —
TOTAL INCOME 437,741 36,726 474,467 215,784
TOTAL EXPENSES 307,706 — 307,706 189,294
CHANGE IN NET ASSETS 130,035 36,726 166,761 26,490
NET ASSETS—BEGINNING OF YEAR 40,496 — 40,496 14,006
NET ASSETS—END OF YEAR 170,531 36,726 207,257 40,496
FINANCIAL BALANCE SHEET
UNRESTRICTED TEMPORARILY 2013 TOTAL 2012 TOTAL RESTRICTED
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT
During the 2012/2013 Season, American Blues Theater accumulated income of $437,741 against expenses
of $307,706. Contributed income by individuals, foundations, corporations, our annual Blue Bash, and
GutterBall accounted for 87% of total income. The charts below outline specifics for revenue and expenses
with a breakdown of the contributed income.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
CORPORATE & FOUNDATION SPONSORS
Actors’ Equity Foundation
Bank One America
Cheiron Trading
Chicago Network for Justice & Peace
Citi Private Bank
ComEd
The Davee Foundation
The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
Eurex
IBM
Intercontinental Exchange
John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The Saints
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Shepard Schwartz & Harris LLP
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
$25,000 and above The Davee Foundation Chip and Barb Pringle Burton X. and Sheli Rosenberg $10,000 and above Anixter Foundation ComEd Eurex Jim Farina David & Eileen Hovey Frank Russo $5,000—$9,999 Richard and Joanne Beck Steve Butler Phil and Jill Calian Mike and Trudy Kelly Shelly and Irene Reitman Larry Shulman and Chris Poggianti $2,500—$4,999 Jill DeVaney Emily Emerson John Fitzgerald Doug and Mary Clare Gourley Peter and Patti Fazio IBM Ian Van Handel Gwendolyn Whiteside $1,000—$2,499 Anonymous Julie Bird Ed and Laura Blatchford Marcy and Greg Carlin Ted Cornell Rita Dragonette Hillary and Matt Ebach Joan Esposito Cary Goldberg Steve Gilson Joel Kaplan
Bart Lazar Libby and David Savner Blake Swift Joel Zegart $500—$999 Jordan Allen Dudley and Susan Beyler Bill Braman David Cloinger Steve and Ellen Egan Steven Felsenthal Drs. Gregory and Kristin Fernandez Judith Friedman Criss Henderson Mary Hood William Martin Werner Mittermeier Colleen and Dave Muno Benjamin Randall Nick and Ellen Sack Carol and David Stone Patrick Troy Darrel and Shirley Whiteside $250—$499 Parker Boveroux Michael Burnham Thomas and Meg Claggett Mike Colky Richard Coover Andrew Derrow Susan Downey Virginia Emerson Frank and Lynn Falco Kelli and Joseph Fields Joe and Madeleine Glossberg Bill and Judy Goldberg Craig and Linda Grannon Gary Heiferman Curtis Hieggelke Jaclyn Holsey
We are honored to recognize the following contributors who enable American Blues Theater’s artistic programming
and outreach programs. This list includes donations from our True Blue Annual Fund, GutterBall, Blue Bash, production
sponsors, and other contributions given July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013.
Highest donation $25,000
Lowest donation $25
Number of Individual donors
38
Average donation $2,973
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
$250—$499 Dimitri and Jena Karcazes Kevin and Cathy Kelly Dr. Benjamin Lerner Heather Meyers Anne and Keith Moffat Steven Monieson Geralyn Palmer Erin Quigley Leonard X. Rosenberg Dr. Susan Sigel Brad and Jean Stevens Bill Swartz Jered Tucker Chris Watson Ann and Bill Whitney Virginia Wiles Bill and Mary Jo Zaeske $100—$249 Peter Amster David Anderson Jeff Arena Dawn Bach Bruce Beatus Manny Buckley Timothy Brien James Briski Karen Callaway Art and Lyn Cohen Etahn Cohen Laura Coover Laura Dahl Philip Desforges Jon Fernandez Dr. Joseph Garcia Tom Geraty Joanne Gilson Kathy and John Goudie Joe Greco Stephanie Hammer Paula Hirsch Jim Hoey Larry Horwich Neil Jacobson James Joseph Lindsay Jones Dennis Kelly
Mark and Sheila Kenney Steve Key William Kinnear Kathryn J. Klein Ed Kross Anita and Craig Labus Patrick and Barb Lamb Joe Lauk H. Debra Levin Bradford Lund Laura Lynn MacDonald Penelope McLaren April Meyers Helen Harvey Mills Frank Mohler III John Mohrlein Greg Moss David Palmer William Payne Suzanne Petri and Robert Brueler Zack Pringle Elaine Rivkin Carmen Roman Claire Rosati John Ross Sarah Ross Roche Schulfer Stephen Stoyka Kevin Tottis Steven Wolfe Steven P. Wroten Dennis Zacek and Marcie McVay
Photo by Johnny Knight. Sheli Rosenberg leading the “Stand
for Blues” Pledge Drive at Blue Bash.
American Blues Theater is grateful for
every contribution.
We regret that due to space limitations we are unable to list all
donations under $99.
Please accept our deepest appreciation
as your donation makes a difference.
Photo by Johnny Knight. Phil Calian bidding at Blue Bash.
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
The Anixter family Phil and Jill Calian Tyson Carter Laura Dahl Jill DeVaney Joan Esposito Matt and Beth Hafter Susan and Harlan Haimes Jaclyn Holsey Steve Key Heather Meyers
Colleen Muno Suzanne Petri Shelly and Irene Reitman Burt and Sheli Rosenberg Larry Schulman and Chris Poggianti Ian Van Handel Nike Whitcomb Darrel and Shirley Whiteside Gwendolyn Whiteside William Zaeske
The Chip Pringle Fund (contributions made as of June 30, 2013)
Annie-the Musical
Arts & Business Council
bellyQ
Blue Man Group
Natalie Bontumasi
Bunches
Butler House
Greg Carlin
Chicago Bulls
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Dramatists
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Chicago White Sox
Citi Private Bank
Brian Dennehy
Jill DeVaney
DeVrim Cleaners
Hillary and Matt Ebach
Daniel and Ginny Emerson
Emily Emerson
Joan Esposito
Eurest
Eye to Eye Interiors
The Farrelly Brothers
Tony Fitzpatrick
Merwin Foard
Four Season Resort
Tom Geraty
Gibsons Restaurant Group
Doug and Mary Clare Gourley
Jim Hooey
Homewood Suites
Indianapolis Colts
JAM Theatricals
Lindsay Jones
Lindsay Jordan
Johnny Knight Photography
Tom Kenny
Steve Key
Brandon LaClair
Lookingglass Theater Company
Michael Mahler
Megan Mullally
Newcity
Nick Offerman
P.F. Chang’s
Pint
Porchlight Music Theater
Chip and Barb Pringle
A Red Orchid Theater
Shelly and Irene Reitman
Remy Bumppo Theater
Rivers Casino
Burt and Sheli Rosenberg
Rocky Russo
The Second City
Sensu
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Shepard Schwartz & Harris LLP
The Stage Channel
Steep Theater
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
James Still
Strategic Hotels
TimeLine Theatre
WBEZ
Gwendolyn Whiteside
Zig Zag Kitchen
In-Kind Contributions
Company of Ripped: the Living Newspaper Festival
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2012/2013 ANNUAL REPORT AMERICAN BLUES THEATER
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
1016 N. Dearborn Gwendolyn Whiteside Chicago, IL 60610 Producing Artistic Director (312) 725-4228 voicemail Jaclyn Holsey (773) 404-7336 box office General Manager [email protected] www.AmericanBluesTheater.com American Blues Theater is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent of the law.