Throughout its long history,
Old Town Playhouse and the Traverse City Civic Players have benefited from a wonderful outpouring of community support. In return, the Playhouse has offered enriching entertainment and educational opportunities for the residents of northern Michigan.
A Community Stage
The Old Town Playhouse season runs annually from fall through summer. The 2007-2008 season is offering five mainstage productions - Angel Street, Cabaret, A Street Car Named Desire, Into the Woods, and The Foreigner - and three studio theatre productions - The Guys, Keely and Du, and Same Time, Next Year. Approximately 20,000 patrons attend the 56 mainstage performances while an additional 2,240 will attend 27 studio performances. The youth education arm of Old Town Playhouse, the Traverse City Traverse City Children's Theatre (TCCT) provides performance and educational activities for youth age preschool through secondary school, including mainstage performances during December, June and August as well as classes and workshops for youth throughout the year. TCCT will involve 50 youth grades three through twelve in classes and rehearsals leading to the holiday presentation of Mulan Jr. in mid-December. Over 100 youth age preschool through high school will participate in a variety of six-week educational classes in winter, spring and summer. Old Town Playhouse also serves as a resource for stagecraft, scripts, costumes and related advice for regional schools, community groups and businesses, other theatres and area arts organizations.
Volunteers Essential to OTP
Since its inception in 1960, the Playhouse has been volunteer driven. Approximately 200 volunteers play key roles in all operational facets of the organization - productions, maintenance, administrative, professional. Last season, volunteers contributed close to 50,000 hours. Old Town Playhouse is reliant on its volunteer force to remain viable and vital.
Economic Impact
The current annual budget is approximately $350,000. Income is earned through individual ticket sales (45%), season ticket sales (24%), the Black & White Gala (10%), donations (6%), advertising & underwriting (6%), grants (5%), memberships (1%), concessions (1%) and educational projects, workshops and rentals (2%). All funds are reinvested into productions & operations. New sources of revenue, in particular through corporate underwriting, community partnerships and granting opportunities, are currently being studied and pursued to assure the ongoing financial viability of Old Town Playhouse. The fiscal year runs July through June. In addition to the annual operating budget, an endowment fund - the Old Town Playhouse Endowment at the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation - exists to support investment in OTP's future artistic endeavors into perpetuity. It is our goal to help this fund grow so that our community theatre will be able to grow and thrive for generations to come.
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