Celebrations

Bridging the Gap

With just two weeks left in the 2009 season, Producing Director Paul Barnes challenged us to raise an additional $25,000 in individual donations. It seemed an impossible goal, but Laurie Flanigan-Hegge, GRSF’s new Advancement and Community Development Manager, reports that we not only met the goal, we exceeded it: $27,886.31. In the midst of the worst economy in years, we increased individual donations over 2008 to a total of more than $77,000 in 2009. Once again we find ourselves amazed and grateful. Thank you.

And we are succeeding while strengthening the entire community. Our offer of a free pair of tickets to new members of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum helped them sharply increase their memberships. Offers on our website directly sold more than 400 hotel rooms in Winona this summer. We have stood with our neighbors after a play and talked about love, the nature of forgiveness and “how does Chris Gerson do that with his shoulder blades anyway?”

This economic crisis has caused us all to ask ourselves whether doing Shakespeare in Winona, Minnesota matters and whether it is possible to sustain. Together we are answering both questions with a resounding “yes.”

It is true that grants from corporations and foundations were down. We still have money to raise, but when we go to those larger donors we can tell them that our community believes in us. We can tell them that in spite of the economy, our patrons have donated more this year than ever before. This speaks loudly and clearly to those big arts patrons, and we are seeing the results.

While we may end the 2009 fiscal year with a small deficit, early signs look hopeful for 2010. In these lean years, we are building a company that will flourish in better times. To continue the momentum, click here to donate.

Events

So what are the shows for 2010 going to be? October 10th, 10AM at the Acoustic Cafe in downtown Winona, Paul Barnes is coming to Winona to hold the first ever off-season Festival Morning. He will annouce the 2010 shows and take your questions about the 2009 season. (In case you can’t make it, we’ll announce the shows in this newsletter as well.) If you are in Minneapolis or La Crosse, reply to this email and we’ll let you know about some private events there as well.

Celebrations

Those of you who are dedicated scholars are no doubt wondering about the subject line of this post. Celebration? Doesn’t that word always refer to a nuptial in Shakespeare? Well, since the end of the season we’ve had those as well.

Acting Company members Chris Gerson (Caliban, Don Armado) and Tarah Flanagan (Ariel, Princess of France) married each other in Santa Cruz, California (right). GRSF Technical Director Erik Paulson married his fiancé Shelley Bawiec in Minneapolis (below). Even our lighting designer Lonnie Alcaraz got married to his sweetie Alejandra Gonzalez. This is not exactly what we meant by our “Bridge the Gap – Secure the Future” campaign, but we are happy for all of them.

Education Director Nick Minas is celebrating as well (though in a more modern sense of the word). His production of The Taming of the Shrew at Theo Ubique in Chicago starring GRSF acting company member Jeremy van Meter is getting great reviews (like this one in the Chicago Tribune). It runs until October 4th (tickets and more info).

And the busiest man in show business, our own Paul Barnes, just opened his production of Amadeus at St. Louis Repertory Theater. Early reviews are calling it: “Powerful, sumptuous and compelling.” See a video of him talking about the show and get tickets at www.repstl.org. Just in: Amadeus review St. Louis Today. “Barnes — who directed two of the best shows the Rep ever staged, “Saint Joan” and “Stones in His Pockets” — has an uncanny knack for making the Rep stage seem bigger than it is….”