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The Daily OrangeSyracuse Stage receives grant to boost attendance
By Katrina Koerting
Posted: 10/21/09, 2:12 AM EST Section: News
Syracuse Stage held an open house this year, something that hasn't happened in 30 years.
Jeff Woodward, the managing director for the Syracuse Stage, said he felt that it was about time. He said the theater's financial past is the reason that they haven't been able to hold the event.
The open house on Sept. 26 had more than 400 visitors. A second performance of the event was moved from the Black Box Theatre in downtown Syracuse, to the Syracuse Stage's auditorium because of a larger-than-anticipated audience, Woodward said.
The theater was able to host the long-overdue open house due to the recently received grant of $77,000 from the Future Audiences from the New Generations Program, created by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Theatre Communications Group.
This is the ninth year that the program has handed out grants, which will be distributed to Syracuse Stage over the next two years. Syracuse Stage is one of the 13 theatres across the country to receive the grant. This is the first time that the grant was awarded to the local theater.
Syracuse Stage lost funding last year from corporate sponsors and ticket sales because of the economic climate. The theater's annual budget was cut from $5.1 million to $4.6 million, Woodward said.
"We hope the grant will turn the tide on the audience decline. We hope over the next couple of years to restore what we lost," Woodward said.
The theater plans to use the grant to strengthen existing programs at the venue and to create new ones to help bring in a larger audience, Woodward said.
Some of the new programs are the "LGBT Pride" nights, which is one night of a show's run that is specifically geared toward the LGBT community. Another new program is "LIVE in the Sutton," opening-night parties where the audience can mingle with the cast and listen to jazz music provided by a local radio station, WAER 88.3.
Another new event is the "M&T Bank Pay What You Can Night" where people can come see a dress rehearsal of a show for a suggested price of $5, when tickets for a show usually range from $24 to $36. The discounted performances are usually the last dress rehearsal before a show opens.
Jeff Woodward, the managing director for the Syracuse Stage, said he felt that it was about time. He said the theater's financial past is the reason that they haven't been able to hold the event.
The open house on Sept. 26 had more than 400 visitors. A second performance of the event was moved from the Black Box Theatre in downtown Syracuse, to the Syracuse Stage's auditorium because of a larger-than-anticipated audience, Woodward said.
The theater was able to host the long-overdue open house due to the recently received grant of $77,000 from the Future Audiences from the New Generations Program, created by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Theatre Communications Group.
This is the ninth year that the program has handed out grants, which will be distributed to Syracuse Stage over the next two years. Syracuse Stage is one of the 13 theatres across the country to receive the grant. This is the first time that the grant was awarded to the local theater.
Syracuse Stage lost funding last year from corporate sponsors and ticket sales because of the economic climate. The theater's annual budget was cut from $5.1 million to $4.6 million, Woodward said.
"We hope the grant will turn the tide on the audience decline. We hope over the next couple of years to restore what we lost," Woodward said.
The theater plans to use the grant to strengthen existing programs at the venue and to create new ones to help bring in a larger audience, Woodward said.
Some of the new programs are the "LGBT Pride" nights, which is one night of a show's run that is specifically geared toward the LGBT community. Another new program is "LIVE in the Sutton," opening-night parties where the audience can mingle with the cast and listen to jazz music provided by a local radio station, WAER 88.3.
Another new event is the "M&T Bank Pay What You Can Night" where people can come see a dress rehearsal of a show for a suggested price of $5, when tickets for a show usually range from $24 to $36. The discounted performances are usually the last dress rehearsal before a show opens.
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