Dear friends, family, and colleagues,
It’s an exciting time of the year here at Crowded Fire—when Artistic Director Marissa Wolf and I crawl out of our grant writing and season planning cocoon to officially announce this year’s array of projects both on-stage and in development. How appropriate as we head into spring!
Every single project we’re developing and presenting this year comes out of a vision that Marissa and I share for the company. We’ve got all sorts of pretty sounding language describing that vision, but what it boils down to for me is this: We’re working to create a home for artists—a place where they feel respected and supported in their growth. We’re looking for a diversity of voices to fill our stage and stories that surprise you. We’re working to bring you something new and refreshing every time you set foot in the theater—whether that is to see something on our mainstage such as this season's Forever Never Comes and The Secretaries, or through The Matchbox, our new works in development program.
People often ask me “why? Why be a managing director? Why Crowded Fire?” Those of you that know me from waaaaaay back in the day know that what I loved most about acting was the process—the exploration and the journey of creating and building a character, telling a story. Executing the vision for this company is a similar challenge. Every day, I push myself to dig deeper, dream bigger, and find ways to make it work. I feel fortunate to work with an incredible Artistic Director and a team of truly talented artists. We do it out of a passion for theater and a desire to build a sustainable artistic community. In short, we do it because we love it.
With that said, no matter how many sacrifices we personally make, at the end of the day, there are bills to be paid, and there are hard working people who deserve pay checks. I am driven to make this a financially stable home for our artists. I know times are tough and dollars are stretched thin, but I am reaching out to you for your support. I can assure you that here at Crowded Fire we know how to make a dollar go a long way, so no amount is too small (or too large!). The other thing that I can promise you is that your money will go directly to the people developing the art and the projects we produce. I kid you not when I say that 63% of our operating budget goes to the people that make the art and 31% goes towards the physical stuff you see on stage. Yep, if you are doing the math in your head, then you get it – 94% of our budget IS the art. And believe me when I say, every dollar counts.
Adopt me! By doing so, you support all of our projects this year and help to keep Crowded Fire in a financially healthy position. Give at any level and receive exciting perks (in addition to our eternal love!).
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