with octa - Oklahoma Community Theatre Association

IS SUE 1
V OL UM E 4
2013
with octa
~ YOUR UNIFIED NETW O RK OF COMMUNITY THEATRE ~
ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL THEAT RES
AND PLANTING SEEDS OF LEARNING AND EXPERIENCE.
Letter from the President
OCTA
Inside this Issue:
(somewhere)
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Letter from the President
The Business of ART
2013 Summer Conference
AACTFest Regionals
Featured Theatre Encore
Arts Day at the Capital
Stillwater’s Super Shorts
Membership Update
Coming (really soon!)
June 2013 klm
The Business of Art
What is the business of art? Many nonprofit theatres can put together amazing
productions and fail because they do not
have effective business practices in place.
Likewise, a theatre company may have the
best business practices in place and fail
because their productions are poorly done.
To be successful in this competitive day of
many options for entertainment dollars,
theatres must have both solid business and
production processes working within their
organization.
I have watched this unfold over the past
several years and wondered what OCTA
might do to help our nonprofit theatres find
the right balance. Therefore, this year’s
conference is all about the business of art.
We have put together an amazing two days
with some of the best presenters in the state
along with our special presenter, Heather
Mansfield, who is an international expert
on Social Media for nonprofits.
Actually, this all came about as the result
of my attending countless workshops and
participating in countless webinars on all
kinds of nonprofit business-related topics.
They were informative and well done. The
problem was they were all about helping
agencies and services run their business.
There was nothing for the arts. Well this
year there is! Come join us, we need your
participation. We need to show business
leaders that we are serious about getting it
right. We are serious about running our
theatre as a business, and therefore, our
state and community business leaders may
be more willing to become sponsors and
foundations may be more apt to look at our
organizations for grant possibilities.
Help us help you; together we can make
a difference in our communities and our
state. Stand strong and be heard. Come to
The Business of Art, the Tulsa Performing
Arts Center, Liddy Doenges Theatre, on
July 26 and 27. The registration form is on
our website www.oktheatre.org/events
Sally Barnes, President
FEATURED THEATRE ENCORE
Ponca Playhouse is doing an encore presentation of what is probably the most successful play they’ve ever
done, “The Broken Statue,” the story of E.W. Marland, the 20th century Oklahoma oil baron who made a fortune
and built his oil empire right here in Ponca City . . . and lost it. Ponca sold out 9 shows last summer and added
an extra show which sold out in a matter of hours. Added interest about the Marland story is building with the
buzz about David O. Russell, movie director of “Silver Linings Playbook” planning to direct a movie about the
Marland family with Jennifer Lawrence slated to play the role of Lydie Marland.
Show dates are July 18 to 21 and 25 to 28. The Playhouse is located at 301 S. 1st in Ponca City.
Call 580-765-5360 for more information or to buy tickets.
COMING
REALLY SOON !
REALLY SOON !
Don’t forget to get your
OCTA Awards Nominations to
the office now and avoid that
pesky deadline:
JUNE 21!
Guidelines & information:
The Business of Art
OCTA 2013 Summer Conference Registration Form
July 26-27, 2013
Tulsa Performing Arts Center
www.oktheatre.org/honors
‘THE BUSINESS OF ART’
The OCTA Conference is
going to be fantastic this
year.
SAVE THE DATES
JULY 26-27
IN TULSA
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Workshops include:
Social Media for Nonprofits
International Expert
Marketing Communications
Strategies for Theatre
Grants 101
De-Mystifying the OAC
Grant Process
Youth in Theatre,
Cultivating the Next
Generation of Theatre-Lovers
(This presentation will
include a performance by
Theatre Tulsa's youth cast of
"Children's Letters to God"
and an interactive discussion,
including helpful hints for
starting and then successfully
maintaining a youth theatre
program.)
Plus our Awards Luncheon!
Also, there is an optional
Friday night performance of
“Tuna Christmas” to attend at
Sapulpa Community Theatre!
The registration form is
posted on the website, so
reserve your spot now!!
Register now for the Tulsa
conference and reserve your
hotel room !
www.oktheatre.org/events/
conferences/
June 2013 klm
Friday, July 26, 2013
1 - 2:00 pm
Registration, Doenges Theatre, Tulsa PAC
2 - 4:30 pm
How Community Arts Organizations Can Effectively Use Social Media and
Location-Based Services
Heather Mansfield, Presenter
International Expert on Social Media for Non-Profits
http://www.diosacommunications.com/home.htm
A FEW OCTA
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
*** Optional Event - “Tuna Christmas” - Sapulpa Community Theatre @ 7:30 pm ***
Saturday, July 27, 2013
8 - 9:00 am
Registration, Doenges Theatre, Tulsa PAC
9 - 9:55 am
Marketing Communication Stategies for Theatre
Jarrod Kopp, Presenter
10 - 10:55 am
Grants 101
Ken Busby, Presenter
Youth in Theatre, Cultivating the Next Generation of Theatre-Lovers
Sara Phoenix and Theatre Tulsa. This presentation will include a performance
from Theatre Tulsa's youth cast of "Children's Letters to God" and an
interactive discussion, including helpful hints for starting and maintaining a
successful youth theatre program.
11 - 11:30 am
11:30 - 1 pm
OCTA Annual Awards Luncheon, Norman Theatre, Tulsa PAC
Online FORMS
1:15 - 2:30 pm De-Mystifying the OAC Grants Process
Meleia Williamson and Joshua Lundsford, OAC Presenters
An On-line Newsletter
A Library and Resource Center
We maintain an extensive library of
reading copies of scripts and theatre
resource materials.
Networking Opportunities
Performance & Audition Reminders
Significant Educational Events
1. Membership
2. Conference Schedule
3. Conference Registration
Register now!
Recognized & Vocal Representation
Within our local community and state
promotional and governing bodies.
NEW OCTA MEMBERS
Ethel Simpson
Lucy Hicks
Carol Sue Moore Judith Smith
Northeastern OK A&M College
Sherry McCurley
Membership Committee Update
Many thanks must go out to the Membership Committee which has been working hard to come up
with new and creative ways to make membership in OCTA a must-have for all theatre enthusiasts
in the state. The Board continues to discuss ways to help with membership dues for many of the
smaller struggling theatres in the state, and to encourage all to promote OCTA membership
throughout the year. The committee has discussed many ideas such as:
 membership cards which allow discounts at participating theatres, workshops and more.
 organized theatre trips for OCTA members to exciting arts events in the state and beyond.
 "Give Us Your Best Ideas" info compiled and shared amongst the group.
 a new category of professional membership where those who would like to make their work
available to other theatres have a special place on our website to post their talents.
 adding to the "members only" area of the website an opportunity where theatres and individuals can share props, costumes, production questions, etc. with other theatres throughout the
state.
Our vision is to build OCTA into a strong and indispensable tool of support for every theatre in
our state. We are always looking for ideas and would welcome your thoughts at anytime.
Stillwater's Terrific
Short Play Festival
Arts Day at the Capital
Arts organizations held their
breath earlier this year when a bill was
to be presented before the legislature
to cease funding the Oklahoma Art
Council. It was dead before it could
be presented as Arts organizations all
over the State of Oklahoma, including
OCTA, came together as never before
with a loud and determined voice:
telling our legislators we would not
stand for this.
This is why Arts Day at the Capitol
is so very important. OCTA was one
of over 40 statewide Arts organizations to spend the day in the state Capitol building with tables and booths set
up to let the legislators know who we
were and that we mattered. We were
able to visit with some of the legislators as well as a number of their executive assistants who took time to stop
by and visit with us.
Debbie Sutton, OCTA President
Elect and I were privileged to host our
table at the Capitol. We learned so
much from this experience and are
looking forward to next year as we
will be better informed as to what we
need to do to represent all of our membership throughout the state. We have
a voice in this and we must use it.
A Board
visit
with
Sand
Springs
theatre
folks
Your Unified Network of Community Theatre
740 W. Wilshire Blvd Ste. 101E
PO Box 57626
Oklahoma City, OK 73157-7626
Phone: 405-840-0788
Email: [email protected]
www.oktheatre.org
June 2013 klm
Anyone who didn't travel
to Stillwater for the Judith Karman and Troupe d' Jour showing of the award winning
"Brief Life Affirming” original
play festival, missed a terrific
event—one we hope will become a trend in Oklahoma theatre.
Each of the seven short plays
was absolutely terrific and the
Sheerar Museum Auditorium
was filled with excited theater
lovers who enthusiastically
applauded not only the actors,
but the playwrights.
The show was further proof
that Oklahoma is the home of
outstanding playwrights as well
as outstanding performers. It
was an example of what can
happen in theaters throughout
the state if we continue to
write and perfect our skills then
stick together to promote our
original Oklahoma works.
CIAL RECOGNITION
The event was a money
maker, an example of genius at
work, and definitely the start of
something big.
-- Janis Contway
www.historytheater.org
www.opaok.com
(Oklahoma Playwright Assn.)
HALL OF HONOR
SPE-
OCTAVISION
THEATRE OF THE YEAR
CORPORATE
“a series of firsts”
and Lucy Robinson as actors,
directors and organizers for the
event were absolutely fabulous
in their roles. They not only put
on a good show, they were able
to incorporate all kinds of creative fund raising ideas: a mobile
clothesline with men's briefs
labeled with the names of the
plays hanging on it. They put it
in front of the stores of local
merchants and charged them
$25 to get it moved. They used
the clothesline again at the
performance by offering the
audience an opportunity to
vote for their favorite play by
placing a dollar in the briefs
with the name of their favorite
short play.
Debbie Sutton, Ginger Thomas
VERY IMPORTANT PERSON
REGIONALS
Tana Ashford, far right,
received an Acting Award
Our trip to Lafayette, LA with
Duncan Little Theatre’s “Dixie
Swim Club” was a series of firsts.
Tana Ashford (Vernadette) had
never been out of Oklahoma.
Most of us had never been to
Lafayette. One of our group had
never eaten crab. And it was the
first time that Duncan had ever
gone to regionals!
We ate lots of shrimp, crawfish, crab, and other shellfish, had
our picture taken with a live
alligator, saw old friends Wanda
Schenk Kay and Bob Armstrong,
and Traci Alexander, shopped for
items with fleur-de-lis and alligator teeth, and met great theatre
people from all over our region.
We stayed in some really cool
loft apartments downtown, and
met policemen on horseback
who patrolled the main street.
Most of all, we saw some really
great play performances!
Sharon Burum, Director
“Dixie Swim Club”,
Duncan Little Theatre
HALL OF DISTINCTION WEBSITE
NEW THEATRE
VOLUN-
TEER OF THE YEAR
Have you sent in your nominations?
All programs and services of
OCTA
are funded in part
through the generosity of the
Oklahoma Arts Council
National Endowment for the Arts
(Left to right)
Kristi Quinn (AACT rep-VP for festivals),
Kay Armstrong,
Julie Tattershall, Sharon Burum
June 2013 klm