Applause Community Theatre Operating Funds

Applause Community Theatre's 51st season was the best in recent memory, presenting well-received theater to over 80% of capacity at Dreamland Arts Theater in Saint Paul.

As a result, we are rewarding our cast and crew by expanding to two performance weekends in 2019-2020 AND continuing with our 3rd Annual One-Act Play Festival, focusing on Twin Cities playwrights.

We are also making a change from recent years and focusing on comedy for a change.  Some of our devoted audience requested the change and we listened.

With these changes come additional costs, as our major budget items are rehearsal space, performance space, and royalties, respectively.  Each show's budget for these items in 2019-2020 look like this:

• Rehearsal space:  $1300-1500
• Performance space:  $1000 - 1250
• Royalties and music rentals:  $600 - 1000

By being frugal on other costs [and not being able to pay stipends to actors/directors/crew, which we would like to do], we can keep production costs to about $4,500 per production.  Add in the cost of our annual participation in MACT Festivals and we have an operating budget of $15,000, small by local community theater standards.

Ticket sales account for 47-53% of the budget, as we are committed to providing excellent theater at an affordable price.

That's where you come in, we hope.  Would you please consider a one-time or recurring donation to Applause to keep the doors open?  100% of what we receive is applied to the costs of production.

We are thankful for any donation, from $5 to $5,000.  GiveMN does offer you the option of making a recurring donation [just like MPR] at any level.  You could join our friend Jessica and donate $25/month, which pays royalties for one weekend.

Or even $10/month buys scripts for one production.  You get the idea.

Thanks for your consideration.  And we hope to see you at Robert Fulghum's "Uh-Oh, Here Comes Christmas" in early December.

Tickets available at dreamlandarts.com/events

Details at act-mn.org

Yours,

Gary Davis

Treasurer/Director/Actor