WPCNR STAGE DOOR. By John F. Bailey. November 23, 2005: Producing Director of the White Plains Performing Arts Center, Tony Stimac, highlighted the first two years of the WPPAC’s operation for the Common Council last night, his performance easily winning an additional $100,000 in funding from the city and $200,000 more from Louis Cappelli. He promised more community talent-based productions and pointed with pride to the student’s Tony Awards presentations, his fund-raisers, and community productions as having taken hold as the WPPAC’s most successful moneymakers. He promised more grassroots theater spadework involving local schools.
Tony Stimac concluded his Presentation to the Common Council last night. Photo, WPCNR News.
Stimac’s presentation ran down the numbers on the theater’s two years of activity since opening in November 2003.. He said the theater had staged 119 total live entertainment performances, consisting of 28 family events, 31 special events, 28 children’s theater events, 12 community events, 14 live theater performances, and 6 comedy performances.
The Producing Director reported the theater had 147 rentals, including 63 children’s theater performances, 10 children’s concerts, 14 concerts, 7 benefit events, 15 theatrical productions, 8 dance performances, 16 organization meetings, and 14 film/video presentations. He showed a highlight video of the WPPAC’s two years to date, a copy of which was requested but not supplied last night.
In going forward, Stimac said he would cut down on the number of openings productions would play the theater, running shows no more than three or 4 performances.
He said, “Artistically, I think we’ve done a good job.” He attributed the first year $197,000 loss in 2003-2004 to losing a full quarter of productions, since he opened in November two years ago. (The theater opened in November of 2003, depriving it of revenues in July, August, September, and October of that year.)
Pointing to the White Plains Performing Arts Center mission statement, he said “We’re doing what we said we were going to do,” but said building an audience “does take time.” He referred to the city’s theatrical consultant, Duncan Webb’s analysis which noted that the operation should approach breakeven status in its third year of operation. To do that, (breakeven in 2005-06), Stimac said, he would need the $300,000 combined resources of the city’s new $100,000, Mr. Cappelli’s $100,000, and a $100,000 in new contributions Mr. Cappelli has promised to raise personally.
Stimac said he had raised $450,000 in donations to the theater in each of the first two years of operation, and included the city’s $100,000, for each of the first two years. Stimac said the theater budget was $1 Million the first year, and “$800,450 we reached,” and 528,000 of that was in contributions, the rest ticket sales. These numbers appear to be on the mark, for in the first year financial statements filed with the state, actual figures listed show the WPPAC expenses in 2003-04 as being $1,032,224 with total support and revenue of $834,613.
Stimac supplied no figures for year two, only to say, the theater lost $107,000.
Grant Eligibility a Hope in 2006-07.
Asked by Councilman Tom Roach about applying for government grants, Stimac said he would begin applying for those in March, 2006 for next year, (the first year –the WPPAC’s fourth – when the WPPAC is eligible to apply). He emphasized that non profit performing arts centers were hurting, citing the failure of the John Haymes Performing Arts Center in Englewood, N.J., the failure of the Northern Westchester Center for the Arts a month ago, even with substantial support, and even noted the Stamford Rich Theater is “hurting.” “It’s a battle today,” he said.
The Tony Stimac Show. Tuesday evening, Mayor’s Conference Room. The Producing Director tells the story of the first two years of the theater. Photo, WPCNR News
He said the WPPAC has made inroads in gaining support from area corporations, showing a slide of corporate logos. He mentioned that Jeffrey Rosenstock of Queens Theater in the Park, continues as “pro bono” Executive Director of WPPAC in a fundraising capacity. Stimac reported Rosenstock was instrumental in obtaining a new $25,000 grant from Verizon, and $25,000 from Bank of North America. He said he talks with Rosenstock three or four times a day.
Box Office Scorecard
Stimac examined some hits and flops. He said A Christmas Carol, produced last December had sold $88,000 worth of tickets and that Swango had sold $175,000 in a two week run.
On the other hand, Saving Aimee the October Kathie Lee Gifford musical last month, he said, was staged at a cost of $375,000 ($275,000 of which, Stimac said, was invested by Ms. Gifford). The production which WPCNR reviewed and found wanting, sold $45,000 worth of tickets (many at half price), in a two week run losing roughly $330,000. That loss is approximately the deficit the WPPAC is running for 2005-2006 at this time, and $30,000 more than the sum being furnished by the city ($100,000) and Mr. Cappelli ($200,000) to balance the third year budget.
Stimac said Saving Aimee at the box office was “very disappointing,” and indicated he would no longer invest in such lavish new and original productions, saying, “It’s the wrong path. The path is Playgroup.” Stimac said Playgroup Theatre productions sell out because of their built-in audience of family members who come to see their children perform.
In contrast, Stimac said he wished he had a part of local attorney Henry Miller’s premiere play last week, All Too Human, which played for six performances and grossed $40,000 . Mr. Miller self-produced and self-promoted his play, and starred in it himself, renting the theatre for approximately $3,000.
More Local Involvement His New Direction
Larry Delgado suggested bringing in the local theatrer group, the Fort Hill Players. Stimac said the WPPAC rental prices “were out of their range.” He defended the $400 one night rental charge in effect at WPPAC, pointing out that the SUNY Purchase center charges $2,000 to $3,000.
For the balance of the year, Stimac’s WPPAC will show Phyllis Newman in Girls Room March 3-12, 2006 and Charlie’s Place April 28-May 7, in addition to its fare of PlayGroup Theatre Productions, Conservatory of Music events, individual events and private rentals. Stimac was not asked by any member of the council what next year’s programming might feature. He did say he wanted to bring Shakespeare and Moliere plays in, and producing them with education groups following his school and family strategy. The Power Point presentation to the council was not made available to this reporter as yet.
