Board Retreat Notes, collated by Dallas Carter and Barbara Heninger

Values Discussion

We listed two top items, with the following four below them that feed into the top. 

The Culture and Connection of SBMT is created through:

             HEART: Passion, Kindness

             COMMUNITY: Collaborations, Inclusivity, Diversity, Service

             QUALITY: Professionalism, Artistic Success, Creativity

             GROWTH: Outreach, Financial Success, Enrichment, Enlightenment

Original list for Values Discussion:

  • Creativity (4)
  • Community (5) – connected to Collaboration
  • Connection
  • Collaboration (3)
  • Doing
  • Follow-through
  • Inclusivity (5) – connected (dotted line) to Collaboration and Community. Connected (solid line) to Diversity.
  • Quality (7) – connected to Professionalism
  • Success – Financial & Artistic (3)
  • Entertainment
  • Enlightenment
  • Enrichment (3)
  • Enjoyable
  • Kindness
  • Service (2)
  • Diversity (2) – connected to Inclusivity
  • Professionalism – connected to Quality
  • Growth
  • Heart/passion
  • Outreach
  • Culture

3 Year Plan

  • New rehearsal space
    Paid staff – F/T Executive Director
     Front of House
     Marketing Director
     Shop Staff
     Technical Director
  • Community support/awareness
     Loyal follow for new works
  • Improve financial/operational processes/docs
  • Funding to expand better support staff
  • Partnership/engagement w/city-community (TBD)
  • “Full season experience” – Expand beyond 3 shows 
    Joint with WVLO
  • Consistently attract quality/diverse talent (include board)
     Outreach
  • Strengthen class offerings
  • Larger set shop
  • Truck
  • Lead coalition of South bay area theaters
  • Capital fund drive
  • Endowment
  • New works programs – space

6 Year Plan

  • New space (Studio, Shop, Theater, Costume)
     Ownership
     Service multi-groups
  • Multiple dedicated staff
     Artistic Director
  • Board development (more resources) – Community business members
  • Create/fund endowment
  • Legacy donations
  • Ability to take more risks (fin. Backing)
  • Contingent space plan
  • Separate foundation and fundraising arm
  • Year-round organization in a city that wants us
Time Money
  • Build relations with Saratoga (Saratoga business outreach & board)
  • Community Trust
    • Diversity board
    • Awareness
    • New work/projects
    • Board
  • Improve financial docs and operations processes
  • Strengthen Class offerings
  • Fundraising-Endowment-Legacy-Foundation
  • Contingent space plan
    • New City [space at El Paseo??]
    • WVLO
  • Coalition of Theaters
 Finance or Purchase New Space

(Create separate drives)

New Space for:

  • Rehearsal
  • Studio
  • Shop
  • Costume
  • Theater

Staff (deciding by Jay and Sara and bringing back to Board)

  • Ex Director Salary
  • Tech Dir/PM
  • Marketing Dir
  • FOH
  • Shop Staff
  • Artistic Dir

Expand Offerings for Seasons

-take risks / new works

Truck
Producing/Operations (Sara/Doug)

  • Season Selection
  • Production
  • Marketing
  • Auditions
Program Development Committee (Michael/Kim/Barbara)

  • New works
  • Artistic 
  • Classes (Janet, Sara D.)
  • Rentals
 Community Outreach Committee 

(Steve A./Jen P./Kevy/Denise)

(Libby, Jen S., Dave L.)

Saratoga Relationships (Steve A., Sara D.)

  • Build Relations with Saratoga
  • Rotary
  • Businesses
  • Coalitions of theaters
  • Diversity & Inclusion (Jen P., Kevin B., Sara D.) 
  • Accessibility productions
Fundraising Team (Dallas/Karyn/Jordan/Kim)

  • Donor Drive
  • Corporate Donations
  • Tacos
  • Endowment
  • Corporate
  • Grants
 Organizational Development Committee (Jen/Jordan/Steve S./Barbara)

  • Financial doc
  • Contingency plan
  • Budget scenarios (new theaters, WVLO)
  • Board Recruitment
  • Surveys

Sara’s Role:  Provided a handout which lists her roles/duties for the year and in general.

ACTION TO BOARD MEMBERS: Review Sara’s list:  At the Committee Meetings – Review Sara’s list and decide which tasks the group might be able to do to support Sara’s many activities, and submit to the Board.

FINANCIALS discussion

Reach out to other organizations – Specifically for information on creating Endowments. 

Possible conversations with groups who are looking for their own location:

  • Lyric
  • Karen DeHart for City Lights
  • Palo Alto Players
  • CMT

Ticket Pricing

Full retail price (with constant discounts) vs. Open pricing that is fair and honest with limited discounts

Suggestion: raise the price to cover the cost of a discount for the cast codes for next season.  Individual cast codes would offer anyone $5 off. Raise the price of the ticket to cover this price. It sounded like the Board is agreed to try this. Possibly for She Loves Me, or South Pacific?

Fees!!!!  Would we like to create ‘fees’? (General board consensus leaning toward having an upfront pricing that INCLUDES the fees, but talked about raising the price in general, especially if we are adding a discount code to the cast/crew link to make up for that difference) 

Possible additional revenue to add another show (extra show on either Thursday/Saturday evening or matinee)

For every show, inform auditionees that we reserve the right to add a performance.

Hold such a performance on either an extra Thursday, or have a Saturday matinee. [It sounded like the Board tended to think a Saturday matinee would be best.]

Add matinee?

Close on Sunday instead of Saturday?

Create a discussion for building sets with other theater groups. Action?

Next season:

  • We did not get the rights to Chicago
  • Other options:
  • Victor/Victoria – positive: known name, dancing / negative: dated, sets
  • Little Shop of Horrors – positive: popular / negative: lots of productions now
  • Aida
  • We had discussed Grand Hotel, but not sure it is a fit with Little Night Music and Sound of Music.

ACTION: Sara will continue to investigate, and make a recommendation