June 10, 2020

Present: Barbara Heninger, Jen Maggio, Jay Steele, Jordan Selburn, Dallas Carter, Kim Kay, Steve Allhoff, Kevin Brownstein, Jennifer Petersen, Michael Hirsch, Steve Sammonds

Ex Officio: Sara Dean, Doug Hughes

Contents

Agenda

  • Director report items
  • Financial planning/milestones
  • Sustaining donor drive progress
  • Facility rent negotiation update/plan
  • Board candidates
  • EDI
  • Programing

Reports sent prior to meeting

Actions

  • AGREED: Board agreed to following CFO’s estimated financial plan
  • ACTION: Steve Allhoff will continue negotiations with landlords
  • ACTION: Jay (with assist from Sara) will write a statement for the membership about why the Board membership vote is being delayed to July, and what we’re looking for in Board candidates
  • ACTION: Barbara will work with Doug to upload the minutes for the last year to the SBMT website

FYI: Season brochures are being printed (Dallas is arranging), encouraging subscribers to subscribe to the new eStudio.

CFO / Finances

CFO Jen Maggio did estimated planning through December 2022.

Steve Allhoff met with our landlords to negotiate new terms for set shop and rehearsal space. Planning included these terms and the following income items:

  • Received offer from Set shop landlord for 50% through March 2021, if we agree to extend contract 1 year and pay that at 85%.
  • Rehearsal space offered rent at 55%, through December only
  • Sustaining donor drive: We have about $3100/month in subscriptions plus one-time donations averaged over the period (to Dec 22).
  • We did receive about $5500 through the government payroll protection program (PPP) for April/May/June; if we use it only for payroll and rent, we don’t have to pay it back

We think from the renegotiation with landlords that we would have about $20K more per month. Given the donations and negotiation we have already achieved, our low point if we continue as is into December 2022 is estimated at $33K. CFO would prefer us to have $65-100 always in the bank.

Other possibilities for cutting costs:

  • 85% for remaining term (to March 2024) for rehearsal studio – or maybe 75% for remaining term, or 85% in return for shortening the term.
    • ACTION: Steve Allhoff will continue negotiations with landlords
  • Executive Director Sara Dean at reduced pay through December 2020 – Offered by Sara, but we are not requesting this at present.

Assumptions regarding shows: Assume we will do a fundraiser before we do a production in Spring (April) 2021 that is smaller, minimalistic.  Assume we only break even on that Spring show (no income). After that, we could increase expenses a little, but don’t anticipate a big budget show with full production costs (sets, costumes, license fees). We might not have a full capacity audience until 2022 (if there is a vaccine, so older audiences will attend). So we just assume no profits off the shows for this modeling.

AGREED: Board agreed to following estimated plan two as provided by CFO.

Note that we must track amounts very closely as we move forward, to see whether assumptions match reality.

Sharing facilities (and expenses) with other companies?

SVS (Doug Brook) would be interested in possibly working with us. They also have longer lease terms right now, so both groups are still trying to negotiate those.

Sara is considering asking a children’s theater company if they want to pool resources. They might rehearse in our studio during the day. It is a youth-based company focused on works from the culture of India (the country).

Board Members

We have seven members who either must leave the Board, are choosing to do so now, or who left early (Denise Reynolds). Potential members include:

  • Jay Steele – running again
  • Steve Sammonds – running again
  • Diane Milo – interested
  • Jonathan White (current marketing consultant) – interested
  • Dan Singletary and Braden Taylor – considering it
  • Raina Parks – considering (she received the Board member documents; has a lot of experience with other theater/arts companies)

Suggest we extend elections to July, to ensure we can get good candidates.

ACTION: Jay (with assist from Sara) will write a statement for the membership about why the vote is being delayed to July, and what we’re looking for.

  • Why: Pandemic has skewed all activities; Different business model right now with “eStudio”
  • What: The skills that we’re looking for; Want more diversity on the Board

Board Minutes

The Board minutes are open for any member to view at request. Suggest that we start publishing the minutes on the web.

ACTION: Barbara will work with Doug to upload the minutes for the last year to the SBMT website

Marketing Report

See Marketing Director’s previously-submitted report.

Encouraging Board members to submit ‘testimonials’ about being a member of SBMT.

Diversity

Discussed the purpose of the “Diversity Committee,” vis-à-vis the Board and SBMT management. Suggest:

The Diversity Committee is a group of both Board members and community members who give input to the entire Board about diversity and inclusion for all of our Board decisions.

From recent discussions with the committee and the community (including the Solidarity meeting June 3), the most important areas to give input on are season selection, staffing, and casting.

SBMT community members who participate in the diversity committee:

  • Dave Leon
  • Jenni Chapman
  • Khalia Davis
  • Jennifer Petersen (retiring from the Board but will continue on the committee)
  • Cordelia Larsen (has participated in one, will encourage her to join future meetings)
  • We can continue inviting others as well

Board members:

  • Steve Allhoff
  • Kevin Brownstein

Some initial actions SBMT will take based on the committee input:

  • Expand Board membership: Board members are actively reaching out to BIPOC to join the Board in July
  • Season selection: Members of the diversity group to give input during discussion of the ‘big list,’ and to review and give advice to the Board on the 6-8 vetted choices for shows prior to the Board’s vote on shows. Board is responsible for taking the group’s input
  • Casting: Will ask diversity consultants to be in the room during casting and casting discussions.
  • Community discussion: Sara and Khalia are planning additional discussions about diversity topics in the eStudio

eStudio Programming

Some of the planned events:

  • A “game night” with Michael Hirsch
  • Theater tips: Getting someone to talk about headshots
  • Walter will have some trivia nights
  • Smitha Patabanda will do a cabaret night filmed from the studio
  • Looking for more persons to present Zoom or filmed concerts

How can SBMT members submit ‘auditions’ for readings? Suggest that we ask members to send headshots, resume, and have a callback via Zoom. The ‘callback’ is really about checking their internet connection and make sure that their reading will work!

Is the eStudio calendar of events on the website? Not yet, looking at doing so when the calendar is more stable. The current working document is here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/131VG9LdmsI2cQY47qoAdD1luUcRV7mP2hxVkwgJe3NA/edit#gid=0

We have 115 people, plus the Saratoga retirement community, signed up for the reading of “The Importance of Being Earnest” on June 12.

How does the diversity group give input on eStudio Programming? Right now, we accept input from anyone about any shows they want to do, and if someone puts their name up to participate we add them in. It’s an open door.

Respectfully submitted by Barbara Heninger on June 10, 2020