Board Minutes, February 2021

Board Meeting Notes – Feb. 12, 2021 – Call to order at 7:06 pm

Present: Michael Hirsch, Kevin Brownstein, Ed Hunter, Dallas Carter, Steve Sammonds, Dave Leon, Jay Steele, Doug Hughes, Jeffrey Henson, Dan Singletary, Sara Dean. Joined Late: Sharon Peng

Doug Hughes: Marketing Report

See report for detail
Amanda Gorman quote parallel/Angelina Grimke
5k post reach for P&P (likely such a large reach due to collaboration with SVS)
Rachel in alignment with previous Readers’ Theaters
- High posting frequency on Facebook due to posting bios each day
- Rachel wasn’t shared as much by cast as compared to Camera or P&P
3163 found us on google. 93 visited site…this is up by 23% from December

Jeffrey Henson: Facilities Report

No new damage
Status quo
All’s good!
The door to the studio now shuts with ease
Something to do with the screws. Will be creating a diagram with how to fix.
Sara putting up curtains on windows
Studio cleanup? Sara is looking at day wk of 2/15

Dan Singletary: Technology Report

Updates? Nope.
- Waiting for OvationTix until all data is uploaded/converted and will let us continue editing the database. No ETA available yet from OT when it will be completed.

Positive growth on social media front

See slide deck

We need to interact more, it increases everything so we don’t have to spend extra money on advertising for postings

Is there a budget for marketing?

Donation of FB credits to help promote posts
Consider paying, even though it’s free content
eStudio Web page is a little hard to find, possible to bring to the front?
Calendar page? Something that comes up right away?
- Possibility to create task force for helping keep the website updated
- A pulldown that links direct to a Readers’ Theater – page?
- Better use of homepage? ‘Sell’ what’s current
- (ACTION ITEM)

Sara Dean: Executive Director report

Budget (Slide deck)
- Cashflow as of Dec. 20 – continue down the current page, we will eventually start dipping into the reserves. No major fundraising events currently on the books
- July —> September – ‘production’ expenses with different shows and possible financial outcome on slide deck.
- This has possible bank account numbers forecasts out as far as May ‘22.
- Living document has been created that can be adjusted easily to account for donations and expenditures and will update the forecasts.
- Forecast document does not include
  - Major Donation drives
  - Workshop revenue
  - Expenditures related to e-Studio
- Framework for budget is set – needs approval
  - Figure out a date with Jen to meet
  - CFO needs to be present —> do we need a new date for monthly meetings to ensure all can attend?
  - ACTION ITEM: Sara to follow up with CFO
If we don’t have a greenlight by April, September opening would be extremely difficult
- Different budget plays are on the table as well
  - Modest (5-6 people, small budget, low royalties, ie. Play
  - Average (more people, bigger budget, unit set)
  - Small plays (like a 1 person show ideas)
  - 4 person singing show (ie Brad Hanshey (sp?) show)
  - Budgets of shows are inclusive of the AB5 costs, which are higher
  - Budgets include selling only 50% of house, we have no idea what that will actually look like
- Re-opening task force with help with details including
  - Singing
  - Rehearsals
  - Streaming options
- Theaterworks ‘open’
  - 1st 2 shows streamed possibility
  - Selling tickets
  - We should be looking towards groups like the for reopening, they seems to be doing it well
  - This is why it’s crucial that the Re-Opening Task Force is on top of it!
- Possible 2024 ‘normal’ (insert link from Sara/Dan’s suggested podcast for review)
- Aggressive donation and fundraising
  - $100k range
  - One major ‘Tacos & Tunes’ type of fundraiser for November
  - Date not set in stone
- Giving Tuesday group is meeting next week
  - Sunnyvale’s financial plea
    - Consensus that we should help if we can – even if it’s just sharing their message and call for donations
    - It’s important to support all community members
      - Help via social media
      - E-blast to cross promote
      - Reach out to Sunnyvale
        
        Approval from them
        
        Acknowledgement
        
        Reach out and create something?
        
        ACTION ITEM: Sara/Doug reaching out to open dialog with Steve Shapario (sp?)
- Follow up on Retreat Items (review slidedeck)
  - Dave/Steve
    - Dave-Sondheim active and gearing up
    - Steve-going to reach out to Sara
  - Workshops
    - See slidedeck
    - Choreo – kudos! See slidedeck for specific comments
    - Acting – great feedback, slightly less organized, add an audit
    - Playwriting – off to a great start
    - Upcoming: Accents looks like it’s going to be popular
    - Suggestions are always welcome for ideas (for Workshops and ANY OTHER EVENT!)
  - Board Members attendance/intros to events (happening, awesome and appreciated)
  - Task Force
    - Gathering data, info
  - Job Description
    - Sent out via email
    - See more info in the Org’s report
  - CIA (Community, Inclusivity, Accountability)
  - New Material being reviewed
  - Survey
    - Steve going to jump on that
    - Nothing geared yet – CIA would like to be looped in with surverys as they have specific metrics they’d like to get as well.
    - Include questions to determine interest in plays
  - Space Share
    - Talks with SVS (Silicon Valley Shakespeare)
    - Talks with Lyric Theatre
- Comments & Feedback
  - (See slidedeck)
  - Rachel – great feedback both from cast/audience
- Grants
  - 24K for employee for eStudio (due Friday)
    - Arts coalition
    - It to offset costs eStudio, hire an employee, etc.
  - Sara/Jordan also working on a different grant (NBC) that was found via Doug
- Upcoming Events (see slidedeck)

Committee Updates

CIA (see slidedeck)
- Met twice
- List of company standards discussed
- Oversight/involvement for other committees
- Public Perception
  - The past (known as PSD (Pre-Sara Dean) is present and something that we have to be aware of, but a shift is be observed
  - Many are making sure that we aren’t putting on a show and want to make sure that it’s a genuine change
- Asking for time with Board during March meeting
  - Looking for a collaborative review on
    - Common language for all levels
    - Article/postcast to be sent out
    - Moderator to be present?
    - Requested time: 1 hour
    - Michael will find a meeting standard/format
- Rachel wasn’t as advertised as much. Can we fix that? Make sure that everything is posted again for Black History month. (See slide)
- Celebrate Black history & Black joy and have programming that helps with that.
  - Doug has split out the Talkback from Rachel so it can be viewed separately
- Cast Accountability (see slide)
- Non-Negotiables (see slides)
  - A desired discussion for next meeting
  - Selective programming, casting, etc.
  - Tools to move forward (see slides)
  - 5a – case by case, how to determine the appropriate moderator, how much time do we want Sara to spend on making sure the moderator is BIPOC? Sara open to anybody, but it needs someone who wants to be there and is willing to create the same quality that we have been producing for the last 11 months.
- Next meeting is Feb 18, 730 pm (see slide)
DevCom (Development and Communications)
- EOY goal was hit
- Upcoming meeting
- Postcards sent – thanks to all who helps create thoses
Organizational
- ED job description
- Review specific goals
- Some point in future to hire both an Executive Director and Artistic Manager
- Jay put forth motion to approve the ED description as written
  - All approved (unanimously)
  - Discussion on how to raise hands via Zoom ensued

eStudio events/metrics

See slide
Could use improvement with YouTube subscribers
No real change

Programming & Upcoming

See slide
Which we have the upcoming, we should always look to Sara with the final FINAL programming details ?