Board Meeting Minutes 

3/12/25
Start: 7:10 PM
End: 9:45 PM

Board Members In Attendance: Michael Hirsch, Dan Singletary, Ann Lucena, Andy Switky, LaShonda Eagels, Marcy Bates, Braden Taylor, Tipu Purkayastha, Ray Smith

Ex Officio: Walter Mayes (Artistic Director), Doug Hughes (Marketing)

Summary of Action Items

ACTION: Bio needed from Marcy and Ray for SBMT website

ACTION: Michael completing curtain speech for Titanic concert

ACTION: Michael finishing blog post

ACTION: Michael and Doug to touch base regarding an invitation to our community to join committees

ACTION: Michael to follow up with rehearsal studio lease agreement for 3 years renewal 

ACTION: Michael to send everything from grant work (spreadsheet) to Braden for Lori to apply to new hire paperwork and track everyone’s checklist

ACTION: Walter, Michael, and Braden to get Doug budget number

ACTION: Walter, Braden, Michael, and Dan to discuss setting ticket prices

ACTION: CFO motion to move 2nd Saturday evening to matinee performance. PASSED

ACTION:  CFO motion for ticket pricing to vary by day of the week with one price for entire house rather than tiered pricing. PASSED

Updates

  • Board please approve Minutes going forward
  • Adopt Harassment Prevention Training Policy 
    • Almost everyone has completed harassment prevention training
  • Setting Board retreat for Sunday June 29th
  • Still looking for 2-4 more Board members
  • Vote on upcoming roles in May:
    •  Chair
    • V Chair
    • CFO
    • Secretary 
      • Should return to being in rotation more often
  • Adopt completed DEI policies

BOARD CHAIR UPDATES

PRESIDENT:

Staff

  • Hiring staff  
    • Production 
    • Tech
    • Executive Director
  • Looking to have someone help Doug with Marketing
  • Help in Box office as Diane steps down

Board

  • Still seeking 2-4 Board members
  • Assigning Board members among committees
    • Will open up opportunities for our community to also join if interested 
  • Set date to review by-laws: Tues. April 1st, 7PM
    • Dan, Braden, Tipu, Michael, Ann
  • Discussion regarding ticket prices for next season
  • Volunteer Database: grow opportunities and contact list

Portable

  • Needs chairs and couch
  • Remove last of wallpaper

Outreach

  • Hillbrook School in Los Gatos would like to start renting items from us
  • Lyric Theater – items available 
  • SVC roundtable 
    • This season will be competing against big companies for grants, anticipate less grant money
  • Working on contact with senior communities
    • For Titanic and Brigadoon

City Relations

  • Saratoga First Thursday Nights
    • Walter in contact with City of Saratoga to do something with one of these nights
  • Making connections with city staff who are open to working with us 

Theater improvements

  • Lobby renovation:
    • Encapsulate ceiling
    • New carpet in lobby
    • Paint lobby
      • Tipu to work with designer and reach out to Kathy, Kama, and Barbara
  • Installing permanent fans in dressing rooms
  • KSAR booth expansion and upgrades
  • Request for new chairs in the lobby

CTO: 

  • Crew comms are over 20 years old and failing
    • Headset replacement is $1300, absolutely necessary 
  • Applying for technical grant to replace ($10K for full set)
  • Internet is Comcast line: installed AT&T fiber 300/300 

CFO: 

  • Predictions for Urinetown hit ticket sales and revenue targets 
  • Show expenses came in $6K under budget
  • FY26 draft budget built 

Development and Fundraising

  • Amado Foundation grant en route
  • In relatively good shape with donations/fundraising
  • Awaiting response from grant applications

Titanic Concert

  • Asking Board members to spread the word to fill the house
  • Aiming for $5K pledges
    • Special concessions offered with donation as a thank you 
  • Pre-show trivia slides, interactive items in the house 
  • QR code posted for people to donate 
  • Selfie wall, boat life rings for people to leave messages on
  • Signage throughout the lobby

Brigadoon

  • Working on sponsorship/ad sales for the show with Scottish club

Artistic Director:

  • Urinetown cast was very positive feedback on survey
    • Disappointed about low turnout for shows
    • Happy about the smooth process and experience 
  • Brigadoon rehearsals under way
    • Great production team  
    • Still short one tenor
  • Started Titanic rehearsals 
  • Master Calendar for next season is ready to go
    • Designers mostly lined up but need one more set designer
    • Will hand off dates to Doug to start sending audition information out
    • Planning on a Christmas concert and spring concert
      • Probably a matinee and an evening show

Finance and Budgeting

  • Review budget for May meeting
  • Discussed Board match for Titanic
  • Reassessing tiered pricing
  • ASL performances for next season
    • Currently not financially viable