by Michael Paul Hirsch, Executive Director
Since stepping in to SBMT’s Executive Director position in July, I have been delving into documents and spreadsheets, agreements and archives to compile, organize, and analyze over 60 years of SBMT producing theatre here in the South Bay. My goal was to become as much of an expert on SBMT as I could and to form a point of view of what it means to run a theatre company in 2025 and into the future.
Over the last few weeks, I created a benchmarking framework so that I can stay on the pulse of how well shows are selling in the area and how SBMT measures up (get your tickets NOW if you want to see a matinee of The Sound of Music). I analyzed 17 other local theatre companies to better understand their business models and how they are organized.
We sent a new anonymous Patron Insights Survey to hear from you, our patrons and performers, to better understand what motivates you and what you want from SBMT so we can better shape your theatre experience now and in the years to come (if you have not completed the 5 minute survey yet, please do so now).
We created an AI Policy to guide our artists on how to work with SBMT while the legal and ethical debates over AI use continue and to protect the rights, agency, and contribution of our human artists. Live theatre is by its very nature a living and breathing embodiment of a connected community of people struggling against forces that profit by alienating and dehumanizing us.
We supported three other local performing arts organizations with their productions at the Saratoga Civic Theatre with services and equipment including WVLO, Lyric Theatre, and a Bharatanatyam Margam dance concert. I also got to see shows by Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene, More Màs Marami Arts, Theatreworks, The Pear Theatre, Montalvo Arts Center, and Silicon Valley Shakespeare. The summer has been sizzling with vibrant performances!
There has been so much more but I wanted to give you a taste of what it has been like for me taking on this awesome responsibility. What do you want to hear more about?
See you at the theatre.
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