Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details by Fiscal Year
2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$8,000
Fund Source
Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund
Recipient
Merely Players Community Theatre, Inc. AKA Merely Players
Recipient Type
Non-Profit Business/Entity
Status
Completed
Start Date
September 2018
End Date
May 2019
Activity Type
Grants/Contracts
Counties Affected
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Nicollet
Le Sueur
Martin
Sibley
Watonwan
Waseca
Blue Earth
Brown
Faribault
Nicollet
Le Sueur
Martin
Sibley
Watonwan
Waseca
Project Overview

Arts and Cultural Heritage

Project Details

They will present their season in Mankato: “Oliver” in Nov. 2018 and “The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged” in May 2019; at Lincoln Community Center. “My Fair Lady” in March 2019 will be at Kato Ballroom. Funds will used for production expenses.

Competitive Grant Making Body
Board Members and Qualifications

Steve Davis: orchestra member, orchestra volunteer, music school volunteer; Denice Evers: retired teacher, community theater volunteer; Kristie Gaalswyk-Pomerenke: 4-H Coordinator, education coordinator, board member; Diane Harms: singer; Karen Krause: visual artist, retired school counselor, retired art teacher, art center instructor; Margie Larson: visual artist and retired college international student coordinator; Charles Luedtke: retired music professor, Organists guild; Randy Mediger: retired principal, retired teacher, community theater charter member; Liz Miller: visual artist, art professor; Lauren Shoemaker: school music instructor; Dana Sikkila: visual artist, gallery executive director; Carol Soma: retired language arts teacher, theater volunteer; Dennis Van Moorlehem: retired teacher, fair and festival board volunteer.

Advisory Group Members and Qualifications

Steve Davis: orchestra member, orchestra volunteer, music school volunteer; Denice Evers: retired teacher, community theater volunteer; Kristie Gaalswyk-Pomerenke: 4-H Coordinator, education coordinator, board member; Diane Harms: singer; Karen Krause: visual artist, retired school counselor, retired art teacher, art center instructor; Margie Larson: visual artist and retired college international student coordinator; Charles Luedtke: retired music professor, Organists guild; Randy Mediger: retired principal, retired teacher, community theater charter member; Liz Miller: visual artist, art professor; Lauren Shoemaker: school music instructor; Dana Sikkila: visual artist, gallery executive director; Carol Soma: retired language arts teacher, theater volunteer; Dennis Van Moorlehem: retired teacher, fair and festival board volunteer.

Conflict of Interest Disclosed
No
Legal Citation / Subdivision
Laws of Minnesota 2017 Regular Session, chapter 91, article 4, section 2, subdivision 3
Appropriation Language

ACHF Arts Access

2019 Fiscal Year Funding Amount
$8,000
Other Funds Leveraged
$126,310
Direct expenses
$134,310
Administration costs
$0
Number of full time equivalents funded
0.00
Proposed Measurable Outcome(s)

The number of Minnesotans who are able to participate in the arts increases. The quality, types and number of arts opportunities in our region, and the organizations or venues that offer them increases. New relationships with members of groups that have traditionally been underserved by the arts or by the applicant organization are built. Audience members, production cast and crew, and Board and staff members will complete our survey. The General Manager will distribute and compile the results that will be presented in written form to the Board. Ticket sales reports will be generated for each production and compared to the previous season to determine changes in attendance.

Measurable Outcome(s)

This season we tried multiple access points for our survey. During ?Oliver!" we provided paper print outs in all of our playbills. During ?My Fair Lady" we provided an option of paper surveys or online surveys via a web link to our survey monkey and during ?The Complete Works of William Shakespeare; Abridged" we provided only the online web link option. Audience members were encouraged to fill out the survey online for a chance to win 2019-2020 season tickets. Announcements were made at the top of the show, during intermission and as audience members left the theater at the end of the show. Trying 3 different ways to collect surveys allowed us to see the most effective way for us to gather this information. At the end of each season, our General Manager collects all of the information gathered in our Surveys and brings the report to the board. We analyze these results and that information is taken into consideration when planning out the next season and future goals for the organization. Those goals are brought to our marketing committee and become the focal point for all marketing or publicity for the season.

Proposed Outcomes Achieved
Achieved Most of the Proposed Outcomes
Source of Additional Funds

Other,local or private

Recipient Board Members
Gina Andersen, Justin Danielson, Maggie Maes, Sarah Tezloff
Project Manager
First Name
Susan
Last Name
Olson
Organization Name
Merely Players Community Theatre
Street Address
110 Fulton St PO Box 3637
City
Mankato
State
MN
Zip Code
56001
Phone
(507) 388-5483
Email
info@merelyplayersmn.org
Administered By
Administered by
Location

Griggs Midway Building, Suite 304,
540 Fairview Avenue North,
St. Paul, MN 55104

Phone
(651) 539-2650 or toll-free (800) 866-2787
Email the Agency
Location

105 22nd Avenue NE, Suite A
Waseca, MN 56093

Phone
Project Manager: Anna Pollock
507-833-8721
Email the Agency
Location

105 22nd Avenue NE, Suite A
Waseca, MN 56093

Phone
Project Manager: Anna Pollock
507-833-8721
Email the Agency