Operating Support Grant

First, we pay attention to how our audience grows and contracts. As a podcast producer, our server company (Spreaker.com) provides us with statistical information about the size and make up of our audience. Naturally, we pay close attention to which sorts of plays seem to cause our audience to grow and consider this information while planning future productions. In addition, we also reach out through online forms to get feedback from our audience. Questions include what genres the audience enjoys and what genres they could do without. We do at least one of these polls per year plus an annual award program where the audience gets to vote on which actor, actress and play they found most appealing. Finally, all of this information is brought to the company (including actors and the board) by the artistic director for discussion and brainstorming. The ultimate decision-making process rests with the artistic director as to which types of plays will be produced in the future. For our audience (which we consider to be one of our two constituencies) we send out frequent polls and surveys to gage their interest in different kinds of plays. We also encourage listeners to contact us directly by repeating the email and twitter information on each podcast we produce. Our second constituency is the actors and artists that create our plays. As a small town, we find ample opportunity to interact and socialize with these folks. During these interactions, we might discuss what sorts of plays they want to do, and how the theater can make their job as actors and artists easier. Starting this year, we will have an end of year 'party' with the understanding that everyone who attends will be expected to give feedback to the artistic director by way of both conversation and with a written survey. As an internet based art form, we are accessible to virtually the entire world with the exception of those with difficulty hearing.