Wondering how you’re going to pass the cold, dark, dreary days of winter? Looking for a new hobby? Wishing you could figure out a way to get to know people around here? The Grand Marais Playhouse has the answer.
People are needed in many capacities to keep the Playhouse running. People to send out fundraising letters, people to build sets, people to create costumes, people to direct, and people to act.
What? Isn’t it hard to land a part in a play? Not necessarily. If you are willing to commit a bit of your time over a specified time period, you may just find yourself up on stage, under the shining lights of fame. Local fame, at least.
On September 29, close to two dozen people showed up for a town meeting to discuss the direction the Playhouse could take over the next year. Playhouse Director Sue Hennessy is very enthusiastic about theater in Cook County. She should be. The Grand Marais Playhouse has been pumping out one production after another to rave reviews for several decades now. Hennessy, who runs the office, publicizes productions, negotiates contracts for playbooks and musical scores, designs, builds, and tears down sets and has directed almost every production in recent years, is ready to move over and make room for some other people to shine. Don’t worry, she’s not going anywhere, she is just looking for people with whom to share the joy.
Hennessy’s creativity extends past productions themselves to trying new ways to accommodate actors and directors who have busy lives already filled with work and family obligations. With this last summer’s production of Shout! The Mod Musical, she rounded up her cast in the winter, even launching a few early spring performances, to give them more free time to enjoy the weather when summer rolled around. She had a strategy, and it worked: Besides making things a little easier on her cast during the summer, having these “teaser” shows in the spring got the word out that this was a really good production! And “word of mouth is our best advertising!” Hennessy said. Shout! was hugely successful in its spring run, and this helped bring in bigger audiences in the summer.
Shout! wasn’t the only production going on this season, of course. “I was directing four shows at one time,” Hennessy said, “and I would never recommend that!” She would like to devote more of her time to administration and teaching theater arts such as acting, directing, set design, and costume design to community members and youth. “I don’t want to be the one who is doing everything,” she said.
Hennessy said not a lot of people are trying out for parts these days, and finding younger people for leading roles, especially men, is hard. She would like to build a youth repertory company that could offer traveling educational shows on social issues.
A new experiment this year was to have two plays running at one time, enabling people from out of town to see two plays in one weekend. Sandy Stover said many people from out of town told her they enjoyed being able to see more than one play when they were in town for the weekend.
Another change was that Hennessy paid actors a stipend to help compensate for little things like buying fast food for their families when they had rehearsal. The Playhouse has been receiving $4,000 from the county each year, which they use to pay high school- and college age summer interns. The Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation provided a grant that allowed them to hire Doug Livesay to set up sound systems and teach the interns to do sound. The Grand Marais Area Tourist Association gave the Playhouse $1,000 for marketing. Hennessy is extremely grateful to the 50 area businesses that support the Playhouse as well.
This last year, the Playhouse raised revenue and cut expenses. Financially, Hennessy said, “we are 188 percent better than we were at this time last year.” She would like to be able to hire staff. Ironically, she said, the Playhouse could get more government funding if their operating budget were higher.
Hennessy uses every marketing tool available to publicize the Playhouse and reaches way outside Cook County. “I use every free outlet I can find,” she said. Groups sometimes come from out of town to attend productions. She would like to be able to do more dinner and/ or hotel packages with local businesses and is working on offering dinner theater at a local dining establishment.
Members play an important role in keeping local theater alive. “Membership is pretty strong and pretty steady at around 150,” Hennessy said, “which is pretty good for a community of our size.” Thirtyseven actors have crossed the stage so far this year. “I think that’s exceptional for a town our size,” said Hennessy.
Those present at the town meeting discussed how the Playhouse could maintain its solid and successful presence in the community. “Tell your friends to become members – or buy tickets – or act!” Hennessy told them.
“I know I’m on track if I have at least one person in the audience who says, ‘That’s the best show I’ve ever seen,’” said Hennessy, “and that’s happened with every show in the last five years.”
Jane Howard provides this month’s report of Grand Marais Playhouse activities.
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