SMITHFIELD LITTLE THEATRE Board of Directors Meeting, Jan 2015 Monday, January 12, 2015 7:00 p.m. Location: Smithfield Little Theatre Lobby Call to Order/Welcome (Mark Hall, President) Board Members in Attendance: Roy Chesson, Elaine Dairo, Bonnie Franklin, Trey Gwaltney, Mark Hall, Judson Little, Amanda Norman, Kathy Strozak. Absent: Judy Winslow (rehearsal). Meeting called to order at 7:11 p.m. Approval of December 2014 Minutes (Bonnie Franklin, Secretary) E-Votes Since December Meeting: None COMMITTEE REPORTS Motion to approve the minutes for the December 2014 board meeting as presented: Amanda Norman. Seconded by Elaine Dairo. Motion carries. Treasurer s Report (Trey Gwaltney, Treasurer) Checking Account: $102,421.15 SYP through The Producers, income v. expenses Addams Family brought in $40,970.66 (a record) includes 20% increase in ticket price, 3 extra shows, and broad marketing. $15,077 on a $15,000 budget; made over $25,000 on show Christmas show (John Hardy) made $241.38 Received a check from 4Wall Dc in the amount of $897.00 for a refund; it will be deposited. Ticketing Report (Mark Hall for Peter Natale, Ticketing Team Leader) Figuring out how to reconcile ticket sales each month between Ticketing Team and Treasurer.
Nuances different on various reports; still overcoming the learning curve. Ticket sales via artspeople are over $100,000 so far this season. Budgeted $96,000. 1,499 season tickets. Per Shirley Barlow, record was 1615 season tickets in 2008. Things going fairly well. Ticketing has a couple of new volunteers; Peter will do more training soon. Still a technical issue with phone; some callers say the phone will not take their message [problem with Charter]. Could be a result of callers speaking quietly; Don/Peter working on the issue. Tech Report (Mark Hall for Don Curnutte, Technical Team Leader) No major issues or problems. T-Loop seems to be working well. Auditorium lights were causing interference, but that is minimal now after upgrade to a better amp. Compact fluorescent lights can cause interference; goes away when house lights are out. Will promote it for upcoming show (Smithfield Times has offered to do a story). Volunteers Development Report (Kathy Strozak) No update. Building & Grounds Report (Mark Hall for Robert Cox, Building & Grounds Team Leader) Auditorium has been painted. o Auditorium black flat paint; hallways, satin paint. In hallway, touching wall left white marks. o Repainted hallways (satin on satin). o Robert to talk with Tim to work it out. With removal of marquis, Robert says he notices an echo. Don doesn t notice it; Dan does. Possibly put up acoustic panels on wall, to absorb sound? Maybe experiment w/o panels during Bridesmaid. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Lobby Renovation Update (Mark Hall) Going on schedule. Bathrooms, ceramic tile underway. Everything has been ordered and is in process. Everyone supposed to be done by the end of the month.
Walls will be near white; walls on either side of counter, green from logo (other colors: brown / white / stainless / black) Discussion about having stripes on marquee walls with all four colors from logo Marquee Preservation & Display Project Monitors will cover up a fair portion of the two walls on either side of counter Per Judy, the county museum is able to provide the means for us to scan all of the marquees. SLT has to get them organized and get them to her. Storage after scanning: have talked with Jennifer at the museum about that. Next: look into the storage part of it, get them to where we can transport them, start the scanning process. Time frame is unknown right now. Monitor system: Don s area. Will be used for a rotating slide show. Need to decide whether to recess monitors, or build a frame out from the wall. Frames sell? Donate? Once they are scanned, what if someone wants to have one? Elaine: SLT does not have a historian; it is unknown whether SLT has copies of all of the playbills since the 50 th anniversary. Reading Committee Status No further developments. Submission date extended to January 15, 2015. Committee could be developed to reach out for certain productions. Automatic rotation period for committee members? Will think about that for next year. Comps Policy Update For now, comp tickets available on opening night. Will have revisited the policy by The Producers. Committee: Mark (in absentia), Judson, Elaine, Roy. Policy on the AACT site didn t fit SLT.
NEW BUSINESS Meeting Time Starting time will remain 7:00 for remainder of the fiscal year. The Producers, Lighting Request for lighting from Peter Natale. $4,000 for 8 new lights (Don has estimated at $475 each) to support use of Gobo Incandescent fixtures; focusable, zoomable. Have talked about moving towards LED; should we be spending money on incandescent? Could possibly rent/borrow lights from Williamsburg Players, or rent from company we ve rented from before. Fine with lighting budget if nothing else comes up. Motion to buy the eight (8) lights requested by Peter Natale for up to $4,000 to come out of the lighting budget: Amanda Norman. Seconded by Roy Chesson. Motion carries. Costume Lending Policy Gallery Theatre A local high school is producing The Addams Family this spring; have borrowed some set pieces (no rental involved). Gallery Theatre has made a request to borrow some costumes. Right now, costume/prop lending is handled on a case-by-case basis. Need policy/procedure for renting, loaning costumes, props, etc. Would require pictures, descriptions, inventory list, replacement value Motion that the Costume Chairman may, at her discretion, work with the Gallery Theatre through Jeff Johnson with the suggestion that there be a detailed inventory, pictures of the costumes, and a replacement value: Elaine Dairo. Seconded by Kathy Strozak. Motion carries. Need another sub-committee to work on policy for loaning / renting costumes, props; Kathy Strozak willing to help with that.
Renovation Gala with The Virginia Opera (Mark Hall) Contact person: Deborah Wyld Invite public, donors, patrons, etc. They see us as an outreach (younger demographic). Possibilities: partly in lobby, partly in auditorium. Wouldn t be able to do it until March; patrons will have already seen the new lobby. Will continue to develop this. Watching Recorded Performances (Trey Gwaltney) Could install professional screen and projection equipment fed from a computer source. Three different levels proposed (top of the line, middle, amateur): o $12,000 - $15,000 (7.5K screen, 7.5K equipment; can adjust a bit) o $10,000 (hybrid; nice screen, not as high-end equipment) o $5,000 (more portable screen, marginal system) Better system = increased potential for usage o Example: Paul D. Camp movie event in September 2014 Prices do not include installation; we would have to do that. Maybe talk to Paul D. Camp to see if they are interested in more movie events? Talk to their tech people? Rear projection v. non-rear projection? Educational purposes (SYP) Motion to adjourn: Kathy Strozak, Amanda Norman. Motion carries. Meeting adjourned at 9:36 p.m. UPCOMING MEETINGS February 9, 2015 March 9, 2015 April 13, 2015 May 11, 2015 June 8, 2015 July 13, 2015 (Annual Meeting)