$20 is Plenty To Keep Wayside Theatre Open

MIDDLETOWN, VA- Local politicians, artists and community members gathered at the Wayside Theatre to hear the long-awaited verdict; if they would be closing its doors or moving forward with another season.

They were welcomed with good news.

"We're here to announce season 52," says Byron Brill, board president of the Wayside Theatre. "It is a season that is very similar to what we've done in the past. We've looked at many business models to say is there a better way for this jewel to continue?"

Virginia's second oldest professional theater went on an emergency fundraising campaign to raise $90,000 in 90 days. Now at the campaign's end, they have raised $86,000.

"Many of our supporters and would be supporters really don't understand how much it costs to put a production on at Wayside Theatre," says Warner Crocker," artistic director at Wayside Theatre. "We're going to be publishing our budgets, our goals, our achievements or our failures on our website. We'll have them in our building so people can get a better grasp of what paying for a ticket means."

The board rolled out a plan to have greater transparency with the public. They also restructured the role of board members to have what they call an "unprecedented hands-on" approach in fundraising and marketing.

The Wayside Theatre board of directors decided to lower its fundraising goal from $250,000 to $197,000. They are also lowering the operating budget for next year. That means the staff will have to do more work and wear more hats to keep the theater thriving.

The theater announced its latest giving campaign called, "$20 is Plenty."

"When organizations, not-for-profit organizations, ask for donations, everybody thinks of high dollar amounts, $100, $500, $1,000," Crocker says. "A lot of people can't afford that. 20 is plenty allows people to donate $20 a year and have an investment in the great quality, professional, live theater."

The staff says they want the community to embrace Wayside as their own, seeing it not as a theater, but their theater.