American Shakespeare Festival Theatre

A Strategic Business Plan & Launch Proposal to re-open The American Shakespeare Festival Theatre

Prepared & Presented by Frank Tobin Enterprises

April 1, 2010ASFT 2010 Proposals available online at www.americanshakespearefesstival.com

The Vision• Present an annual classical theater repertory season

highlighted by plays by Shakespeare and other great playwrights performed by a professional resident, multicultural ensemble of American theatrical talent

(May-September)

• Establish a Classical Theatre Training Academy which will produce actors, directors, theatre artisans and craftsman to present the finest repertory classical theatre in the world (January-September);

• Present Special holiday theater, music and dance entertainments such as The Nutcracker and The Christmas Carol, etc. with special guest artists and local, regional and national co-presenting organizations;

(November-December);

• Offer presentations of classical music, pop & youth-appeal attractions and community and corporate events

(Year-round). :

The Mission• Position the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre as

the crown jewel of American cultural life;

• Create a uniquely American classical repertory theater company of actors and musical theater artists;

• Produce classic and new plays and musicals which speak to contemporary American audiences of all ages;

• Situate Stratford, CT as a preeminent cultural tourist destination on a par with Canada’s Stratford Theater Festival and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, drawing a potential annual audience of 400,000 attendees from across North America;

• Collaborate with top-tier American performing arts organizations (theater/dance/opera/music) on shared programming and production expenses, through joint commissions and collaborations;

• Utilize the cultural resources and educational assets of the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre to bridge the gaps in the communities of the greater Bridgeport-New Haven-Stratford region.

Objectives• Finalize plans for the complete renovation and restoration

of the ASFT property;• Explore partnerships with Connecticut non-profit higher

education institutions to utilize the property year-round, finance property renovation and amortize annual maintenance;

• Re-brand the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre as a world-class classical repertory-producing organization, featuring a resident acting ensemble of both distinguished American theater artists and our brightest new acting talent;

• Revitalize Stratford, CT as a thriving arts-themed community by tapping into the financial returns which such a classical repertory theater company and a multi-purpose arts performing arts venue can bring to a community as witnessed by the Stratford Theater Festival in Ontario, The Berkshires and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival;

• Institute a comprehensive educational outreach program for Connecticut residents of all ages through a May-June school matinee program;

Strategies• Engage Randall Duk Kim, America’s leading classical actor,

and Anne Occhiogrosso as Co-Artistic Directors to build and train the ASFT resident professional company of American theater artists (April 15);

• Engage Frank Tobin as Management Consultant for the preliminary strategic planning / fundraising / property renovation phase of the project (April 15);

• Develop ongoing relationships with America’s most distinguished theater artists who will be invited as “Guest Artists” for the summer classical repertory season;

• Create additional arts-oriented multicultural programming for all ages (musicals, pop concerts, classical music events, youth-appeal events, etc.)

Action Plan• Develop Feasibility Study & Case for Support (June-

August, 2010);

• Outreach to various state economic development bodies through Stratford Economic Development Council to explore funding possibilities (May-June, 2010);

• Formulate Governor’s Blue Ribbon Leadership Committee strategy with Stratford Arts Commission to (June, 2010);

• Fnalize theatre remodeling plans, review bids & launch reconstruction (June, 2010);

• Meetings with prospects for F/R campaign & potential members of Board of Directors (June-August, 2010)

• Assemble Artistic “Friends of ASF”& Plan Summer Classical Theatre Evening Presentation (June-July, 2010);

• Report Feasibility Study findings (September, 2010);

• Finalize ASFT 2011 Budget Projections (September, 2010);

• Launch Fund Raising Campaign (September, 2010);

• Finalize plans for 2011 Season (October,2010).

The Program

• The American Shakespeare Festival Theatre will remain faithful to its founding mandate of a multicultural, resident acting ensemble of American theatre artists which will perform an annual summer season of classical of plays and musicals, joined by distinguished guest artists, on the ASFT Mainstage;

• Key to the ASFT approach is the development of a classical training academy which will be geared towards the building of a resident company which will train the actors of the future;

• A junior acting company will perform for young audiences on a temporary stage on the ASFT lawn;

• Future plans call for the creation of a permanent outdoor secondary performance venue (300-499 seats), or a venue in Stratford which will be devoted to producing new plays, musical cabarets, etc.;

• Offer programming of popular music and concert offerings, outside bookings of musicals and plays, etc.;

• Educational and community outreach programs for audiences of all ages, both on and offsite.

ASFT Summer Schedule

2011 July (2 shows / 4 weeks)

-- 7 perf. per week -- Tues.-Sun. with Sat./Sun. matinees;

-- Apprentice Company production on lawn

2012 July/August (4 shows / 7 weeks)

--7 perf. per week

--Tues,-Sun. with Sat./Sun. matinees

--2 Apprentice Company productions on the lawn

--Pre-season school matinees

2013 June/July/August (7 shows / 10 weeks)

--Theater Restoration complete / Re-opening

--7 perf. per week

--Tues,-Sun. with Sat./Sun. matinees

-- Pre-season school matinees

-- 2 Apprentice Company productions on the lawn

;

Partnerships• Explore partnerships with organizations with historic ties to the

ASFT – The Juilliard School of Theater, The Kennedy Center;

• Explore co-productions with New York area theatres, other regional theatres, commercial producers, musical theatre-producing entities and opera companies;

• Explore musical theatre and opera presentations with The Connecticut Opera, regional opera companies, etc.;

• Explore special holiday-themed dance co-presentations with The Connecticut Ballet, Boston Ballet, etc.;

• Develop relationships and educational programming with Connecticut’s elementary, middle and high school system as well as area colleges and universities.

Start-Up BudgetPHASE ONE – 6 months: April 15-October 15, 2010

--Feasibility Study & Stakeholders Survey;

--Creation of Governor’s Blue Ribbon Committee

--Creation of ASFT Board of Directors;

--Explore state & regional funding sources

--Kickoff Fundraising Campaign;

--Re-open ASFT with special stage presentation;

--Supervise remodeling of ASFT property

ESTIMATED PROJECTED COST: $350,000 (not including renovation costs)

PHASE TWO – 12 months October 15-April 15, 2010

--High profile Fundraising campaign

--Tourism Industry Outreach & Marketing Initiatives

--Prepare marketing, PR & Sponsorship Campaigns

--Launch Actor Training Academy

--Staffing ramp-up

--Additional stage presentations as needed

ESTIMATED PROJECTED COST: $500,000

Operating BudgetPhase One (6 months) $350,000--Consultant Fee

--Fundraising Costs

(includes special gala presentation

--Fixed Theatre Operating Costs

Phase Two (12 months) $500,000--Consultant Fee

--Fundraising Staff/Office Cost

--Fundraising Costs

(includes 2 stage presentations)

--Artistic Staff

--Fixed Theatre Operating Costs

Phase Three (Option 1 -- 4 week season) $4M

Phase Three (Option 2 -- 7 week season $6.5M

Phase Three (Option 3 -- 9 week season $7.5M

Fundraising SchedulePhase One – April 15-October 15, 2010 (6 months)

TARGET: $3 million pledges to match TOS appropriation

--Feasibility Study & Stakeholder Consensus;

--State-wide and regional Cultivation Meetings;

--Form Governor’s Blue Ribbon Committee;

--Form Board of Directors;

--Explore alternative funding sources;

--First stage presentation (August)

Phase Two – October 15, 2010-April 14, 2011 (6 months)

TARGET: $3.5 million pledges to match $3M + TOS $3M)

--Launch Leadership Campaign for Major Gifts;

--Secure state & regional Foundation Support;

--Devise state/regional Corporate Giving Strategy;

--Outline medium and small giver campaign strategy;

--1-2 stage presentations for fundraising cultivation;

Phase Three (April 15, 2011-October 15, 2011 (6 months)

TARGET: $1.5 million

Economic BenefitsThe Stratford Festival of Canada• $50 million+ annual budget, with $41 million in box office

revenue and $9 million in grants, donations and marketing partnerships;

• 600,000 annual audience; • $145 million impact on Canada’s gross domestic product and

approximately $125 million on the local economy;

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR • $24 million annual budget; • 400,000 annual attendance;• Attendees stayed an avg. of 3.7 nights with an avg. daily

expenditure of $116;• $163 million economic impact on the state of Oregon, of which

$56 million was realized by the local economy;

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA • Celebrated its 28th anniversary by embarking on a $16 million

capital campaign to build a replica of the Rose Playhouse on its 63-acre property;

• Received a one-time $1 million federal appropriation through a special U.S. Senate resolution, led by Sen. Ted Kennedy. 

Educational Resource & Community Benefits

ASFT’s 2-fold mandate: To Entertain and To Educate--Classical Actor Training Program will also be offered to the

professional & student actor on a tuition basis;

--Educational Outreach Program will build Relationship Synergy with theatre audiences through seminars and workshops geared to all ages both during the regular season and off-season;

--ASFT to work with Connecticut’s Artist-In-Residency Program and Connecticut School’s H.O.T. (Higher Organized Thinking Program);

--Special Shakespeare curriculum (Shakespeare in Love, All’s Fair in Love & War, etc. ) will take the classics from the page to the stage;

--ASFT school matinee program in April/May or September;

--ASFT programs & curriculum designed for Special Need Juveniles & Youth at Risk;

--Special ASFT focus on senior citizen population & low-income populations of region;

--ASFT Theatre for Young Audiences program throughout annual summer season;

The Principals

Randall Duk Kim - Universally acknowledged as the greatest classical actor of his generation, Randall Duk Kim has been the standard bearer for classical theater repertory in America for over three decades, playing leading roles in Shakespearean works and the great classical theatre repertory at such distinguished venues as American Conservatory Theatre, The Guthrie, Yale Rep and The New York Shakespeare Festival, among others. Formerly Co-Founder & Artistic Director of American Players Theatre, Spring Green, WI, where he portrayed over two dozen leading roles, including Hamlet, Shylock, Falstaff, Lear, Romeo, Brutus, Titus Andronicus, Petruchio, Puck, and many others.

Anne Occhiogrosso – One of America’s foremost directors and respected teachers of Shakespearean and classical theater texts, Anne was formerly Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of American Players Theatre, Spring Green, WI, alongside Randall Duk Kim. Anne is universally acclaimed for her groundbreaking study and textual analysis of Shakespeare’s First Folio.

Frank Tobin - Producer, Consultant, Fundraiser, Manager, Publicist, Marketer

Frank Tobin & Associates

• Rose Tobin Bradshaw’s philanthropy consulting practice is focused on the arts and community/economic development.  Ms. Bradshaw worked for 15 years in corporate philanthropy, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer for the Deutsche Bank America Foundation where she managed an annual grants budget of $17.5 million dollars.  In 2003, she became Director of Development for Local Initiatives Support Corporation/Chicago. In concert with LISC/Chicago’s Board of Advisors and senior management, Ms. Bradshaw prepared and implemented a fund-raising and public relations program that raised $30 million from corporate, philanthropic, public and private sources. More than 45% of the campaign donors were first-time supporters of LISC. Ms. Bradshaw continues to provide consulting services for LISC, most recently securing a $500,000 grant from the Atlantic Philanthropies which she translated into a $30M campaign..

Frank Tobin

Areas of Expertise:

• Producer• Management• Publicist• Consultant• Fundraiser• Marketing• Education & Community Outreach

The Season

Grand Re-Opening!

American Shakespeare Festival TheatreRandall Duk Kim and Anne Occhiogrosso, Co-Artistic Directors

Inaugural 4 week Season

The Merchant of VeniceThe Merry Wives of WindsorA Midsummer Night’s Dream(In repertory)

June 30-July 30, 2011Tuesday thru Saturday Eves. at 7:30 PM

Matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 PM

Tickets $20-$65

Flexible Ticket Packages Available * Subscribe Now!

Group Rates available & Student matinees

Special discounts for students and seniors

www.americanshakespearefestival.com