"Be not afraid of greatness:

Some are born great…

Some achieve greatness…

Some have greatness thrust upon them.”

Twelfth Night (II, v, 156-159)

Proposal for the Reopening of the American Shakespeare Festival

Prepared for Mayor James R. Miron and the Town Council of Stratford, CT

March 11, 2008

Frank Tobin Enterprises4034 Camero Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (323) 661-3720

The American Shakespeare Festival

Founded in 1955• John Houseman, Lawrence Langner and

Lincoln Kirstein

Presented • Katharine Hepburn, Morris Carnovsky,

Christopher Plummer, Jessica Tandy, and Rosemary Harris

Masterpieces • Shakespeare, Shaw, Chekhov, Ibsen,

Moliere, The Greeks, O’Neill, Williams, Miller and other contemporary playwrights.

International Reputation• Comparable to The Metropolitan Opera,

Theatre Guild and The Juilliard School

Shakespeare …

is a billion dollar annual business

• Oregon Shakespeare Festival generates $163,123,808 for the local and state economy

• Stratford Theatre Festival in Ontario, Canada, generates $145,327,000 for Canada’s economy.

• Shakespeare productions are presented in every major city and state across the U.S.

U.S. Nonprofit Arts Industry

• $134 Billion in Economic Activity- $53.2 billion in spending by arts organizations, up 45% since 1992 - $80.8 billion in event-related spending by arts audiences, reflecting an average of $22.87 per person in spending for hotels, restaurants, parking, souvenirs, refreshments, or other similar costs—with non-local attendees, spending nearly twice as much as local attendees ($38.05 compared to $21.75).

• $24 Billion in Tax Revenues in U.S.

Source: Americans for the Arts, Art & Economic Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and Their Audiences, 2002

$134 Billion in Economic Activity

• 4.85 million full-time equivalent jobs • $89.4 billion in household income • $6.6 billion in local government tax

revenues • $7.3 billion in state government tax

revenues • $10.5 billion in federal income tax revenues

Benefits from Cultural Tourists

• Spend more ($623 vs. $457)• Use a hotel, motel or B&B (62% verses

55%)• Spend $1000 or more (19% vs. 12%)• Travel longer (5.2 nights vs. 3.4 nights)

Source: Americans for the Arts, Art & Economic Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and Their Audiences, 2002

Spotlight on Connecticut

2,260 Arts, Cultural and Humanities Organizations

• Spent $773.1 million, of which $350.8 million were for salaries, and $422.3 million was for operating expenses;

• Received $798.9 million in income;• Had 22,254,598 admissions to their events,

or over 5 times the population of the entire state. About 65% were paid admissions;

• Collected and/or paid $32.4 million in federal payroll taxes and $0.9 million in state sales taxes; and

• Received $119.8 million in indirect and induced spending from sources outside the state

Total Economic Impact: $892 million

Source: The Non-Profit Sector, 2002

Cultural Tourists Good for Business

Massachusetts • non-profit cultural industry employs 39,000+

people • contributes $2.4 billion+ annually to state economy

The Berkshires• 2.5 million annual visitors • $283 million in travel and tourism expenditures • total economic impact of $452 million (1)

Oregon • total economic impact of non-profit arts

organizations on the state’s economy is approx. $262 million (2)

Extended Impact• 62% of all adult travelers attended an arts and

culture event while on a trip that was 50+ miles from home;

• 32% of those cultural travelers stayed longer because of the event;

• Of those who stayed, 57% extended their stay by one or more nights. (3)

(1) Boston Foundation(2) Nonprofit Sector 2000(3) Travel Industry Association of America and Partners in Tourism, 2001

• Revived artistic entity

• Professional classical theatre training academy

• For-profit economic business corporation

• Not-for-profit foundation

Our passion is the great classical theater repertory tradition;

Our purpose is to work in partnership with the Town of Stratford to reopen the American Shakespeare Festival;

Our promise is to deliver the highest quality classical theater which will catapult the American Shakespeare Festival into the top-tier of world-class performing arts institutions.

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, Kim has starred on Broadway and played memorable roles in such feature films as “Matrix Reloaded” and “Anna and the King.”

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.

Charles Bright – Manager & Producer and formerly Co-Founder and Managing Director of American Players Theatre, Spring Green, WI.

Frank Tobin – Producer, Marketing, PR Fundraising & Management Consultant and former General Manager of American Players Theatre, Spring Green, WI.

Artistic Direction: Randall Duk Kim and Anne Occhiogrosso will head a company of 75-100 classical theater artisans including actors, directors, teachers, designers, technicians and production personnel;Business Management: Charles Bright & Frank Tobin will supervise a staff of 30 professional theater administrators, marketers, fundraisers and administrative support personnel;Board of Directors: 25-30 influential, substantial members

of the community who will incorporate as a not-for-profit entity (example: The Stratford Foundation);Business Advisory Council: 10-15 members drawn from the business communities of the Town of Stratford, the Greater Bridgeport-Stamford community and the State of Connecticut;Business Development Corporation: A for-profit company which will explore and develop licensing rights and

commercial ventures; Legislative Committee: Comprised of elected city, region, state and federal officialsVolunteer Organization: Hundreds of volunteers of all ages who contribute their time and energy to our vision;Training Academy – A world-class theatre training institute geared towards the professional theatre artisan and incorporating all theatre arts disciplines.    

Potential Sources of Support

• Economic development grants or one-time appropriations from county, state and federal sources

• Bonds

• Creative Commercial/Retail Partnerships

• Fundraising Campaign

• Earned Income

PHASE ONE• Deliverables – Feasibility Study, Case Statement,

Fundraising Strategy, Donor Prospect List, Stakeholder Consensus

PHASE TWO• Deliverables – Secure commitments from Board

Members and Business Community; Launch quarterly stage presentations which will serve as fundraisers; Assemble fundraising/corporate development team

PHASE THREE• Deliverables – Initiate ASF Academy Seminars;

Corporate Fundraising Campaign moves into high gear; Develop strategic marketing partnerships

 

PHASE FOUR• Deliverables – ASF Academy meets quarterly;

Development of acting company; Fundraising campaign continues with quarterly stage presentations

PHASE FIVE• Deliverables - Open Academy; Hire staff; ASF

Re-opening

APRIL• Develop Feasibility Study & Case for Support  • Outreach to various state economic development

bodies • Formulate Blue Ribbon Leadership Committee strategy MAY• Finalize theatre remodeling plans & review bids• Launch reconstruction• Cultivate Blue Ribbon Leadership Committee• Meet & Greet with state officials• Explore programming possibilities (Fall/Winter/Spring) June-August• Meetings with prospects for F/R campaign• Meet with State Tourism Reps,• Identify potential members of the Board of Directors• Assemble Artistic “Friends of ASF”• Plan Fall Community Cultivation Benefit Event September• Report Feasibility Study Findings, Budget Projections,

& Launch Fund Raising Campaign• Finalize off-season events and bookings

October• Community Cultivation Benefit Event

The Stratford Festival, Ontario, 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 • Embarked 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, spearheaded by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. 

Frank Tobin

Areas of Expertise:

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

Outreach

Imagine… 

The Stratford Foundation, Inc.presents the Grand Reopening of the

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

Inaugural 2010 Season

King LearThe Merry Wives of WindsorMacBethA Midsummer Night’s DreamA Comedy of Errors(In repertory)

June 15-August 30Tuesday thru Saturday Eves. at 7:30 PMMatinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 PMTickets $20-$65Flexible Ticket Packages Available * Subscribe

Now!Group Rates availableSpecial discounts for students and seniorswww.americanshakespearefestival.org