Theatre IV Accomplishments

Yesterday marked the end of the 2009-10 season. Theatre IV had a remarkable year and we wanted to share the following accomplishments with you. Keep in mind, all of these activities were achieved while maintaining a balanced annual operating budget in a very economically challenging year!

This season, Theatre IV:

• Produced and presented 129 performances of six plays and musicals on our mainstage Broadway for Families Season in our historic Empire Theatre. These mainstage productions received excellent reviews from the critics, and were well attended by 42,140 children, parents and teachers.
  
  

• In partnership with Prevent Child Abuse Virginia, produced and presented 175 touring performances of Hugs and Kisses, Virginia’s principal child sexual abuse prevention program. The 2009-2010 tour was seen by 56,269 children in 127 schools spread out over every region of the state. One hundred and eleven (111) children were referred to the Virginia Department of Social Services based on post-performance disclosures. An additional 661 children came forward following the performance to ask pertinent questions.
  
  

• Produced and presented 16 additional SOL-aligned instructional programs, including Ben Franklin and His Kite, The Boy Who Cried “Wolf!”, Buffalo Soldier, A Christmas Carol, Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, I Have a Dream – The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The Jungle Book, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Lyle Lyle Crocodile, Patchwork – The Little House Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Shoemaker and the Elves, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sojourner Truth, The True Story of Pocahontas, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and The Velveteen Rabbit. We staged 804 performances of thes e programs live before 291,281 Virginia students in 257 Virginia schools and venues. These same touring shows were performed live before an additional 295,304 students who saw the touring shows in 468 performances in 31 additional states and the District of Columbia.
  
  

• With CenterStage, the Latin Ballet of Virginia, Richmond Public Schools, Chesterfield Public Schools, and Henrico Public Schools, launched the FIELD Project (Family Involvement in Early Literacy Development), addressing the reading deficits faced by economically disadvantaged students in Central Virginia’s pre-school programs. We are the lead administrator and controller of FIELD.
  
  

• As a part of our partnership with Richmond Public Schools in t he Kennedy Center’s national arts-in-education program, Performing Arts Centers and Schools, produced and presented three continuing education workshops with a total of 46 teachers. The three workshops were: “Beyond the Wiz—The Multi-Faceted History of African American Theatre,” “What It Takes to Produce a Musical,” and “Using The Sound of Music to Teach the Holocaust” (co-produced with the Holocaust Museum).
  
  

• Through our Tickets for Kids program, made free tickets available to 2,345 economically disadvantaged children in Greater Richmond. Our 2009-2010 partners included 64 local nonprofits including Art 180, Association for the Support of Children with Cancer, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Children’s Hospital, Dominion School for Autism, Flagler Home at St. Joseph’s Villa, Friends Association for Children, Garfield Childs Memorial Fund, Hospital Hospitality House, International Hospital for Children, Massey Cancer Center Children’s Ward, Richmond Area Association for Retarded Children, Ronald McDonald House, Sacred Heart Center, Salvation Army, STEP, United Methodist Family Services, Very Special Arts Virginia, Virginia Home for Boys, William Byrd Community House, and Whitcomb Court Community Center.
  
  
  
• With our holiday mascot, Snow Bear, provided free-of-charge entertainment for the annual Christmas party at the Children’s Hospital. Snow Bear also participated in numerous community events during the holiday season.
  
  

• With St. Andrew’s School, presented our fourth year of after-school instruction for economically disadvantaged fourth and fifth graders, this year working in partnership with SPARC for the first time.
  
  

• With Barksdale, implemented our annual Stage Explorers Summer Day Camp, serving 117 children over a six-week period.
  
  
  

• Staged the 13^th Annual Fairy Tale Ball, Richmond’s only family gala, entertaining 703 children, parents and grandparents while raising funds for our outreach programs.
  
  

• Participated as full partners in the Acts of Faith Festival and Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts.
  
  

• Working in partnership with the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, managed Virginia’s statewide Poetry Out Loud national recitation contest. Virginia’s winner was among the top nine finalists nationally.
  
  

• Hosted our “Search for the Von Trapp Children” open auditions at Short Pump Town Center for our production of The Sound of Music. Over 300 children and their parents came out and 200 more were placed on a waiting list. All parents and auditionees were given free tickets to a Theatre IV mainstage performance.
  
  

• With Commonwealth Girl Scouts, hosted four theatre overnights and/or learning days in the historic Empire, providing workshops and performances necessary for 208 girls to earn their theatre badges.
  
  

• With CenterStage, participated in and loaned sound equipment for the Grand Opening, We also offered leadership, master classes, workshops and performances for Lights Up! CenterStage’s Open House for Young Artists.
  
  

• Volunteered staff and their time for 14 Career Days events in and around Richmond.
  
  

• Provided 356 free tickets to charity auctions throughout Greater Richmond.
  
  

• Owned, operated and maintained the historic Empire Theatre on behalf of the greater community, sharing the facility, often free of charge, with eight other nonprofit groups.
  
  

None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the patronage, advocacy and financial support of our theatre family. So go ahead, reach around and pat yourselves on the back, because these accomplishments belong to you!

HERE'S TO A STELLAR 2010-11 SEASON!

Back in Action!

Greetings Theatre Lovers!

After a nine month hiatus, the Theatre IV blog is back in action. No, none of us had a baby during that time, although we did produce a lot of wonderful programming!

A quick recap:

May: Our magnificent production of Annie closes. Again, hats off to all the stars involved, both on stage and off! (See photo at left: Alia Bisharat, Shalandis Wheeler Smith, Christopher Stewart, Sarah Day, Gordon Bass, Robin Harris-Jones)

June: Barksdale Theatre’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie opens with gusto on the Empire Theatre stage.

July: The Broadway Today Cabaret: Benefit for the Theatre Artists Fund starring many Theatre IV and Barksdale actors is a huge success, selling out and raising funds for that important cause.

August: Millie closes and the Tour and Production Departments start gearing up for fall arts-in-education tours.

September: Theatre IV withstands another Tourmite invasion! Tour actors converge from far and wide to rehearse for our Virginia school tour and national tour productions.

October: The first show of our 2009-10 Broadway for Families season opens with The Ugly Duckling on the Empire Theatre stage. (See photo at right, Eric Pastore and Aly Wepplo) Fall tours are out the door.

November: Over 300 youngsters and their families swarm Short Pump Town Center for The Sound of Music auditions, with 200 more landing on a waiting list. The day goes off without a hitch, thanks to careful planning by the Marketing and Production Departments.

December: A Christmas Carol opens on the Empire stage. Snow Bear and members of the Carol cast perform for kids at the Children's Hospital's annual holiday party.

January: Theatre IV sends costumed cast members from The Song of Mulan and Buffalo Soldier to escort senators to their chambers at the State Capitol on Arts Advocacy Day. Mulan opens to great reviews.

And here we are at February, Black History Month. Theatre IV is the premier presenter of educational plays and musicals based on prominent African-American figures in our nation’s history, including Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Buffalo Soldier, the first play ever to be presented inside the walls of the Pentagon.

Buffalo Soldier will be on stage at the Empire Theatre February 23-28. The book, music and lyrics for the production, created in association with the Virginia Historical Society, were written by our very own Bruce Craig Miller, co-founder and Artistic Director of Theatre IV.

And for all those sweethearts with kiddies, how about a family outing to the theatre this Valentine's Day? Call 344-8040 for tickets to The Song of Mulan, running now through February 14! (See photo at left: Hannah Zold and Yvonne Same)

SEE YOU AT THE THEATRE!

Snow Bear at the Empire!

Come meet Snow Bear with your family and friends -- snap as many photos as you want! And take in a light-hearted holiday show for all ages, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Snow Bear appears 30 minutes before each of the following show times in the lobby of the historic Empire Theatre:

Fridays: 12/5, 12/12, 12/19 at 7 pm

Saturdays: 12/6 at 2 pm and 7 pm;
12/13 & 12/20 at 10 am and 3 pm

Sundays: 12/ 7, 12/14, 12/21 at 2 pm;
12/14 at 7 pm

Remember to arrive 30 minutes before listed performance times!
Directions to the Empire Theatre

Or Call (804) 344-8040
for tickets to The Best Christmas Pageant Ever