Beauty and the Beast. Othello. Les Miserables. They aren’t just world-class productions in London or New York City—they’re productions delighting audiences in the Santa Maria Valley, courtesy of PCPA.
Like many other theaters in the country, however, PCPA may not be able to produce such shows for much longer. In fact, the recession has trickled down to the conservatory, which is facing the threat of having to close the curtain for good. The economy has taken its toll on PCPA’s endowment, grant prospects, and state funding. Now, the conservatory must make up a $200,000 budget shortfall.
“All of America is seeing this huge plummeting loss, and that has an effect on giving,” said Mark Booher, artistic director for PCPA.
In response, PCPA has started the ACT NOW! scholarship appeal campaign—in effect between now and June 30, the end of its fiscal year—to fill the financial gap. With a successful campaign, PCPA can save itself from the fate suffered by theaters around the nation, namely closure. The scholarship fund provides more than $500,000 a year to actors and technicians, who create the successful productions.
A typical scholarship is $290 a week. Donations to last year’s scholarship fund provided opportunities for 96 interns, 43 students, and 17 guest artists.
PCPA presents such a ubiquitous arts education for actors, audiences, and school children—its Education and Outreach program alone reaches 40,000 students a year—that people often think the nonprofit is impervious to the ups and downs of the economy. But Booher emphasized the need for a successful campaign.
He said theaters always face a cash flow problem because of the upfront cost to put on a production, but quality productions typically bring box office success—about a third of the conservatory’s revenue. Donor contributions bring in more revenue, and the conservatory’s affiliation with Allan Hancock College as an academic program accounts for another third of its budget: approximately $1.37 million.
This shaky economy has prompted all three of those revenue sources to wane. Last year, PCPA predicted a loss of 10 percent in ticket sales, which is exactly what happened. But it also was dealt another blow. Foundations that have traditionally given for years—and, in some cases, decades—stopped giving this year because of hard times of their own. The $200,000 shortfall is mostly what’s missing in terms of contributions.
And while funds from Hancock College have traditionally helped PCPA weather the storm, the state education system has been grappling with its own troubles.
With its current campaign, PCPA will have to rely on the kindness of strangers. And it’s working, but slowly. So far, the campaign has helped raise $65,000 of the $200,000 goal, with $50,000 of that figure coming from a single anonymous source.
“In addition to being a practical gift, it was so encouraging to have someone in this community to have that vision for the work PCPA is doing,” Booher said.
But not everyone shares that vision: “Sadly, it’s a misapprehension that we’re invulnerable,” the artistic director said.
“I think people think, ‘They always have needs, they’re always around.’ … We’re not like Half Dome in Yosemite. We won’t stand without support,” Booher said.
On the flip side, ticket sales have been strong and are expected to remain so with next month’s production of Les Miserables, one of the biggest productions in PCPA’s history. That show alone is expected to sell out and make about $500,000 at the box office.
“We have a lot of eggs in that basket,” Booher said.
Booher said PCPA remains optimistic about ticket sale projections, but added that he’s sure those expectations will be met, because of the value of the productions.
“The quality of the work deserves that,” he said.
He also cited another reason to give: self-fulfillment in an uncertain economic time. When events on the news grow to be overwhelming, people can start to feel helpless.
“I can’t fix Wall Street, but I can help those entities in my community that directly benefit me,” Booher said. “I can help them continue, and that’s something that I can feel powerful and effectual about.”
Arts Editor Shelly Cone wishes someone would fix Wall Street. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 12-19, 2009.