For immediate release. October 4, 2006
Contact: Julie McGarvie
Penumbra Theatre
651-290-8686 x 250
October 4, 2006; St.
Paul, MN: Penumbra Theatre Company, the nation’s
preeminent African American theatre, made a series of announcements today at
its annual open house.
Penumbra will produce the entire August Wilson 10-play cycle,
presenting two plays each season for the next five seasons. The 2007-2008
season will include Gem of the Ocean
and The Piano Lesson. Penumbra has
produced more of August Wilson’s
plays than any other theatre in the world. Founder and artistic director, Lou
Bellamy, who is noted for his signature style and expertise with August Wilson plays has been summoned by theatres across the
country to direct Wilson’s
work. This season he is directing Two
Trains Running at the Signature in New York City
as well as Jitney at the Kansas City
Repertory Theatre which will also play at Arizona Theatre Company in Phoenix and Tucson.
The fiscal year
ending June 30, 2006 finished in the black and received a clean opinion
from the auditors for the third consecutive year. This marks the successful
completion of year three in a four year restructuring effort to eliminate its
debt and build capacity for a sustainable future. Kathy Adams, Treasurer and
member of the Penumbra Board of Directors, provided the following highlights:
Penumbra
ended the year in the black with total net assets increasing $20,000.
Penumbra
made additional payments to reduce its overall debt and maintained our
payables current.
Penumbra
invested in the overall organization with:
a
new integrated computer system and database manager;
additional
dedicated fundraising and front of house staff;
the
creation of The Baobab Family, a donor cultivation program, with 42
founding members;
a
redesigned website with online ticket sales;
the
completion of Phase One of theatre renovations including exterior
signage.”
The
goals for year four of the restructuring effort, fiscal year ending June
30, 2007, are to raise the $2.6 million for operating expenses and meet
the following objectives:
Make
the final payment on the remaining debt;
Complete
Phase Two of the theatre renovations;
Complete
the comprehensive vision planning process and new business plan;
The launch of the
donor cultivation program energized the community to voice
its support of Penumbra. This declaration manifested itself in the form of increased donations
over the year prior otherwise known as “new monies.” In fiscal year 2005, the
community donated $270,000 in new monies. This past year, the community donated
$362,000. That’s over $630,000 in just 24 months. There is no question that
this community values the mission-driven art Penumbra offers.
A comprehensive
vision planning process for the future is near completion. Over the last 18
months, Penumbra’s board of directors has been working a vision to
institutionalize Penumbra and launch a formal educational and outreach program.
The subsequent business plan will address a transition from the lean
restructuring model currently employed, to a robust organization designed to
sustain the vision.
A formal Education
and Outreach Initiative is a vital component of the vision planning process
by the board. The working title for this new initiative is “Art for Social
Change, the Education Programs of Penumbra Theatre Company.” The educational function invests in the
founding tenets of the theatre as described by the Black Arts Movement, thereby
using the drama and the issues therein to explore identity, representation and
history within a framework that places the black experience at the center of
the discussion and creates community. The new initiative will be directly
informed by the main stage productions and all the tools – study guides, talk
backs, symposia, ambassador program and summer institute for example – will be
integrated and fully accountable for quantitative and qualitative results. The
program will include accreditation for teachers and students.
The development of this initiative is being led by Dr.
Reatha Clark King and Dr. Josie Johnson.
A working committee is currently being formed which will include members
of the board and the academic and artistic communities. The new initiative will be unveiled on May
16th at a special event to be held at the University of Minnesota.
The event will introduce the Penumbra archives, which are now a part of the
Givens Collection of African American Literature. It will also bring together
members of the educational community to experience how the Penumbra initiative
and the Givens Collection can enrich curriculum and teacher development.
Kimberly
Morgan, the 2006 recipient of the Kathryn Corum Gagnon Fellowship in Musical and
Dramatic Theatre, is
an actor, dancer, playwright, and a Minnesota State Arts Board Teaching
Artist. This annual fellowship
recognizes an African American woman in residence at Penumbra Theatre Company
and provides assistance and support for further study in the field of musical
and dramatic theatre. Morgan received
the 2005 Ivey Award for her work in Hot Comb: Brandin’ One Mark of Oppression, a one-woman show which premiered
at Pillsbury House Theatre. The Star Tribune named her as one of the 2004
Outstanding New Faces for her role in Diva Daughters Dupree at Penumbra. Kimberly received a 2005 – 2006 Many
Voices Fellowship through the Playwrights’ Center.
Sold out run demands 14 additional performances of Ain’t Misbehavin’ – The
Fats Waller Musical Show, the first show of the 30th Anniversary
2006-2007 season. The run is now extended through November 5, 2006. Penumbra,
critically acclaimed for its mission-driven art, is celebrating its anniversary
with a season of musicals and lyrical dramas honoring the rich and diverse
history of African American art, history and culture.
The Penumbra 30th
Anniversary Season presented by Target and Star Tribune.
