Antelope Valley Thespians

We are very excited to unveil that all 20 performances of our 2011 Season will be hosted at the Antelope Valley Winery, our newest business patron! The Donato Family has generously provided us with an exclusive special arrangement for renting their warehouse and barrel room space. This allows us to greatly expand our audience size, community exposure, and artistic limits in a classy, local A.V. landmark.

Check out what’s coming up this year in our 2011 Season — and go ahead, pair up your showdates with the Winery’s selection of unique wines, cheeses, as well as game and exotic meats.

Get ready for 20 nights of unique, original, and experimental blackbox theatre at your hometown winery!

Op Plan 4.41, incorporating new definitions and guidelines for membership and the company directors, is now available for download from our About page. This Op Plan revision was made active on February 1st, 2011.

We knew it. You were deep in thought, contemplating intensely on the eternal question that drives us all: How can I help AVT produce more unique, original, and experimental theatre in my community?

We know this is a serious question, and have developed a handy suggestion list. Here are four ways you can help AVT right now!

1. Become a Patron. AVT is a 501(c)3 incorporated nonprofit theatre company. We depend on these local champions of the arts to keep our local theatre and arts culture thriving. And guess what? You get a tax write-off for donating to a registered charitable organization. Learn about Patron Preview nights and other benefits for our supporters on the Donate Page, linked above.
2. Become a Subscriber. Consider this: 90% the of the expense of of a production occurs before opening night. We need to pay royalties to the publisher of the script, procure and build technical materials, pay for marketing, etc. Any recovery on these costs isn’t seen until ticket revenue starts to flow in. So we’ll make you a deal: buy your tickets up-front for the season, and we’ll give you up to 20% off. We get some ticket revenue in advance to help offset production costs, and you get cheap tickets… it’s win-win.
3. Become a Member. Company members are required to contribute a nominal amount to the member development pool, and commit to working at least one full production cycle per year. In return, they can partake in member development workshops covering a wide range of theatre subjects, are recognized as members in every program in which they appear, are given an @avthespians.org email address, can serve as directors, have a vote in company matters, and are invited to the annual Patron’s Reception.
4. Spread the Word. Let’s face it, there is no amount of advertising money that we can spend that can replace your personal word-of-mouth. Tell your friends, family, coworkers, classmates, dentist, and hairdresser about us and what we are trying to bring to this community. Check out our 2011 Season for what’s coming up this year, tell your writer-friends to consider our opportunities for playwrights, interact on our Facebook Page, follow our Twitter Feed, or buy some AVT-logo items at our next event!

AVT is committed to bringing unique, original, and experimental theatre to Quartz Hill. We hold our community as an important part of the artistic process; our strength and purpose begins and ends with you, so please support AVT in this exciting 2011 Season!

We are riding high off of a very successful 2010 season. The press, our fans, and the level of donations and new Patronage that came in all attest to the fact that we are bringing a unique brand of theatre to the Valley, which builds on and complements the local arts scene in a novel way.

Our challenges for 2011 include three complex productions, including our first by a local playwright. We will also be expanding our performances to external locations, while keeping our garage blackbox studio for workshops, scene studies, and rehearsals.

These new challenges require an expansion of our membership. The company has approved new provisions in our Operational Plan, which formally define membership in AVT for the first time. This means WE CAN RECRUIT!

We need tech crew, stage managers, actors, and all manner of of theatre enthusiasts. We all benefit from having experienced personnel in-house; but that said, passion for the craft, a genuine desire to learn and grow through the art form, and a personal investment in our Vision and what we stand for are far more valuable to us than an impressive theatre resume. Through our new member development workshops, we will be looking to develop our members in all aspects of theatre production.

If you are interested in membership, contact us at productions@avthespians.org.  Please make you have read what we are about, and agree with our production philosophy and general view of theatre.  You may also want to take a look at our 2010 Season and the upcoming 2011 Season to get a feel for the kind of work we do.

Company members are required to contribute a nominal amount to the member development pool, and commit to working one full production cycle per year. In return, they can partake in member development workshops covering a wide range of theatre subjects, are recognized as members in every program in which they appear, are given an @avthespians.org email address, can serve as directors, have a vote in company matters, and are invited to the annual Patron’s Reception.

Membership does not confer any advantage in casting. All roles are cast through open audition.

The feedback we received over the course of last year from many of our Patrons was that they appreciated feeling as if they were part of the company. We hope to continue this feeling, as well as expand on it where we can. At the most recent Directors Meeting to kick off the new season, we discussed several ways in which we could enable greater access to the theatre process for Patrons.

The result: AVT is introducing Patron Preview Nights to allow them the opportunity to get a sneak peek at upcoming productions, and to have their input directly affect the creative process.

For each production in 2011, Patrons will be invited to observe (for free, of course) one of the final full-run rehearsals close to opening night (probably the week of or the week prior to the official opening). While we will be expanding our performances to external locations this year, the garage blackbox studio will remain our primary rehearsal location and workshop space.

After observing the rehearsal in the garage studio, Patrons will be invited to meet and discuss the production with actors and directors over coffee and wine. We feel it is well worth our time to listen to the reaction and opinion of those who value our theatre enough to have invested in it.

We hope that these experiences will be something that Patrons value as well — being able to influence the direction of the art, as well as receiving a preview of the complex characters and theatrical layers we will be bringing to the stage later for their friends, family, and community.

Members of the 2011 Patron Club are your friends, neighbors, business leaders, and the champions of art here in Quartz Hill and the surrounding area. Join them by making a tax deductible donation!

Proud to be Quartz Hill’s incorporated 501(c)3 nonprofit theatre company, and member of the QH Chamber of Commerce.

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Well folks, it’s been a wild ride this year, but we made it. AVT has successfully survived its first season, though it was a near thing at several points. We have survived and continue to grow because of our people; not just the dedicated people in this company, for whom I am very grateful, but also thanks to a dedicated community of supporters, patrons, fans, and affiliated artists. We are gearing up for a new season of new challenges and opportunities, and are grateful for your continued support.

The company will spend the early part of the year recruiting new members,  and then developing these members through workshops, scene studies, internal projects, and other activities. We will also be investing heavily in our playwrights in the early spring, and revising our technical theatre process.

Our season of three productions will open in May.

Our 2011 agenda for writers and playwrights is also now available on our webpage.

Patronage, Subscription, and Word of Mouth are our lifeblood.

Fully 40% of the money that it takes to operate a small theatre company like AVT comes from our dedicated Patrons. They are the ones who have stood to become champions of the arts in our community, and invested in this local, grassroots arts project. Visit www.avthespians.org and click Donate at the top to make a tax-deductible donation today.  No one takes a salary here, and we try to keep any business overhead as low as possible. Rest assured that as close to 100% as we can make it of your money goes to creating art for this community.  Get a boost on that 2010 charity tax deduction before the 31st!

(Note: If you are a returning or new Patron and you have not filled out the form linked from our Donate page, please do so. These records are required by the federal government to maintain our 501c3 tax-exemption.  Please contact us if you have any questions.)

Subscription is something new we are really pushing this year. For most theatre companies, subscribers form the core group of audience members upon which the company can rely. They provide us with much-needed cashflow early in the season, and in return we give you steep discounts on tickets. It works like a season pass: pre-pay upfront for tickets to the whole season, and we’ll give you up to 20% off the total ticket price.  There is a link to the Subscriber sign-up form on the 2011 Season page.

There is no amount of money that a marketing manager can spend that can compete with word of mouth. We know times are hard these days; and while money keeps us alive, it’s your personal support that makes us grow and thrive. Tell your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, postman, grocery store clerk, dry-cleaner, teachers, auto mechanic, local congressman, and hairdresser about us. Explain who were are and what we are trying to do in this community, and that it is appreciated. Let them know of different ways to get involved through acting, technical theatre, patronage, subscription, or as an avid audience member. Theatre is for the people; make it yours, make it ours. This is worth so much to us, and we appreciate your advocacy.

Finally, THANK YOU to these individuals who made it possible! We are excited to see many Patrons renewing for 2011, as well as welcoming in new members to the club.

2010 INDIVIDUAL PATRONS
Al Bowers
Dawn Dopler
Doug and Gail Daehlin*
Bob and Lois Douglass*
Jason and Rose Gonella
Michael and Deberah Hogan
Thom Lapworth*
Mark and Liz Longanbach
Jeri Meyers
Dave Owens*
Nalin A. Ratnayake*
Senaka and Lalani Ratnayake*
* These individuals donated over double the minimum amount required for Patron status, and in most cases much more.

The (rapidly evolving) list of those who have renewed or joined the Patrons club for 2011 is now on our Supporters page on the website. I hope that as we get closer to Dec 31, many more of you will join in and get that tax deduction for helping us produce more theatre on your community!

And as always, stop by our business patron, SAGEBRUSH CAFE in Quartz Hill for delicious coffee, pastries, free WiFi, local art on display, and much more!

Thanks again folks, looking forward to seeing you in 2011.

AVT announces our 2011 Season! Get the details on the 2011 Season page, and the director’s statements from the season brochure are provided below.

The company will spend the early part of the year recruiting new members,  and then developing these members through workshops, scene studies, internal projects, and other activities. We will also be investing heavily in our playwrights in the early spring, and revising our technical theatre process.

Our first production will be auditioned probably in the March timeframe, and will open in May.

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The 2011 season of AVT is one of promise. We have big dreams — a new theater space, integrating more local talent into our productions, and building our financial stability are just a few. We hope to share these dreams as successes with you in the near future.

Our sponsors’ donations vastly impact our success. Without sponsors, pursuing our mission of encouraging artistic growth in the Antelope Valley would be impossible. So on behalf of the company, allow me to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

AVT has already beaten the odds for start-up theatre companies within the first year of operation. That alone is a major feat. Through a passion for what we do, a healthy dose of hard work, and the support of our community, I am confident that we will continue to grow and expand our artistic reach.

Have a wonderful year, and we hope to see you at one of our many shows and events in the 2011 season!

KATE SCOGGIN, Operations Director

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As AVT moves into its second season, I feel truly blessed to be part of something so full of possibility.  Over the past year, this fledgling company has accomplished so much, learned so much, and grown so much–we still have so much to do!

The excitement for this season is palpable, with plans set for growing our company to include even more talented and driven members who share our common goals.  I’m so excited to take our performances “on the road” and share our productions with a wider audience, as well as to further experiment with our space to include workshops and classes.

Being a member of AVT has brought me a sense of fulfillment I haven’t known from theatre since I began studying years ago–a sense of wonder, a sense of newness, and a sense that anything can be possible.  I hope we can continue that this season and for many, many more to come!

KARA McCOLLUM, Artistic Director

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I am excited to present to the community a season that explores new styles, focuses on developing our members and our core audience, and brings local original work to the stage.

We will open 2011 with THE AMERICAN CENTURY. As AVT’s first comedy, this sharply satirical and witty play explores new ground for us, while holding fast to our production philosophy of bringing only thought-provoking and unique plays to our stage.

In August, we will be honored to present the premiere production of local playwright Eric M. Martin’s new play, HUNGER FOR PARADISE. Our company is committed to boldly supporting local, grassroots theatre; Martin’s is the first of what we intend to be a long series of bringing the quality work of our own Antelope Valley writers to full production on the stage.

We close our season in November with a highly character-driven, two-act play, THREE DAYS OF RAIN. This play effectively combines elements of dark, inner tension and sadness with surprising moments of lighthearted humanity that blend to move us to a new understanding of ourselves.

It is my pleasure to continue to serve as AVT’s Producing Director this 2011 season. I look forward to seeing you at one of our shows!

NALIN A. RATNAYAKE, Producing Director