2011-2012
Annual Report
pictured at left: shawn belyea & myra platt in Prairie Nocturne; photo by alan alabastro. Erin stewart & Gavin Cummins in The Lorax; photo by chris bennion.
Eric riedmann & David S. Hogan in The Art of racing in the rain; photo by alan alabastro.
celebrating 22 years of success! Over our 22 years, Book-It Repertory Theatre has become knitted into Seattle’s vibrant arts community. During that time, we have fulfilled our mission while creating opportunities for more than 200 performing artists and theatre artisans each season. We are deeply grateful to the thousands of individuals and foundations—you—who have believed in our dream to merge literature and theatre. Because of you, we have grown from a small arts collective to a fully realized, professional company serving nearly 100,000 people a year.
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Our blossoming partnership with the Seattle7Writers, an organization that keeps Seattle in the forefront of the national literary scene and supports Book-It’s endeavor to produce world-premiere adaptations of contemporary fiction;
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The inaugural partnership with the University of Washington’s Professional Acting Training Program with Book-It’s Novel Workshop Series. We teach the Book-It Style to graduate theatre students who, in turn, participate in developing potential Book-It scripts;
Your support has helped Book-It launch 96 worldpremiere adaptations to date and grown our Arts and Education programs from serving 7,000 to more than 78,000 students annually. We are committed to continuing to expand our services and nurture our organizational capacity to support this work far into the future.
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The joy in reviving one of our favorites, Owen Meany’s Christmas Pageant (back again this December by popular demand!);
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The delightful surprise we felt when The Cider House Rules, Part Two won the 2011 Theatre Puget Sound Gregory Award for Outstanding Production. Twentysix actors and company members excitedly took the stage to accept accolades from their peers, who acknowledged their breathtaking ensemble work;
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Watching with lumps of pride in our throats, when for the 12th year in a row, 300 9th graders performed their original poems in the Book-It Style at Chief Sealth International High School. The residency has become a rite of passage for the freshman class, and when they perform for their peers and families, the surge of energy in the room and sincere respect for their accomplishment is palpable.
Sometimes growth is steady and deliberate; sometimes it happens in leaps and bounds. This year, Book-It leapt! The ultimate honor capping our 22nd year was receiving the 2012 Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence; we accepted our award at the Governor’s mansion humbly, proudly, and joyfully. Highlights from our 2011-12 season include: •
The excitement of the Book-It staff moving into new administrative offices. After being under the food court for 11 years, we now have windows, light, and even room enough to accommodate our five Book-It dogs;
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The honor of working with three of Seattle’s premier authors, Jim Lynch, Ivan Doig, and Garth Stein, in one calendar year. Their generosity, literary brilliance, and gracious accessibility lifted the spirits of thousands of readers and theater-goers who came to witness their work live on our stage;
Whether you have been with us for 22 years or are new to Book-It, we thank you for playing a leading role in all of these memorable moments and look forward to creating many more memories with you in the future.
—jane jones & myra platt
founding co-artistic directors
“First Mike” Gregoire, Myra Platt, Charlotte Tiencken, Kris Tucker (ArtsWA), and jane jones at the governor’s mansion .
Board of Directors Steven Bull, President Joann Byrd, VP
the board president
Kristine Villiott, Treasurer Thomas Oliver, Secretary Monica Alquist Karen Brandvick-Baker Amanda Cain Stuart Frank Jane Jones Margaret Kineke Mary Metastasio Lynn Murphy Myra Platt David Quicksall Lynne Reynolds Shirley Roberson (intern) Steve Schwartzman Deborah Swets Elizabeth J. Warman Lucy Flynn Zuccotti
STAFF Jane Jones Myra Platt Charlotte M. Tiencken Josh Aaseng Rachel Alquist Anders Bolang Patricia Britton Amanda Cain Samantha Cooper Tom Dewey Shannon Erickson Jocelyne Fowler Emily Grogan Jennifer Sue Johnson Phoebe Keleman Lauren Krumm Annie Lareau Christine Mosere Amanda Ooten Erin Pike Natasha Ransom Victoria Schultz Gail Sehlhorst Victoria Thompson Robert Thornburgh
I am proud to begin my second year as president and my eighth year on the Board of Book-It Repertory Theatre. I am thrilled to say, in spite of state budget shortfalls diminishing the available funds for the arts, we completed our fiscal year with a surplus and sold-out performances of Garth Stein’s The Art of Racing in the Rain. While funding is always a challenge in the arts, Book-It consistently leverages its strong program success to stay solvent and even propel us to great heights. With our artistic leadership and strong management, Book-It’s contributions to the American Theater are beginning to be recognized nationally and even internationally, as theaters outside Seattle are requesting our unique adaptations to be read and/or performed in their own venues.
“The performance was amazing! It inspires me to work harder at what I’m good at. ‑Emma, Student
the cast of The art of racing in the rain ; photo by alan alabastro.
I am so proud of Book-It’s staff who work tirelessly on our mission of inspiring our audiences of all ages to read. Our Arts and Education programs reached more than 78,000 students and adults. In 2012-2013 we will reach thousands more, including under-served children across the entire state, with a tour expansion made possible through the generosity of Paul and Jody Allen in memory of their mother. We are honored to enact this expansion in memory of Faye G. Allen who believed in the power of reading as a means to inspire, engage, and enthuse young individuals and their communities. I am thrilled BookIt will have the opportunity to bring live theatre in the renowned Book-It StyleTM to schools and libraries, to communities who otherwise do not have access to the arts, throughout Washington State. Thank you for supporting this good work through your donations, your time, and your patronage of our main stage and education programs. Sincerely from the Board of Directors,
riley neldam, josh aaseng, & andrew DeRycke in Owen Meany’s Christmas PAgeant ; photo by alan alabastro.
—Steve Bull
Board President
Charles W. West Bill Whitham
geoffery simmons in Prairie Nocturne; photo by alan alabastro.
moving toward our future Book-It is proud of our 2011-12 season. We also want to let you in on some of our plans for the next three years: Expanding... • our Arts and Education Program to immediately bring our program to an additional 6,000 underserved students by spring of 2013, and more than 40,000 additional students by spring of 2015. • new audiences with our program Circumbendibus. Part variety show, part site-specific theatre, our new late-night program will perform bold new adaptations (in the Book-It Style™) of everything from books to blogs, poetry to twitter posts. Investing... • in our future and gearing up to kick off our newest three-year strategic plan. • in our youth—it’s an investment in our future and all of us at Book-It take that responsibility seriously. Every year our main stage performances include acting interns; the company mentors and works with young writers through the TeenTix program; we work with students in Seattle University’s Arts Leadership masters program to give the next generation of leaders hands-on nonprofit management experience.
2011-2012 revenue total [$1,548,962]
the cast of The Future Remembered ; photo by shannon Erickson.
earned revenue [$745,326] individual donations [$350,056] foundation/corporate donations [$244,723]
from the managing director
events [$133,751] government giving [$40,250] in-kind [$34,856]
2011-2012 expenses total [$1,504,292]
Programming [$947,453] Staffing [$267,722] Central Operations [$152,873] outreach & Development [$101,183] in-kind [$35,061]
We are so pleased to send you our annual report. 2011-2012 was an amazing and exciting season for Book-It in many ways. Thanks to strong support from our donors and sold-out performances, Book-It ended the fiscal year with a balanced budget and the beginnings of a reserve. We also saw growth in commissioned work and community partnerships with organizations like the Seattle Public Library, King County Library Systems, and 4 Culture. One particular collaboration brought back memories of the 1962 World’s Fair: the Bubbleator, the World of Tomorrow, John Glenn’s space capsule, the IBM Pavilion, the Sky Ride, all of which have disappeared, and reminds us of icons that remain: the Space Needle, the International Fountain, the Pacific
Science Center, the Monorail, and the Coliseum. We were honored to partner with the City of Seattle to bring Paula Becker and Alan Stein’s coffee-table book The Future Remembered (a tribute to the 1962 World’s Fair) to life and to be a part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the fair that helped shape today’s Seattle. We will continue to steward our resources and bring you the range of programming and artistic excellence you’ve come to expect from Book-It. We welcome your thoughts and ideas on the future of the company. As we approach our 25th Anniversary season, we are excited about our plans and look forward to continuing our relationship with you: our donors and sponsors. We couldn’t do it without you.
— Charlotte Tiencken Managing Director
From the Education Department We are proud of our 2011-2012 education season and want to share a few highlights: •
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Eloisa Cardona & kay nahm in where the mountain meets the moon ; photo by chris bennion.
2011-2012 season over 15,000 served
Owen Meany’s Christmas Pageant by John Irving
4,575 patrons 25 performances
Prairie Nocturne by Ivan Doig
3,435 patrons 22 performances
The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein
5,639 patrons 32 performances
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We presented the Newbery Award-winning Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin—a story about adventure and discovering gratitude; two Dr. Seuss books, The Lorax and The Sneetches and Other Stories—stories that focus on caring for the earth and each other; and Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathleen Krull—a story of social justice and overcoming great obstacles. We incorporated deeper training for actors who teach the workshops that accompany our touring shows. Training includes building knowledge on literacy and incorporating strategies into the workshop that augment classroom reading instruction. We served 78,896 youth, teachers, and adults and expect to reach more than 90,000 next season.
Our greatest joys, however, came from reading the many letters thanking us: “This program is transformative for our students. They learn how to do high school through Book-It.” —Valerie Orrock, Social Studies Teacher “I have had parents tell me that the performance sparked some great family conversations as well.” —Leslie Bakker, Children’s Liaison, Coupeville Library
We are excited about the future and thank you for your support.
— Gail Sehlhorst
Director of Education
all students served demographics
—Annie Lareau
Director of Touring & Outreach
arts & education program by the numbers Students & Adults Served: 78,968
Novel Workshop Series 640 patrons | 4 performances
Bookings (Tours): 282
The Future Remembered
Workshops: 155
by Paula Becker and Alan Stein (part of the Seattle World’s Fair 50 th anniversary celebration)
1250 patrons | 24 performances
Workshop Attendance: 4,232 White [55%]
Residency schools: 6
asian/pac. islander [15.8%] African Descent [13.5%]
Residency Program Types: 7
hispanic [11.6%]
“A great contribution to the cultural life of our city.”
Contact Hours: 512
other/multi ethnic [2.6%] native american [1.5%]
Residency Classes: 21 Residency Students: 497
‑R.W., Bellevue low income* [36.2%]
*students on the free/reduced lunch program
Thank you to our donors Literary Legends $50,000+ The Boeing Company The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Gladys Rubinstein Literary Champions $25,000+ ArtsFund Matthew N. Clapp Jr. Lucky Seven Foundation Ann Ramsay-Jenkins Literary Heroes $10,000+ 4Culture N. Elizabeth McCaw & Yahn W. Bernier Jeff & Amanda Cain Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Stellman Keehnel The Norcliffe Foundation Lynne & Nick Reynolds The Seattle Foundation The Shubert Foundation, Inc. Shirley & David Urdal Anonymous (2) Literary Classics $5,000+ Emily Anthony & David Maymudes Mary Ann & Robert Wiley Mary Pigott Andrew & Trish Zuccotti Larry & Michell Pihl Sonya & Tom Campion CenturyLink Foundation Green Diamond Resource Company Nordstrom The Medtronic Foundation City of Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs Leadership Circle $2,500+ Monica Alquist Boeing Gift Matching Program Karen Brandvick-Baker & Ross Baker Steve Bull & Christiane Pein Joann Byrd Canonicus Fund D. Thompson & Karen Challinor Tony & Emily Cox The Ex Anima Fund Expedia, Inc Fales Foundation Trust Stuart Frank & Marty Hoiness Tom & Cande Grogan John & Ellen Hill Jane Jones & Kevin McKeon Margaret Kineke & Dennis West Darcy & Lee MacLaren
Mary Metastasio Microsoft Matching Gifts Program Lynn Murphy Tom & Cheryl Oliver Myra Platt & Dave Ellis David Quicksall & Rachel Glass Steven Schwartzman Seattle Center Foundation Garth & Drella Stein Deborah Swets Jim & Kathy Tune U.S. Bancorp Foundation Kris & Mike Villiott Elizabeth Warman Richard Weening April J. Williamson Lucy Flynn Zuccotti Nobel Award Society $1,000+ Stephen & Salli Bauer Janet Boguch & Kelby Fletcher Cheryl Boudreau Patricia Britton Amy & Matthew Cockburn George & Carolyn Cox Davidson & Co. Matching Gift Program Allan & Nora Davis Mark Dexter & Deborah Cowley The Eureka Foundation Expedia Gives Matching Gift Program Elizabeth & Paul Fleming Peter Godman & Munira Rahemtulla Jean Gorecki & Dick Dobyns Amy & Thaddeus Hanscom Lucy Helm Harold & Mary Frances Hill Heather Howard KeyBank Foundation Lea Knight Agastya Kohli Ed & Laura Littlefield Lynn Manley & Alexander Lindsey Donald E. Marcy Holly & Bill Marklyn Sarah Merner & Craig McKibben Whitney & Jerry Neufeld-Kaiser Will Patton & Joni Ostergaard Peter & Jane Powell Puget Sound Business Journal Jo Ann & Jim Roberts Matt Sauri John Schaffer Martha Sidlo Virginia Sly & Richard Wesley B. Richal & Karen Smith Sara Thompson & Richard Gelinas Jared Watson
Judith Whetzel Shannon Williams Glenna Olson & Conrad Wouters Merrily Wyman & Karen Bryant Anonymous (1) Pulitzer Award Society $500+ Earl Alexander All One Family Fund Ruth Bailey Lindsay & Tony Blackner Leo Butzel & Roberta Reaber Diana & Chuck Carey The Carey Family Foundation Catherine Clark & Marc Jacques Amy & Paul Curtis Dottie Delaney Diane Douglas Julie Edsforth & Jabez Blumenthal The Film School Firesteed Cellars Laurie Griffith Dr. Benson & Pamela Harer Phyllis Hatfield Humanities Washington Clare Kapitan & Keith Schreiber Pam Kendrick Marsha Kremen & Jilly Eddy Annie Lareau Frank Lawler & Ann McCurdy Bill Block & Susan Leavitt Craig Lorch Stephen E. Lovell Sheila Lukehart & Jim Brinkley Ellen & Stephen Lutz Steve Miller & Pamela Cowan Blair Osborn & Alice Cunningham Meta L. Pasternak Pamela & Nate Searle Seattle International Film Festival Tamara Stenshoel William & Lynette Thomas Kerry P. Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Frederick W. Titcomb Judith Tobin & Michael Baker Pop Cap Games Matching Robert & Leora Wheeler Steve Wilson & Julie Lin Jay Hereford & Margaret Winsor David & Sally S. Wright Mary & Gerald Zyskowski Anonymous (2) and 356 Donors Under $500 This list reflects gifts received Sep 1, 2011窶年ov 7, 2012.