Acting Up: Capital Campaign Booklet

Acting UP BUILDING THE FUTURE of COMMUNITY ARTS

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

UPHOLDING OUR COMMITMENT TO THE NAPLES community

OUR MISSION:

The Naples Players continually seeks to enrich, educate and entertain our community through a superior theatre experience. We are a premier community theatre, seeking to inspire passion for the performing arts through unparalleled access to the process, experience, and conversations surrounding the arts and our community.

BRYCE ALEXANDER Executive Artistic Director

A Letter From Our Leadership

The Naples Players is leading the way in building community though the arts. With more than 60,000 audience members, over 550 volunteers, and more than 1,000 children and adults in arts education, we are thrilled to be the cultural and community hub of Downtown Naples.

While the organization celebrated 65 years in 2018, The Naples Players’ current home on 5th Avenue South opened more than 20 years ago. Since that time, the programs and impact to the community have experienced significant growth.

Additionally, our wellness through the arts program welcomes hundreds of students and families impacted by Autism, Sensory Processing Disorders, and other social, intellectual, and physical challenges. For many, our theater provides their first or only welcoming experience with theatre or the arts. And for those who cannot afford access to meaningful artistic experiences, our theater provides more than $60,000 in scholarships for theatre education across Collier and Lee counties every year.

Showcasing local talent on an incredible scale, The Naples Players works with people from all different backgrounds, from Broadway conductors to first-time performers, and opens the door of our artistic community to every resident at every age. The result is a robust community, relevant artistry, and life-changing experiences.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

TNP PARENT

13-year old Daniella Flom performs “Tomorrow” from Annie Jr. during the Naples Players 65th Anniversary Sapphire Soirée.

$66,625

1095+ 127% dollars awarded in KidzAct scholarships in 2018

Adults and children enrolled in theater classes during 2018; a 35% increase since 2015

percentage increase in scholarship dollars since 2015

“ I really can’t imagine what her life or our family’s life would be like without The Naples Players.

Melissa Flom

UPWARD bound

VITAL ARTS EDUCATION BUILDS THE NEXT GENERATION

A core component of The Naples Players is KidzAct, Southwest Florida’s premier youth performing arts program. Hundreds of local kids take part each year, earning valuable life skills like self-confidence and collaboration, while building technique. A variety of year-round educational and performance opportunities are designed to include children from preschool through high school. At the youngest ages, kids are exposed to core ideas through highly interactive classes that are grounded in age-appropriate activities. Building into skills-based classes, and culminating in performance-focused work, these initiatives have had a clear impact.

When Chris Campbell hit the stage in Puerto Rico in January as an ensemble member in the national tour of Hamilton: An American Musical, it was the culmination of years of theater experience which started with The Naples Players.

“Without my experiences at The Naples Players, I don’t think I would have known this career path was a tangible option for me, just because there is no other program like it here in our community,” he said.

Chris first got a taste of acting as a young boy when he played the part of Dandy Dan in KidzAct’s Bugsy Malone Jr. His talent and work ethic were always apparent, but during his first production on The Naples Players main stage as Warner in Legally Blonde the Musical, it became obvious he was destined for success. “We all turned into this big, crazy family and it just kept growing and growing over the years,” he said. “This is where I got my passion and my love for performing.”

Daniella Flom, a KidzAct veteran who, since joining the program in 2014, has taken the stage in Aladdin Jr., Beauty and the Beast Jr., Annie Jr., and Elf the Musical Jr., among others, has benefited in many vital ways. Melissa, Daniella’s mother, notes that her daughter’s improved self-confidence and self-esteem have served her well on and off the stage, and having “made amazing friendships… I really can’t imagine what her life or our family’s life would be like without The Naples Players.” Daniella continues to shine, and while she still has many years before college, her theatre training is helping her succeed today.

A former KidzAct star, Whitney Winfield is now a star on the national stage – cast in the national tour of Broadway’s Shrek the Musical. She performed that character for a year before taking up several other notable roles, including Off-Broadway in Prospect Theatre Company’s The Underclass-

man, and most recently as Katherine in Newsies. She’s been hooked on her passion since she first watched The Sound of Music at The Naples Players when she was just 8 years old.

CHRIS CAMPBELL

DANIELLA FLOM

WHITNEY WINFIELD

Kendall has learned how to have a conversation with back and forth dialogue, listen, take direction, and express herself. We’re forever grateful.

Julia Maloney

TNP PARENT

Kendall Maloney, top left, rehearses with Education Director Craig Price and other students in her recent Improv for Autism class.

UPENDING assumptions

INCLUSIVE THEATRE CREATES EXPERIENTIAL ENRICHMENT

In its endeavor to ensure the performing arts are open to enjoyment and participation by all, The Naples Players established inclusive theatre classes with specific programs available to both children and adults, designed and administered by professional therapists and teachers. Using a student’s IEP, the Naples Players empowers students to achieve their curriculum goals through arts therapy; something they can’t find anywhere else. The science behind this inclusive programming is real. Each curriculum has been tailored to meet the individual needs of class participants, building on known benefits of play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and sensory-appropriate settings.

Combined with sensory-friendly performances, The Naples Players opens the doors for families to experience the arts together–many for the first time. During the 2018/2019 season, 367 sensory-friendly seats were sold, underscoring the demand among our patrons for this important accommodation.

116

Children and adults enrolled in Inclusive Theatre classes in 2018

4-17

Solomon Lusk never knew theatre therapy programming existed until coming to The Naples Players. The 20-yearold, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, learned about the theater’s group catering to those on the spectrum this past summer. And theatre therapy has taken Solomon on a journey he never anticipated. Since last summer, he has advanced into different, non-therapeutic classes at The Naples Players. Recently, Solomon got his first job and credits this to The Naples Players’ educational and therapeutic programming he received and help from his job coach. “It’s helped me to think on my feet and my mom says it’s helped my memory, too,” he said.

Julia Maloney, whose daughter Kendall has benefited from this innovative theatre-as-therapy initiative beginning in 2018, says that the course has been nothing short of life-changing, enabling Kendall, who could not “easily navigate basic sensory input such as light, sound, taste, smell, and texture,” to interact and “to have a conversation with back and forth dialogue, listen, take direction, [and] express herself.” In reflecting on how The Naples Players has supported Kendall, Julia Maloney comments, “We’re forever grateful.”

Age range of children benefiting from our Acting and Improv for Autism classes

27%

percentage reduction in self-reported anxiety after taking Improv for Anxiety

SOLOMON LUSK

KENDALL MALONEY

casting in the military served me professionally, and now serves me as a volunteer giving back to my Naples community.

Joel Banow TNP VOLUNTEER

For more than 20 years, Joel Banow has donated time and talents to countless projects and departments at The Naples Players. Here, he stands by the 65th Anniversary time line project he orchestrated for the main lobby.

528

129

67,996

total number of annual volunteers average hours worked in 2018 per volunteer

total volunteer hours worked at TNP in 2017

“Learning the arts and broad-

UPSTANDING values

WHAT’S 68,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS AMONG FRIENDS?

From its founding in January 1953, The Naples Players was an idea rooted in, driven by, and created for its community. It’s amazing to consider that – at the timewith a population of only around 1500 people in Naples, there was sufficient recognition of the importance of local theatre to start a theatre. But with the support of so many, TNP has steadily grown and evolved. Today, The Naples Players welcomes over 60,000 patrons annually to more than 250 performances. The Naples Players is fortunate to be supported by a dedicated and talented staff, but as an organization, we simply could not survive without the support of hundreds of passionate helpers. The feeling is mutual, as the volunteer experience has provided an important place of family, meaning, and art to each volunteer.

Volunteer Joel Banow, who lost count of the thousands of hours he’s committed to The Naples Players over the course of more than 20 years, speaks for many in his cohort when he observes, “I’m grateful for all of the opportunities and experiences I’ve had every step of the way.” Joel is far from alone in the wide variety of volunteer roles he has held, including as director, backstage volunteer, audio assistant, working in the scene and costume shops, actor, visual display curator, and so much more. Most don’t know that Joel was the director of the CBS News broadcast of the moonlanding, but he finds he can use his experience in the control room to create artistic experiences he deems equally as important for the community.

Rachel Borwein knew she wanted to be an actress when she saw Joan of Arc at five years old. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts, planning to act for a living, but had a change of heart after graduation. “I was stressed about supporting myself as an artist,” she said. So Borwein went back to school and became a veterinarian. But when she moved to Naples two years ago, she had the urge to get back on stage. Now, she’s been in classes and performances, acting in The Taming of the Shrew and Don’t Dress for Dinner. The roles have allowed her to work full time at the Banfield Pet Hospital while engaging in the arts. Borwein said that working as a vet has given her the stability and security she was looking for in a career, but acting has always been her passion. The Naples Players made it possible for her to have both.

Broadway’s Wicked and Annie pianist, Garrett Taylor, joined The Naples Players in December as a Special Guest Artist Conductor to lead the orchestra of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.

“Community theater is where I had my start. It is also where I met the most wonderful people, developed my skills, and discovered my passion for theater. Growing up, I would have been lost without the wonderful arts programs in which I was lucky enough to be involved. The arts foster creativity, unity, and a sense of community and teamwork that is so important in our world today,” he said. Now, he is a regular guest conductor at The Naples Players not only providing unmatched opportunities for the volunteers onstage, but providing Garrett with a new connection to his community -oriented roots. From Broadway to Naples, we are thrilled to have such an amazing family.

JOEL BANOW

RACHEL BORWEIN

GARRETT TAYLOR

KidzAct performers CJ Suarez and Eva Lye rehearse scenes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the outdoor Baker Stage.

We understand and live by the idea that we are truly better together than we are alone.

UPRIGHT values

THE GROWING VALUE OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

The Naples Players is thrilled to serve as a model organization for community engagement. We understand and live by the idea that we are truly better together than we are alone. In the past year, we have proudly partnered with the following organizations:

The Naples Zoo

Naples Botanical Garden

PACE Center for Girls

Avow Kids

United Arts Council

The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce

Naples Historical Society

Collier County Public Schools

STARability

5th Avenue South - Business Improvement District

Naples Art Association

Greater Naples Leadership

Friends of the Library

We’re honored to be among this list of places that makes Naples the true community we know and love today. By working together, we can create meaningful relationships and experiences that impact our entire community, and make Naples a better place to live, work, and play.

Patrons gather and mingle with TNP community partners on the outdoor Baker Stage for the Red Carpet Premiere of Don’t Dress for Dinner in January 2019.

The Naples Players is at an exciting time in our history. Attendance, subscriptions, memberships, volunteers, and students are at all-time highs. This is a testament to the strength of our current community. But The Naples Players is consistently looking ahead and considering the future.

The current TNP facility has reached its capacity for programming and audience experience; and there is a

The need to UPGRADE

A DESIRE TO CONTINUE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

significant amount of opportunity that exists in improving access to our current programs. With the projected growth in Southwest Florida, The Naples Players stands to lead the nation in creating a facility designed to welcome and support the growing and diverse needs of our coming population.

More than half of all American adults attended a live visual or performing arts activity in 2012, according to data

from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA), while the percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds who have taken art classes or lessons at any time in their lives increased significantly from 2002 to 2012. Older adults are the only demographic subgroup to show any increase in performing arts attendance over a decade ago. Their rates of attendance at classical music, opera, musicals, and non-musicals were sig -

nificantly higher in 2012 than in 2002.

As we look at the future of Collier County, we can see the current demand for arts access will only increase – a significant concern for an organization already exceeding capacity.

200% 71% 65-69 64%

projected population increase in Collier County by the year 2040; from 341,000 to an estimated 561,000 residents

the largest age group by population in Collier County as well as the fastest growing age range from 2010-2016

increase in TNP Season Subscribers in the past three years; from roughly 800 subscribers in 2015 to nearly 1,400 in 2018

increase in number of sold out performances from 2015 to 2018. Nearly all of the 20182019 season shows were sold out

CURRENT FACILITY LIMITATIONS:

$ 3 MILLION

Constantly exceeding capacity for general programming

Educational program growth restricted by space

Inability to provide rentable space and in-house catering abilities

Lack of space for community and donor meeting and event space

No ability for plumbing modernization in public restrooms

CURRENT LIMITATIONS

$3M in outstanding maintenance requirements with no additional revenue-producing space added

$1.5M New Annual Revenue Potential

175% Increased Education Enrollment Capacity

FUTURE POTENTIAL

No separation of adult and child dressing rooms and facilities

Inadequate HVAC system comprised of many separate units

LIMITATIONS

POTENTIAL vs.

By expanding, the potential exists for over $1.5M in additional annual revenue, exponential growth of educational programs, and expanded community accessibility.

Getting UPSTAGED

CURRENT FACILITY LIMITATIONS FOR GROWTH

One of our greatest assets is our facility, but we are well aware of its aging infrastructure. For The Naples Players to remain vibrant and viable, the facility’s current needs must be addressed; and done so with the needs of our community’s future in mind.

Our education program cannot provide the space for year-round educational performance opportunities or create dedicated rehearsal space. There is no room to accommodate additional students who will greatly benefit from these programs. Furthermore, students are forced to share common spaces and dressing rooms with adults, sometimes with only 30 minutes to shift between a children’s production and an adult production.

Additionally, the theater’s popularity has resulted in sold-out shows. While this is a great sign of success on the surface, it prevents the theatre from serving a wider population and limits the

theater’s ability to realize desperately needed revenues necessary for greater artistic productions and facility maintenance.

The theatre must undergo modernization to address societal expectations, incorporate technological advancements, and reduce environmental impacts. Renovations would expand community gathering space, enhance acoustic quality, and minimize needless electrical use.

Total experience is a significant factor in our community’s understanding of the theatre and the arts. Great shows are one aspect; but comfort, modern bathrooms, concessions, and aesthetic relevance are all key components to appropriately serving and representing our community. We need to stay modern and relevant to maintain not only quality of production, but quality of experience.

GROW UP with us

After careful consideration, The Naples Players is thrilled to launch a capital campaign to build a state-of-the-art facility for community arts, where locals can develop a sense of connection and acceptance, and come together to learn, contribute, and celebrate the arts in Naples. This renovated building will serve as a national model for community arts engagement, and pave a clear path for arts in Downtown Naples for 65 more years.

A successful capital campaign for an estimated $18 million is necessary to renovate and redevelop our current facility.

Included in the estimated $18 million are the following improvements and additions that will future-proof The Naples Players for generations to come:

450-seat theater with balcony level

(1) 105-seat black box theater for major season programs

(1) 105-seat black box educational theater

Three educational rehearsal and classrooms with dedicated dressing rooms

New Adult Rehearsal Rooms capable of hosting workshops & showcases

Expanded Scene Shop

(LEED Certified) and appealing to the eye by maximizing natural light and harmonizing with the surrounding natural features and structures of historic 5th Avenue South.

State-of-the-Art Costume Shop

Atrium Cafe & Kitchen

Donor Roof Terrace

A recent rendering shows the proposed four-story facade of The Naples Players’ improved and updated facility. Remarkable efforts sought to keep the building energy efficient

The inside of the new Tanya & Denny Glass Education Theatre

With the great increase in square footage, it is amazing to think that the new facility will use the same, or less, energy than the current facility. But that’s exactly what is expected to happen. The great increase in HVAC efficiency, combined with the LEED certification program will make our building one of the most efficient in Southwest Florida!

The additional rehearsal space allows for the ability to rehearse students and adults simultaneously and separately–neither of which are possible now. This will allow for significant growth in education programming, and also for less staff/volunteer intensive transitions between each program, as is currently required.

Dynamic and welcoming new lobby

New 450-seat balcony and performance hall

The north side of the building will be home to the new education theatre, costume shop, and public entrance.

RISING UP together

Main Theater

Blackbox Theater

Educational Theater

Named by Tanya & Denny Glass

Educational Wing

Main Theater Balcony

Theater Lobby

Sunset Terrace

Scene Shop

Costume Shop

To discuss opportunities for support please contact:

Bryce Alexander Executive Artistic Director (239) 434-7340 ext. 124

balexander@naplesplayers.org

Green Room

Named in Honor of Robert Hill

Administration Wing

Concession Stand

Named by Robin & Bruce Gray

Box Office

Named by Sid & Diane Davis

Rehearsal Spaces (5)

Orchestra Pit

FIRST FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

THIRD FLOOR

FOURTH FLOOR