I have a confession to make: for many of the last 16 years my husband and I have been sneaking away to Louisville for a little entertainment, particularly quality theater. We drove the distance because we knew that regardless of the production, we would walk away crying, laughing, questioning, or arguing, but never wondering why we bothered.
Over the last several years, the decision to make the drive has become far more difficult. Now competing for our leisure time are the Woodford County Theater, the Opera House, Natasha's, the Guingol, and Actors Guild of Lexington (AGL), a local arts organization now entering its twenty-fifth season.
In the past, AGL was a hit or miss, but that seems to be changing. In an effort to compete in a newly invigorated local market, the board of directors is investing in a business model that promises to deliver a quality experience.
That model includes an increase in the professional staff, a broader vision statement, provisions to engage the business community on a more meaningful level, and a plan to possibly relocate to a new facility that would allow for expanded theatrical and educational programming.
New professionals
Only a few months ago, AGL hired a new business manager. Kimberly Shaw, previously Assistant Director of Operations at Princeton University's Richmond Auditorium, might not have returned to Lexington if not for close ties; in her youth, she attended Henry Clay High School and later Lafayette as part of SCAPA.
At Princeton, Shaw was responsible for the running and maintenance of the auditorium, planning events, marketing the events, and coordinating all lectures or concerts. At AGL, Shaw now manages the budgets and the cash flow, negotiates contracts, monitors the office staff, and oversees all marketing and advertising.
According to Shaw, Actors Guild is going through a period of transition right now. "We've seen our audiences kind of wither away over the years, in part because people weren't quite sure what they were going to see at AGL and, more importantly, because the competition out there has really increased."
AGL has also recently hired Brenda Psotka as the new Director of Development. Psotka, former Director of Development for Lexington Children's Theatre and Annual Fund Manager for the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, will be the first dedicated development professional working for AGL.
Psotka sees many opportunities for Actors Guild to engage the business community. "At present, AGL is not engaging the business community on any significant level; for instance, there is a real opportunity with group rates for both large and small corporations. I think we could really work with the business community in this time of severe economic downturn when people are wanting to stay home and find entertainment options here - - now is the time for AGL to grow those audiences," said Psotka.
In addition, Psotka will spearhead the fundraising and sponsorship efforts. While AGL offers different levels of sponsorships (marketing sponsorships begin at $3,000.00), there are also different elements that go into the shows that also need support: set construction, costuming, props, etc. There are multiple levels of sponsorships for all facets of a production and by encouraging support on many levels, AGL hopes to open new doors for the business community.
Psotka acknowledges that it will be a challenge, but as the first development director for AGL she intends to form a development plan and part of that plan will be cultivating a more positive relationship with the business community.
Expanded vision
AGL was created in 1984 by a collective of artists to bring 'edgy and contemporary' theater to Lexington. Today, they have expanded that vision to include a broader range of theatrical endeavors. The new staff positions will allow Artist Director Richard St. Peter to focus his energies toward that end.
According to Shaw, AGL has come to realize that they cannot survive by offering new cutting edge performances five or six times a year. "We cannot expect everybody to come and consume it; for some it is far too challenging, for others it can be borderline offensive."
She admits that while St. Peter's artistic vision still includes the spicier stuff, it's really about having professional live theater here in Lexington and allowing the people who are members of this community to enjoy it.
Shaw believes it is AGL's responsibility to create value in theater going, as it differs from going to the movies or a sporting event. "Several generations ago it was sort of a part of the culture that you would support the arts; people saw the ballet, the opera and theater and today that kind of responsibility of going to the theater and going to the performing arts has kind of gone away. So it's our job to create that value again," said Shaw.
A new location
Back in 2002, AGL moved into the Downtown Arts Center located at 141 East Main Street as the result of growing pains. According to Rick St. Peter, AGL is looking again for a new space that will give them enough room to accommodate expanded theatrical and educational programming.
"We are actively pursuing all available options and have several promising leads. The theatre is committed to pursuing these options as we believe it will be necessary to have control over our own space if we are going to continue to grow and develop the type of professional theatre we believe Lexington deserves and can support. We have had a number of conversations with several stakeholders and, the current economic climate notwithstanding, we believe there will be community buy-in for a possible move," said St. Peter.
No matter the final choice on location, I am confident that Actors Guild will be offering my husband and I, and all those who come to value such entertainment, a few more laughs and tears in Lexington.