Intiman Theatre Programs
Under our new festival model, Intiman Theatre is committed to putting the artist first. We embrace this commitment, first and foremost, by engaging a collective of 18 diverse artists in the planning, budgeting and casting process, and we serve as an institution to foster their vision. Members of the Artistic Collective bring ideas to the table and it is the theatre’s responsibility, in collaboration with them, to program a summer festival in a way that fulfills the institution’s mission.
We further embrace our commitment to putting the artist first through our repertory model and are the only theatre in the Seattle area engaging artists in this way. The length of the festival – over four months, including rehearsal and production – allows the theatre time to culture, sculpt, and condition young theatre makers and gives professionals the chance to mentor them while they hone their own skills. All of this makes for a stronger creative force within the Seattle area and drives us toward more engaged and diverse audiences.
We are also committed to diversity at all levels of the organization and strive to have our audiences, artists, staff and board members reflect the face of our community. This commitment informs our artistic programming and allows us to engage diverse audiences in dialogue around issues that impact them, both locally and globally. The proposed 2013 Intiman Theatre Festival is focused very much on diversity. Plays currently under discussion are: Dario Fo's hysterical, farcical, and satirical working class romp WE WON'T PAY, WE WON'T PAY; TROUBLE IN MIND, Alice Childress' groundbreaking comedy-drama from the 1950s about race and representation in the American theatre; LYSISTRATA, Aristophanes’ story of women who withhold sex from their husbands in an effort to stop war; and STU FOR SILVERTON, a new musical about the mayor of Silverton, Oregon - America's first transgender mayor – described as OUR TOWN meets THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.
Intiman has produced for a diverse audience for some time – ranging from the first regional production of ANGELS IN AMERICA, the first regional production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning RUINED, the world premiere of NICKEL AND DIMED and NATIVE SON, and the annual holiday celebration BLACK NATIVITY, among many others, and has been deeply connected to our audiences and their communities.
Lastly, Intiman Theatre has, through its new model, strengthened its relationships with Cornish College of the Arts, the University of Washington School of Drama, Seattle University, and other educational programs through our internships program, which employs 30 up-and-coming theatre makers each spring and summer. In addition, several members of the Artistic Collective are professors at Cornish and University of Washington, as are several members of the repertory acting company who acted right alongside several of their students.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
Intiman Theatre would not be where we are today without the support of the community, who engaged with us in meaningful theatre experiences over the past 40 years and who stepped up with important contributions to help us carry on our efforts. Intiman hit a significant bump in the road in 2011 and it became apparent that it was time to take a step back, get our house in order and move forward on a new path that would continue to engage, entertain and inspire our audience in a sustainable way. The reconstituted Intiman Board of Trustees and new leadership team raised the million dollars that was needed in a short window of time in order to ensure the theatre could move forward with a summer festival. It is because of this hard work and determination, along with the support of over 1,000 individuals who gave meaningful gifts, that Intiman is back on track!
Our first summer festival was a resounding success. Under the direction of Intiman’s Artistic Director, Andrew Russell, and Managing Director, Keri Kellerman, Intiman rolled out a new artistic and operational model. This model curates artistic programs from a collective, presents a repertory company of actors in a summer festival format, builds collaboration with other artists and organizations, and relies upon advance contributed income funds. Audiences delighted in the four-play festival format with a company of repertory actors who audiences grew to love as they transformed from one role to the next in a variety of roles. We hope to deepen this relationship between artists and audiences in 2013 by creating more opportunities to come together and share in the creative process.
Although last year was an important year for us, next year is just as important, if not more. The board and staff of Intiman consider the launch of the theatre festival format a multi-year process. While last year was about launching a new theatre festival, our sophomore year must now focus on building a sustainable and healthy organization that is financially strong and artistically vibrant.
To support this effort, Intiman made a number of key operational changes in 2012, including: reducing Intiman’s staff to a small core of year-round staff and an army of seasonal employees; decreasing our facility costs; and collaborating with other Seattle-based organizations to share production resources. In addition, Intiman reduced our long-term commercial debt by nearly 50 percent through payments and settlements negotiated in good faith.
Your gift to Intiman in 2013 would further this effort and send an important signal to other funders and individuals, helping us leverage additional investments in the future of Intiman Theatre. Thank you for your consideration at this critical point in our organizational growth. We look forward to doing it all again next year and for many years to come.