Theater Schmeater Programs
Theater Schmeater offers artists of the theater community a stable professional style environment where their creativity is encouraged and nurtured. Our design staff is comprised of both younger designers who are making first impressions, and more experienced designers who have worked in a wide range of venues.
We are seeing our younger staff members gaining recognition and finding opportunities with other companies, proving that The Schmee can offer a valuable springboard for young talent. The Schmee has taken advantage of a non-Equity acting talent pool which is deep and vibrant. Taking a look at the "big house" theater programs, one will see many Theater Schmeater credits for stage managers, designers, actors who have moved up!
We have an active volunteer list, the majority of whom usher, a way for those who may not be able to afford tickets to see our shows. We also have a smaller group who help with some technical duties.
Our 2012 season was attended by over 5,000 people (18 and under always FREE) at 111 individual performances. Nearly 1,000 people enjoyed the park show at no cost to them. We also produce a handful of special events, including our annual Wine Auction fundraiser and special Karaoke nights.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
The Schmee offers “Fringe” theater which can reasonably compete in terms of value for entertainment dollar with the larger equity houses. Our black box theater has allowed our designers to create entirely new environments for each production, placing our audiences in new seating configurations show by show and offering a unique theater-going experience with each production. 2011 brought us one World Premiere and two Seattle premieres. Our production of local playwright Wayne Rawley’s Live! From the Last Night of My Life! won the Gregory Award as the Outstanding New Play of 2011. Individual productions that stand out over the last three years include our traditional presentations of The Twilight Zone: Live!, which brings the classic TV shows to life on the stage. In 2012, Theater Schmeater presented 4 area premieres, continuing our tradition of bringing exciting new theater to our audiences. We partnered with ACT and the 2012 edition of The Twilight Zone: Live! was presented as part of their Central Heating Lab. Our Free-for-the-Family Volunteer Park productions have continued to draw well, giving audiences young and old a chance to see our summer productions with a basket dinner and a healthy dose of Seattle sunshine . Our valuable and stable core staff have continued to keep Theater Schmeater vibrant, making The Schmee a favorite for area artists to ply their trade. Auction Schmuaction ,our Board's annual fundraising auction grew in 2012 – raising 25% more than the year before.
Keeping up with the latest in lighting technology is always a challenge with our small budget. We are looking forward to being able to make the switch to the flexibility of LED technology for our lighting inventory. Such a change would require increased control compactly and enhanced software.