KVTA's Greatest Hits: A Year in Review
As woke up on Black Friday and set my brain to work on a December blog post topic, I found that it was suddenly December 16 and I had wasted the previous three weeks. I racked my brain for at least the next five minutes before I stood up and went to the kitchen to make a sandwich. I was spreading mayonnaise across my Wonder Bread when it hit me: make someone else do the work for me! So here follows my holiday gift to you: a peek inside the mind of the KVTA board and a review of 2024!
I asked the board members the following questions and my favorite responses are below. Keep in mind that these are only snippets that I have pulled together. If you are interested in more information, feel free to ask questions of the board members when you run into them. They don't volunteer their time for a theater organization because they hate talking about theater!
What is your favorite KVTA memory from 2024?
Many times, it is easy to see the successes of KVTA as they are on stage for all to see. See if you share any of these memories with KVTA's board:
Another board member said he loved the 60th anniversary celebration and the many highlights of past shows.
What was your biggest theater challenge from the last year?
On the other hand, the challenges board members have to face are often not seen by those of us in the rank and file. These are often behind-the-scenes and can give us a glimpse into the challenges of running a theater company:
Most board members referenced maintaining financial budgets for individual shows or the season as a whole. I think that we can all understand how stressful and challenging budgeting can be, even in our personal lives. So much goes into a production including selecting a director and staff, pre-production, auditioning, casting, vocals, choreography, blocking, costuming, set building, set decorating, props, ticket sales, marketing, sound, lights, stage crew, ushering, concessions, patron lounge, programs, strike, studio maintenance, pest control, installation of sound panels, and so much more than I could bring my brain to consider. It takes a surprising amount of donations and ticket sales to just break even, much less be profitable and grow as an organization. It's no wonder budgeting occupies the minds of the board like a mom after dad buys another big TV...
Some board members also talked about volunteering. I want this blog to be engaging and promote KVTA, but I also want to be forthright and ask for help when needed. KVTA can never have too many volunteers. It takes a team of dozens to upwards of 100 volunteers to put on every production. The most direct pathway to volunteering is by being cast in a show. I would encourage every actor to seek out ways to fulfill their required volunteer hours and reach for even more. As you can see above, there are so many things to do. KVTA already has many, many volunteers, but we can never have enough. Find some part of this wonderful organization that piques your interest and dive in! You will meet some amazing people, learn some unique skills, and help drive the continued growth of KVTA.
What was your biggest success with KVTA in 2024?
There are many different ways to define successes. Each production in itself is a success, for the challenges and coordination discussed above. It is also great when a production that is budgeted for a profit reach those heights and even more exciting when a production wraps up as a surprising financial success. The recency bias has caused many board members to mention the financial and overall attendance success of Elf JR. They have also pointed out the financial and critical success of The Hello Girls. Then there are personal successes like these:
Long time Kankakee area theater volunteer and current KVTA board member Pat Ward is excited that we are moving toward utilizing the Black Box Theatre. This will give the opportunity for KVTA to expose our community to a larger variety of productions and for these productions to have the chance to be financial successes as well.
Noted pragmatist and technical theater enthusiast, Joel Knapper, is most proud of "getting our wish list prioritized and actually getting some items approved like chairs and lights. I am particularly happy about the remote spotlight."
Courtney Stephens mentioned that KVTA will see additional funding from KCCVB, the Kankakee Community Arts Council, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency for our 2025 fiscal season.
What are you most looking forward to for the remainder of the 24-25 KVTA season?
Frequent KVTA volunteer and long-time board member Beth Sutter is looking forward to co-directing in the Spring.
Paula Sutter, as evidenced by her previous few casts, is looking forward to bringing new people and families into KVTA.
The remainder of the board is looking forward to individual productions: Steel Magnolias, directed by Tyler McMahon, January 31 to February 2; Shrek the Musical JR, directed by Beth Sutter and Paula Sutter, March 15 & 16; and Matilda the Musical, directed by Courtney Stephens, April 11 to 13. Each is already taking shape and promises to be another great success!
I would personally like to second every one of these memories, as I have thoroughly enjoyed each of KVTA's productions this year and am very much looking forward to the year to come. From KVTA, and from me, have a happy holiday and a happy New Year!
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