LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Supporting Players

YOU ALREADY KNOW IT TAKES A WHOLE CAST OF CHARACTERS TO PUT ON A SHOW, BUT IT TAKES MORE THAN THE ACTORS TO KEEP SPRINGFIELD LITTLE THEATRE RUNNING. MEET THREE SLT UNDERWRITERS WHO HELP SPONSOR SHOWS AND FIND OUT WHY THEY THINK SUPPORTING THE PERFORMING ARTS IS SO IMPORTANT.

BY VIVIAN WHEELER

CRAIG MCCOY | PRESIDENT OF MERCY SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITIES When Craig McCoy moved to Springfi eld in January 2020, to work for Mercy, he brought his love and support of community theatre with him. Mercy has been an underwriter of Springfi eld Little Theatre in various capacities for years, but under McCoy’s direction, the health care organization created local scholarships for individuals who might not otherwise be able to take classes and participate in programs at SLT. McCoy says through this initiative, Mercy hopes to continue its mission of “serving those who are marginalized and providing opportunities for people to be able to develop and fi nd their passions.” Of course, that’s not the only reason McCoy supports SLT. As he sees it, the arts are a big investment in business. McCoy has worked with various economic development corporations, and says he’s seen fi rst-hand how the arts can attract businesses and individuals to town. By supporting SLT we can “make our community more well-rounded and further touch the lives and livelihood of our communities,” he says.

KATIE TONARELY | INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AT AFLAC On the day Katie Tonarely decided to sign up for adult acting classes at Springfi eld Little Theatre, she was watching e Sound of Music. That was in 2015. At the time, she was a single, stay-at-home mom who was unsure about the direction of her life. After signing up for classes, Tonarley started getting cast in SLT productions, including Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, which ended up being a life-changing performance.

“Someone in the audience liked the way I was interacting with the audience and went to the director and said ‘I want her to work for me,’” Tonarely says. “I had a job interview the next day.” Today, Tonarely has a thriving insurance practice with Afl ac, which she credits directly to her experience with SLT. In an e ort to pay it forward, and in what certainly feels like a little bit of kismet, Tonarely chose to sponsor last season’s production of e Sound of Music. The perks aren’t bad either, Toneraly says: like taking her clients to SLT shows and getting her name out there. “Everybody knows Springfi eld Little Theatre,” she says. “It’s cool to be part of something bigger.”

JOHN GENTRY | SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING, POSITRONIC For John Gentry, supporting Springfield Little Theatre is a family tradition. His father, Jack Gentry, founded Positronic—a company based in Springfield that manufactures electrical components and connectors—in 1966. In the early 1980s, the Gentry family, and by extension Positronic, became patrons of Springfield Little Theatre. Nearly 40 years later, the tradition continues.

In fact, this tradition has continued even after Positronic was acquired in early 2021 by the Amphenol Corporation. “Even though Positronic is part of a larger company, that larger company will still allow us to serve our community,” Gentry says. And serving the community is what it’s about for the Gentry family. "To make the community well-rounded, we need to have the arts and the performing arts present, and the only way that we can provide this cultural experience is through the community supporting the arts,” Gentry says. On a smaller scale, sponsoring SLT has allowed Positronic’s employees to enjoy complimentary performances at the theatre, which means the Gentry family has been bringing fans to SLT for more than 50 years.