Public Relations Proposal, Kitchen Theatre Company by Alison Smith

Public Relations Innovations presents:

2014 PUBLIC RELATIONS PROPOSAL

Differentiating your brand in a competitive marketplace THE TEAM Kat Fischer  Jake Ascoli  Cherokee Charles  Alison Smith  Madison Becker 2

Table of contents Executive Summary Mission Statement Situation Analysis Public Relations Plan Objectives Target Audience Strategy Media Outlets Strategy Implementation Tactics Measurement and Evaluation Time Table Budget Staff Supplements Appendix

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Executive summary The Kitchen Theater Company is a not-for-profit theater company located in Ithaca, NY. As stated in our mission statement, we strive to create theater that “challenge the intellect, excites the imagination, informs and entertains.” Founded by a group of young artists in 1991, and KTC continues to encourage collaboration and the honing of craft while “providing programming that inspires young people, opens the door to newcomers, speaks to a broad crosssection of our community and advances a culture of theatergoing.” The Kitchen Theatre community is one of support and passion. We wish to expand that community to the younger generation of Ithaca citizens. We have assembled this public relations proposal to do just that, in addition to raising volunteerism, fundraising, and awareness about this wonderful family. From all of us here at Public Relations Innovations™ we thank you for your time and for the opportunity to work with The Kitchen Theatre Company.

Our Company Public Relations Innovationsâ&#x201E;˘ has been dedicated for the past 10 years to provide impactful public relations counseling to non-profit organizations within the Tompkins County region.

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Client Mission statement Mission Statement In its intimate performance space, the Kitchen Theatre Company (KTC) creates professional theater that challenges the intellect, excites the imagination, informs and entertains. KTC nurtures a community of diverse artists and brings excellent art to the community and beyond by: –  Developing and producing new plays, exploring established repertory and contribu<ng to the ﬁeld of American theater –  Encouraging collabora<on and oﬀering a safe haven for experimenta<on –  Providing programming that inspires young people, opens the door to newcomers, and speaks to a broad cross-‐sec<on of our community –  Advancing a culture of theatergoing Our public relations plan takes our clients mission into account and it inspires our path. Our SWOT Analysis was based on the comparison between our client, the Kitchen Theater, the Hangar Theater and State Theater. These are local live performance theaters within the Ithaca area that are involved in the community and have an online and social media presence. 6

Situational Analysis: Strengths •  Location - West State Street in the Commons •  Writes its own shows and performances •  Anyone can submit playwrights - facilitates engagement from outside community members and expands their target audience •  LEED Certified Building •  Easy to navigate website and online ticket purchases •  Strong Community Relations –  Have collaborations established with the Civic Ensemble and Homecoming Players –  People that are members come from a wide variety of companies –  Receive donations from local companies –  Ticket stubs act as a discount at local restaurants 7

Situational Analysis: Weaknesses •  Smaller business •  Community is made up of college students –  Not currently target demographic –  Ticket price not accessible to college student budget •  Not an “off-broadway” stop •  Could be limited with only original productions •  Donate is highlighted on the Hangar Theater website •  Hangar has a “Pay What You Can” policy •  Weak print advertising within Ithaca community

Situational Analysis: Opportunities •  Could expand to college demographic and high school drama department and partner with surrounding universities •  Expand on their special events hosted •  Could start new print campaign •  Update social media usage –  More frequent account use –  Strengthen YouTube presence –  Instagram account could be formed –  Vine account to keep members updated on productions

Situational Analysis: Threats •  Other local theaters/theater companies –  Hangar Theater –  State Theater of Ithaca –  Ithaca College Theater Arts –  Cinemapolis –  Ballet Center of Ithaca

research We think it would be most effective for our client to conduct a focus group with college students from Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins County Community College. This would be worthwhile because they would be able to receive one-on-one feedback with their target demographic. The students would be able to contribute new ideas for events, social media campaigns and community involvement. Online surveys could be conducted in addition to the ones our company would send out.

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Article audit “The Kitchen Theatre ‘Sells Out’ for Brian Dykstra”

“Margarett Perry Joins the Kitchen Theatre Company as Resident Director”

“Review: Powerful play brings bullying to light”

***Complete Articles in Appendix 12

Influencing trends: social interest 46.3 million people attended live theaters in the last 12 months and are paying an average of $32.32 per ticket.

People are enjoying their theater experience, are okay with spending more and are likely to return. This growth could be attributed to an increase in education levels and population. This increase in education level will create demand for the Arts and live performances. Also, the baby-boomer generation is at its peak and makes up a large majority of live performance and arts attendance. 13 Â

Economic forces This chart depicts the earned income and contributed income over time, along with the total income of theaters, expenses and CUNA. CUNA (Change in Unrestricted Net Assets) is the difference between total unrestricted income and total expenses at the end of the year. As you can see, there is a steady increase from 2009 to 2013 regarding the total and earned income of theaters.

Chart: http://www.tcg.org/pdfs/tools/TCG_TheatreFacts_2013.pdf

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Industry progression Once we rebounded from the Great Recession, there has been an increase in disposable income and people are starting to spend more on entertainment. This is apparent with the steady increase in theater income. Also, â&#x20AC;&#x153;...as a field, not-for-profit professional theatres contributed over $2 billion to the economy in the form of direct compensation and payment for space, services and materials. They shared their art with 34.9 million patrons and provided employment to more than 126,000 artists, administrators and technical personnel. They created nearly 216,000 performances of 21,600 productions that now represent the American theatre heritage of 2013.â&#x20AC;? (Theater Communications Group, tcg.org). Thus, the theatre industry is constantly thriving, and growing, proving that there is a distinct and strong market for non-profits in the theatre business. 15 Â

Competition: Within Ithaca Hangar Theater

Cinemopolis

www.hangartheatre.org

www.cinemopolis.org

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Tickets: $18-$25 depending on seating Has concerts &theater performances Able to rent theater for personal use Works with 4th graders across Tompkins County (Project 4)

Tickets: $18-$25 depending on seating Has concerts and theater performances Able to rent theater for personal use Works with 4th graders across Tompkins County (Project 4)

State Street Theater www.stateofithaca.com •  Tickets: $5-$70 •  Events for all ages •  Wide range of entertainment for all ages •  Coordinates with Ithaca Ballet •  Keeping historic roots and modern performances

Competition Within Ithaca: Hangar Theatre “Regional Theater of the Week: Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY” - www.broadwayworld.com article ***Complete Article in Appendix

Competition: Outside Ithaca (NYC) Roundabout Theatre

Signature Theatre

www.roundabouttheatre.org •  Tickets range from: $47-$200 •  Multiple famous actors and actresses •  Started an archive of its performances to •  Share with the public •  5 minute walk from Times Square

www.signaturetheatre.org

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Tickets start at: $25 Dedicates an entire season to a singular playwright Allows fans to interact with playwright so they can immerse themselves in the artists work

2econd Stage Theatre www.2st.com/ •  •  •  •

Tickets range from: $75 for plays; $85 for musicals Brings 1,000 Jr. High and High School students to mainstream productions for free; provides study guides for teachers to help them advance their students Works with CUNY schools to help students become regular theatergoers, and hold Q&A sessions with the show’s cast and creative team for the students Helps to provide high school, college, and graduate students with with the opportunity to work staff and gain experience in all aspects of theater production and administration

Public relations plan •  •  •  •  •  •  •

Objectives Target Audience Strategy Tactics Measurement and Evaluation Time Table Budget

OBJECTIVES •  Increase Awareness •  Increase Volunteers •  Increase Fundraising

Target Audience: Primary Young Stars (4-11) Meet Eliza. She is an energetic 5-year-old who recently saw the Broadway production, The Lion King. She knows every song and one day hopes to play the role of Nala. To support her dreams, Eliza’s mom has signed her up for singing lessons and acting classes.

Rising Stars (12-17) Craig is a 16-year-old who was introduced to Shakespeare in his freshmen English class. After discovering his newfound passion for words and theater, he joined his high school drama club. Ever since, he has been heavily involved in school productions, such as The Little House of Horrors and Footloose. By his senior year, he hopes to land the lead role.

Stars of Today (18-22) Taylor is a 20-year-old Architectural Design major at Cornell University. After taking a few theater courses, he became interested in creating set designs for his school’s theater productions. He spends most of his free time attending various theater productions because he enjoys watching plays and especially likes learning from other designer’s work. After graduation, he hopes to make set designs for a living. 21

Target Audience: Primary (CONT.) The Involved Parent Charlotte is a 39-year-old real estate agent from Owego, NY. As the star in multiple theater productions at her high school, she likes to relive her proudest moments through the stories she tells her children. In hopes of sparking their interest in acting, she takes them to regional theater houses at least once a month.

The Passionate Theater Director Mr. Stevens, a retired elementary school music teacher, has directed Ithaca High Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual theater production for 15 years. Before each show, he requires the entire cast to attend at least one theater production. After attending the show, each cast member is asked to reflect on what he learn and how he can improve his own technique. Stevens uses this practice to encourage his cast to fully experience the world of theater.

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Target Audience: Secondary The Experienced Travel Agent Herbert is a premiere travel agent located in NYC who has a soft spot for the Finger Lakes Region. On a recent trip to Ithaca to experience the famous AppleFest extravaganza, he rekindled his love for the city’s unique flair. During the remainder of his time in Ithaca, he surveyed local residents about their favorite places and the coolest hotspots. He plans on using these recommendations to help plan his client’s vacations in Ithaca.

Local Business Owners Karen owns a successful coffee shop in Ithaca, NY. As a proud, community-driven business owner, she is looking to connect with other small businesses to further develop partnerships with local organizations. She hopes that by forming new partnerships, there will be an improvement of sales and a larger clientele. When Karen is not working for her business, she spends much of her time volunteering for various companies throughout Ithaca.

Strategy •  •  •  •

Improve Social Media Presence Increase Relationship with Younger Demographic Develop Relationships within Tompkins County Create Guerilla Marketing

Media Outlets Social Media Utilize multiple platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube and Vine.

Newspaper Local college newspapers such as The Ithacan, Penny Saverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s throughout the Finger Lakes Region

Magazines Theater magazines, local magazines

Blogs Theater, travel and community blogs

Radio Local and regional stations

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Strategy: Improve social Presence We believe that the Kitchen Theater needs to maintain more a presence on social media. While they do currently have accounts set-up on various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with links to all of them on their website, they do not utilize their accounts to their full potential. The organization does not post frequently, if at all, and do not have a lot of followers to see their posts. Through having an increase presence on social media, the Kitchen Theater can improve its awareness inside and outside Tompkins county as well as have an effective outlet to promote their events and find more volunteers. **View appendix for current social media account examples

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Strategy: Younger Demographic The Kitchen Theater has made it clear on their website that they want to reach out to a younger demographic within the Tompkins County area. And as we stated in our target audience, we also believe that the twelve to twenty-three demographic is an important one for them to reach out to. However with the exception of one mentoring program they have in place, they do not do much else to reach out to this desired young demographic. It is important for the Kitchen Theater to improve and maintain its relationship with this younger crowd because it makes up so much of the Tompkins County area. There are three colleges and several lower level schools within this area, which creates a large population of college age students and younger children. If Kitchen Theater is to increase its awareness and volunteers, it is crucial that they begin to exploit this demographic and build a relationship with them.

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Strategy: Tompkins County While building a relationship with the younger demographic is important, it is even more important that the Kitchen Theater start with building a better relationship with the community as a whole. By hosting an event specifically for the community and developing a solidified relationship, the organization will be able to achieve all three of our objectives.

Map of Tompkins County

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Strategy: Guerilla Marketing A guerilla marketing campaign is necessary in order to quickly and effectively get the name of the Kitchen Theater out there amongst the community and the schools. Through creating stickers for the organization, it will increase awareness about the Kitchen Theater and make the name more known and memorable to our target audience.

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Strategy: Guerilla Marketing

Sticker Specs Size: 3x7 Paper Type: 70 lb. Label Matte Quantity: 500 Ships: 4 Business Days Total Cost: $115.00 Site: www.uprinting.com 30 Â

Tactics •  •  •  •  •  •

Highlight Student or Volunteer of the Week Guerilla Marketing Stickers Holiday Event Original Script Contest Raffle at Apple Fest Elementary School Readings and Storytelling

Tactics: highlights In order to increase the organization’s social media presence, they are going to start posting more frequently about their productions that are going on. Part of this is going to include recognizing their student or volunteer of the week. It is a weekly award to be given out to the Kitchen Theater volunteer or college/ high school drama student who has done exceptional work that week. They will be recognized over all three of their social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) with their picture and a quick post as to why they are receiving the award that week. This will give make the volunteers feel appreciated and may entice more people to volunteer because of how well they are treated. Also, it will help the Kitchen Theater develop a relationship with the colleges and high school by actively checking in and staying in touch with what they’re doing.

Tactics: Stickers For our guerilla marketing strategy, we plan on making ovalshaped stickers with the Kitchen Theaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name and design on it. The stickers will then be placed all over town and the community as well as handed out to college students to put on their computers or in their rooms. This will increase awareness through providing repeat exposure to the Kitchen Theater name, which will then create better retention and recognition amongst our target audiences. Part of our budget will be allocated to this tactic.

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Tactics: Holiday Event The Kitchen Theater usually hosts a holiday party every year around Christmas. However, we are suggesting they open up this annual holiday party to the community and local businesses to build a better relationship with them. Local restaurants would donate food and set-up vendor stations around inside the theater and people would pay a flat rate to get in and dine on some of Ithacaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best food. Local businesses could also set-up booths to promote their business if they wanted to. The Kitchen Theater would also have a small performance that night that would cost no extra money to go see. This all inclusive holiday party would not only improve the relationship with the community, but also provide the organization with another fundraising opportunity as well as increase awareness. The pictures from the holiday party could also be posted on social media thus increasing their presence on it. This tactic will be used across all of our media platforms inclduing social media, newspapers, magazines, radio and blogs. ***A draft of the print poster is included in appendix. 34 Â

Tactics: Script Contest The Kitchen Theater is an acting company that accepts and uses original scripts from outside sources. So to capitalize off of this, we are having them hold a contest. This contest will invite people within the community of all ages to create and submit their original pieces of work. The best script will then be picked and will subsequently be produced and made into a live performance. We believe this contest will dramatically help increase relationships with both the younger demographic and the community as a whole. There are many TVR, writing, and English majors at both Ithaca College and Cornell University who would be thrilled about the getting the opportunity to have one of their scripts made into a production. Similarly, there are many individuals who live in the Tompkins County area that have a passion for creating and appreciating art who would be interested in this contest as well. This will be promoted across social media and college newspapers. ***Newspaper ad included in Appendix 35 Â

Tactics: Raffle at Apple Fest Tickets to go see a play can sometimes be expensive and people don’t want to spend their hard earned money it. Though the Kitchen Theater offers competitively priced tickets, in an area filled with college students and young professionals, a lot of members of the community may not have the budget to purchase tickets. Therefore, we are implementing a ticket raffle to be conducted at one of Ithaca’s biggest events, Apple Fest. Through raffling off free tickets and getting more people in the seats for productions, it will increase relationships within community as well as increase awareness. This will be publicized through word of mouth at AppleFest, but we will post on social media that we will be attending the event. We will also be handing out brochures ***Next Page for brochure. 36

Tactics: Elementary Schools There are many elementary schools within the Tompkins County area. In order to reach out to this very young demographic and inspire them to pursue an interest in acting and drama via the Kitchen Theater, we would have performers and member of the Kitchen Theater go to these schools for a storytelling day. The various actors of whatever production is being made at that time would go to the schools and read books and stories aloud to the children. It would also be another great thing to post on their social media platforms.

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Measurement & Evaluation Once a goal and audience have been established, it is important to know how youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to calculate and gauge the success of your public relations plan. We want to increase awareness, increase volunteers and increase fundraising. Many of the tactics within these strategies are identifiable and measurable. We plan on utilizing social media to increase awareness about the Kitchen Theater to our target audience. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can track the number of people who have viewed your pages, tweets and posts. An increase in social media activity and interest would qualify as a success. We will retain these users by consistently posting interesting and visually appealing updates about events, shows and cast member additions. 38 Â

Measurement & Evaluation (Cont.) An increase in volunteers will be easy to measure as well. After there are events, social media campaigns and community involvement activities, we plan on seeing an increase in volunteers. An escalation in awareness directly correlates with an increase in volunteers. We can measure this by comparing our staff list to our previous quarters. This form of measurement can be applied to our fundraising strategy as well. If we increase awareness about the Kitchen Theater, spread our mission and show that it is an organization worth supporting, than people will be willing to donate. Maintaining those donors is crucial as well. Follow up letters will be sent to those who make significant contributions to the organization. Overall, social media engagement, an increase in volunteers and an increase in the amount of money raised is simple to measure. Once measured and analyzed we will be able to improve on our campaign and create more ideas that cater to our audience's needs. 39 Â

Time table We project to complete our tactics according to the following timeline:

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budget KEY Apple Fest Tabling- October Apple Fest Raffle- October Tabling Supplies- October Stickers- October Printed Brochures- October Printed Posters- November Radio Ads- October to December Newspaper Ads- October to December

Total Budget Allocated: $450.00 41 Â

P.r.i staff Kat Fischer

kfische1@ithaca.edu

Kat Fischer is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major. She is currently the director of Marketing and Social Media for the student organization I.C. More Than Me which raises funds and awareness for girls’ education in Liberia. She is also highly involved with the Ithaca College chapter of the American Marketing Association. She currently lives in New York City but, enjoys Ithaca for its great natural beauty and exciting community. She hopes to work in advertising sales, venture capital or marketing at a large corporation.

Cherokee Charles

charle2@ithaca.edu

Cherokee Charles is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major with a minor in Deaf Studies. Cherokee plays rugby for the Ithaca College Women’s Rugby club team, and is a member of the American Advertising Federation. She is from outside of New York City in Teaneck, New Jersey. She aspires to work for a major television network in the advertising department.

Madison Becker

mbecker4@ithaca.edu

Madison Becker is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major at Ithaca College with a minor in Writing. She is from Ridgefield, CT. A self described bookworm and fairytales fanatic, she recently was accepted into the Disney College Program for Spring 2015. She aspires to continue working with the Disney Company after graduation as a Walt Disney Imagineer. 42

p.r.i Staff (Cont.) Jake Ascoli

jascoli1@ithaca.edu

Jake Ascoli is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major with a Legal Studies minor at Ithaca College. He is currently a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America as well as works in the sports department for WICB 91.7 FM. He also enjoys helping incoming freshmen adjust to college life through the Park Peer Mentor program. Jake is originally from Mansfield, MA and hopes to pursue a career in sports/entertainment public relations when he graduates.

Alison Smith

asmith22@ithaca.edu

Alison Smith is a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major. She is highly involved in Ithacaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chapter of Students Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations and Women in Communications. She is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and eventually hopes to move to Philadelphia to work for a marketing or public relations firm.

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Supplements

Informational brochure Hand out at: •  Events •  AppleFest •  Schools •  Public Areas •  Script Contest •  Travel Agencies

Newspaper Advertisement: Script Contest

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Newspaper Advertisement: Script Contest Advertising Placement The Ithacan Online & Print Mediums

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Holiday bash Press Release Press Release Kitchen Theater Holiday Bash Theater to hold annual holiday party for the community FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Ithaca, NY, 1 December 2015) – The Kitchen Theater Company will be hosting its annual Holiday Bash on December 18, 2015 beginning at 6 pm at the Kitchen Theater located on 417 West Street, Ithaca, NY. All proceeds will go back into the Kitchen Theater. This holiday event has been a tradition of the Kitchen Theater for many years, however this is the first time it will be inclusive of the whole community. Local businesses and restaurants can purchase a table at the event to promote their food, product, or service. Citizens of the community as well can pay a flat rate for admission to this event and enjoy all that the local Ithaca community has to offer. Attendants will also be treated to a free performance by the members of the Kitchen Theater Company at the end of the night. The Kitchen Theater hopes to build a better relationship with the community through this event and unite the many local businesses around the area. “The Kitchen Theater is very excited to share its annual holiday event with the community and show off what this great area has to offer while also showing them what the Kitchen Theater has to offer, ” said Managing Director Stephen Nunley. The Kitchen Theatre Company was the dream of a group of talented and determined theater artists. In 1991, they created a place where they could work together and hone their craft. Led by Matt Tauber and Tim O'Brien, the Kitchen Theatre Company made an auspicious debut with its ambitious production of Sam Shepard's Buried Child. The productions were infused with the high energy and drive of hungry young artists setting out to change the world. The company moved to the new arts organization complex forming in the Clinton House in 1995. The theater has served as a launching pad, giving main stage opportunities to promising students, notably Jesse Bush and Joe Calarco, who have continued to be associated with the Kitchen. For more information contact: Public Relations Innovations prinnovations@gmail.com (774) 236 9545

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Holiday bash poster Poster Specs Size: 11.25 x 17.3 Paper Type: Glossy Poster Paper Quantity: 50 Total Cost: $75.00 Site: www.vistaprint.com Â

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Article Audit The Kitchen Theatre ‘sells out’ for Brian Dykstra

Brian Dykstra Selling Out Who The Kitchen Theatre Where 417 W. State / W. MLK, Jr. St., Ithaca When Through Dec. 16 Tickets $32 Review by Nick DeSantis

With his feet firmly planted on the stylized stars and stripes of the American flag stage, a blazer-clad Brian Dykstra tosses a casual, all-too-familiar question at the audience: “What do you do?” He pauses, wrinkling his brow in disgust at the hollow nature of his own clichéd inquiry. “‘What do you do’ is the question we always ask each other, not ‘what do you think?’” Throughout Dykstra’s one-man rant-fest Brian Dykstra Selling Out, there is never a point during which we are unclear about what Dykstra is thinking. He loudly unleashes torrent after torrent of rapid-fire observations at the crowd while pacing the stage like a caged animal, tackling topics such as corporate greed, right-wing conservatism and climate change deniers with aplomb. His liberal views are fired like missiles at these targets throughout the show, with a bull’s-eye clearly painted on the corruptive, corrosive power of money. The show is loose and freewheeling, with plenty of space for Dykstra to improvise at will, but filthy lucre seems to be the central focus of his ire throughout the show. Even while brimming with rage, Dykstra still likes to express his views through a smile. His humor, derived primarily from clever word choices and the ironic co-opting of pop-culture phrases such as “Drill baby drill” and “What’s in your wallet?” is central to Selling Out, just as it was in his previous work as a spoken word artist and slam poet. His wit and wordplay work wonders in helping lubricate his anger, making the perpetual barrage of opinion that much more palpable for the audience. Ironically, the effectiveness of Dykstra’s quippy banter as a vehicle for his opinions is most evident when it’s totally absent. During the “serious” portions of his performance, his messages become leaden, preachy and seem to lose traction. At one point in the show, Dykstra suddenly sits on a stool and, without warning, takes on the persona of a Somalian fisherman, admonishing the crowd in an inflected accent for the corporate overfishing of his waters. He then recounts the violence “his people” have suffered at the hands of wealthier, more powerful countries in the pursuit of an inflated bottom line, slinging venomous barbs such as “…and you have the nerve to call me ‘pirate’” to those in attendance. This strange tonal about-face came off jarring, heavy-handed and long-winded. After close to an hour of levity before this moment, this monologue seemed like it was dropped onstage from another show. However, when Dykstra spikes his rage with humor, his immense talents shine brightly. As anyone that has seen him square off against the microphone on HBO’s Def Poetry can attest,Dykstra’s limber, aggressive poetry style is perfectly suited for this political material, establishing a rhythm with his words that make music out of his grievances. The show cuts between him delivering slam poetry behind a microphone and him stepping out in front of it, commanding the stage in a more conversational manner. Utilizing a file cabinet of documents and a coffee table riddled with newspapers as props, these parts of the show veered into stand-up comedy territory, with a casual rapport being struck up with the audience under the “can you believe this shit?!” climate of his commentary. Even as a one-man performance, these give-and-take moments expanded the scope of the show to the crowd itself, and with the material’s “power of the people” undercurrent, this seemed especially apt. For left-leaning political junkies and those that admire the artistry of the spoken word, Brian Dykstra Selling Out can be the perfect way to laugh at the abyss of today’s current political frustrations with a group of like-minded individuals. As long as Dykstra lets the laughs buoy his frustrations, his opinions won’t sink into the impenetrable depths of seriousness with the show itself.

Article Audit

Margarett Perry Joins KTC Written by: BWW News Desk

Margarett Perry Joins the Kitchen Theatre Company as Resident Director The Kitchen Theatre Company of Ithaca, NY is pleased to announce that Margarett Perry has joined the company as Resident Director beginning with the 2013-14 Season. Perry is a NYC-based director who has guest directed at the Kitchen Theatre Company since 2006, including the world premiere of Call Me Waldo by Rob Ackerman and several collaborations with playwright Brian Dykstra: Clean Alternatives, A Play On Words (premiere), Brian Dykstra Selling Out (premiere), STRANGERHORSE and The Two of Us (first full production). Her production of Private Lives in 2010 was the first in the KTC's newly renovated building. She has been at the helm of many of the theater's most memorable productions, including The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Mrs. Mannerly, Old Timesand A Marriage Minuet. For the 2013-14 season, she will direct Heroes by GĂŠrald Sibleyras, translated by Tom Stoppard, Cock by Mike Bartlett, andSeminar by Teresa Rebeck. As Resident Director, she will also work with Artistic Director Rachel Lampert in play selection and future planning. "Margarett has already made so many significant contributions to the Kitchen by connecting us with wonderful playwrights and actors and by sharing her passion and experience with everyone at the Kitchen. I love that she will be spending more time in Ithaca and continue to help envision the Kitchen Theatre Company's future," says Lampert. Perry's credits include: Off Broadway premieres of Brian Dykstra's Clean Alternatives (59E59, Fringe First Award-Edinburgh), Rob Ackerman's Call Me Waldo (The Working Theatre), Israela Margalit's First Prize (Arclight), Richard Abrons' The Body Politic (59E59), Brian Dykstra's A Play On Words (59E59,, FJ Hartland's Mother Tongue (Abingdon) and Brian Dykstra's The Jesus Factor(Barrow Street). Perry is a regular at the Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton, Ohio, where she has directed God of Carnage, Painting Churches, The Retreat from Moscow, and, most recently, the world premiere of Michael Slade'sUnder a Red Moon, which went on to a production at the Carnegie Center in Covington, KY. Her HRTC productions have won DayTony Awards for Best Overall Production and Best Ensemble, among others. Perry was the Producing Artistic Director of Access Theater in NYC for six years, where she directed and produced numerous plays and world premieres. She is an Artistic Fellow at The Lark Play Development Center, where she has worked with a variety of writers developing new plays. Upcoming productions include Other Desert Cities for the Human Race and Every Day A Visitor at the Harold Clurman, Off-Broadway, with the New Federal Theatre. www.margarettperry.com Bold, intimate, engaging... Kitchen Theatre Company (KTC), beginning its 23rd season, is downtown Ithaca's critically acclaimed and nationally recognized year-round professional theater company, specializing in regional and world premiere plays and musicals. KTC's intimate 99-seat theater is in its newly renovated, LEED-certified building in the West End neighborhood of downtown Ithaca, New York. KTC is the first not-forprofit recipient of the David R. Strong Memorial "Small Business of the Year" Award from the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce and receives public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the Tompkins County Tourism Program. The Kitchen Theatre Company also receives general operating support from the Shubert Foundation..

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Article Audit

Powerful Play The Ithacan Written by: Emily Fedor

Review: Powerful play brings bullying to light “Just because it gets better doesn’t mean it didn’t happen” is the tagline of the Kitchen Theatre’s current production, “From White Plains.” The play gives an inside look into what it is like to bully and be bullied, and it shows that though people can learn from their actions, the past is never truly forgotten. The story, written and directed by Michael Perlman, revolves around the incidents and people that inspired a fictional Oscar-winning movie about bullying. The play opens with Dennis (Karl Gregory) giving his Oscar acceptance speech on national television in which he boldly calls out the high-school bully whose actions resulted in the suicide of his friend Mitchell. Until that moment, when the acceptance speech aired live, the bully, Ethan (Aaron Rossini), was unaware of Mitchell’s passing and is shocked. He posts a public apology online, thinking it would remedy the situation after receiving public backlash on social media. But Dennis’ quest for justice leads to the pair exchanging public videos that discuss Ethan’s harmful actions. The videos ultimately result in Ethan and Dennis meeting in person for the first time since high school before they both appear on a talk show to discuss their video exchanges. The most compelling aspect of “From White Plains” is the personal connection the actors make with audience members. Through the video battle between Ethan and Dennis, audience members are able to see bullying from two different perspectives. Ethan describes his position as a bully who is being called out for his actions. He apologizes, but claims he has grown up since high school, and he is not the same person he once was. Meanwhile, Dennis stands his ground and keeps shooting down Ethan’s apology, right to the end of the play. Even though the actors’ performances are what really sell the story, the simple set and the Kitchen Theatre’s exceedingly intimate, thrust-style stage add to the viewing experience. A living room composed of blue furniture and hardwood floors successfully replicates both Ethan and Dennis’ separate living rooms, but it does not accommodate other scene locations, including a sports bar or the television station. A few scenes are even performed while the actors stand in a small area between the stage and the first row of audience members. The up-close-and-personal feel of the theater space is effective, but during some powerful scenes that take place off-stage, it is a bit overwhelming for audience members sitting in the first few rows. The play includes technological props, such as the television premiere of Dennis’ Oscar speech and the online video fights. But, once again, the creative team chose to keep the play simple. Instead of having a projection screen show these different components, the actors convincingly acted out the elements. For example, the video battles were displayed by Dennis and Ethan simply sitting in front of their shiny, white MacBooks, speaking to them as if recording a video on a webcam. If they chose to take a more technological route with these ideas, the serious message of the play would have been blurred behind the flashy, unnecessary additions. “From White Plains” is a sentimental play that proves simplicity is an effective theatrical element. Though the intimate setting is at times is little too intimate, the four all-star actors make up for that flaw with the help of a beautifully written script.

Article Audit Links http://greenroomreviews.com/2012/12/03/the-kitchen-theatre-sells-out-for-brian-dykstra/ http://www.playbill.com/news/article/ithacas-kitchen-theatre-announces-2009-10-season-moving-day-will-come-in-20-163957 http://magazine.14850.com/articles/1405-seminar-kitchen http://www.broadwayworld.com/central-new-york/article/World-Premiere-of-THE-HOUSE-to-Open-Kitchen-Theatre-Companys-2014-15-Season-Begin-Today-20140909 http://greenroomreviews.com/2013/04/16/finding-fault-at-the-kitchen-theatre/ http://archive.pressconnects.com/article/20130612/ENT/306120021/Kitchen-Theatre-concludes-season-Cohen-s-What-Thought-Knew http://www.playbill.com/news/article/musical-bed-no-breakfast-premieres-at-ithacas-kitchen-theatre-jan.-17-146927 http://magazine.14850.com/articles/1310-kitchen-fromwhiteplains http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Margarett-Perry-Joins-the-Kitchen-Theatre-Company-as-Resident-Director-20130902 http://theithacan.org/accent/review-cock-plunges-into-sexual-identities/ http://theithacan.org/accent/review-powerful-play-brings-bullying-to-light/ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-506706391.html http://speechdebatektc.wordpress.com/

http://lansing-ny.com/entertainment-archive/10796-slashes-of-light-at-the-kitchen-theatre

Appendix

Competition Links •  •  •  •  •

State Street Theater: http://www.stateofithaca.com/ Cinemapolis: http://www.cinemapolis.org/ Roundabout Theater: http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/ 2econdStage Theater: http://2st.com/ Signature Theaterhttp://www.signaturetheatre.org/index.aspx

•  Hangar Theater Articles: http://www.hangartheatre.org/ •

http://www.broadwayworld.com/central-new-york/article/Regional-Theater-of-the-Week-Hangar-Theatre-in-Ithaca-NY-20121003#

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http://www.playbill.com/news/article/hangar-theatres-rent-directed-and-choreographed-by-janki-begins-aug.-6-163313

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http://www.ithaca.com/arts_and_entertainment/soft-spoken-treasure-at-the-hangar-theatre/article_fef271e4f952-11e2-9578-001a4bcf887a.html

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