Annual Report F i s c a l 2 0 1 4
On behalf of the Board and Staff of Round House, thank you for helping to make our 2013-14 season one of the most successful in our history! More
than
41,000
of
you
attended
our
performances last season, making it our second highest-attended season and proving that our new artistic focus is working. We received rave reviews for all of our productions, were nominated for eight Helen Hayes Awards (more than the previous five seasons combined), and won three awards for our production of Glengarry Glen Ross, the most awarded non-musical of the year! We also ended the season on a high note by producing our first musical in seven years, the celebrated Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon, which extended a week due to popular demand. Our education programs also had a stellar year, with the largest number of students from the widest number of schools participating in our annual Sarah Metzger Memorial Play last year. We also continued to expand our stage combat classes through our association with Tooth & Claw, and are now training more certified stage combatants than any organization between Philadelphia and North Carolina. This year, you helped us match a generous grant from the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County that allowed us to invest more than $250,000 in computer and theater technology equipment, helping our staff and artists work smarter and faster than ever before. On top of all of that, we upgraded our ticketing system; installed a new donor acknowledgement wall in the lobby; started a Planned Giving society; and added beer, wine and the ability to accept credit cards in concessions. Best yet, we finished the season with a $195,703 surplus and increased our Net Assets by $239,816.
And this is just the beginning!
GET IN ON THE SUCCESS In 2014-15, we once again are offering a sixshow season of celebrated new plays, modern classics,
and
musicals,
including
our
first
holiday show in more than a decade. We’ve also integrated our educational programs for teens more fully into our mainstage work by moving our Summer Programs and annual Sarah Play to Bethesda, hiring one of our mainstage actors to serve as the Lead Teaching Artist for teens, and expanding our Sarah Play into a year-round Teen Performance Company. Combined with our innovative Play It Forward program, which offers free tickets to Montgomery County Public School high school students, this adds up to one of the
OUR MISSION
most exciting programs for teens in the country. We have big plans for the future of Round House, including a new play program that will allow us to commission and develop new work for both our mainstage and the Sarah Play. In the coming months we’ll let you know how you can be a part of this and other exciting initiatives in the works. This is an extraordinary time at Round House. We thank all of you who have helped to make us the theatre that everyone is talking about, and
Round House Theatre is a home for outstanding ensemble acting and lifelong learning. We seek to captivate audiences with stories that inspire compassion, evoke emotions, and demand conversation.
encourage those of you who don’t know much about us yet to Get In on the Action! Sincerely,
Mitch Dupler, Board President
COVER Photo by Danisha Crosby
Ryan Rilette, Producing Artistic Director
ARE YOU
IN?
One year
Six ‘Helen Hayes Recommended’ Productions
8 Helen Hayes nominations
3 Helen Hayes awards (including Outstanding Director & Ensemble)
Four area premieres
99 ARTISTS
41,301 theatergoers
2,628 students
678 free tickets for students through Play it Forward
$639,853 Increase in Revenue over FY13
$195,703 surplus
$273,000 in technology & infrastructure upgrades
“[A]
brilliantly
subversive
black
comedy that is being satisfyingly revived by Round House…this Beauty Queen confidently unfolds the story’s gothic underpinnings…under director Jeremy Skidmore’s excellent guidance, the production elicits the gasps that McDonagh goes after.” (Washington Post)
THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE Secrecy
August 21 – September 15, 2013 (27 performances) Total attendance: 5,460 By Martin McDonagh Directed by Jeremy Skidmore
The 2013-14 season opened with celebrated playwright Martin McDonagh’s Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning black comedy The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Featuring a cast of four, this modern classic was simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking as it chronicled life in a bleak, isolated village in County Galway, Ireland in the 1980’s—and how the desire to escape can set in motion a horrifying chain of deceptions, secrets and betrayals.
Sponsored in part through the generous support of Bonnie and Alan Hammerschlag.
“Gibson’s lively, witty, unpretentiously intellectual drama is exactly the sort of thing that’ll get me to Bethesda more often.” (Washington City Paper)
THIS October 9 – November 3, 2013 (27 performances) Total attendance: 5,532 By Melissa James Gibson Directed by Ryan Rilette
Producing Artistic Director Ryan Rilette was at the helm as director of the second show of our season, a poignant, characterdriven comedy with a depth that belied its simplistic title. This, an area premiere, featured the struggles and uncertainties of a group of friends dealing with themes of mortality and fidelity as they settled (perhaps unwillingly) into reaching their 40’s. The production’s rapid-fire dialogue
COMPLEXITY
took audiences on a journey as each character confronted some of life’s big, unanswerable questions.
Sponsored in part through the generous support of Michael Beriss and Jean Carlson.
GET IN ON THE SEASON
“A
roaring
family
tussle…[It
demonstrates] the strides producing artistic director Ryan Rilette is making in
raising
the
company’s
profile
as an essential stop for drama…” (Washington Post)
THE LYONS November 27 – December 22, 2013 (26 performances) Total attendance: 5,642
VULNERABILITY By Nicky Silver Directed by John Vreeke
The area premiere of Nicky Silver’s dark comedy The Lyons was the perfect antidote to too much holiday cheer—a brutally honest, scathingly funny production about a family that finally tells each other what they’re thinking. And among the flared tempers, the exchanging of words, and the revealing of secrets, the characters found what they were looking for: connection.
Sponsored in part through the generous support of Esthy & Jim Adler and Judy & Leo Zickler.
“Savvy, satisfying and great fun.” (Washington Post) “A hell of a lot of fun to watch.” (DC Theatre Scene)
SEMINAR February 5 – March 2, 2014 (27 performances) Total attendance: 6,876 By Theresa Rebeck Directed by Jerry Whiddon
A private writing class in an Upper West Side apartment was the tense setting for Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Theresa Rebeck’s engaging Seminar, one of four area premieres at Round House during the 2013-14 season. The comedy, which reunited director Jerry Whiddon and actor Marty Lodge (both longtime Round House favorites) for their 15th collaboration, portrayed four aspiring novelists who had to face the bitter truth about their writing, their relationships, and their futures.
Sponsored in part through the generous support of Ann & Frank Gilbert and Lynda & Joseph Zengerle.
Magnetism
“An acting ensemble working in perfect harmony is crucial to Wilson’s plays... and they get it oh so right at Round House.” (Washingtonian) “Worth catching whether you’re new to the Wilson experience or a seasoned fan ripe for a fresh jolt.” (Washington Post)
TWO TRAINS RUNNING STRUGGLE
April 2 – May 4, 2014 (36 performances – extended due to audience demand) Total attendance: 9,197 By August Wilson Directed by Timothy Douglas
August Wilson’s powerful, Pulitzer Prizenominated
drama
Two
Trains
Running
transported Round House audiences to Civil Rights-era Pittsburgh, as seen through the eyes of the owner of a diner who—like his establishment—had seen better days. He and his last remaining customers created a poignant, richly layered portrait of AfricanAmerican life in the late 1960’s through their everyday conversations, decisions and confessions. Behind the scenes, Two Trains Running was the first production to use our newly installed, upgraded light board—one of the many infrastructure investments made throughout the season.
Sponsored in part through the generous support of Pasternak & Fidis, and Susan Gilbert & Ron Schechter.
“It’s the kind of unadorned musical that feels like such a fresh alternative to most of the over-produced stuff on Broadway. And Round House proves itself here to be a natural spot for the work to live on.” (Washington Post)
ORDINARY DAYS May 28 – June 22, 2014 (34 performances – extended due to audience demand) Total attendance: 8,594 Music & lyrics by Adam Gwon Directed by Matthew Gardiner
Closing out the season, Round House presented our first musical since 2007—an area premiere of Ordinary Days, written and composed by one of musical theater’s most exciting young composers. Maryland native Adam Gwon wove together the ordinary moments of four young New Yorkers through songs and vignettes to create a truly extraordinary understanding of the “big picture”—allowing audiences of all ages to examine and experience the small moments of their own lives in a new way.
Sponsored in part through the generous support of Heidi & Mitch Dupler.
JOY
Education and Outreach Programs
To fulfill our mission of being a center for lifelong learning, Round House provided a range of Education programs at our six-classroom Education Center in Silver Spring and in schools throughout Montgomery County.
More than
2,600 students of all ages – from 2 to 92 – took part in these programs in the 2013-14 season. LIFELONG LEARNING
Sarah Metzger Memorial Play Twenty-two students from high schools across the Washington, DC area came together to
By the Numbers
2,628
students of all ages served through Round House Education programs
produce the 12th annual Sarah Metzger Memorial Play, David Lindsay-Abaire’s Snow Angel.
stage crew – were filled by students under the guidance of professional Round House artists. As in past years, the Sarah Play was produced at no fee to students – and more than 500 people attended the 2014 production.
$5,400
in need-based tuition waivers allowed students from 11 families in need to attend Round House Summer Programs in 2014
678
high school students attended Round House productions for free as part of our new Play It Forward program
All
roles – from director to dramaturg, actors to
School Outreach
Heyday Players Our
Intersections More than 300 third-graders participated in Intersections, Round House’s in-school program that uses arts-based learning activities to build literacy skills, creative thinking, and confidence.
performances
Round
that,
House
for
Theatre
many
–
attendees,
represented their first live theatrical experience. Pre-show study guides and facilitated post-show discussions experience
bookended with
Players
program
provided a unique learning opportunity for students age 50 and above.
A core group of
more than 30 students attended skill-building workshops and discussions led by professional reading for the general public.
More than 650 area students attended matinee at
Heyday
artists. The spring session culminated in a staged
Student Matinees performances
long-standing
students’
engaging,
theatrical
thought-provoking
conversations.
Days Off The Days Off program offered a full day of arts activities for K-5 students on days when Montgomery County Public Schools were closed. With activities in acting, design, and writing, each of our Days Off culminated in performance of a play that students created together in just one day. In 2013-14, Round House served more than 200 children during nine Days Off throughout the
Play It Forward
school year.
Launched in the 2013-14 season, the Play It Forward program provided free Round House tickets to Montgomery County public high school students with the goal of making live theatre attendance an integral part of high school education. In this inaugural year, more than 600 students attended our productions for free as part
Professional Training Round House workshops for professional artists continued to grow in popularity in 2013-14. Topics ranged from Scene Study to our Stage Combat series, which filled to capacity every session.
of this program.
Onsite Programs Summer Programs In 2014, our K-12 Summer Programs engaged nearly
800
students
in
full-day
activities
designed to develop a range of theatrical skills such as acting, dance, design, and directing. Every session concluded with a sharing of skills for friends and family. Thanks to support from donors, Round House was able to provide more than $5,000 in need-based tuition waivers to 11 area families.
GET IN ON THE IMPACT
Infrastructure Improvements
By the Numbers ENHANCED
$53,200 in automated scenery
$59,000 in theatrical lighting and sound equipment
$53,700 in computers and software
$20,500 in an industry standard backstage communication system
$23,300 in audience services including assisted listening headsets and improvements to concessions
The action wasn’t limited to the stage during 2013-14. Thanks to an Advancement Grant from the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County—and
the
generosity
of
almost
150
matching donors—Round House was able to undertake a comprehensive upgrade to our backstage technology, administrative tools, and audience services. Patrons are now able to take advantage of new online ticketing and point-of-sale concession purchasing systems, as well as new lobby monitors and assisted listening devices—all of which enhance your visit to the theatre. Staff are now equipped with upgraded computer hardware and software that streamlines their daily routines and improves their abilities to communicate with our engaged networks of donors, supporters, students, and patrons. The theatre itself was upgraded with equipment that included a new light board and automated scenery systems. In total, the improvements amounted to more than a quarter of a million dollars. And this is just the beginning. We invite you to contribute to our ongoing efforts to provide our artists and lifelong learners with the environment and equipment that allows them to continue doing their best work.
GET IN ON THE EXPERIENCE
Cash & Cash Equivalents: 2012–2014 $400,000.00
We have achieved greater financial stability over the past two years and have increased our operating cash. This allows us to spend more time focusing on continuing to provide high quality artistic and educational programming.
$350,000.00 $300,000.00 $250,000.00 $200,000.00 $150,000.00 $100,000.00 $50,000.00 $0.00
2012
2013
2014
GET IN ON THE NUMBERS
FINANCIALS
2014 Expenses Performance Education General & Administrative Development
$3,744,632 $540,936 $441,142 $360,587
SMALL INVESTMENTS MAKE A BIG IMPACT. We are able to serve an increasing number of students each year—many of whom are able to attend for free thanks to the generosity of donors.
Only 15.7% of our expenses are allocated to development and administrative functions. Instead, the majority of revenue and donation dollars are used to continue to expand and refine our programming each year.
$2,000,000
Steady increases in revenue from concessions, ticket sales, and education programs during the past three years demonstrate how strongly our community is continuing to respond to our direction and offerings.
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$0
2012
2013
2014
2014 Income Statement Revenue and Support Total Grants and Contributions
$ 1,467,099
In-Kind Support
$ 1,873,895
Total Revenue
$ 1,942,006
Total Revenue and Support
$ 5,283,000
Expenses Performance
$ 3,744,632
Education
$
General and Administrative
$
540,936
Development
$
Total Expenses
$ 5,087,297
441,142 360,587
2014 Net Income
$
195,703
2014 Balance Sheet Assets Current Assets
$ 2,149,786
Net Fixed Assets
$
420,008
Other Assets
$
2,876
Total Assets
$ 2,572,670
Liabilities and Net Assets Current Liabilities
$ 1,283,551
Net Assets Unrestricted
$
Temporarily Restricted
$
-265,875 383,969
Permanently Restricted
$
1,171,025
Total Net Assets
$
1,289,119
Total Liabilities and Net Assets
$ 2,572,670
Diamond Circle ($100,000+) Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County Maryland State Arts Council
Platinum Circle ($50,000 $99,999) Alan and Bonnie Hammerschlag Jeffrey and Carolyn Leonard The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Judy and Leo Zickler
Gold Circle ($25,000 $49,999) Cathy S. Bernard Don and Jan Boardman Data-Prompt, Inc. Heidi and Mitch Dupler Margaret Abell Powell Fund of the William S. Abell Foundation MARPAT Foundation Linda Ravdin and Don Shapero The Share Fund The Shubert Foundation Town of Chevy Chase
DONORS
Silver Circle ($10,000 $24,999) Esthy and Jim Adler Michael Beriss and Jean Carlson Clark Charitable Foundation Clark-Winchcole Foundation The Homer and Martha Gudelsky Family Foundation J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation Ann and Bruce Lane Susan Freeman McGee Nora Roberts Foundation Pasternak & Fidis The Rowny Foundation Susan Gilbert and Ron Schechter Dick and Katie Snowdon Sulica Fund Bernard and Ellen Young
Bronze Circle ($5,000 - $9,999) Elaine and Richard Binder Richard and Pamela Feinstein Freddie Mac Foundation Ann and Frank Gilbert Mark and Anastasia Joelson Henry B. & Jessie W. Keiser Foundation Marion Ein Lewin Judy and Brian Madden Heidi and Bill Maloni Paul and Zena Mason Chris and Kathleen Matthews Susan and Bill Reinsch Hank and Charlotte Schlosberg
Laura and Robert Walther Robert and Virginia Walther Alan and Irene Wurtzel Anne and Robert Yerman Lynda and Joseph Zengerle
Copper Circle ($2,500 - $4,999) Dr. and Mrs. Clement Alpert Marla and Bobby Baker, Baker-Merine Family Foundation Terry Beaty Sue Ann and Ken Berlin Doug and Lorraine Bibby Chevy Chase Trust Frances Chyatte City of Rockville Clark Construction Group, LLC Community Foundation for Montgomery County
Larry and Melanie Nussdorf Marilyn and Barry Scheiner
Benefactors ($1,000 - $1,499) Nancy and Dan Balz Tessie and Thanos Castambas Bill and Donna Eacho Robin Hettleman and Matthew Weinberg Allan and Shelley Holt
Pamela and John Spears Luanne and Marc Stanley Ed Starr and Marilyn Marcosson Tom Calhoun and Thelma Triche Lance Tucker Vivian Cavalieri LLC Jerry and Jean Whiddon
In Kind Donors American Plant Amtrak Assagi Barrel Oak Winery Cabot Creamery of Vermont Café Deluxe Calvert Woodley Chevy Chase Florist Community Forklift Contemporary American Theater Festival Daily Grill Doyle Printing & Offset Co.
GET IN ON THE GRATITUDE
Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts Bunny R. Dwin Jan and Jim Eisner David and Jane Fairweather Laura Forman and Richard Bender Eric and Jessica Glantz Hank and Carol B. Goldberg Graham Holdings Company Stuart and Beverly Greenfeig Daniel Kaplan and Kay Richman Lerch, Early & Brewer Montgomery County Executive’s Ball Nina McLemore Scott and Louise Melby Col. John and Marlene Moser Sally J. Patterson Anne & Henry Reich Family Foundation, Lee G. Rubenstein, Co-President Victor Shargai and Craig Pascal Robin Sherman Susan and John Sturc Weissberg Foundation Tim Westmoreland Ginger Macomber and Roger Williams Mier and Cathy Wolf Margot and Paul Zimmerman
Fellows ($1,500 - $2,499) Natalie and Paul Abrams Kathy and Norm Barker Dimick Foundation Carol Sue Fromboluti Robert E. Hebda Robbin and Giles Hopkins Reba and Mark Immergut Alan King Cathy Kwart Rona and Allan Mendelsohn Lynn and Philip Metzger Stacy Murchison
Erin and Mark Kopelman Frank and Joanne Lavin Judy Levey Geoff and Lisa Lewis Winton Matthews, Jr. Louis and Sherry Nevins Ilga Pakalns Mr. and Mrs. Louis Pohoryles Cynthia Rohrbeck David and Peggy Shiffrin Carol Trawick Andrew A. and Marcia D. Zvara
Advocates ($500 - $999) Rachel H.M. Abraham Michael and Nancy Arons Bethesda Magazine Community Fund Gail and Samuel Broder Susan and Laird Burnett Calvert Investments Jane and Fred Cantor Katherine Chase Peggy Dugan David Ehrhart EuroMotorcars Charles Gebbert Mary and Bill Gibb Jean and Christopher Gilson Albert Glickman Sheldon and Sherri Gottlieb Ellen Hatoum Linda Lurie Hirsch William L. Hopkins and Richard B. Anderson Denise and Alexander Liebowitz Douglas McManus and Susan Albert in honor of Laura Forman Harv Lester and Don McMinn Jeffrey Menick David Metzger The Greene-Milstein Family Foundation Ann Morales Elissa and Bill Oshinsky P. David Pappert Laurance M. Redway Eric and Shelley Rubin Dian and Steve Seidel Leslie Smith
Four Seasons Gansevoort Hank’s Oyster Bar Hilton Garden Inn Bethesda Honest Tea The Irish-Inn at Glen Echo The Iron Bridge Wine Company Jaleo Barry and Beth Lindley Max Brenner Microsoft Mon Ami Gabi Montage Resort Nina McLemore The Patton Alliance Paul’s Liquor Propellor Provisions Catering Red Door Spa Residence Inn Bethesda Richard Nader Entertainment Ritz Carlton River Falls Rothschild Chateau Salamander Resort & Spa Shugoll Research Signature Theatre Strathmore Studio Theatre SunTrust The Taproot Foundation Theatre J Vamoose The Washington Kastles Zeke’s Coffee
Round House Theatre is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County government, the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC).
2013-14 Board of Trustees President
Mitchell S. Dupler
Vice President Susan D. Gilbert
Secretary
Bruce S. Lane
Treasurer
Brian M. Madden
Immediate Past President Sally J. Patterson
Michael Beriss Cathy S. Bernard Elaine Kotell Binder Donald M. Boardman Bunny Dwin Laura Forman Ann Gilbert Eric Glantz Stuart Greenfeig Bonnie Hammerschlag Mitchell HĂŠbert Erin Kopelman Marion Ein Lewin Geoffrey P. Lewis Paul Mason Susan Freeman McGee Scott Melby Stacy Murchison Nick Olcott Linda J. Ravdin Ryan Rilette Laura Walther Roger Williams Mier Wolf Judith H. Zickler
CREDITS: All production photos are by Danisha Crosby. Names of actors are listed below. Front cover/Page 1 Erin Weaver and Samuel Edgerly in Ordinary Days Page 5: Ricardo Frederick Evans, Shannon Dorsey, and Jefferson A. Russell in Two Trains Running Page 6: Kimberly Gilbert and Sarah Marshall in The Beauty Queen of Leenane Page 7: Lise Bruneau in This Page 8: Naomi Jacobson in The Lyons Page 9: Laura C. Harris and Katie deBuys in Seminar Page 10: Jefferson A. Russell in Two Trains Running Page 11: Samuel Edgerly in Ordinary Days Page 19: Kimberly Gilbert and Todd Scofield in The Beauty Queen of Leenane Artwork by Esther Wu
THEATRE: 4545 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814 EDUCATION CENTER: 925 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE: Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Box Office Phone: 240.644.1100 Admin Office Phone: 240.644.1099 Education Phone: 301.585.1225
A generous grant from the Taproot Foundation supported the creation of this document. The Taproot Foundation team: Howard Diener, Account Director; Mark Ginter, Project Manager; Erika Dongre, Marketing Manager; Julie Dixon, Copy Editor/Writer; Marti Betz, Graphic Designer; John Farr, Financial Analyst; Tony Richards, Photographer