The Show Must Go On

The Show Must Go On: A Conversation with Troy Siebels

Troy Siebels, president and CEO of The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, reflects on the importance of the arts while prioritizing public safety. The most common question people ask him these days is a tentative “…so how are you guys doing?” with a pretty clear expectation that the answer will be dismal. Ticket sales and fees account for 85% of our nonprofit’s earned revenue, and 100% of event related revenue dried up overnight. The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory is also a young organization without an endowment to fall back upon. Between mid-March and an anticipated reopening in October, more than $5 million will be lost in ticket sales, a big hit to the bottom line. “We have received a great deal of support from our audiences and members, though, as well as funding from the federal government’s CARES Act. It’s a pretty hard hit, but we are resilient and will recover from this crisis stronger,” asserts Siebels.

Q: In the past, you have shared the personal importance of the performing arts for you and your family. How have recent events affected your perspective about why the arts are important?

A: Finding the world of theatre gave me a sense of belonging and purpose when I was young, and made me who I am today. At age 12, my son is taking theatre classes through our conservatory and performing in shows at his school and elsewhere. As a result, I see him gaining confidence, selfawareness and team-building skills each month. The performing arts are transformational and open our eyes to new perspectives every day.

On a larger scale, the worldwide theatre community demonstrates amazing resiliency and creativity during this pandemic that has shuttered all of our major institutions. The internet is brimming with examples of artists sharing their performances virtually. Some theatre companies have completed a run of performances by streaming video of their last live show, or shared video of past shows. Those are great ways to keep our audiences engaged and to bridge this terrible gap when we must keep our doors closed, but to accept them as the “new normal” would be to lose the thing that makes our art form unique, powerful and relevant.

The performing arts are about bringing people together for shared experiences. The “live-ness” of the performance is an integral piece of its power. The energy and responses from a live audience change the performance on stage in a very real and material way. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the polarization that has taken hold of our world, and we need that social connection now more than ever if we are to move beyond it.

Q: The pandemic has an impact on everyone and cultural nonprofits, particularly those whose business model depends on bringing together crowds for a shared experience, are hit especially hard. For those that are able to help, what is the best way?

A: This pandemic has impacted everyone, and there are many people with uncertainty about where the money will come from for next month’s rent bill or groceries. I am so grateful that even against that backdrop, so many of our audience members donated the value of their tickets to shows that were cancelled this spring to ensure the longterm survival of our theatre. With those donations we created The Hanover Theatre COVID-19 Resiliency Fund to help us bridge this gap. Then on May 1, our board of directors stepped up in a big way and came together to pledge a generous dollar-for-dollar match to all contributions through June 30, up to $60,000. That means if you are able to make a contribution at any level, its impact will be doubled and help us bridge the gap until we can come together again. There’s a prominent link on the home page of the theatre’s website showing people how to contribute.