Dear Friends,
There is one question that members of the Playhouse community have asked since we announced the 2024 Season last year: “WHY is there no Panto?” Our Traditional English Pantomime, introduced to the Playhouse by my predecessor Neil Pankhurst and bringing together its three departments, has been our irreverent seasonal “grand finale” and a much-loved tradition for many of you over the holidays.
The answer to why we didn’t include it in this year’s season is disappointingly simple: we were concerned about the cost.
Despite its frugal budget, revenue from the Panto, like many of our productions, has always struggled to cover its costs… often falling short financially even while simultaneously delighting audiences. It is not uncommon for nonprofit theatres to run some productions with very tight margins or even at a deficit and balance the overall budget with more robust revenue from other productions and programs. However, when faced with costs on everything from hardware and lumber to snow removal and electricity climbing at dizzying rates, last year’s budget was not balancing and difficult decisions had to be made. Losing this year’s Panto was one result of those decisions.
As keepers of a nonprofit arts organization, our primary purpose is to serve our community. Appropriately, our mission statement begins with the assertion that theatre is an essential public good. I – down to the soles of my feet – am a true believer in this ideal. Everyone who works here is. While engaging with our community though mission-driven programming is at the forefront of everything we do, we also have a responsibility to be stewards of the money that comes to the organization through ticket sales and donations – ensuring its longevity for many years to come.
We are determined to continue bringing you complex theatrical work that is thought-provoking, emotionally gripping… and sometimes raucously silly! One endeavor, launched in 2023 and newly expanded this year, that makes me especially proud is our Professional Theatre for Young Audiences Program, which brought more than 1,500 New Hampshire school children through our doors this year--many seeing live theatre for the first time! The immediate and lifelong benefits of this type of early childhood experience have been studied and well documented. In order to make this program widely accessible, we have set as low a ticket price point as possible, which creates a tight financial margin. One principal of a participating Title 1 school (mostly serving students from low-income households) said, “Thank you for this. We never get to bring our students anywhere.”
I am delighted to tell you that, as of the writing of this letter, I have selected a 2025 Season that includes a Panto and I am working diligently with Managing Director Thom Beaulieu and the Playhouse Board of Trustees to build a budget that can support it. We really need your help to raise $160,000 – a 30% increase over last year’s end-of-year fundraising – by December 31st to support ALL of our programming! With your support, we can keep programs accessible, reinstate the Panto, and enact even more exciting plans!
Thank you in advance!
Timothy L'Ecuyer
Artistic Director
There is one question that members of the Playhouse community have asked since we announced the 2024 Season last year: “WHY is there no Panto?” Our Traditional English Pantomime, introduced to the Playhouse by my predecessor Neil Pankhurst and bringing together its three departments, has been our irreverent seasonal “grand finale” and a much-loved tradition for many of you over the holidays.
The answer to why we didn’t include it in this year’s season is disappointingly simple: we were concerned about the cost.
Despite its frugal budget, revenue from the Panto, like many of our productions, has always struggled to cover its costs… often falling short financially even while simultaneously delighting audiences. It is not uncommon for nonprofit theatres to run some productions with very tight margins or even at a deficit and balance the overall budget with more robust revenue from other productions and programs. However, when faced with costs on everything from hardware and lumber to snow removal and electricity climbing at dizzying rates, last year’s budget was not balancing and difficult decisions had to be made. Losing this year’s Panto was one result of those decisions.
As keepers of a nonprofit arts organization, our primary purpose is to serve our community. Appropriately, our mission statement begins with the assertion that theatre is an essential public good. I – down to the soles of my feet – am a true believer in this ideal. Everyone who works here is. While engaging with our community though mission-driven programming is at the forefront of everything we do, we also have a responsibility to be stewards of the money that comes to the organization through ticket sales and donations – ensuring its longevity for many years to come.
We are determined to continue bringing you complex theatrical work that is thought-provoking, emotionally gripping… and sometimes raucously silly! One endeavor, launched in 2023 and newly expanded this year, that makes me especially proud is our Professional Theatre for Young Audiences Program, which brought more than 1,500 New Hampshire school children through our doors this year--many seeing live theatre for the first time! The immediate and lifelong benefits of this type of early childhood experience have been studied and well documented. In order to make this program widely accessible, we have set as low a ticket price point as possible, which creates a tight financial margin. One principal of a participating Title 1 school (mostly serving students from low-income households) said, “Thank you for this. We never get to bring our students anywhere.”
I am delighted to tell you that, as of the writing of this letter, I have selected a 2025 Season that includes a Panto and I am working diligently with Managing Director Thom Beaulieu and the Playhouse Board of Trustees to build a budget that can support it. We really need your help to raise $160,000 – a 30% increase over last year’s end-of-year fundraising – by December 31st to support ALL of our programming! With your support, we can keep programs accessible, reinstate the Panto, and enact even more exciting plans!
Thank you in advance!
Timothy L'Ecuyer
Artistic Director
