Making the most of the summer

There may not have been any plays on at Progress theatre since mid July but things certainly haven't been quiet. We have taken advantage of the natural gap in the programme to carry out some maintenance work. The main work being carried out is some remedial work in the auditorium, this involved the complete removal of all the seats so that the underlying structure could be replaced. A recent building survey reported that while our audiences were perfectly safe we were advised not to let people dance in the aisles!

The auditorium stripped bare

The old seats are going to be put back in but the rows will be more evenly spaced so that there will be no very cramped rows (but of course also no very wide rows). The aisle up the middle will also be straightened to make better use of the space.

Emma Walsh took over the role of theatre premises manager in July so has had to hit the ground running managing this major job. She was already on the committee so knew what she was letting herself in for. While the work in the auditorium is being carried out by professional contractors willing Progress member were called in to spruce up the foyer. It will not be dramatically different but should look clean and fresh for the start of the season. In her new role Emma is planning to draw up a programme of maintenance work for the whole year so that members can see in advance what is planned and what they might be interested in getting involved with.

Foyer decorating team taking a well earned break

Of course the million dollar question was is it all going to be ready in time? Emma said that there had been a delay in the schedule (isn't there always?) about getting the building regulations signed off. Things are now going well  and although we had to move a members social evening the handover date of 25th September means we will be ready for our first public event, Jazz at Progress on 27th.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Auditions for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Tuesday 24th September 2013 at 7.30pm or Sunday 29th September 2013 at 10am, Progress Theatre

Jazz at Progress, Neal Meets Steele, Friday 27th September 2013 7.30, Progress Theatre

The 8th Annual WriteFest Thursday 17th - Saturday 19th October 2013, Progress Theatre

Details of all our productions and auditions can be found on our website.

Meet the Chair

For my latest post in the series looking at the people who run Progress Theatre I went to the top and spoke to Dan Clarke, Chair of the management committee.

Dan was a relative newcomer to the theatre when he was elected to Chair. He joined the theatre in 2009 after driving his friends mad with endlessly going on about how much he missed not being involved in theatre since leaving university. He took their advice to "Do something about it or shut up" did some research on local theatres and chose Progress. Soon after joining he got several small parts in Terry Pratchett's Going Postal and says that being part of a large cast was a good introduction to the theatre and all the important behind the scenes people. His big breakthrough was taking on one of the roles in the two hander Intimate Exchanges by Alan Ayckbourn.

Dan studied film and drama at Reading university but dropped out after two years because he was at that age where "he thought he knew more than the people teaching him". He then started working for a betting shop and worked his way up into management before being made redundant. It was around this time that he joined the Progress management committee, initially as theatre manager. He also did the classic working in a coffee shop while trying to get into professional acting and did some profit share and short films. He is now working in an administration role for the NHS which leaves him time in the evenings and weekends to get involved in creative (and management) projects at Progress.

Dan (left) in Rumours
[Photo Richard Brown]

So what does being Chair involve? According to the official documents the chair should have a position on every committee and be involved in every show. Sounds like a full time job... Dan sees the role as keeping things running smoothly, you need to know what is going on in all aspects of the theatre but have to help other people fulfil their roles not try and do it all yourself. The theatre is full of people who are passionate about Progress and have strong views about how things should be done so the chair, as the place where the buck stops, has to have a thick skin to take the inevitable complaints and differences of opinion. Dan also thinks the chair should encourage debate in committee meetings and not always impose their own views.

The major achievement during Dan’s two years in office has been working out a programme of building improvements to the theatre which will enable us to remain on our current site for the foreseeable future. He has also managed the implementation of a new box-office system due to go live next season. There have been other smaller changes such as replacing the old lights, removing the trees in the car park and introducing the double bill for new directors as a regular slot in the season. Dan now feels it is time to move on so will be stepping down at the next AGM although he hopes to remain on the committee in another role to provide continuity and take responsibility for the projects he started.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Little Shop of Horrors, music by Alan Menken, libretto by Howard Ashman,Thursday 18th to Saturday 27th April 2013, 7.45 Progress Theatre

Colder Than Here by Laura Wade 20th - 25th May 2013, 7.45 Progress Theatre

Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward Monday 17th June - Saturday 22nd June 2013, 7.45 Progress Theatre

Meet the Membership Rep

For the latest in my series of posts about the people on the committee who manage the theatre as volunteers I spoke to Sayani Sur, known to everyone as Shi.

Her role on the committee is membership representative so I began by asking her to explain what that means. The membership rep acts as the means of communications between the committee, the trustees and the wider membership. This communication works both ways so Shi makes sure that committee minutes are sent out to members who want them and that anything that comes up at meetings that she thinks members may have particular views on is raised with the membership. Going the other way Shi is the first port of call for members who want to raise a particular issue with committee. This might range from questions about booking seats for shows to requests to get involved in fundraising and even raising concerns about the cost of painting a new container.

Shi was involved in theatre when she was at school but later drifted away to concentrate on her career. When she decided she needed some drama back in her life she threw herself into Progress activities. She has been involved in almost every show since she joined the theatre a bout eighteen months ago. She can usually be found wielding a paint brush or screw driver during set build weekends, she directed a play in WriteFest this year, played a beast in Neverwhere and is currently on stage as a dwarf with gender issues in The Fifth Elephant.

Shi backstage during The Fifth Elephant

When she realised the theatre was run by a management committee she decided she would like to get more involved and have some influence on the way the theatre was run. The position of member representative happened to be available and she took it over on a temporary basis before being formally elected at last year’s Annual General Meeting.

During the day Shi is a commercial media lawyer and is responsible for negotiating and managing contracts. She is a trained lawyer, a background that has occasionally proved useful when the committee needs someone to run an experienced eye over a legal document.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

The Fifth Elephant by Stephen Briggs based on the book by Terry Pratchett 17th - 26th January 2013, Progress Theatre

Auditions for Colder than Here by Laura Wade, Sunday 10th February 2pm, Wednesday 13th 7.30 pm, Progress Theatre

Auditions for Macbeth, the Summer Shakespeare production, Lord and Lady Macbeth only, Friday February 8th, 7pm Progress Theatre. Auditions for all other parts Sunday 3rd and 10th March 2.30pm.

Rumours by Neil Simon, Monday18th to Saturday 23rd February 2013, Progress Theatre

Meet the marketing manager

This week's post is the first in an occasional series looking at the people who run Progress Theatre -  the management committee. Progress has charitable status and is entirely managed by a team of volunteers elected annually by the members.

Abby Salter sits on the management committee as the marketing manager and I met up with her over a cup of coffee to discuss her role. She originally joined the theatre to get involved with the writers' group but after agreeing to look after the marketing for The Women of Lockerbie she has not looked back and this is now her fifth year as marketing manager. She has even gone on to get a level 4 qualification from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Abby relaxing during a break from the theatre
 

The role of the marketing manager is to look at the marketing and branding of the theatre as a whole but Abby also co-ordinates the marketing activities of each show. Each production has its own dedicated marketing person (also a volunteer of course!) but Abby handles the press contacts to maintain consistency over the season. There is a marketing schedule for each production to make sure that nothing is forgotten. There is also a small team of people who do regular marketing jobs across the season like putting up displays in the library and  maintaining the website.

Selling a show is much easier if it is something people want to see anyway (or it is on the school curriculum and they have to see it!). As marketing manager Abby doesn't have a direct say on what plays are put on in a season but the management committee takes an overall view on the plays put forward by the play production committee. The ideal is to have a mixture of well-known popular pieces combined with some more challenging works.

Abby is clearly excited by all aspects of marketing and gets a real buzz from watching people coming out after a show they've enjoyed and feeling that they came along as a result of marketing. She is proud of increasing average seat sales form 59.8% to 67% over her time in office.

If you are interested in what goes on at Progress Theatre then sign up to this blog. Enter your email in the box under ‘about us’ and click on subscribe. New postings are made weekly so you won’t be swamped with emails.

Auditions for Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman. Wednesday 21st November 7.30 to 10.30 pm plus Saturday 24 November 2 to 5pm (Main characters and call-backs)

Auditions for New Directors' Double Bill Wednesday 5th December, 7.30pm or Sunday 9th December 2pm, Progress Theatre

Progress Youth Theatre presents For the Love of a Nightingale by Timberlake Wertenbaker 10th -15th December 2012, Progress Theatre

The Fifth Elephant by Stephen Briggs based on the book by Terry Pratchett 17th - 26th January 2013, Progress Theatre

Details of all our productions and auditions can be found on our website.