One of our favorite non-profits on the East End here at NextStop is Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Newsday says that Bay Street is "in the same league with the best major regional and Off-Broadway theatres" and CBS Sunday Morning calls it "one of the country's pre-eminent regional theatres." But even an entity as popular and renowned as Bay Street Theatre is seeing its purse strings being pulled taut as the recession continues and donor monies dry up.
Operating year-round, the 299-seat theatre offers much to the local community, from the professional Mainstage productions to workshops, special events, education outreach initiatives, a college internship program, kids camps and classes, a comedy club, dinner-and-a-movie night, and more. The theatre even serves as a community center, of sorts. According to Executive Director Tracy Mitchell:
We allow people to come in and do fund-raising when someone is ill; when disasters happen, everyone works for free – for example, with Japan and Haiti. We always remember that while the arts are an important venture, we try to be a good neighbor. One common misconception is that we are a local little theatre. While we love, love, love our local theatre companies (after all, that's where many of us first experience live theatre), we are not a community theatre. We are a Professional Regional Theatre, located in the wonderful small community of Sag Harbor village.
One important difference between Bay Street Theatre and that of other theatres is that Bay Street only hires professional actors (from Actors Equity), which brings the highest caliber of acting possible to a local audience – but at union prices. That, along with actor's housing costs, sets, props, and other expenses, adds up to a hefty price tag. Mitchell says that the actual ticket sales account for just under 50% of operating costs. She says: "Half of the money has to come in in donations every single year. We've done an amazing job at cutting every last expense but operating a business in the Hamptons is a very expensive venture. It is critical for donations to help us cover it. We cannot charge for the seats what we need to cover the expenses."
Board member Ken Searles adds:
The theatre was started 20 years ago to advance the arts. The ticket sales only cover a portion of the cost to produce a play. Bay Street tries to choose a variety of work to appeal to everyone. We count on people who appreciate the arts to support us. In the fall we produce a play that is in the local public schools' curriculum and is geared to students (but is great for adults too). Last year it was "The Miracle Worker" and this year it's "To Kill a Mockingbird." The ticket price needs to be low to attract school groups. In the past Target was the sponsor but that arrangement has ended which means the Literature Live series is in jeopardy unless a donor or donors come forward.
Murphy Davis, Artistic Director along with Sybil Christopher, believes that theatre and the arts are vitally important for how they enrich our lives and how they impact our society as a whole. As Davis puts it:
When we look back to any civilization or culture, the arts are always the entity that lives on and help us define what it is to be human. It is through the various art forms that we express what it is to be alive...to live a life. The arts define us, and if we were truly aware of that, there would be little question of what an important and vital role they play in our society...in all societies. As Bay Street is a professional regional theatre, we are able to provide our community with top-notch authors, directors, designers, and actors. Sybil and I feel so lucky to be able to work in a profession we love so much and at the same time to be able to share our excitement and passion for this particular art form with our community out here on the East End.
There are many ways to show support for Bay Street Theatre. Become a member at one of many different giving levels or partner your business with Bay Street. The theatre is also available for rent for parties, benefits, performances, public gatherings, seminars, or classes. A stage crew is available, as is an event supervisor, PA system, general stage lighting, house-light control, Steinway piano, and other amenities.
For more information on how you can support the many programs at Bay Street Theatre, contact Bay Street Theatre, Long Wharf, Sag Harbor, New York at 631.725.0818 or visit www.baystreet.org
