Hello my loves and happy #FinanceFriday!
I know it's been a little over a week or so since I posted, but I've been the busiest of bees from traveling to the city and celebrating a birthday to getting ready to head home for the holiday season.
But here I am with a little blog post with a new project I am starting, but before I dive into it I'm going to start with a little background information. So as Officer Marcus would say in Murder for Two, "Buckle Up!!" because it's going to be a big one.
Theatre is expensive.
And I'm not just talking about Broadway.
Some Averages:
Broadway Show Ticket Play (2018): $89.17
Broadway Show Ticket Musical (2018) : $125.17
Ticket price at not-for-profit theatres in the United States by budget size of theatre:
(Based off information on Statista.com)
Conference registrations (excluding travel/hotel/dining):
USITT (Left) SETC (Right)
(Prices for USITT on the left increase after 12/6)
Theatre Camps/CYT/etc: Around $200 a session (for a single class)
We often discuss (but frankly not often enough), about ways we can make theatre more diverse and inclusive.
And while I am a huge supporter/advocate for making theatre more diverse and inclusive, I am a firm believer that in order to do this we must first make theatre more financially accessible.
Think about it. When you are sitting in the audience, who is sitting in the seats around you?
A: Probably a bunch of older white men.
And while we've come a LONG way, there is still so much work to be done in order to make theatre more financially accessible for everyone. So because this is the season of giving, I am starting #TeamGhostlight.
This is a project I have been brainstorming for a long time. It started while I working on a production of Our Town with a cast of young actors. At the end of the show, the stage manager turned on the ghostlight before exiting the stage. Every day the young actors would ask me why the ghostlight was turned on at the end of the show instead off because they had never had a ghostlight before and didn't know the history behind it.
And it got me thinking about how many theatres and schools don't have ghostlights. And so my first idea was to start sending a ghostlight out to every school I could. But then I realized how many schools don't even have enough money for scripts or costumes or other basic theatrical needs.
And who was I to prioritize a ghostlight for them?
And how many college students can't afford to take an unpaid internship or attend conference because they are paying their own way through school.
I was beyond lucky to have had incredible theatre training throughout high school and college and to attend all of the conferences mentioned in my last blog post.
But now it's time to give back.
I have started #TeamGhostlight to start raising funds to donate to underfunded schools or to sponsor individuals to help attend conferences/pay for theatre supplies/accept lower paying internships.
The average cost of a ghostlight is $400. Ideally, this is the amount each school or individual will receive to help fund their theatrical dreams.
If you know a person or school who could benefit from this donation, please contact me directly with more information (name/reason/address).The only requirement is that the school or individual shows proof of using the money to help their theatre program or their goals.
No donation is to small or to large, so click the photo below to be directed to the Go Fund Me page. If you do not feel comfortable using Go Fund Me, please reach out to me directly to ask how you can donate.
This has been a huge goal of mine for a long time now and I appreciate any and all support this holiday season! If you cannot afford to donate, sharing this page on social media can make a huge difference as well!
While I understand there are reasons behind each cost (and some I am probably not even aware of), I believe we have to start making theatre more financially accessible for everyone. So please join me in giving back this holiday season!
Much love always,
❤️Chels
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