Date: Fri, 02 Apr 1999 11:11:42 -0800 (PST)
From: "A. Heath" <anheath@yahoo.com>
Subject: Tempe Little Theatre
To: Mark Turvin <mspt@asu.edu>
MIME-version: 1.0
I wanted to thank you for your recent review of Tempe Little Theatre's "A Funny Think Happened On The Way To The Forum."
We appreciate your taking the time to see our show and write a review. As you mentioned in your interview with "Art Press" Tempe Little Theatre and the other community theater groups are working hard to bring the production quality level up a higher level.
When I first joined TLT in 1992. The personalities and politics of this community theater group had practially blown the organization apart. A new dedicated group of about 10 people took hold of the organization and have struggled since then to build membership and increase audience size, while at the same time trying to bring, quality, affordable, theater to the community.
Contrary to what most people think, we get no financial support from the City of Tempe. We are a private not for profit and rely only on ticket and seasonal ticket sales for our revenue. We get very few individual donations during the course of the year and these are mainly gift matches from the Board Members and their employers.
In 1992, when we did "A Thurber Carnival" on one Sunday matinee we had 11 people in the audience. Last season in 1998 for "Fiddler On The Roof" we had four sold out performances. It was a long hard road, but we think we are finally getting there.
We intended "Forum" to be a bit different from "the Zero Mostel Broadway version" and we feel we successfully accomplished our objectives. Our audiences seem to love our show and found it entertaining. After expenses (this one was expensive!) we might even make a little money to fund our next season.
We appreciate your support of TLT and hope you will continue your interest in us and our growth potential.
Our next production is "Prelude to a Kiss" written by Craig Lucas and Directed for TLT by Joy Bingham Strimple. Auditions are at 7:00 p.m. on April 19 and 21 at the Tempe Performing Arts Center. Performances are June 4,5,11,12,18,19 at 8:00 p.m. and June 13 at 2:00 p.m.
I hope you will have the opportunity to see "Prelude" and I would look forward to meeting you.
Thank you.
Annette Heath
Board Member
Tempe Little Theatre
Publicity Chair
anheath@yahoo.com