Theatres do not survive on ticket sales alone. It takes a tremendous amount or resources to keep our doors open, our lights on, and our prices low to allow accessibility. It's thanks to the 40 year history of generous donors that understood the value of theatre arts, that we are able to continue forward. Please consider joining those donors and supporting OTA so that we may continue enriching our community for another 40 years to come.
Please consider any number of options to further our mission:
Financial Donations - Every dollar counts whether it's $10 or $1,000. Our Heart For The Arts campaign offers a monthly financial pledge option.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD's) - Many retirement accounts require yearly distributions. QCD allows these distributions to be tax-free.
Legacy Donations - Consider making OTA a beneficiary as a lasting gift
Material Donation - Theaters are in need of costume, props, sets, landscaping, etc.
Amazon Smile - Register Olympic Theatre Arts as your preferred charity and Amazon will donate .5% of eligible purchases.
So many other ways to give are also available
Please call the Theatre Business Office at 360.683.7326 or click HERE to donate online!
The Shoulders of Giants
A word from the Executive Director
When I was performing at Disney’s Golden Horseshoe and Knott’s Berry Farms’ Birdcage Theatre, I understood I was standing on the shoulders of forgotten giants. Giants like Wally Boag, Steve Martin, and hundreds of other lesser known comedians honed their jokes over thousands of performances before they handed them down allowing us to receive huge laughs with little effort. It was our responsibility to honor their work, as well as add to the arsenal of creative choices, in order to arm the next generation of performers. The same is true of our time together now at Olympic Theatre Arts.
As we play in this theatre, we are standing on the shoulders of volunteer giants. Giant donors, supporters, and volunteers who, over forty-two years, took this theatre from an idea in the old Dungeness School House, through years on Washington Avenue, to the acquisition of the old Boys and Girls Club building, and the renovations that turned that building into the creative, safe-space we have today.
But we cannot rest on the shoulders of giants. We must become giants ourselves for the next generations.
It is with that charge we are endeavoring on major technical system upgrades as a gift to future artists. LED lights will increase fiscal responsibility. Robotic lights will increase inclusion of the mobility impaired. Improved sounds systems will increase audience engagement. New curtains will increase flexibility of design. For this, OTA needs your help.
With the excitement of newer performing arts centers, it is easy to be attracted to the new and the shiny. It’s easy to forget to honor what we already have and to take it for granted. However, once we do, the hard work of our parentage is lost at a great detriment to our society. Let us not forget the giants that made us, which allowed us to become giants ourselves, so that we may empower the giants that come after us. If you help us continue this mission at OTA, future artists will look down from great heights and see themselves on your shoulders with gratitude.
David Herbelin, Executive Director
Major Donations Already Made
Many amazing donors have stepped up to make portions of OTA's Set the Stage Fundraiser possible.
One donor, who chooses to remain anonymous, contributed $14,500 to purchase a new main curtain for the Elaine and Robert Caldwell Main Stage Theatre, increasing the flexibility of the theatre for many generations. This curtain upgrade not only upgrades the versatility of the theatre, it upgrades the aesthetics and grandeur of OTA
Another donor and long time supporter of the arts, Nancy Bull, donated funds to pay for the roto-drapes. These drapes will increase safety and versatility in the Elaine and Robert Caldwell Main Stage Theatre as they will allow easy movement of the curtain legs to accommodate different sets without the need of climbing tall ladders.
Two anonymous donors contributed $20,000 to upgrade the complete sound system. Another donor just announced a contribution of $20,000 towards the lighting system. And $1,500 was given to the general fund for this fundraiser.
OTA deeply thanks all of these donors for their amazing contributions.
There are still plenty of ways to help contribute to make this system upgrade possible. Please consider any of the following items.
Curtain Upgrades
Main Curtain $14,500 - DONATED
Travels across the front of the stage to allow set changes and hide entire productions. Allows one production to take place on the thrust apron while another is hidden on stage.
Mid Curtin $9970 - DONATED
Travels across the middle of the stage to allow deeper set changes. Allows greater versatility in set design.
Roto-Drapes $1620 - DONATED
Puts side curtain legs on rotating and sliding tracks which allows them to be moved into place easily without the need of ladders and rehanging. This would save hours of labor and increase safety.
Light System Upgrade
Chroma-Q Color One 100 PAR $700 ea. - needed: 10
Altman Pegasus 6"3000K LED Fresnel $2,200 ea. - needed:14
Altman SS Cyc 100 mk 2 $1,500 ea. - needed: 4
ETC Source Four LED Series 2 $2,500 ea.- needed: 10
or Releve' Robotic Spots $6,000 ea. - needed: 2
The current lighting system uses 29,275 kWh per month, whereas an LED system would use only 5,508 kWh: a savings of 23,767 kWh per month!
Robotic lights would eliminate the need to climb ladders to refocus instruments and change light colors.
Sound System Upgrades
Lavaliere Microphones $960 each - DONATED
Allows actors to be heard more easily, which is the number one concern of most patrons.
Variable Dispersion Line Array Speakers $6,000 - DONATED
New speakers will allow greater clarity compared to OTA’s current system which is blown out.
Yamaha Mixer Board $8,400 - DONATED