Triad Stage Gets Fundraising Extension - North Carolina NPR News

Triad Stage Gets Fundraising Extension

January 2, 2013 | Kathryn Mobley

Triad Stage has until this Friday to collect $250,000 dollars.
If it meets this goal, two Greensboro foundations, the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation and the Cemala Foundation, will give the theatre group a quarter of a million dollars. Managing Director and co-founder Richard Whittington says his staff is busy tallying up year-end donations and taking phone pledges from supporters.
“This is going to allow us to eliminate a deficit that had been built up over the past two years. From the 2008 recession and the effects of that on our operations. But also a couple of years ago, we were forced to relocated our production facility which meant buying a new building. And that was an unexpected $600,000 expense.”

According to Whittington, helping Triad Stage also help's downtown Greensboro's economy. “We are a consistent economic generator. We bring 200-300 people downtown every night Tuesday through Sunday almost 45 weeks out of the year. And we’ve been told by near-by restaurants their business increases almost 40% on nights that we’re in performance.” Whittington says Triad Stage also creates jobs. It employs 32 full and part-time workers. In terms of the theatrical staff, “Last season we provided employment for more than 250 actors, directors, designers and technicians. And they live here for 7 weeks. That means we rent apartments year round, we rent cars. So this is about rebuilding our economy.” This is Triad Stage’s 12th season. According to Whittington, people across the Triad and in other states are contributing to the fundraiser.