The Alliance of Resident Theatres / New York

The Alliance of Resident Theatres / New York (ART/NY) is our biggest advocacy organization. They are also our organizational best friends. Under the leadership of Ginny Louloudes and for more than fifteen years, they have been there with a resource, piece of advice, or shoulder whenever we've needed it.

In 2007 we have more to thank them for than we could possibly list here. So here are some highlights:

Our office - We recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of ART/NY's "Space at 520", which is a fantastic floor of offices at 520 Eighth Avenue. But only now, perhaps, have we truly come to realize the growth that our organization has experienced due in no small part to the fact that we have sufficient office space that is well-located and safe and clean. Click here to read more about ART/NY's "Space at 520"

Our professional development - in the 2005/2006 season we were selected to take part in The RSC Audience Development and Planning Workshop (so named because it was funded by the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation). Not only did this provide the opportunity to meet the extraordinary Micki Hobson and get to work with ART/NYer Lisa Stevenson more directly, it also has had an extraordinary impact on our organization. Perhaps only now can we really see the fruits of having had a functional annual plan for building audience participation in place for a couple of years.

As I've said, this is merely a glance at everything that ART/NY does to ensure the survival of The Present Company and hundreds of other off and off-off Broadway organizations. I cannot tell you the number of times that we gotten an email, fax or phone call from them about something we were JUST talking about. A need. An upcoming “challenge”. A worry. A quandary. And there they are. . . with a seminar, a panel, a bridge loan, a website, a newsletter, a consultant, an office space, and a smile. And I'm pretty sure our annual dues only cover about a fourth of the lunches that I've eaten in their office. . .

So I'll use this small space to say a HUGE and very, very heartfelt “Thank You”. Thank you, for your leadership. Thanks for giving us a voice. Thanks for representing us. Thanks for being so responsive…and so thoughtful. I really don't think we could do this without you.