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New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater $40,000
New York, New York
George C. Wolfe, Producer
The Public Theater, also known as the New York Shakespeare Festival, was founded in 1954 by Joseph
Papp on the principle that a theater with the highest professional standards could attract and should be
made available to a broad public. From its earliest beginnings presenting free performances of
Shakespeare, to its innovative programming, nontraditional casting, and culturally diverse offerings,
the Public Theater has set the standard for companies across the country. After the death of Joseph
Papp in 1991, the Public entered a new era. In 1993, the young and dynamic playwright/producer
George C. Wolfe was appointed to lead the institution, with the mandate to revitalize the company
artistically while placing it on firm financial footing. Since then, the Public has more than reclaimed
its position as a vital and innovative force in theater. Moreover, board and staff have undertaken the
development of the theater's first-ever long range business plan. Our grant is in support of the initial
implementation of this plan, designed to ensure the fiscal stability of the theater.
Performance Space 122
New York, New York
Mark Russell, Executive Director
$30,000
Performance Space 122 is a nationally recognized presenting organization serving a constituency of
independent artists and emerging dance and theater companies. Located in a city-owned former
school house, its two theaters seating 75 and 150 persons are home to more than 300 performances
each year, as well as hundreds of workshops and rehearsals. P.S. 122 is known for its inventive programming
and discovery of new talent. While cutbacks for cultural programming have taken a toll on
virtually all arts institutions, the "downtown" centers, because they tend to be younger and less established,
have been particularly hard hit. Our grant will support a marketing campaign designed to
strengthen P.S. 122's earned income base by attracting new ticket buyers. The campaign will include
research on the "downtown" performance audience, the creation of a comprehensive database of ticket
buyers at 20 downtown performance venues, the development of new marketing materials based on
the research, and implementation of an expanded direct mail campaign advertising P.S. 122 events. It
is expected that the planned research will be of great value to the entire downtown presenting community,
in addition to helping P.S. 122 boost its own box office income.