Crossville’s nonprofit Cumberland County Playhouse (CCP), now in its 47th year, is facing its most serious financial challenge since opening in 1965.
In response the Board of Directors has begun a multi-faceted campaign to assure survival of the nonprofit theater and arts education center.
Producing Director Jim Crabtree states, “The Playhouse has seen hard times before, but this is the most challenging in our history. With support from friends, and new leadership gifts from our Board of Directors and staff, we’ll maintain all announced shows, plus added holiday revivals (for extra income) of Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Sanders Family Christmas.”
The only organization in a rural Tennessee county designated a “Major Cultural Institution” by the Tennessee Arts Commission, CCP built and maintains its multi-stage facility and is paying down its Rural Development expansion mortgage mostly with earned income. Most major non- profit performing groups use state, municipal or university theaters which are often subsidized.
In 3 years of The Great Recession and gas inflation, CCP has cut expenses by 30%, from $3.5 to $2.5 million. An aggressive “green” strategy recycles and adapts scenery and costumes, stresses in-house and home-state artists, and strong volunteerism.
This strategy has helped, though reserves were gradually spent through ‘10. Then heavy snowfalls in December and early 2011 cancelled sold-out performances. Two major youth projects had revenue shortfalls as schools and families faced travel fears, class cancellations and field trip restrictions. Church and senior group bookings slowed or looked ahead to mid-summer.
Remarkably, CCP has funded facilities and programs since ’65 on 85% earned revenue, mostly ticket sales. National averages for similar groups are 50% to 60%. Private gifts, sponsors and grants add 11%, and public funds only 4%. National Endowment for the Arts plans a major grant for fall’s CCP presentation of Dreamgirls, but that can’t help currently.
CCP and its audience generate up to $10 million annual economic impact and retirement real estate sales in its region, with $1 million sales/lodging taxes. That impact is also at risk.
The Playhouse Board asks you, our friend and supporter, for a tax deductible contribution and urges you to consider advance purchases of tickets for upcoming shows. If each of 2010’s 130,000 attendees gave just $10, it would generate over $1 million to retire all operating debt, and even defray the ’93 expansion mortgage.
Credit card gifts are immediate and especially helpful, through the ticket office at 931.484.5000. The mailing address is P.O. Box 484, Crossville, TN 38557. Together we can make sure the show will go on!
