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Monroe Theatre Guild has embarked on a campaign to purchase
and renovate the former STAGE department store building at 910 16th Avenue,
one block north of the square in Monroe. This facility will not only serve
the purpose of much needed storage, building and rehearsal space, it also
provides room for a 100-150 seat "black box" flexible theatre
space. Check out the plans for the new space HERE.
Here are some quick facts about Monroe Theatre
Guild and our project:
1) The new MTG performance space will be a flexible "Black Box"
theatre. Seating and staging will both be moveable to allow for different
types of shows or settings. ie: Round tables with chairs for dinner theatre,
raked seating for plays, a thrust stage that juts into the audience space
for more intimate shows, theatre in the round.
2) Seating will be 100-150 people depending on the configuration.
3) Food for events will all be catered by local restaurants.
4) A workshop/classroom space will be put in the basement shop/prop area
for technical theatre classes on painting and prop making.
5) MTG intends to continue to do at least one large production at the
High School PAC each year and will do 2-3 smaller plays in the new space,
at least one being dinner theatre. We will have at least one larger performance
by our STAGE RIGHT Youth Theatre in the building in addition to their
weekend performances following workshops etc.. Many one night or one weekend
events will be included throughout the year encompassing music, performance
or classic movies.
6) Once complete, the building will be rentable for meetings or social
gatherings or private, corporate entertainment events.
7) The importance of this facility is that its focus is theatre and performance
using only the talent of our local area. We will not be bringing in professional
entertainment, though would be open to offering the space to the Monroe
Arts Center should they need an alternate performance space.
8) The STAGE building has 25,000 square feet - 13,000 of it is finished,
12,000 unfinished. MTG is using every available space for storage, rehearsal,
building and performing.
9) Recognition will be given to all donors in
some fashion.
Impressive Numbers
1) MTG is nearly 40 years old and has produced over 100 plays.
2) An average large musical utilizes up to 125 volunteers for acting,
production team, stage crew and orchestra pit. Those 125 people put in
approximately 10,000 hours for ONE SHOW.
3) 5,000 people were touched by MTG in some way last year, 1,300 of them
children.
4) 190 children participated in workshops, classes, choir and summer theatre
from March -July of this year.
5) Monroe abounds in many professionally trained performers and stage
technicians who volunteer hundreds of hours for the organization to teach,
encourage and share their passion for this art form.
6) This past summer,
a 3-week production of Fairytale Theatre had 3 plays Written, Directed,
Acted and Technically designed and run by 33 students under the age of
18.
The Breakdown of the $750,000 Campaign
These are tentative numbers only and will be adjusted as necessary. If
campaign goals are not met, we will prioritize projects and get done what
we can with what we have.
$165,000 – Pay off Building
$70,000 – HVAC
$40,000 – Sprinkler System
$30,000 –Upper level renovation – new bathrooms, new floor,
new walls
$75,000 - Façade, box office, entrance, lobby
$50,000 – Light trusses, theatre lighting and sound systems
$20,000 – platforming and theatre seats
$200,000 – Column removal, structural renovations, theatre walls
$100,000 – Endowment Fund
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