Flux considers Community Supported Theatre

Great post over on Gus' Flux Theatre Ensemble blog and a very interesting discussion ensues. Basically, Gus works to problematize some of Isaac Butler's recent statements over at Parabasis about why theatre shouldn't be "supported" in the context of our new social business model which boldly puts "support" right in the middle of its name. Turns out (as is so often the case), "everything is everything" and the debate is actually just dialogue, but it is an important one that all cultural organizations should probably be having both internally and with their "supporters."

Oh, and http://communitysupportedtheatre.org is now live, though the content will change a lot over the next week.

Oh, and we're compiling a FAQ to eventually live (how's that split feel, Mr. Infinitive?) on that page so if, as Radioshack says, "You've got questions; we've got answers." Free bottle of wine (you arrange NYC pickup) goes to the best suggestion for our FAQ!

Huge, massive, earth-shatteringly good Stolen Chair news

I apologize for the unfathomably long blog silence but we've been very very busy with this...

After 9 months of research and development funded by an innovation grant from The Field's Economic Revitalization for Performing Arts (ERPA), Stolen Chair has been awarded a $20,000 implementation grant from ERPA to adapt the business model of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) to the theatre.

So...IT'S ALL HAPPENING, FOLKS! We're gonna create the country's first Community Supported Theatre (CST), a development playground/research lab/community of audience-investors who will trace our newest project, Quantum Poetics (A science experiment for the stage), from its first creative retreat to its first public work-in-progress presentation.

You can read about the grant and our plans here and listen to my presentation (at the WNYC Green Space!).

Please tweet this, blog this, facebook this, talk about this at water coolers, and mention it loudly on subways: people interested in becoming charter members of our pilot Community Supported Theatre should visit http://communitysupportedtheatre.com to find out more and drop a line of interest to cst[at]stolenchair.org. We're especially looking for a small group of booster members who will receive highly discounted or free memberships in return for help recruiting other members.