Community theatres involve more participants, present more performances of more productions, and play to more people than any other performing art in the country. Because of our family of donors, BTG has become a landmark destination in Chicago for a quality neighborhood theater experience.
We love that what we do at BTG positively impacts our patrons! Collectively, our 102 on-stage BTG volunteers between the ages of 7 and 81 gave nearly 14,000 hours to bring the 2018-2019 season to life – and that is just the people you saw in the spotlight. Think of all the others who sew costumes, serve you in the lobby, usher you to your seat, build that set and move it from stage to stage. The individuals who give their time at BTG said things like “sparking creativity,” “working together,” “commitment,” “the people… this is my family now” when we asked them what makes BTG special or unique. It’s not just the performance that’s impactful. The moments that people have behind the scenes – learning, playing, exploring, and sharing in the human experience – aid our volunteers in other aspects of their lives.
Some people wonder, “If I buy tickets, why are you also asking me to donate?” Ticket sales help measure the success of our work, but they do not cover the costs needed to put that work onstage. To do that, we would have to ask for hundreds of dollars per ticket and expect that no one could come. That sounds like a terrible theater to us! Instead, we ask for your partnership as a donor.
Total average costs per musical: $25,000
Total average costs per play $ 14,000
Production costs include: Storage and insurance, MPA rental, royalties, Production stipends, costumes, sets, programs, publicity.