HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/5/2017 Item 6, Thayer
Christian, Kevin
From:Patty Thayer <patty@slorep.org>
Sent:Monday, July
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:July 5 Meeting - Item 6
Dear Mayor Harmon, and Councilmembers Rivoire, Christianson, Gomez and Pease,
On behalf of the staff, board of directors and all the generous supporters of the newly rebranded San Luis
Obispo Repertory Theatre, we would like to thank the Promotional Coordinating Committee and the City
Council for the incredibly generous support you’ve given to this organization over many, many years.
This year, the PCC has recommended funding for promotions related to our rebranding and the inaugural season
of SLO REP. These funds will enable us to launch our new name and our new vision for professional, live
theatre in downtown San Luis Obispo in a very big way, setting the stage for even bigger things to come (thanks
once again to City support!) Thank you for your consideration of the PCC's recommendations.
This strategic rebranding of the Little Theatre is long overdue. Over the last 5 years in particular, our
organization has experienced unprecedented growth, both artistically and financially. Since 2012:
Our season ticket sales have increased by almost 50%, or about 10% every single year.
Our overall budget has nearly doubled. This season, our theatre will bring in almost three quarters of a
million dollars, putting us in the top 3% percent of nonprofit theatres in the nation.
The Academy of Creative Theatre, our year-round educational program for young performers, is over
capacity. Nearly every class, camp and workshop has a wait-list, and the only thing that is keeping this
program from expanding is our lack of space (both in our building and on the calendar.)
We enjoy an average 94% capacity for our mainstage shows, with more than half of our performances
selling out completely.
Over 20,000 patrons attend our performances each year, larger than the annual audiences for the San
Luis Obispo Symphony, Festival Mozaic and the Civic Ballet combined (not that it’s a competition!)
In short, our organization is thriving. We’re bursting at the seams. And with your support, SLO REP is poised
and ready to launch our campaign for a new theatre in the cultural center of downtown. Nothing enhances and
energizes a city like having a successful, professional, theatre in its downtown core. This strategic rebranding
will position our organization to succeed in our campaign for a new building and to fulfill our vision of
becoming a nationally recognized regional theatre and a major economic driver for San Luis Obispo, drawing
visitors from near and far to experience everything that our wonderful City has to offer.
Thank you for your ongoing support of SLO REP, and for giving us the chance to share these exciting
changes with you. We are extremely proud of our history as the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre, and we are
thrilled to begin building our future as SLO REP.
Sincerely,
Patty
Patty Thayer
Communications & Development Director
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San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre
Tickets (805) 786-2440
Office (805) 781-3889 x10
www.slorep.org
Mission: To present professional theatrical productions for the entertainment and enrichment of the public, and to provide the
best possible theatre education opportunities for children and adults.
Our Belief: We believe live theatre provides unique and powerful storytelling, blending multiple art forms and connecting
communities through the shared emotional journey at each performance.
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