What's New With Us

Libby Gatzke is awarded the third Director's Grant on February 1, 2024.

We have been particularly busy these past two months, and we know the theaters have been as well (did you see the February performance calendar??). First order of business was for our committee to review the applications to determine a recipient for the third Director's Grant award. We had quite a few applications and it was a tough decision to narrow down just one winner. In the end, Libby Gatzke received the Director's Grant of $1,000.00 for her upcoming production of Winnie the Pooh: Kanga Rules, opening in late April at Commerce Street Theatre. Libby's application emphasized the need for quality costumes for the adults playing the various characters in the Hundred Acre Wood, specifically costumes that would last from year to year. For those who may recall, the Winnie the Pooh productions are the same shows that were performed at the old Lynchburg Fine Arts Center, written by the incomparable Jim Myers. Stay tuned for our next issue where we are going to look into Myers' impact and legacy on the theater community.

We have nearly completed our visits to all the local theaters in the area. We not only got to meet the various Boards, but we learned a lot about how the individual theaters operate, what some specific needs are, and also learned some needs that seem to be universal among most of the theaters. The feedback we received has been overwhelmingly positive and we have some great ideas for how the Foundation can help. Furthermore, we hope to have an exciting announcement to make in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out on our social media page and website for this information.

February was quite a month for community theater! There were performances going on every single weekend around the area. The calendar the Foundation maintains is a great way to see what's going on in this area, plus you can get a link directly to each theater's ticketing page. Hopefully you have also noticed a poster version of the calendar on display at each theater. This calendar is provided free of charge to the theaters and is updated every four months. This community is very supportive of each other and we believe in the universal idea that supporting one theater supports all theater.

Finally, we wouldn't be able to offer our services without the generous donations of our patrons and corporate sponsors. We appreciate all the support we receive from the community. If you would like to donate, our donation page allows for one-time and monthly recurring donations. The Foundation pays for all tickets used in giveaways, two biannual Director Grant awards of $1,000.00, printed calendars for the theaters, and numerous upcoming events and services that are currently being planned. Your donations will go a long way in supporting us as well as the entire performing arts community in the Greater Lynchburg Community. As a 501c3 non-profit, all donations are tax deductible. Thank you so much for your consideration!