Greensboro, N.C. – Triad Stage announced today the receipt of a $50,000 challenge gift from long-time supporters Lynne & Glenn Ogden. Given in support of Triad Stage’s longstanding commitment to locally producing high-quality professional theater, the Ogden’s generosity will help kick off the theater’s larger “Play Your Part” Challenge to deepen its donor base and raise $250,000 in new or increased gifts of support before June 30, 2019.
Lynne Ogden, a retired Special Education teacher with a Doctorate from Georgia State, and her husband Glenn, a retired Procter & Gamble engineer (who now sings in a Barbershop Quartet), trace the beginning of their relationship with Triad Stage to 15 years ago when they came to see Founding Artistic Director Preston Lane’s original one-man show Dickens of a Christmas. The following season they became Season passholders. In 2005 they increased their support further with their first donation of $82.76 to Triad Stage. Over the years the Ogdens’ annual gift of support increased to $500 and they have participated in many special campaigns including naming 4 theater seats.
“Triad Stage is important to us and to the community because the plays stretch your comfort zone and make you think long after the play is over,” the Ogdens say. “With all of the changes in the funding for the arts, we wanted to do something special to ensure Triad Stage has the resources it needs to succeed and we want to inspire others to do the same.”
The Ogden’s gift of support helps the theater launch its “Play Your Part” Challenge to raise a total of $250,000 in new or increased gifts of support before June 30, 2019. Their gift allows the theater to launch the campaign with 20% of its overall goal achieved. In addition to the monetary goal, Triad Stage seeks to increase the number of donors from 750 to 1,000.
“For Triad Stage to continue to succeed, everyone has a part to play. When we produce shows, it’s not just the actors that bring the shows to life. For Agatha Christie’s And then There Were None we had over 75 people involved including the hard work of directors, designers, technicians and apprentices,” said Triad Stage Founding Managing Director Richard Whittington. “The community also has parts to play as ticket-buyers, season passholders, volunteers and donors.”
With an annual operating budget of $2.4 million, Triad Stage is the largest independent producing arts organization in the region. Each year the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit professional theater raises $1.2 million in tax-deductible gifts from over 750 individuals, foundations and corporations to support its work and maintain the two facilities the not-for-profit owns.
The funds raised though the “Play Your Part” Challenge will help the 18-year old theater keep up with the cost of producing larger-scale productions, continue to expand their Learning program, and begin to address capital needs as the company approaches its 20th season.
“It’s been almost 20 years since we purchased and renovated the abandoned Montgomery Ward into Triad Stage’s Pyrle Theatre,” said Whittington. “We lost a rooftop HVAC unit serving the administrative offices and dressing rooms over the summer that will cost $27,000 to replace. With the success of the ‘Play Your Part’ Challenge, we will be able to replace that unit, but there are 8 more rooftop units we are watching.”
The announcement of the gift and launch of the campaign coincides with the performances for the second production of Triad Stage’s season, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The show runs through November 18, 2018 at The Pyrle Theater in downtown Greensboro. Tickets are now on sale.
Tax-deductible donations may be made online at www.triadstage.org/
Reprinted with permission of Triad Stage.
