TLT AND TACOMA CREATES NEED YOUR HELP

Reach out to your City Council member and advocate for the early release of funding from Tacoma Creates before April 14th. 

Opportunity:
The Tacoma City Council has the opportunity to fulfill on the voters voice that empowered Tacoma Creates and to step into an urgent need during this crisis. This is the time to expedite funding that will serve every neighborhood, every income level, and every age. Offering critical stabilization dollars will enable the sector to find its footing and, when this crisis subsides, be ready to resume and expand service to our citizens. 

Why now?: 
All businesses are feeling the economic freeze and the cultural sector is no different. Many crucial social service non-profit organizations are receiving emergency support from the philanthropic community and government. Because of Tacoma Creates, most of the nonprofits within the cultural sector have intentionally stepped aside from such funding requests out of respect to the needs of the most needy and at-risk. Thanks to the dedicated funding of Tacoma Creates, there is now an opportunity to provide emergency support to the cultural sector. This neither takes away from other community needs nor detracts from the City’s ability to support those social service needs. 

Please personalize with your cultural experiences in Tacoma and share this letter with your council member!

Dear Council Member [insert last name]:

I respectfully request that the Tacoma City Council take action and unanimously approve the voter-approved work of Tacoma Creates and the independent Citizen panel’s recommendations on this first major round of Tacoma Creates funding, and do so on the expedited timeline and process suggested by Tacoma City Staff. 

The Cultural Sector is a $75 million economic engine in our City, employing more than 4,000 individuals - community members who pay rent, shop and pay taxes. This sector is facing the same challenges that all for profit and not for profit businesses are enduring due to the COVID 19 virus. City Staff’s recommendation will help stabilize the sector, a key deliverable of the Tacoma Creates ordinance.

During this crisis the Cultural Sector has not remained dormant: delivering educational and childcare services with Tacoma Public Schools and other nonprofit partners for front-line workers and First Responders; offering free online resources and performances for all ages whether educational or inspirational to households across the City; partnering in communications and fundraising to support the social services sector; and shifting services to support Personal Protection Equipment production.

Please put Tacoma Creates dollars to work to help stabilize the cultural sector, now. This dedicated funding will support a diverse group of more than 50 organizations and ensure that our cultural community remains strong and serves the entire community at a new level of impact and commitment.

COUNCIL MEMBER CONTACT INFORMATION
John Hines, District 1 (North and West End)
john.hines@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470

Robert Thoms, District 2 (North end, Downtown, NE)
robert.thoms@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848

Keith Blocker, District 3 (Central)
keith.blocker@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470

Catherine Ushka, District 4 (Lincoln)
catherine.ushka@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848

Chris Beale, District 5 (E Side)
chris.beale@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470

Lillian Hunter, District 6 (at-large)
lillian.hunter@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848

Connor McCarthy, District 7 (at-large)
conor.mccarthy@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848

Kristina Walker, District 8 (at-large)
kristina.walker@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470

Victoria Woodards, Mayor
victoria.woodards@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848

THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER - An Off the Shelf reading

Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 7:30pm
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Tacoma Little Theatre's Off the Shelf program presents the moving true story, The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, written Moises Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris, and Stephen Belber, with direction by Warren Kerr  This production will play Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 7:30pm.

On October 6, 1998, gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard left the Fireside Bar with Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson. The following day he was discovered on a prairie at the edge of town, tied to a fence, brutally beaten, and close to death. Six days later Matthew Shepard died at Poudre Valley Hospital in Ft. Collins, Colorado. On November 14th, 1998, ten members of Tectonic Theatre Project traveled to Laramie, Wyoming, and conducted interviews with the people of the town. Over the next year, the company returned to Laramie six times and conducted over 200 interviews. These texts became the basis for the play The Laramie Project. Ten years later on September 12th, 2008, five members of Tectonic returned to Laramie to try to understand the long-term effect of the murder. They found a town wrestling with its legacy and its place in history. In addition to revisiting the folks whose words riveted us in the original play, this time around, the company also spoke with the two murderers, McKinney and Henderson, as well as Matthew's mother, Judy Shepard. THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER is a bold new work, which asks the question, "How does society write its own history?"

The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later features the talents of: Ethan Hinze, Ana Bury-Quinn, Mark Peterson, Rachael Telford, Russ Coffey, Jenifer Gillis-Rifenbery, Scott C. Brown, Karla Gjerde-Seman, Devin Jackson, and Deniece Bleha.

Tickets for the January 30, 2020 performance at 7:30pm are $10.00 for non TLT Members, and FREE for those who are members. Tickets may be purchased by clicking here, or by calling our Box Office at (253) 272-2281.

TLT's OFF THE SHELF

We know that there is a tremendous amount of wonderful theatre that deserves to be heard but sometimes just doesn’t get an opportunity. With “Off the Shelf”, local directors and actors will be bringing some scripts to life that we hope you will find entertaining, challenging and educational to our stage. We hope that you’ll sit back and enjoy an evening of theatre. You never know, you might see one of these shows on our mainstage in the future.

COMMUNITY THEATRE TOWN HALL

Saturday, January 25, 2020
10:00am
CLICK HERE to RSVP

Join us on Saturday, January 25, 2020 from 10 am - Noon for a “Town Hall” discussion about the issues facing community theatres and how theatre organizations on the local, state, and national levels can better serve you and advocate on your behalf.

In partnership with American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) and the Washington State Community Community Theatre association (WSCTA), all Community Theatres new and old, member, and non-member, and anyone who is involved or passionate about community theatre is invited to attend this thoughtful dialogue on the state of community theatre. Forum will be a great opportunity to connect and learn from your theatre neighbors, give feedback on programs and services you are may or may not be receiving from AACT and to learn what programs and resources currently exist that you may not be aware of. The American Association of Community Theatre is a nonprofit theatre association committed to Helping Theatres Thrive. We hope that you will join us for this lively discussion and exchange of ideas!
 
Forum will be hosted at Tacoma Little Theatre, 210 North I Street, Tacoma, WA. Light snacks will be provided. For questions about the forum, please contact AACT Executive Director, Quiana Clark-Roland at Quiana@aact.org.

The Washington State Community Theatre Town Hall is Saturday after the Friday opening night of the AACT NewPlayFest World Premiere of Shattering by Pat Montley at Tacoma Little Theatre. Performances  January 24 – February 9, 2020.  tacomalittletheatre.com for tickets and information

MUH GROG ZOO - Words 157 & 158

Friday, January 3, 2020
8:00pm

$10 per human
$15 per human with really cool collector pin 

CLICK HERE for tickets

Check out Muh Grog Zoo on facebook by clicking HERE
 

Tacoma's best kept secret is back.

Muh Grog Zoo will perform two entirely improvised one-act plays, each based on a single word from their beloved audience.

They'll be getting word 157 and 158 this evening. So many worlds/words have been shared!

Completely original, often times hilarious, touching and always a little weird, Muh Grog Zoo's shows are unforgettable. No show is ever the same, and you're sad when you have to miss one. Come see why they've been called The Best Live Show in the Puget Sound.

*For Mature-minded Persons.

Special show details!

Limited edition, limited quantity, metal, super sweet, Muh Grog Zoo pins will be sold with ticket bundle at a discount price.

(Or you can risk it and get one at intermission if they have any left)

*pins sold separately at intermission - $7

4000 DAYS - An Off the Shelf reading

Thursday, MARCH 12, 2020 at 7:30pm
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

Tacoma Little Theatre's Off the Shelf program is excited to present Peter Quilter’s heartfelt story, 4000 Days, directed by Jeffery Swiney-Weaver and featuring some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest actors. This production will play Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 7:30pm.

What would you do if you forgot the last decade of your life? After a blood clot unexpectedly formed in his brain, Michael has been in a coma for three weeks. Watching over him in hospital is his bitter mother Carol and his dull but well-meaning partner Paul. They are united in their grief over Michael, and in their intense dislike of each other. When Michael wakes, they realize that 11 years of his memory have been completely erased. He remembers nothing of the last 4000 days. He remembers nothing of Paul. It is as though the relationship never existed. Paul must now fight to bring Michael’s memory back while Carol fights to remove him from their lives completely. Michael, still charming and witty, concentrates his recovery on creating a giant mural on the back wall of his hospital room. An expression of his loss, his hopes, and his desire to live his life as the man he was 11 years ago, not the man he has become.

4000 Days features the talents of: Rodman Bolek (Paul), Chris Serface (Michael), and Jennifer Aylsworth (Carol).

Tickets for the March 12, 2020 performance at 7:30pm are $10.00 for non TLT Members, and FREE for those who are members. Tickets may be purchased online at www.tacomalittletheatre.com, or by calling our Box Office at (253) 272-2281.

TLT's OFF THE SHELF

We know that there is a tremendous amount of wonderful theatre that deserves to be heard but sometimes just doesn’t get an opportunity. With “Off the Shelf”, local directors and actors will be bringing some scripts to life that we hope you will find entertaining, challenging and educational to our stage. We hope that you’ll sit back and enjoy an evening of theatre. You never know, you might see one of these shows on our mainstage in the future.