Best Practices People Park Square Theater | Park Square Theater |
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City: St. Paul, MN Created in 1974, the Park Square Theatre operates with the mission "to enrich our community by producing and presenting exceptional live theatre that touches the heart, engages the mind and delights the spirit." While striving to entertain, the non-profit theatre also educates, by performing Nazi-era drams such as Copenhagen and The Diary of Anne Frank. Park Square attracts an audience of 54,000 each year. The theatre operates with an annual budget of $1.3 million. 60% of the budget is derived from ticket sales while the remainder comes from foundations, corporations, public agencies, and individual donors. This budget enables Park Square to remain a high quality community theatre with a professional full time staff. Park Square embraces its role as a community theater in many ways. The Park Square Theatre Education Program reaches 25,000 middle and high school students each year. Some students are participants of "An Evening of Theater During the Day" program. The kids view a matinee and learn about theater. Students are taught audience etiquette, as they learn to become active, attentive, and polite members of the audience. In order to promote a deeper connection between theater artists and student audiences, study guide materials are distributed to help the teacher create a literary, historical, and artistic context for students before they attend the matinees. Post-show discussions further the educational experience. Some schools send students to "Immersion Day" – a day filled with hands-on activities with artists. The artists who teach the workshop sessions are asked to share their passion for the art of theater, illustrate theater as a collaborative art, and highlight the importance of preparation and interpretive choices. 20-150 students are served each session. "Custom" Immersion Days can also be tailored around a specific curriculum, focusing on a work studied in class. Interested schools contact the theatre and help finance the session. In addition, evening workshops are offered for teachers, allowing them to learn methods to integrate theater into literature, science, math, and social studies lessons. The educational program provides a true classroom base, as it is led by Mary Finnerty, a professional teacher turned theatre director. Besides educational programs, Park Square offers free tickets to social service agencies for distribution to low-income individuals. Future Immersion Days are being designed to target adults and families. The theatre exposes the arts to various groups, regardless of age or socio-economic status. The impact is extremely positive, with people coming together for artistic appreciation. Through its continual involvement in the community, Park Square remains committed to entertainment and education.
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