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The Stage is Set For A New Season at FPST

2021 Auction Sees Changes But Still Broad Support

It was a different kind of year for the Fort Peck Summer Theatre and the Fort Peck Fine Arts Council thanks to COVID. Had everything been normal in 2020 and 2021, they would have been hosting their 20th annual auction fundraiser, but last year they were forced to cancel their 19th and this year they were forced to change the format, broaden the timeline and compensate for an upcoming season that will take place amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In a normal year, the fundraiser includes a silent auction and a live auction of various donated items. To accommodate for public health measures this year, the silent auction was kept but the live auction nixed in favor of a raffle drawing for nearly 60 "lots" or bundles of prizes.

According to Jennifer Fewer with the Fort Peck Fine Arts Council, the system was new but successful. The council spread the silent auction and the raffle out over a three-day period from March 17-20 affording people an opportunity to take their time and decide which items to put in for the raffle and which items to bid at the silent auction. In all the council had 22 "big ticket items" according to Fewer on the silent auction block as well.

In all the event raised around $8,000 for the Fort Peck Summer Theatre's summer season which is just over half of the roughly $15,000 the annual live auction fundraiser brings in each year. Fewer said the tradeoffs were worth it though since the season's overhead is already going to be less than a normal year due to COVID and the event was easier to manage volunteer wise and in venue than a normal year.

"We actually, in comparison to our Chinese auction-where we could make $15,000-this was much smaller scale," said Fewer, "and we still raised $8,000. So, we feel it was very successful."

Fewer explained that the volunteer force for the adjusted format was also minimal. In a normal year the live auction would require roughly 30 volunteers whereas the 2021 fundraiser required only three volunteers for each of the four days. Fewer said it was also far more relaxed and less intense to put on. Asked if a hybrid of the two fundraiser setups may reappear in the future, Fewer said the council was looking into it but she made no solid commitments to what the future could hold for the nearly two-decade-old auction. "It's something we're definitely going to talk about," she said.

Each year the theatre holds the auction to assist with a chunk of their yearly overhead. In fact, the auction, ticket sales and corporate sponsors are the theatre's only sources of funding and a desire to keep ticket prices affordable and the seats packed makes the other two important to the theatre's mission.

"We couldn't do a season without this fundraiser," explained Fewer, adding that the monies raised will help pay for the theatre's royalty fees, costumes, set designs and wages for the professional actors that often headline the larger productions. Speaking about the fundraiser directly, Fewer added, "It keeps our ticket prices at an affordable rate where everyone can attend."

When the season is complete, ticket sales will have only covered roughly 39 percent of the theatre's total costs to include overhead on the theatre itself and the two supporting buildings in Fort Peck. Accounting for the other 60 percent is the auction and the sponsorships which Fewer said are huge in helping fund the seasons.

Despite the fact that this year's fundraiser was cut down to only $8,000, Fewer assured patrons that the season's quality will not suffer, but it will be "lighter" in a way. Due to COVID restrictions the casts were already set to be smaller in numbers cutting back on wages for professional actors. The council also cut the major Disney production "A High School Musical" which saved a significant royalty fee. Reduced crowd sizes may also save the theatre since royalties are often calculated based on crowd sizes.

"Show quality won't suffer," Fewer said, "but the casts will be limited." She went on to say that seating will also be limited by social distancing and that the system will automatically block off surrounding seats when patrons order online. Fewer explained that parties hoping to attend the shows together should make their reservations online at the same time to avoid being blocked off and socially distanced automatically.

The theatre will still offer a full lineup of shows, starting in early June with Dames of the Sea and ending in early September with Terms of Engagement. In between are You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Spitfire Grill and Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.

 

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