round house theatre | annual report

A n n u A l R e p o R t F i s c A l 2 0 1 4

COVER PhOtO by Danisha CROsby

On behalf of the Board and Staff of Round

house, thank you for helping to make our

2013-14 season one of the most successful

in our history!

More than 41,000 of you attended our

performances last season, making it our second

highest-attended season and proving that our

new artistic focus is working. We received

rave reviews for all of our productions, were

nominated for eight helen hayes awards (more

than the previous five seasons combined), and

won three awards for our production of Glengarry

Glen Ross, the most awarded non-musical of the

year! We also ended the season on a high note

by producing our first musical in seven years, the

celebrated Ordinary Days by adam Gwon, which

extended a week due to popular demand.

Our education programs also had a stellar year,

with the largest number of students from the

widest number of schools participating in our

annual sarah Metzger Memorial Play last year.

We also continued to expand our stage combat

classes through our association with tooth &

Claw, and are now training more certified stage

combatants than any organization between

Philadelphia and north Carolina.

this year, you helped us match a generous

grant from the arts & humanities Council of

Montgomery County that allowed us to invest

more than $250,000 in computer and theater

technology equipment, helping our staff and

artists work smarter and faster than ever before.

On top of all of that, we upgraded our ticketing

system; installed a new donor acknowledgement

wall in the lobby; started a Planned Giving

society; and added beer, wine and the ability to

accept credit cards in concessions. best yet, we

finished the season with a $195,703 surplus and

increased our net assets by $239,816.

And this is just the beginning!

in 2014-15, we once again are offering a six-

show season of celebrated new plays, modern

classics, and musicals, including our first

holiday show in more than a decade. We’ve also

integrated our educational programs for teens

more fully into our mainstage work by moving

our summer Programs and annual sarah Play

to bethesda, hiring one of our mainstage actors

to serve as the Lead teaching artist for teens,

and expanding our sarah Play into a year-round

teen Performance Company. Combined with our

innovative Play it Forward program, which offers

free tickets to Montgomery County Public school

high school students, this adds up to one of the

most exciting programs for teens in the country.

We have big plans for the future of Round house,

including a new play program that will allow us

to commission and develop new work for both

our mainstage and the sarah Play. in the coming

months we’ll let you know how you can be a part

of this and other exciting initiatives in the works.

this is an extraordinary time at Round house.

We thank all of you who have helped to make us

the theatre that everyone is talking about, and

encourage those of you who don’t know much

about us yet to Get in on the action!

sincerely,

Mitch Dupler, board President

GetinontHe

success

Round House Theatre is a home for outstanding ensemble acting and lifelong learning.

We seek to captivate audiences with stories that inspire compassion, evoke emotions, and demand conversation.

Ryan Rilette, Producing artistic Director

OUR MISSION

AReYouin?

One year

six ‘Helen HAYes Recommended’ pRoductions

8 Helen HAYes nominAtions

3 Helen HAYes AwARds

(includinG outstAndinG

diRectoR & ensemble)

FouR AReA pRemieRes

99 ARtists

41,301 tHeAteRGoeRs

2,628 students

678 FRee tickets FoR students tHRouGH plAY it FoRwARd

$639,853 incReAse in Revenue oveR FY13

$195,703 suRplus

$273,000 in tecHnoloGY & inFRAstRuctuRe upGRAdes

tHis

OCtObER 9 – nOVEMbER 3, 2013

(27 PERFORManCEs)

tOtaL attEnDanCE: 5,532

by MELissa JaMEs GibsOn

DiRECtED by Ryan RiLEttE

Producing artistic Director Ryan Rilette

was at the helm as director of the second

show of our season, a poignant, character-

driven comedy with a depth that belied

its simplistic title. This, an area premiere,

featured the struggles and uncertainties

of a group of friends dealing with themes

of mortality and fidelity as they settled

(perhaps unwillingly) into reaching their

40’s. the production’s rapid-fire dialogue

took audiences on a journey as each

character confronted some of life’s big,

unanswerable questions.

sponsored in part through the generous support of Michael beriss and Jean Carlson.

tHe beAutY Queen oF leenAneauGust 21 – sEPtEMbER 15, 2013

(27 PERFORManCEs)


by MaRtin MCDOnaGh

DiRECtED by JEREMy skiDMORE

the 2013-14 season opened with celebrated

playwright Martin McDonagh’s tony and

Drama Desk award-winning black comedy

The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Featuring

a cast of four, this modern classic was

simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking

as it chronicled life in a bleak, isolated

village in County Galway, ireland in the

1980’s—and how the desire to escape

can set in motion a horrifying chain of

deceptions, secrets and betrayals.

sponsored in part through the generous support of bonnie and alan hammerschlag.

“[A] brilliantly subversive black

comedy that is being satisfyingly

revived by Round House…this Beauty

Queen confidently unfolds the story’s

gothic underpinnings…under director

Jeremy Skidmore’s excellent guidance,

the production elicits the gasps that

McDonagh goes after.”

(Washington Post)

“Gibson’s lively, witty, unpretentiously

intellectual drama is exactly the sort

of thing that’ll get me to Bethesda

more often.” (Washington City Paper)

SecRecy cOMPLeXITy

Getinon

tHeseAson

tHe lYonsnOVEMbER 27 – DECEMbER 22, 2013

(26 PERFORManCEs)


by niCky siLVER

DiRECtED by JOhn VREEkE

the area premiere of nicky silver’s dark

comedy The Lyons was the perfect antidote

to too much holiday cheer—a brutally

honest, scathingly funny production about

a family that finally tells each other what

they’re thinking. and among the flared

tempers, the exchanging of words, and the

revealing of secrets, the characters found

what they were looking for: connection.

sponsored in part through the generous support of Esthy & Jim adler and Judy & Leo Zickler.

“A roaring family tussle…[It

demonstrates] the strides producing

artistic director Ryan Rilette is making

in raising the company’s profile

as an essential stop for drama…”

(Washington Post)

seminARFEbRuaRy 5 – MaRCh 2, 2014

(27 PERFORManCEs)


by thEREsa REbECk

DiRECtED by JERRy WhiDDOn

a private writing class in an upper West

side apartment was the tense setting

for Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright

theresa Rebeck’s engaging Seminar, one

of four area premieres at Round house

during the 2013-14 season. the comedy,

which reunited director Jerry Whiddon and

actor Marty Lodge (both longtime Round

house favorites) for their 15th collaboration,

portrayed four aspiring novelists who had

to face the bitter truth about their writing,

their relationships, and their futures.

sponsored in part through the generous support of ann & Frank Gilbert and Lynda & Joseph Zengerle.

“Savvy, satisfying and great fun.”

(Washington Post)

“A hell of a lot of fun to watch.”

(DC Theatre Scene)

VULNeRABILITy MAgNeTISM

two tRAins RunninGaPRiL 2 – May 4, 2014

(36 PERFORManCEs – ExtEnDED DuE tO

auDiEnCE DEManD)


by auGust WiLsOn

DiRECtED by tiMOthy DOuGLas

august Wilson’s powerful, Pulitzer Prize-

nominated drama Two Trains Running

transported Round house audiences to Civil

Rights-era Pittsburgh, as seen through the

eyes of the owner of a diner who—like his

establishment—had seen better days. he

and his last remaining customers created a

poignant, richly layered portrait of african-

american life in the late 1960’s through

their everyday conversations, decisions and

confessions.

behind the scenes, Two Trains Running

was the first production to use our newly

installed, upgraded light board—one of

the many infrastructure investments made

throughout the season.

sponsored in part through the generous support of Pasternak & Fidis, and susan Gilbert & Ron schechter.

“An acting ensemble working in perfect

harmony is crucial to Wilson’s plays...

and they get it oh so right at Round

House.” (Washingtonian)

“Worth catching whether you’re new to

the Wilson experience or a seasoned

fan ripe for a fresh jolt.”

(Washington Post)

oRdinARY dAYsMay 28 – JunE 22, 2014

(34 PERFORManCEs – ExtEnDED DuE

tO auDiEnCE DEManD)


MusiC & LyRiCs by aDaM GWOn

DiRECtED by MatthEW GaRDinER

Closing out the season, Round house

presented our first musical since 2007—an

area premiere of Ordinary Days, written

and composed by one of musical theater’s

most exciting young composers. Maryland

native adam Gwon wove together the

ordinary moments of four young new

yorkers through songs and vignettes to

create a truly extraordinary understanding

of the “big picture”—allowing audiences

of all ages to examine and experience the

small moments of their own lives in a new

way.

sponsored in part through the generous support of heidi & Mitch Dupler.

“It’s the kind of unadorned musical

that feels like such a fresh alternative

to most of the over-produced stuff on

Broadway. And Round House proves

itself here to be a natural spot for the

work to live on.”

(Washington Post)

STRUggLe JOy

LIFeLONg LeARNINg

school Outreach

intersectionsMore than 300 third-graders participated in

Intersections, Round House’s in-school program

that uses arts-based learning activities to build

literacy skills, creative thinking, and confidence.

student MatineesMore than 650 area students attended matinee

performances at Round House Theatre –

performances that, for many attendees,

represented their first live theatrical experience.

Pre-show study guides and facilitated post-show

discussions bookended students’ theatrical

experience with engaging, thought-provoking

conversations.

Play it ForwardLaunched in the 2013-14 season, the Play It

Forward program provided free Round House

tickets to Montgomery County public high school

students with the goal of making live theatre

attendance an integral part of high school

education. In this inaugural year, more than 600

students attended our productions for free as part

of this program.

Onsite Programs

summer ProgramsIn 2014, our K-12 Summer Programs engaged

nearly 800 students in full-day activities

designed to develop a range of theatrical skills

such as acting, dance, design, and directing.

Every session concluded with a sharing of skills

for friends and family. Thanks to support from

donors, Round House was able to provide more

than $5,000 in need-based tuition waivers to 11

area families.

sarah Metzger Memorial Playtwenty-two students from high schools across

the Washington, DC area came together to

produce the 12th annual sarah Metzger Memorial

Play, David Lindsay-abaire’s Snow Angel. all

roles – from director to dramaturg, actors to

stage crew – were filled by students under the

guidance of professional Round house artists.

as in past years, the sarah Play was produced at

no fee to students – and more than 500 people

attended the 2014 production.

Getinon

tHeimpAct

heyday PlayersOur long-standing Heyday Players program

provided a unique learning opportunity for

students age 50 and above. A core group of

more than 30 students attended skill-building

workshops and discussions led by professional

artists. The spring session culminated in a staged

reading for the general public.

Days OffThe Days Off program offered a full day of

arts activities for K-5 students on days when

Montgomery County Public Schools were closed.

With activities in acting, design, and writing, each

of our Days Off culminated in performance of a

play that students created together in just one

day. In 2013-14, Round House served more than

200 children during nine Days Off throughout the

school year.

Professional trainingRound House workshops for professional artists

continued to grow in popularity in 2013-14. Topics

ranged from Scene Study to our Stage Combat

series, which filled to capacity every session.

by the numbers

2,628 students of all ages served through

Round house Education programs

$5,400 in need-based tuition waivers allowed

students from 11 families in need to

attend Round house summer Programs

in 2014

678high school students attended Round

house productions for free as part of

our new Play it Forward program

educAtion And outReAcH pRoGRAms

to fulfill our mission of being a center for

lifelong learning, Round house provided a range

of Education programs at our six-classroom

Education Center in silver spring and in schools

throughout Montgomery County. More than

2,600 students of all ages – from 2 to 92 – took

part in these programs in the 2013-14 season.

The action wasn’t limited to the stage during

2013-14. Thanks to an Advancement Grant from

the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery

County—and the generosity of almost 150

matching donors—Round House was able to

undertake a comprehensive upgrade to our

backstage technology, administrative tools, and

audience services.

Patrons are now able to take advantage of new

online ticketing and point-of-sale concession

purchasing systems, as well as new lobby

monitors and assisted listening devices—all of

which enhance your visit to the theatre. Staff are

now equipped with upgraded computer hardware

and software that streamlines their daily routines

and improves their abilities to communicate with

our engaged networks of donors, supporters,

students, and patrons. The theatre itself was

upgraded with equipment that included a new

light board and automated scenery systems. In

total, the improvements amounted to more than a

quarter of a million dollars.

And this is just the beginning. We invite you to

contribute to our ongoing efforts to provide our

artists and lifelong learners with the environment

and equipment that allows them to continue

doing their best work.

eNHANceD

Getinon

tHeexpeRience

by the numbers

$53,200 in automated scenery

$59,000in theatrical lighting and sound

equipment

$53,700 in computers and software

$20,500in an industry standard backstage

communication system

$23,300 in audience services including assisted listening headsets and improvements to concessions

inFRAstRuctuRe impRovements

We have achieved greater

financial stability over the past

two years and have increased

our operating cash. This allows

us to spend more time focusing

on continuing to provide high

quality artistic and educational

programming.

Getinon

tHenumbeRsFINANcIALS

2014 Income Statement

REvEnuE AnD SuPPORT

Total Grants and Contributions $ 1,467,099

In-Kind Support $ 1,873,895

Total Revenue $ 1,942,006

total Revenue and support $ 5,283,000

ExPEnSES

Performance $ 3,744,632

Education $ 540,936

General and Administrative $ 441,142

Development $ 360,587

total Expenses $ 5,087,297

2014 net income $ 195,703

2014 Balance Sheet

ASSETS

Current Assets $ 2,149,786

net Fixed Assets $ 420,008

Other Assets $ 2,876

total assets $ 2,572,670

LIABILITIES AnD nET ASSETS

Current Liabilities $ 1,283,551

net Assets

unrestricted $ -265,875

Temporarily Restricted $ 383,969

Permanently Restricted $ 1,171,025

Total net Assets $ 1,289,119

total Liabilities and net assets $ 2,572,670

$0

$500,000

$1,000,000

$1,500,000

$2,000,000

2012 2013 2014

$0.00

$50,000.00

$100,000.00

$150,000.00

$200,000.00

$250,000.00

$300,000.00

$350,000.00

$400,000.00

2012 2013 2014

Cash & Cash Equivalents: 2012–2014

Only 15.7% of our expenses

are allocated to development

and administrative functions.

Instead, the majority of revenue

and donation dollars are used

to continue to expand and

refine our programming each

year.

2014 Expenses

Performance $3,744,632Education $540,936General & Administrative $441,142Development $360,587

smAll investments mAke A biG impAct. We are able to serve an increasing number of students

each year—many of whom are able to attend for free

thanks to the generosity of donors.

Steady increases in revenue

from concessions, ticket sales,

and education programs

during the past three years

demonstrate how strongly our

community is continuing to

respond to our direction and

offerings.

DONORS

diamond circle ($100,000+)

Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery CountyMaryland State Arts Council

platinum circle($50,000 - $99,999)

Alan and Bonnie HammerschlagJeffrey and Carolyn LeonardThe Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz FoundationJudy and Leo Zickler

Gold circle ($25,000 - $49,999)

Cathy S. BernardDon and Jan BoardmanData-Prompt, Inc. Heidi and Mitch DuplerMargaret Abell Powell Fund of the William S. Abell FoundationMARPAT FoundationLinda Ravdin and Don ShaperoThe Share FundThe Shubert FoundationTown of Chevy Chase

silver circle ($10,000 - $24,999)

Esthy and Jim AdlerMichael Beriss and Jean CarlsonClark Charitable FoundationClark-Winchcole FoundationThe Homer and Martha Gudelsky Family FoundationJ. Willard and Alice S. Marriott FoundationAnn and Bruce LaneSusan Freeman McGeenora Roberts FoundationPasternak & FidisThe Rowny FoundationSusan Gilbert and Ron SchechterDick and Katie SnowdonSulica FundBernard and Ellen Young

bronze circle ($5,000 - $9,999)

Elaine and Richard BinderRichard and Pamela FeinsteinFreddie Mac FoundationAnn and Frank GilbertMark and Anastasia JoelsonHenry B. & Jessie W. Keiser FoundationMarion Ein LewinJudy and Brian MaddenHeidi and Bill MaloniPaul and Zena MasonChris and Kathleen MatthewsSusan and Bill ReinschHank and Charlotte Schlosberg

Laura and Robert WaltherRobert and virginia WaltherAlan and Irene WurtzelAnne and Robert YermanLynda and Joseph Zengerle

copper circle ($2,500 - $4,999)

Dr. and Mrs. Clement AlpertMarla and Bobby Baker, Baker-Merine Family FoundationTerry BeatySue Ann and Ken BerlinDoug and Lorraine BibbyChevy Chase TrustFrances ChyatteCity of RockvilleClark Construction Group, LLCCommunity Foundation for Montgomery County

Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing ArtsBunny R. DwinJan and Jim EisnerDavid and Jane FairweatherLaura Forman and Richard BenderEric and Jessica GlantzHank and Carol B. GoldbergGraham Holdings CompanyStuart and Beverly GreenfeigDaniel Kaplan and Kay RichmanLerch, Early & BrewerMontgomery County Executive’s Ballnina McLemoreScott and Louise MelbyCol. John and Marlene MoserSally J. PattersonAnne & Henry Reich Family Foundation, Lee G. Rubenstein, Co-Presidentvictor Shargai and Craig PascalRobin ShermanSusan and John SturcWeissberg FoundationTim WestmorelandGinger Macomber and Roger WilliamsMier and Cathy WolfMargot and Paul Zimmerman

Fellows ($1,500 - $2,499)

natalie and Paul AbramsKathy and norm BarkerDimick FoundationCarol Sue FrombolutiRobert E. HebdaRobbin and Giles HopkinsReba and Mark ImmergutAlan KingCathy KwartRona and Allan MendelsohnLynn and Philip MetzgerStacy Murchison

GetinontHe

GRAtitude

Pamela and John SpearsLuanne and Marc StanleyEd Starr and Marilyn MarcossonTom Calhoun and Thelma TricheLance Tuckervivian Cavalieri LLCJerry and Jean Whiddon

in kind donors

American PlantAmtrakAssagiBarrel Oak WineryCabot Creamery of vermontCafé DeluxeCalvert WoodleyChevy Chase FloristCommunity ForkliftContemporary American Theater FestivalDaily GrillDoyle Printing & Offset Co.

Larry and Melanie nussdorfMarilyn and Barry Scheiner

benefactors ($1,000 - $1,499)

nancy and Dan BalzTessie and Thanos CastambasBill and Donna EachoRobin Hettleman and Matthew WeinbergAllan and Shelley Holt

Erin and Mark KopelmanFrank and Joanne LavinJudy LeveyGeoff and Lisa LewisWinton Matthews, Jr.Louis and Sherry nevinsIlga PakalnsMr. and Mrs. Louis PohorylesCynthia RohrbeckDavid and Peggy ShiffrinCarol TrawickAndrew A. and Marcia D. Zvara

Advocates ($500 - $999)

Rachel H.M. AbrahamMichael and nancy AronsBethesda Magazine Community FundGail and Samuel BroderSusan and Laird BurnettCalvert InvestmentsJane and Fred CantorKatherine ChasePeggy DuganDavid EhrhartEuroMotorcarsCharles GebbertMary and Bill GibbJean and Christopher GilsonAlbert GlickmanSheldon and Sherri GottliebEllen HatoumLinda Lurie HirschWilliam L. Hopkins and Richard B. AndersonDenise and Alexander LiebowitzDouglas McManus and Susan Albert in honor of Laura FormanHarv Lester and Don McMinnJeffrey MenickDavid MetzgerThe Greene-Milstein Family FoundationAnn MoralesElissa and Bill OshinskyP. David PappertLaurance M. RedwayEric and Shelley RubinDian and Steve SeidelLeslie Smith

Round House Theatre is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County government, the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC).

CREDits:all production photos are by Danisha Crosby. names of actors are listed below.

Front cover/Page 1Erin Weaver and samuel Edgerly in Ordinary Days

Page 5:Ricardo Frederick Evans, shannon Dorsey, and Jefferson a. Russell in Two Trains Running

Page 6:kimberly Gilbert and sarah Marshall in The Beauty Queen of Leenane

Page 7:Lise bruneau in This

Page 8:naomi Jacobson in The Lyons

Page 9:Laura C. harris and katie debuys in Seminar

:Jefferson a. Russell in Two Trains Running

Page 11:samuel Edgerly in Ordinary Days

Page 19:kimberly Gilbert and todd scofield in The Beauty Queen of Leenane

artwork by Esther Wu

Four SeasonsGansevoortHank’s Oyster BarHilton Garden Inn BethesdaHonest TeaThe Irish-Inn at Glen EchoThe Iron Bridge Wine CompanyJaleoBarry and Beth LindleyMax BrennerMicrosoftMon Ami GabiMontage Resortnina McLemoreThe Patton AlliancePaul’s LiquorPropellorProvisions CateringRed Door SpaResidence Inn BethesdaRichard nader EntertainmentRitz CarltonRiver FallsRothschild ChateauSalamander Resort & SpaShugoll ResearchSignature TheatreStrathmoreStudio TheatreSunTrustThe Taproot FoundationTheatre JvamooseThe Washington KastlesZeke’s Coffee

2013-14 board of trustees

PresidentMitchell s. Dupler

Vice Presidentsusan D. Gilbert

secretarybruce s. Lane

treasurerbrian M. Madden

immediate Past Presidentsally J. Patterson

Michael berissCathy s. bernardElaine kotell binderDonald M. boardmanbunny DwinLaura Formanann GilbertEric Glantzstuart Greenfeigbonnie hammerschlagMitchell hébertErin kopelmanMarion Ein LewinGeoffrey P. LewisPaul Masonsusan Freeman McGeescott Melbystacy Murchisonnick OlcottLinda J. RavdinRyan RiletteLaura WaltherRoger WilliamsMier WolfJudith h. Zickler

A generous grant from the Taproot Foundation supported the creation of this document.

The Taproot Foundation team: Howard Diener, Account Director; Mark ginter, Project Manager; erika Dongre, Marketing Manager; Julie Dixon, copy editor/Writer; Marti Betz, graphic Designer; John Farr, Financial Analyst;

Tony Richards, Photographer

thEatRE: 4545 East-WEst hiGhWay,

bEthEsDa, MD 20814

EDuCatiOn CEntER: 925 WaynE aVEnuE,

siLVER sPRinG, MD 20910

aDMinistRatiVE OFFiCE: siLVER sPRinG

CiViC buiLDinG, OnE VEtERans PLaCE,

siLVER sPRinG, MD 20910

bOx OFFiCE PhOnE: 240.644.1100

aDMin OFFiCE PhOnE: 240.644.1099

EDuCatiOn PhOnE: 301.585.1225

round house theatre | annual report

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