And wouldnt you know it?
They listened to tipsy Tim by the fire pit and moved forward with their dream.
(I should also add thatthey did stage The Breakfast Club, and I killed it as Brian Johnson.
Actors perform a scene from “The Breakfast Club” at The Playground Theatre in December 2014. From left are Lisa Glover as Claire, Christopher Hahn as Bender and Timothy Moore as Brian. Photo courtesy of The Playground Theatre
Anthony Michael Hall hasnt reached out yet to recognize me for a job well donebut give it time.)
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
So how did this millennial couple pull it off?
They all inspired us in different ways and made us fall in love with theatre.
The material was contemporary and edgy, Burnette says.
The closeness to the performers and realistic acting made us feel like we were watching a film on stage.
This kind of theater could not be found in Dayton back in 2014, at least not consistently.
Hahn and Burnette resolved to bring their experiences back to the town they called home.
Thenonprofit route seemed like the logical way to go, Burnette explains.
Entrepreneur.com does a good job inlaying out the important distinctions.
Defining Their Nonprofits Mission
Hahns number one advice for anyone starting a nonprofit?
Hahn and Burnette took this to heart when starting their company.
But What About the Money?
They never intended to make money off their company; to them, it is a passion project.
They do, however, need to earn enough funds to keep it going.
Our initial financial push came with the help of a local campaign that was running calledPower2Give, Burnette explains.
Essentially it is like Kickstarter for nonprofits.
This wasnotan easy process.
We shot videos, promoted content and even threw a fundraising party.
Getting people to invest in a new arts organization is tough.
You sort of feel like you are asking them to pay for a root canal.
Unfortunately, finances havent gotten any easier.
Right now, the theater operates and lives show-to-show in terms of budget.
Ticket sales, donations and unique arts programs have been just enough to keep them going.
So far, it has been difficult for The Playground to earn local and national grants.
We absolutely plan on gaining more knowledge and pursuing as many grants as possible going into our next season.
The head of the program is also available to give advice to young theater companies like The Playground.
We cannot stress that enough.
Additionally, we plan on seeking as many other resources as we can.
That doesnt mean theyve been without challenges, however.
Oh man, so many mistakes!
All of the mistakes.
Life is messier than that.
More recently, they sat down with their finances andinvested in bookkeeping software customized to their needs.
Its not sexy, Hahn says, but its required.
And from all the challenges they have overcome, Hahn and Burnette have learned something.
The important thing is to breathe, stay positive and figure out how to work the problem.
Their Advice?
Sure, they have had some help from fellow actors and patrons of the arts (like me!
And they absolutely love it.
But more importantly, the two have been challenged and have grown.
We have established an environment for artists to explore and hone their craft.
A place where they can challenge themselves personally and creatively.
To us, that is one of the biggest rewards.
So should you dive into a passion project headfirst without any knowledge of what youre doing?
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
