Long Beach Shakespeare Company

County Supervisor Issues Donation Challenge

For the second year, L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe has issued a challenge to other patrons of the Long Beach Shakespeare Company to match his donation of $4,000 by Jan. 1, 2015.

Last year's challenge was met, and the combined total of $8,000 made it possible for LBSC to pay its insurance and rent, buy fabric for costumes, sponsor half-price student tickets and a free speaker series, repair its armory and purchase new broadswords, and buy a projector for special effects and speaker presentations

"The insurance, rent, student tickets, speaker series, and costumes are ongoing expenses," an e-mail the company sent to its patrons said. "In addition, we have printing costs for programs, synopses, flyers, and posters. We'd also like to be able to pay for newspaper advertising, because our ticket revenue would go up if more people knew about us. Operating funds are the most difficult to raise, so this money makes all the difference."

The e-mail also issued its patrons a warning by referring to the Georgia Shakespeare in Atlanta, which closed this year after 29 years in business. "LBSC has nothing like Georgia Shakespeare's operating costs, but it is a warning to us to increase community awareness, expand our audience, sell more tickets, and raise more money," the e-mail said. "We are the ONLY full-time classical theatre company in Long Beach. We are an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3), nonprofit arts organization. Our mission is proliteracy. We believe in the power of the classics to entertain, enlighten, and inspire"

Checks, made payable to Long Beach Shakespeare Company, can be mailed to LBSC Matching Challenge, 4250 1/2 Atlantic, Long Beach CA 90807.

December 16, 2014

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