March 30, 2010 

Dear Friend: 

How much fun have you had at Perishable Theatre this season? 

From the haunting beauty of Anna Bella Eema to the rollicking sauciness of Jingle Belles, from the truth and sharing of humanity at Live Bait to the booty shaking good time of DanceDancePartyParty, we’ve seen you in the audience, in the studio and even on our stage.  We’ve witnessed your ear-to-ear grins and quiet conversations on your way out the door.  We see you coming back, again and again, to work in progress presentations like Destefano On the Air and to the productions of companies that rent our space.  We know you want more from RI’s Research and Development Theatre—and we want to be here to give it to you!  But we need your help. 

It costs us $158.90 per day in individual contributions to be here for you.  You and thousands of New Englanders get new plays, dance, puppets, stories, music, classes, a Resident Artist program, and we manage to keep our costs under $158.90 a day?  

Tickets to shows like Anna Bella Eema have gone for only $20 for the past four years, but real production costs add up to $38 per audience member.  And while you pay only $5 to attend, say, Live Bait, did you know it actually costs us about $15 to produce it?  That’s right, it’s a great deal!   

“Why does Perishable Theatre keep offering such accessible prices on cutting edge performance?” you ask. Because access is one of our core values at Perishable Theatre.  Low prices cultivate diverse audiences, which keep the theatre and the arts vibrant. 

“How does Perishable Theatre keep its admissions and class fees at 2005 prices? you ask.  With donations from people like you.  Could you help us stay open just one more day?  Or would contributing the true cost of a ticket be more your speed?   

Think over how much you love our productions and classes and decide what you can afford to maintain this resource.  You can even set up an automatic monthly donation through Network for Good (www.networkforgood.org).  To be sure your contribution creates maximum impact, please respond by May 15, 2010.   

Thanks for supporting Rhode Island’s Research and Development Theatre!  See you soon…in the audience, in the studio, and maybe even on the stage.