4B - Thursday, October 17, 2013 r- The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom 4B - Thursday, October17, 2013 A rts The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Each week we take shots at the biggest developments in the entertainment world. Here's what hit (and missed) this week. Unbound Charlie Hunnam drops out "Fifty Shades of Grey" film Russia bans Selena Gomez from entering country because she's too gay-friendly 6 6 1%king Dead 1kng Dead" nieres to 16.1 million Hers, breaking records, Sesign by NickCruz NON-PROFIT DRAMA Ainvests in Performance Network a Local performance space reaches out to the community By TEHREEM SAJJAD DailyArts Writer In the heart of Ann Arbor, theater. over the years, it has amid the hustle and bustle of won a wide variety of awards restaurants, shops and cafes, and nominations, garnering Performance Network Theatre national recognition and lead- is the perfect centerpiece for an ing the artistic quality and play elegant night in town. Founded selection in Michigan. in 1981, PNT has grown from Currently celebrating its a fledgling company to Ann 32nd year, PNT showcases seven Arbor's resident professional shows each season that range from world-premier plays by both local and national play- wrights to Broadway musicals. The company's performanc- es have been recognized in all aspects -of theater, including best acting, design and new script. In 2009 and 2011, PNT was nationally acclaimed for attaining the Edgerton Founda- tion New American Play Award for performances of "Dead Man's Shoes" and "It Came From Mars." "Performance Network has transformed from a number of performers and organizations that brought dance companies, musicians, clowning and theater to the organization and turned it into what is now a theater," said Logan Ricket, associate develop- ment director at PNT. In addition to its year-round professional productions, PNT runs the Children's Theatre Network to provide original shows to entertain and educate Ann Arbor's younger audience. Through Children's Theatre Network, PNT also arranges theater workshops that teach students creativity, problem- solving skills and healthy self- expression. The Fireside New Play Fes- tival is another means through which PNT diversifies Ann Arbor's entertainment palette. The festival is a live stage read- ing done by professional actors and directors. The audience is then allowed to provide feed- back after the production. Pre- sented three times each year, the festival showcases the works of new playwrights, providing them with the opportunity to have their work performed in front of a real-life audience. PNT also immerses itself into the Ann Arbor community by giving emerging and established playwrights the opportunity to work closely with actors and directors through its Submit-A- Script program. Through this program, PNT not only serves the role of a stepping stool for new playwrights but also pro- vides local playwrights the chance to have their work exam- ined on a professional level. "We need new voices in con- temporary American theater," said Erin Sabo, PNT's managing director. "The reason why we are a member of the National New Play Network is so that we can nurture new playwrights and nurture the craft of American theater." Sabo said the submis- sion program provides writers feedback and, occasionally, a reading at the Fireside festival. As a Commonweal Theatre, PNT reaches out to more than 40,000 patrons every year in order to keep a balanced bud- get. As Sabo explained, under 50 percent of the non-profit PNT's income comes from ticket sales. The rest comes from individual donors and grants. "Some of it is through per- sonal appeals made through letters to some of our patrons, our subscribers and community members," Sabo said. "We gath- er it by going to businesses who we appreciate in the area and ask them to either be an in-kind sponsor - which means provid- ing food donations at an opening night - or a monetary spon- sor, which is actually helping to underwrite some of our produc- tions." Sabo said the theater's "cre- ative and capable" staff serves a crucial role in its success as a theater organization. As a non-profit, PNT is affiliat- ed with the Actors' Equity Asso- ciation of professional Actors and Stage Managers. Therefore, its primary purpose is not nec- essarily to make a profit. Rather, the money PNT earns is used to develop the theater in order to bring Broadway-quality perfor- mances to Ann Arbor's doorstep. Nevertheless, the more support PNT gets from the community, the more it's able do with the art, and the more it's able to give back. For instance, PNT's partner- ship with Ann Arbor's Elmo's T-Shirts allows them to get dis- counted rates on printing ser- vices. PNT relies on volunteer ush- ers throughout the season for all of its main stage productions and special events, as well as volunteers for administrative tasks and assisting other aspects of production. Individuals in the community, Sabo said, have donated costumes and props to shows in addition to monetary donations. "In any way we can get sup- port, we take it," Sabo said. That support can be attrib- uted to PNT's ability to provide unyielding aesthetic leadership in southeast Michigan over the past 32 years. "A lot of it begins with word of mouth. We've been around Ann Arbor since 1981 - we've been around for 32 years. So, it's been 32 years of people coming to our theater shows and loving what we do and 32 years of somebody telling their friend to tell their friend, and it's also been 32 years of us learning - learning what grants are out there and where we can get support from," Sabo said. As a leader of PNT, Sabo is a member of the Cultural Leaders Forum, which brings together theater organizations once every month to provide support and offer ideas and advice to each other. PNT is also a member of the Michigan Equity Theatre Alliance, which offers a similar service to theater companies. "Theater is a funny, com- petitive business," Sabo said, "where, yes, you want to com- pete, you want to have the bet- ter shows, but we are also - at. the end of the day - doing some- thing that we love. So we are all very supportive of each other in wanting the other to succeed." As a non-profit theater orga- nization struggling through the economic recession, PNT is fortunate enough to have a very strong donor base that keeps it alive and functioning well. However, it's also through the talent of PNT's board members and staff that the organization is able to deliver high-caliber entertainment to Ann Arbor audiences. "It's more important for us to make sure that we are support- ing the local artists in Michigan and helping them have a career in theater and not having to leave the state," Sabo said. "That balance is a fine line that some- times keeps me up at night." EXCITED ABOUT TINA FEY AND AMY POEHLER HOSTING THE GOLDEN GLOBES? Join the TV/New Media beat by e-mailing arts@michigandaily.com to request an application.