Dear
I’m writing in support of Curtain Call – Stamford’s only year round, nonprofit producing theatre – and dozens of other CT theatres*. Due to incredibly horrible levels of favoritism in our legislature, funds that should have been available through competitive grants, were doled out as direct line-item appropriations.
The 2023 -2025 budget split $8M among a small group of 17 theatres. One theatre received 2.5 times its annual budget through the help of a senator from its town; another received almost half of it’s annual budget. That theatre’s executive director is married to a state senator who also happens to serve as the theatre’s Board Treasurer.
These same theatre’s are again poised to receive direct funding outside the normal competitive grant funding process as part of the PERFORMING THEATRES group in the proposed budget. This has to stop.
Curtain Call has been very fortunate to receive State funding through various competitive grant programs over the years; their current award was $2,353. – last year it was $2,356. That amount accounts for .002% of their annual budget. Please work to reverse this pending legislation and make the funding options fair and equitable to all by eliminating line-item funding just to those who have friends in on the budget process.
Curtain Call, like other theatres, is a vibrant economic engine engaging professional staff, designers, directors, teachers, musicians, etc. to an annual total of $700,000+ with 85% of that staying in CT. They pump more than $100,000 into the community through local vendors (hardware stores, dry cleaners, lumber yards, etc.) The on-site restaurants – as well as nearby restaurant partners – benefit greatly for our 30,000+ patrons.
CURTAIN CALL IS IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY, just as dozens of other theatres are to their communities. We want to see funds going to the things we hold dear. I’ve been a long-time theatre patron and know that proper sharing of funds doesn’t automatically happen. I’m counting on you to make sure that ridiculously outsized appropriations as noted above don’t happen again.
Sincerely,
* Music Theatre of CT, The Town Players of New Canaan, The Wilton Playshop, Westport Community Theatre, Crystal Theatre and many, many more.
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