Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • March 4, 2019 • Hartford Business Journal 7 creased, with frequent nominations and awards annually by the Connecticut Crit- ics Circle for shows like "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," "Angels in America," "The Diary of Anne Frank" and last year's big hit "In the Heights." "It got better every year but we still weren't prepared for other things," says Flater, adding that a series of snowstorms in 2015 hit attendance hard, and the 2016 elections took audi- ence focus away. "We found ourselves eating up our reserves and once again living hand-to-mouth." What buoyed them was the Play- house's diversified programming, which offered a Main Stage series of plays and musicals, a family series of performances, a comedy series, acting and improv classes and other special events ranging from dance to hipster burlesque. "I'll never forget when someone very prominent in the theater community told us that because we didn't have a specific identity it was never going to work out. But diverse entertainment is our identity — and has been from the beginning," says Flater. Its "diversified portfolio" model is now one that other much larger theaters — including Hartford Stage and Long Wharf Theatre — are embracing when they find putting on a limited number of plays just isn't enough. "Why be dark when we have so much to offer?" says Zoller, one of the found- ers. "It was a conscious thing to be this hybrid from the beginning. Why not do dance? Why not do comedy or music or even do burlesque? We wanted to be a destination where people on a Friday think, 'Gee, I wonder what's happening at the Playhouse?' " Sustainability campaign The challenge now is the limited space for its education programs at its 163-seat theater (200 seats for comedy and acoustic music presentations). Helping is the transferring of some of the theater's administrative space and classes to the former Hartford Ballet/ Hartford Symphony Orchestra/Con- necticut Opera center on Farmington Avenue. With 762 subscribers and a $1.1 mil- lion budget, it's still a modest enter- prise compared to the 55-year-old Hartford Stage, which has a $9 million budget and 7,500 subscribers, and the 34-year-old TheaterWorks and its $2.5 million budget and 5,000 subscribers. Relationships with Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks are good, says Flater, adding that Rob Ruggiero, produc- ing artistic director of TheaterWorks, helped them get the rights for a play that both theaters were eying. As it prepares for its 10th anniver- sary gala in June, the Playhouse can boast a surplus and 32,000 paid atten- dance figure from last season. "Last year was the first year that every single show from every series at least broke even and several made money, especially 'In the Heights,' which we could have run indefinitely," Flater said. But the current season is not nearly as strong and once again worrisome. That's why it will launch a new "sus- tainability campaign" where donors can choose to support an endowment, a reserve or education fund. The theater's big musical this sum- mer is "The Scottsboro Boys," a highly ambitious project — challenging, educational and entertaining — which has been the Playhouse's mantra from the beginning. (From left to right) West Hartford's Playhouse on Park was co- founded by Sean Harris, Tracy Flater and Darlene Zoller. FRIDAY • 03.22.19 George A. Barrios '87, '89 MBA Co-President WWE Robert F. Chauvin '78 Business Consultant/Advisor Retired President, SimplexGrinnell Mary A. Laschinger '92 EMBA Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Veritiv Corporation James F. Whalen '82 Partner TA Realty ALUMNI INDUCTEES to purchase a seat: s.uconn.edu/hof2019 HARTFORD, CT

• Cover