‘All the world’s a stage,’ and enjoying Shakespeare and music nonprofit efforts

Mary Beth Harrington, CVA

I hope everyone is having a fun and safe summer. One of my fondest memories of summer is attending a Shakespearean play and listening to free concerts in the park on a hot summer evening. The programs in Dallas usually started at 8:00 p.m. and by the end of the 2-hour show, it had cooled down to 90 degrees! These were great opportunities to introduce our kids to the world of Shakespearian theatre as well as fine music. I am happy to report that both are available right now in Thurston County.
Take Measure, Shakespeare returns to Thurston County

This year, Animal Fire Theatre is presenting Measure for Measure every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through the end of the month. The show begins at 7:00 pm and is free to everyone though donations are gratefully accepted. While most of us are familiar with plays by The Bard, like The Tempest, most (like myself) have not heard of this play, so I did some research, and you may be surprised how much this mimics some current issues.

“This news is old enough, yet it is every day’s news” – Duke Vincentio, Measure for Measure

According to SparkNotes: Shakespeare's Measure for Measure centers around the fate of Claudio, who is arrested by Lord Angelo, the temporary leader of Vienna. Angelo is left in charge by the Duke, who pretends to leave town but instead dresses as a friar to observe the goings-on in his absence. Angelo is strict, moralistic, and unwavering in his decision-making; he decides that there is too much freedom in Vienna and takes it upon himself to rid the city of brothels and unlawful sexual activity. Laws against these behaviors and institutions already exist, and Angelo simply decides to enforce them more strictly. Claudio is arrested for impregnating Juliet, his lover before they were married. Although they were engaged and their sexual intercourse was consensual, Claudio is sentenced to death to serve as an example to the other Viennese citizens.

Animal Fire Theatre
Animal Fire Theatre (note the British spelling) is a 501c3 nonprofit and an all-volunteer organization, so everyone plays multiple roles. According to Scott Douglas, the organization was started by a group of theater students from the University of Idaho’s theater program. The founders produced their favorite Shakespeare plays in whatever space they could find with whatever budget they could pull together. “The group named themselves “Animal” after the “animals exercise” that inspired them during their U of I class and “Fire” for their passion and inspiration,” said Douglas). “The plays of William Shakespeare are meant to be acted not read when you read a Shakespeare play versus seeing it acted you miss a lot of comedy and humor”. The mission of Animal Fire Theatre is to engage our community in the exploration of the human experience through high-quality, impassioned theatrical productions accessible to all. “We view ourselves as a gateway drug to theater,” says Rachel Permann. “People are often reticent to see Shakespeare and we give ourselves a small pat on the back in that we are able to make it understandable.”

Music

Olympia Downtown Alliance

If you prefer music to acting, then you still have a couple of opportunities to attend the Music in the Park series that is offered by the Olympia Downtown Alliance on Sundays. According to Todd Cutts, Executive Director of the Olympia Downtown Alliance (referred to as The Alliance), the mission of their organization is to act as a catalyst for a vibrant and thriving downtown through service to businesses and property owners. “The organization began as an all-volunteer nonprofit, composed of business and property owners in 1989,” explains Cutts. “A paid Executive Director was hired in 1998 and the Alliance (then the Olympia Downtown Association) became an accredited Washington State Main Street Community in 2008. The Alliance endeavors to have a multi-faceted impact on our community, whether through offering fun events to participate in, making our community aware of the amazing opportunities downtown to shop, dine, and recreate, or supporting a welcoming environment overall,” elaborates Cutts.

 The Alliance focuses on the following strategic priorities:

• Advocacy - Channel the voice of the downtown business community to compel action in both local and state government by working with both elected officials and administrative staff on issues such as public safety, homelessness, and city code.
• Clean, Safe, & Healthy - Support a welcoming environment to ensure business success and a thriving downtown. The Alliance started its Downtown Guide program in 2018 as an ambassador-style program that welcomes visitors to downtown, supports businesses, and works with individuals downtown who are in crisis. In 2022, they started staffing a Maintenance Worker position to clean downtown and maintain landscaping, such as hanging plants. “We offer opportunities to volunteer at our signature events as part of our team and also opportunities to participate in our downtown cleanups,” said Cutts. Those interested in learning more can email info@downtownolympia.org.
• Imagemaking – The Alliance works to improve the community’s perception of downtown through enhancements to the physical environment, production of quality events (like the Music in the Park on Sundays in July) and experiences, and strategic communication and marketing.

Twice a year they offer a placemaking grant program that provides $500 grants to small businesses for physical improvements such as new signs, fresh paint, and building murals or to host an event in their space.

“We produce four signature events throughout the year to invite our community downtown, including Love Oly Shop & Dine Week, Love Oly SummerFest, Music in the Park, and Love Oly WinterFest and Downtown for the Holidays,” says Cutts. “We also push content out on a daily basis through our social media channels, telling the good news stories about downtown, and also distribute a weekly newsletter to the community.”

• Economic Development – The Alliance leverages its existing community partnerships to support a diverse downtown economy, including current and future businesses. They work with community partners such as the Thurston Economic Development Council, the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce, and the Enterprise for Equity.

“Currently, we are working towards a pop-up program to fill vacant space downtown that targets local entrepreneurs,” says Cutts. “We also track vacant space downtown and make it available to prospective downtown businesses.”

• Financial Health – Finally, they ensure the organization has diversified funding sources and efficient business practices that lead to long-term fiscal solvency. Funding sources include donations through our tiered supporter levels, offering community residents the opportunity to help the Alliance to achieve its mission.

Click here to learn more about opportunities for supporting the Olympia Downtown Alliance.

Cutts says that downtown environments, including downtown Olympia, are dynamic and ever-changing. “The Olympia Downtown Alliance has been serving downtown for over 30 years and will continue to assess how we can best support a healthy and thriving downtown, and we will continue to change and adapt to the needs of our community accordingly”.
Soliciting Your Ideas

If you know of a nonprofit that is doing something great, celebrating a success, needs some outstanding volunteers, or hosting an event, let me know! This column (aside from a little education) celebrates nonprofits!

Mary Beth Harrington, CVA (Certified Volunteer Administrator) lives in Tumwater. She travels the country speaking at conferences and to individual organizations articulating issues facing nonprofits. Send your ideas to her at  MaryBeth@theJOLTnews.com