Season highlights

• Full Seasons. We scheduled and produced our first full season of nine productions in two years. There were no seating capacity restrictions the entire season, and while we had to go back and forth regarding other safety measures we found ways to make things work.
• Attendance rebound. The Regular Season ended up just nine percent off of pre-pandemic levels. The Stage Door series ended the season at pre-pandemic attendance levels.
• Audience Study. Completed our latest audience study. Among some of the key finding were that 72% of patrons make an additional purchase in Beatrice spending $42.49 per person, and CP audiences come from 48 different communities.
  
• Documentary Project. In collaboration with a team of award-winning filmmakers produced an original play exploring the still divisive “Beatrice Six” case. The six-part series airs on HBO.
  
• Staffing. We celebrated Associate Artistic Director, Tyler Rinne’s 10 (plus) year anniversary on the CP staff with a special encore performance of a play he wrote for us in 2013.
  
• Additional grants. We were fortunate to have been awarded several pandemic-related grants. The first was a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG). These funds were used for regular operational expenses compensating for lost revenue the last two years. The second was a Shovel Ready Capital Improvement grant from the State of Nebraska. This grant, which was just award at the end of the season, will be combined with other fundraising sources and used to complete several critical upgrades and repairs to our facility.
  
• Partnerships. Continued to find new partners for everything from hosting special events for other groups, to working with the City of Beatrice, Main Street Beatrice, the Chamber of Commerce and others on projects such as the new downtown redevelopment study, and our community’s application to become a certified Nebraska Creative District.
  

LOOKING AHEAD

There is a lot for Community Players patrons, volunteers, and the general community to be proud of this season. All we do would not be possible without the amazing support of everyone who experiences the value of a thriving performing arts organization in our community. The coming season presents the challenge of maintaining our post-pandemic growth and finding ways to excite our local community. As we also work to develop a new strategic plan this season we need to find ways to increase engagement from our local community, while continuing to pursue big goals and dreams for all of Southeast Nebraska. There are a lot of exciting possibilities for what we can achieve when we work together.

Jamie Ulmer
Managing Artistic Director