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Theatre Odyssey Inc
SUMMARY
Mission
To engage our audience in short innovative theater works while providing a nurturing environment that
encourages, challenges, and inspires playwrights and other theater artists.
Contact Information
Primary Address
PO BOX 1383
SARASOTA
Alternate Address
, FL 34230-1383
4115 65th St E
Bradenton FL 34208
Phone
941 799-7224
Email
[email protected]
Website
www.theatreodyssey.org
Facebook
tenminutefestival
Twitter
theatre_odyssey
General Information
Nonprofit
Theatre Odyssey Inc
Tax Exempt Status
Public Supported Charity
Incorporation Year
2006
State Charitable Solicitations Permit
Yes Feb 2018
State Registration
Yes Dec 2017
1
BACKGROUND & NEEDS
Impact Statement
Theatre Odyssey produced a Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival and a Ten-Minute Play Festival in 2013
and also published Volume Two of the company's produced plays (for the years 2009 through 2013).
In 2014, it produced the Second Annual Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival in January and the Ninth
Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival in May.
In 2015, Theatre Odyssey produced a Third Annual Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival in January and
produced its Tenth Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival, April 30 through May 3.
In 2016, Theatre Odyssey produced a Fourth Annual Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival in January and
produced its Eleventh Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival in May 5-8.
In 2017, Theatre Odyssey produced a Fifth Annual Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival in January and will
produce their Twelfth
Annual Ten-Minute Play Festival May 4-7.
Needs Statement
1.The primary need for additional capital is to provide funds for the cash prizes to festival winning playwrights,
to maintain the company's website and database--its lifeline to ticket sales for the festivals, to pay for any
company related but non-event based marketing, and to pay for any professional memberships necessary to
heighten the company's community profile.
Background Statement
Theatre Odyssey began with a series of discussions among members of the cast of METAMORPHOSES, the
2005 National-award-winning production of the Manatee Players. Those discussions centered on creating a
local theater company that could work in multiple venues, encourage and perform new works, and pay all
participants through profit sharing.
In December of 2005, Tom Aposporos and Larry Hamm, two members of that award-winning cast, met with a
local playwright (also a practicing attorney) who wished to have his play, a full-length work in progress, read by
skilled actors in a formal setting in front of an audience. The success of that effort inspired the creation of
something new, and admittedly different–a festival of fully produced ten-minute plays solicited from local writers.
A best play would be selected and a monetary award would be given to the playwright. In January 2006,
Theatre Odyssey became a legal entity and produced its first Ten-Minute Play Festival a few months later.
The rules first developed in 2006 are largely still in use today. The play selection process begins with qualified
readers, who remain anonymous so as not to be influenced by a writer’s identity. An independent scoring
system using a uniform matrix guides the readers in choosing the most worthy plays for production. Three highly
respected judges choose the best play each year at the annual festival.
The quality of the plays submitted by local playwrights became evident in 2008 when noted New York publishing
house Smith and Kraus announced that two plays each by Sylvia Reed (AMERICAN FLAG and WORKS IN
PROGRESS) and Larry Hamm (DO-OVERS and PRECONCEPTION) would be included in Smith and Kraus’
BEST TEN-MINUTE PLAY series.
In 2013, the company created a Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival to encourage emerging playwrights
from local middle and high schools. That initial festival was in January 2013 and became a new annual event for
Theatre Odyssey. Its play selection process and production values follow those of the Ten-Minute Play Festival.
In addition, in 2013, the company introduced an Audience Favorite award at the Eighth Annual Ten-Minute Play
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Festival.
Theatre Odyssey has published the produced plays in a two volume set; Volume One: 2006 to 2009 and
Volume Two: 2010 to 2013.
Theatre Odyssey is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors and an Advisory Board of Directors. (Members
of the Advisory Board of Directors do not vote on matters that come before the Board of Directors, and their
attendance at Board of Directors meetings is requested but not required.) There is no paid chief executive
officer nor paid staff. The company shares net revenue from event ticket sales with actors, directors, and
technical crew.
Statement from the Board Chair
I was one of the founders of this company in 2006. I am privileged to return as President Emeritas as Theatre
Odyssey begins its twelfth season serving its art and the people of this region.
It was our initial belief that we could produce stage productions under the most unusual of circumstances. An
empty space, indoors or out, was all we would need to give life to a playwright's words. We opted to encourage
short plays by local writers. We developed a fair and equitable selection process to choose the plays we
produce, and an annual festival to perform them. The playwright of the festival winning play receives a cash
prize, and the performers, directors, and stage crews all share in revenue from audience ticket sales.
Five years ago, the company developed a second festival, this one for students, with the same standards and
values as our annual Ten-Minute Play Festival. My only regret is that we didn't do this sooner!
Our idea in 2006 was unique. Today, it is more common. Even our revenue sharing approach has been
adopted in practice by others. We are pleased to have pioneered new and uncommon spaces to produce stage
plays, and to offer the opportunity to local writers to see their labors performed. Tom Aposporos, Emeritas
President
Statement from the CEO/Executive Director
Areas Served
FL- Sarasota
FL- Manatee
FL- Lee
FL- Hillsborough
FL-Pinellas
FL- DeSoto
FL- Charlotte
The First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Annual Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festivals were produced at
the State College of Florida, Bradenton campus in the Ann and David Howard Studio Theatre. The sixth annual
festival will be held in the same theater. The Ten-Minute Play Festival has always been Sarasota-based--the
Twelfth Annual festival will be held again in the Cook Theatre at the FSU/Asolo Center for the Performing Arts.
Service Categories
Primary Organization Type
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Arts,Culture & Humanities
Secondary Organization Type
Arts,Culture & Humanities
Tertiary Organization Type
Youth Development
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PROGRAMS
TEN-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL
Description
This annual event is an adjudicated festival of ten-minute plays which
must be original works and must be meet a criteria established by Theatre
Odyssey. The event is open to Gulf Coast of Florida (generally Tampa
Bay to Naples) residents. The plays selected for production by Theatre
Odyssey retained qualified readers re produced using local acting and
directing talent at an annual festival open to the public. The playwright
who authors the winning play receives a cash prize.
Budget
$15,000.00
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Theater Festivals
Program Linked to Organizational Yes
Strategy
Population Served
General/Unspecified General/Unspecified General/Unspecified
Short Term Success
Audiences grow year over year. The number of plays submitted for
consideration for production also grows year to year.
Long Term Success
The annual festival, now approaching its eleventh, grows in popularity
each year. The number of plays annually submitted for consideration for
production has grown four times since the first festival in 2006.
Program Success Monitoring
Acceptance by annual audiences speaks loudly.
Program Success Examples
Year to year growth in play submissions, and audience support for those
produced, confirms the credibility of the annual festival.
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Student Ten-Minute Playwriting Festival
Description
Plays are submit from area high school students and read by panel of
Theatre professionals to be selected to compete in a full production at
State College of Florida in the Howard Studio in front of an audience with
adjudicators deciding the best play and runner- up. These two student
winners are awarded scholarships.
Budget
$4,000.00
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Theater Festivals
Program Linked to Organizational Yes
Strategy
Population Served
Adolescents Only (13-19 years) Adults Children and Youth (0 - 19 years)
Short Term Success
In January 2016 we just completed our Fourth Annual Student Ten-Minute
Playwriting Festival that had six students participating from four area high
schools. There were two performance evenings this year for the first time
versus only one performance as our audience for this festival is growing.
This is the first year that we did some marketing to groups to encourage
an bigger audience as well and it worked.
Long Term Success
In late 2016 we will offer more playwriting workshops for area students
and include seventh and eight graders as well, to hopefully foster even
more interest in playwriting for creative area students. There will be more
indepth contact with area school educators and a scholarship will be
awarded to the school that produces the student with the winning play in
2017, for use in that school's theatre/drama deparyment.
Program Success Monitoring
Is has been interesting to see the students that submit plays in their
freshman years and keep on submitting them in future years, improve and
sharpen their skills in their crafting a play. This is evident by the readers
that select the plays - not knowing the name of the student or school that
has submit it and by the sheer numbers of scripts and audience
attendance increasing.
Program Success Examples
After only four years this festival has grown in the size of the audience, the
amount of students participating and we increased the dollar amount of
the scholarships being awarded to the winners for the 2016 festival.
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Theatre Odyssey's ON THE ROAD
Description
Theatre Odyssey On The Road
Our On the Road Program is bringing full productions of new short plays
to retirement communities and assisted living facilities
to retired theater lovers that can no longer get out to see live theater. We
are bringing live theater to them.
We have just completed our first ON THE ROAD programs March 28 &
March 29, 2017. On March 28th we performed 4 brand new plays written
by Florida residents to an audience of 285 at Pelican Cove, Sarasota. On
March 29th we brought the same 4 new plays to Sara Bay, Sarasota for
an audience of 125. We will continue to present ON THE ROAD
productions of new plays in the autumn of 2017 and spring of 2018.
Budget
$3,200.00
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Theatrical Performances
Program Linked to Organizational Yes
Strategy
Population Served
Aging, Elderly, Senior Citizens Elderly and/or Disabled Adults
Short Term Success
Both facilities that saw the ON THE ROAD performances last week were
extremely pleased, entertained and want us back again next season. The
Activities Directors at both locations were so impressed with the
professionalism and entertainment value of the programs, that they will be
bringing residents to the Cook Theatre in May 2017 to see eight new tenminute plays performed in our 12th annual festival.
Long Term Success
Long Term we feel this is a great way to give back to the community to
those that love live theater and are not able to get to it due to age, infirmity
or economic reasons. It gives our local playwrights more exposure for
their work and encourages them to continue with more new works. The
actors and the crew found it very rewarding to perform for these
audiences and the audience was so very appreciative. It its a win , win for
all involved - the actors, playwrights, crew and audience. WE hope to be
able to continue doing this for the long haul as well as our two festivals
each year.
Program Success Monitoring
Feedback from the Activities Directors of the senior facilities will be our
monitoring guide. Not to mention the reaction and applause of the seniors
that benefit from these performances.
Program Success Examples
Again audience reaction and feedback from the Activities Directors of the
senior facilities. So far it has all been very positive. Therefore we will
continue to strive to offer the best selection of new short plays using the
best directors, actors and crew members that we can possibly find.
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Theatre Odyssey Workshops
Description
Theatre Odyssey is collaborating closely with the Artist Hermitage to
present playwriting workshops with our local playwrights when a wellknown, renowned or famous playwright is in resident with them.
To date we had had two such workshops and our next / third one is April
24, 2017.
Our first event was with Arthur Kopit at a dinner venue where he spoke of
his experiences in writing and how to go about it.
Our second event was a workshop with Dipika Guha at the Hermitage in
Englewood with our local playwrights to discuss strategies for writing
plays.
Budget
$300.00
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Theater Arts Instruction
Program Linked to Organizational Yes
Strategy
Population Served
Adults
Short Term Success
The Arthur Kopit was a wonderful way for local playwrights to meet a
Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and learn of his methods and why they
work
The Dipika Guha workshop was attended by a full house of local
playwrights and they all got to participate in various exercises on writing a
short play. It proved to them that you are never to old to learn something
new and sharpen your skills.
Long Term Success
Our first event collaboration with The Artist Hermitage were so well
received that our next one will be a ten-minute playwriting workshop with
Marisa Kraus to take place in Sarasota on April 24, 2017.
We hope to continue such events and workshops each time the
Hermitage has a visiting Playwright.
Program Success Monitoring
Feedback from the attendee playwrights has been very positive and they
are looking for more such opportunities.
The Hermitage program director has been very pleased with the way the
Theatre Odyssey has worked on these events to bring more cultural
education to our local playwrights.
Program Success Examples
One playwright that attended the Dipika Guha workshop has submit plays
to our festival for the last few years and it was never one of the 60+ plays
selected to perform with seven other plays in our annual festival. After the
session with Ms. Guha he mentioned that he had a play he could do some
re-writes on, as now he knew where he went wrong. That Ms. Guha had
given him some incite as to technique that he could to perfect his play. As
a result out of the 54 plays received by the end of February 2017, his was
one of the eight plays selected to perform May 4-7,2017 at The Cook
Theatre. It was a revelation that workshops by experts does help our local
playwrights. They can learn new techniques to perfect their craft.
Comments
Program Comments by Organization
Sarasota has a rich history of supporting the arts, especially the theater. For twelve years Theatre Odyssey has
been producing their Ten-Minute Play Festival. Every festival has featured plays written by local Sarasota
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playwrights…. maybe one of your neighbors! While Ten-Minute festival entries come from Tampa to Naples, it
seems like most of the entries come from local Sarasota playwrights. To name some of them: Ron Pantello,
Marvin Albert, Bernie Yanelli, Connie Schindewolf, Larry Parr, George Loukides, and Arthur Keyser. Some
student playwrights: Julien Freij & Amy Dop. We hope to expand our Ten-Minute Festival to include more
Florida writers. This year we doubled our efforts in Tampa and Naples. Someday Theatre Odyssey may open it
doors to all Florida writers, but for now, we are comfortable being the best we can be locally. Next year we will
expand our Student Play Playwriting Festival to even more high schools through our affiliation with the Arts &
Cultural Alliance Education Task Force. We have also initiated a program “Theatre Odyssey On The Road”,
whereby we take our plays to audiences who would not otherwise be able to attend a theater performance.
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MANAGEMENT
CEO/Executive Director
CEO/Executive Director
No Executive Director
CEO Email
[email protected]
Staff & Volunteer Statistics
Full Time Staff
0
Part Time Staff
0
Staff Retention Rate %
N/A
Professional Development
No
Contractors
0
Volunteers
19
Management Reports to Board
N/A
CEO/Executive Director Formal Evaluation
N/A
Senior Management Formal Evaluation
N/A
NonManagement Formal Evaluation
N/A
Collaborations
None.
Comments
Management Comments by Organization
There is no CEO or Executive Director. Board comments appear otherwise in this profile.
10
GOVERNANCE
Board Chair
Board Chair
Mr. Don Walker
Company Affiliation
self-employed, actor, videographer, photographer,
director
Board Term
July 2016 to June 2017
Board Chair Email
[email protected]
Board Members
Name
Affiliation
Status
Mr. Marvin Albert
Retired businessman, current
playwright
NonVoting
Mr. Tom Aposporos
retired
Exofficio
Mr. Preston Boyd
Professional actor, director and
musician
Exofficio
Mr. Michael Bush
Furniture business owner
NonVoting
Ms. Leona Collesano
I.T.
Voting
Ms. Donna DeFant
retired, Financial Services Industry Voting
Ms. Joan Golub
retired
Voting
Mr. Daniel Higgs
Retired Media Coordinator and
Educator
NonVoting
Mr. Tom Hudson
attorney
NonVoting
Mr. Jeffery Kin
Artistic Director, Players Theatre
NonVoting
Ms. Sophia LaRusso
Community Volunteer
NonVoting
Mr. Ronald Pantello
Retired advertising executive,
current playwright
Voting
Mr. Terry Romine
Retired attorney
NonVoting
Mr. Robert Trisolini
Professional Choreographer,
Director
Voting
Mr. Robert Turoff
retired theater owner
Voting
Ms. Tami Vaughan
Self-employed, Editor, Graphic
Designer
NonVoting
Mr. Donald Walker
Self-employed, Photographer,
Videographer, Actor, Director
Voting
Mr. David Yamin
retired Attorney
NonVoting
Board Demographics - Ethnicity
African American/Black
1
Asian American/Pacific Islander
0
Caucasian
17
Hispanic/Latino
0
Native American/American Indian
0
Other
00
11
Board Demographics - Gender
Male
13
Female
5
Not Specified
0
Governance
Board Term Lengths
3
Board Term Limits
2
Board Orientation
Yes
Number of Full Board Meetings Annually
11
Board Meeting Attendance %
50
Board Self-Evaluation
Yes
Written Board Selection Criteria
Yes
Percentage of Board Making Monetary
Contributions
95
Percentage of Board Making In-Kind Contributions 100
Constituency Includes Client Representation
Yes
Standing Committees
Advisory Board / Advisory Council
By-laws
Communications / Promotion / Publicity / Public Relations
Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts
Nominating
Finance
Board Governance
Education
Comments
Governance Comments by Organization
The company is operated by its working Board of Directors and there is a continuing obligation to evaluate the
performance of Directors, and to identify and address if necessary unmet needs.
12
FINANCIALS
Current Financial Info
Fiscal Year Begins
2017
Fiscal Year Ends
2017
Projected Revenue
$25,000.00
Projected Expenses
$23,000.00
Total Projected Revenue includes "in-kind"
contributions/ donations
Yes
Endowment Value
$0.00
Spending Policy
N/A
Spending Policy Percentage
0
Tax Credits
No
Capital Campaign
In a Capital Campaign
No
Campaign Goal
0
IRS Form 990s
Theatre Odyssey 2016 990- N
Theatre Odyssey 2015 990- N
Theatre Odyssey 2014 990-N
Theatre Odyssey 2013 990-N
Theatre Odyssey 2012 990-N
Theatre Odyssey 2011 990-N
Theatre Odyssey 2010 990-N
Audit/Financial Documents
Statement of Operations 2016
Statement of Operations 2015
Statement of Operations 2014
Statement of Operations 2013
Statement of Operations
Solvency
Short Term Solvency
Fiscal Year
Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current
Liabilities
2016
--
2015
--
Long Term Solvency
13
2014
--
Fiscal Year
Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets
2016
--
2015
--
2014
0%
2016
$34,627
$30,202
2015
$24,202
$20,401
2014
$21,503
$13,358
2016
$0
2015
$0
2014
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$14,648
$0
$8,913
$0
$0
$11,066
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$11,950
$0
$12,252
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$13,580
$0
$7,923
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
2016
$14,397
$7,913
$7,892
$0
1.15
48%
31%
2015
$18,139
$2,262
$0
$0
1.19
89%
0%
2014
$10,062
$3,296
$0
$0
1.61
75%
0%
2016
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
2015
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
2014
$13,989
$13,989
$0
$0
$13,989
2015
Contributions, gifts,
grants $11,950
Ticket Sales $9,922
2014
Contributions, gifts,
grants $13,580
Ten-Minute Play
Ticket Sales $6,775
Audience Donations
$584
Historical Financial Review
Revenue and Expenses
Fiscal Year
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
Revenue Sources
Fiscal Year
Foundation and Corporation
Contributions
Government Contributions
Federal
State
Local
Unspecified
Individual Contributions
Indirect Public Support
Earned Revenue
Investment Income, Net of Losses
Membership Dues
Special Events
Revenue In-Kind
Other
Expense Allocation
Fiscal Year
Program Expense
Administration Expense
Fundraising Expense
Payments to Affiliates
Total Revenue/Total Expenses
Program Expense/Total Expenses
Fundraising Expense/Contributed
Revenue
Assets and Liabilities
Fiscal Year
Total Assets
Current Assets
Long-Term Liabilities
Current Liabilities
Total Net Assets
Top Funding Sources
Fiscal Year
Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount
2016
Contributions, gifts,
grants $14,648
Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Fundraising $11,066
Amount
Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar
Program Service
Amount
Revenue $8,913
14
Venice Cabaret
$1,805
Comments
Financial Comments by Organization
Theatre Odyssey is able to make a "post card" filing with the Internal Revenue because its annual operations
fall below the allowable threshold. The company is modestly building its reserve fund and endeavors to add
20% of its income to the reserve fund annually.
Financial Comments by Foundation
Financial information taken from compilations.
15
PLANS, POLICIES & LICENSES
Plans
Fundraising Plan
No
Communication Plan
No
Strategic Plan
Yes
Strategic Plan Adopted
Dec 2014
Years Strategic Plan Considers
3
Management Succession Plan
No
Continuity of Operations Plan
No
Policies
Organizational Policies and Procedures
No
Written Conflict of Interest Policy
Yes
Nondiscrimination Policy
No
Directors and Officers Insurance Policy
Yes
Whistle Blower Policy
Yes
Document Destruction Policy
Yes
Government Licenses
Is your organization licensed by the Government?
No
Planning & Policies Comments
Planning & Policies Comments by Organization
Planning & Policies Comments by Foundation
Created 05.10.2017.
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Copyright © 2017