Category: Team Meetings

The following are the minutes from the SMCT Board Meeting on July 11, 2015. Click the link below for a downloadable PDF version.

SMCT_MeetingMinutes_7-11-2015 (public)

 

SMCT Board Meeting Minutes – July 2015
July 11th, 2015, 10:15am Benjamin Eddy Building, Foster, RI

Members Present (voting members in bold): Dennis Chretien, Artie Robillard, Carol Mauro, Shane Inman, Bob Hollis, Mary-Jo Chretien, Emily Chretien, Gabrielle Dworkin, Kaila Rubin, Nikki Boss, Chris Brostrup-Jensen, Michelle Chretien, Maia Grandy, Meryn Flynn

Meeting begins – 10:15am

Executive Director

-Policy sub-committee meeting

-Need to continue discussions, need more meetings
-Meetings need to be scheduled
-Details of meetings need to be more clearly defined
-Dennis will put together topic/date and email other members

-Have rights for Tom Sawyer been paid for?

-Unsure. Chris will investigate and remedy situation

Creative

-Creative productions; Chekhov plays will not proceed under Chris’s lead

-Replace Chekhov plays with The Sea Wench dramatic reading for Unplugged

-Meryn will determine whether it can be done
-Performed as dinner theatre at Country Club in addition to Town House performance
-Very little time for advertising
-Perform as Unplugged in the Summer, as dinner theatre in the Fall
-Saturday evening, Sunday matinee
-Unplugged performance done in early August
-Admission by donation for Town House performance
-Bob will find dates for Country Club performance
-Use author’s personal story for promotional purposes
-Chris will write article for Artie by Thursday (23rd)

Public Relations

-Discussed press releases in Coventry Reminder before shows, Artie agreed to do it

-Discussed Bob taking on relationship with school (superintendent, etc.)

-Decided responsibility should remain with Artie

-More outreach to community? Fewer local people involved and coming to shows

-Every Door Direct – send postcards to everyone on a carrier route
-Refrigerator magnets with season and contact information; 8 per page size
-Local commercials; investigate cost and benefits
-Radio ads also a possibility

-Swamp Meadow Banner

-Moving forward with replacement banner
-No use rushing it for Tom Sawyer, wouldn’t be up long enough

Motion to replace lost banner – Seconded/Passed
Motion to produce magnets by Old Home Days with $200 limit – Seconded/Passed

 

-Nikki will write something up for Tom Sawyer and Foster Idol

-Eric is not available to run a full-page color ad for Foster Homer Journal, may need to hold off and run it in the Bargain Buyer

-Dennis will run the ad

-Old Home Days

-T-shirts from all shows around booth
-Some kind of fishing game (involving magnets) to promote Tom Sawyer
-Liz may not be able to make coloring sheets; if not, Connor could handle it
-Have flyers been made yet? Find out from Eric
-Nikki will ask Connor if he would be willing to draw caricatures at the booth

Fundraising

-C.A.S.T. has approached Bob about grant money they would like to spend by September, and are looking at SMCT and another theatre to do so

-“40 asset builders for community” (family and community values, avoiding drugs, etc.) to be incorporated into 20 minute skit
-Troop needed to perform piece at schools and at mid-October event
-Unclear exactly what the audience is; elementary through middle school most likely

-Creative studio will be asking for money from CAST in return for monthly video or podcast promoting the “40 asset builders” for one year

-Nikki will look into large-scale fundraisers for 2016

Motion to ask CAST for grant money in return for monthly productions for a year, with no current intent to continue seeking a similar grant on a yearly basis – Seconded/Passed

Events

-Halloween show; one night, half hour show – Seven Wives for Dracula

-Production team required to provide guidance
-Potential for costume contest before show
-Two shows, first at Isaac Paine, second at Senior Center

Motion to fund Seven Wives for Dracula as short Halloween show – Seconded/Passed

-Nikki will look into establishing presence at Scituate Art Festival

Facilities

-Mic stands and boom mics are needed for Foster Idol

Membership

-Nikki will contact Trinity regarding showcase event

-Showcasing Little Shop would portray SMCT as children’s/teen’s theatre
-Any vignette from Our Town would lose weight without previous scenes
-Chris will contact Zach and Laura Gibb about showcasing scene from Cuckoo’s Nest
-Incorporate stories of how kids move on to great things with SMCT

Communications

-Shane will talk to Andy about getting the entire board integrated into Slack

Other Directors

-Artie is in negotiations with senior center as a location for USO show. No definite answer yet

-Show will take place weekend of Veteran’s Day
-Producer is needed for show, request will be attached in newsletter

Motion to adjourn meeting – Seconded/Passed

Meeting adjourned – 1:20pm

The following text are the minutes from the SMCT Board Meeting held at the Annual Celebration on June 9, 2015. Click the link below for a downloadable PDF version.

SMCT Annual Meeting Minutes (public)

 

SMCT Annual Meeting Minutes

9 June 2015 6:00pm, Woody Lowden Recreation Center, Foster RI

Members Present (voting members in bold): Heather Christie, Dennis Chretien, Bob Hollis, Andy Affleck, Laura Giorgianni, Kaila Rubin, Artie Robillard, Chris Brostrup-Jensen, Leslie Carter, Steve Carter, Carol Mauro, Emily Chretien, Michelle Chretien, Shane Inman, Gabbi Dworkin, Nikki Boss, Maia Grandy, Mike Grandy, Jonathan Safford, Sharon Safford, Rachel Stevens, Donna Nichols, Laurie Murphy, Nancy Wolf-Jensen

• Dennis wants to say thank you – we had a great season! Annie took off, Xmas Story and Our Town did great, in terms of quality of what we put out, we’re getting better, and it says a lot for everyone involved. Lots of work, but we’ve got some new people – need to get everyone working and helping out.
• Events
  • Thank you to Robyn Agrela for organizing Foster Follies!
  • The Board has decided not to do Karaoke this year, as it tends to lose money and we haven’t had much interest lately.
  • Events for next year aren’t planned out quite yet, especially since this position is up for election.
  • SMCT will have a slot at Trinity Rep’s Season Kick-Off party in August! We’re currently putting together our program for that, but need details from Trinity before we can go much further.
• Productions
  • This season will be:
    • Summer – Tom Sawyer (5 performances, Andy Affleck directing)
    • Fall – Christmas Carol (9 performances, Chris Brostrup-Jensen directing)
    • Spring – M*A*S*H (6 performances, Andy Affleck directing)
    • Dinner Theatre – TBA (2 performances, director TBA)
  • We’ve had questions about submissions. They’re all online, but it seems the online system is possibly unclear. We will try putting a deadline for when the next season is being considered so that people submitting can know roughly when the show they suggest might happen.
  • We’re debating changing the performance dates of M*A*S*H due to Mother’s Day, proms, and college graduations. We don’t want to go too far into April, because of school vacation. Andy will work through dates and get back to the board.
• Publicity
  • We’ve got good advertising in Foster, but continue to struggle further afield. We got wonderful coverage in Coventry for Little Shop, so we’re hoping to expand on that.
• Facilities/Tech
  • We made some huge advancements this year with our new LEDs, new mics and sound equipment, and our new light board. A huge thank you to all involved with tech for researching, acquiring, and learning these new systems!
• Membership
  • We would like to keep a tally on how many new people we add each year, just to see trends. Dennis and Heather will work on this and get it to Leslie soon.
  • We’ve had a lot of people hearing about us through word of mouth, which is great!
• Internal organization
  • We need to review and update our organizational structure. We also need to identify and define our roles, not just within the board, but within a production and also within SMCT as a whole. We have begun holding meetings about this, but we need to continue. We’ll figure this out at the next board meeting.
  • Liz will hope to get an ethics committee together in the coming week so they can have some discussions before the summer show starts – she will send an email out soon.
• Election of Officers!
  • We only had one nomination for each position:
    • Assistant Executive Director – Kaila Rubin
    • Communications Director – Shane Inman
    • Public Relations Director – Eric Dubois
    • Technical and Facilities Director – Andy Affleck
    • Membership Director – Leslie Carter
    • Assistant Finance Director of Funding – Meryn Flynn
    • Assistant Creative Director of Events – Nikki Boss
    • Assistant Creative Director of Productions – Liz Dubois
    • Assistant Creative Director of Education – Bob Hollis
    • Director At Large – Artie Robillard
  • There was a motion to approve slate as presented, it was seconded, and all were in favor
  • Rachel Stevens, Izzy Giorgianni, Maia Grandy are our 2015 – 2016 Youth Representatives to the board.
• Our next meeting will be July 11^th at 10:00am at the Benjamin Eddy building in Foster, RI.

The following text are the minutes from the SMCT Board Meeting on May 30, 2015. Click the link below for a downloadable PDF version.

SMCT Board Meeting Minutes 30 May 2015 (public)

 

SMCT Board Meeting Minutes

30 May 2015, Benjamin Eddy Building, Foster, RI

Members Present (bold indicates voting members): Heather Christie, Kaila Rubin, Dennis Chretien, Mary Jo Chretien, Bob Hollis, Laura Giorgianni, Artie Robillard, Liz, Dubois, Eric Dubois, Leslie Carter, Andy Affleck, Carol Mauro, Gabrielle Dworkin, Emily Chretien, Michelle Chretien, Shane Inman

Meeting Begun 10:10 am

• Annual Meeting
  • Concern: We’ve been having trouble defining our board positions.
    • Solution: Each board member will write a 2-3 sentence description of their current position for inclusion in the June newsletter. After the election at the annual meeting, subsequent meetings will be held to define these positions more specifically.
  • Concern: We’re wondering how many years each term ought to be. Most right now are set for one year, but there is debate about whether to make some of them longer. There is concern that more positions with longer terms would lead to fewer people willing to take those positions on and/or more resignations partway through the term.
    • Solution: We decided to keep the terms as they are currently set out, rather than change any to longer terms. This allows individuals to continue in a position if able, but also gives them the ability to pass the position on to someone else if needed.
  • Elections – the following are positions currently up for election.
    • Assistant Executive Director – Oversees the health, growth, and communication of SMCT and its membership and meets responsibilities of the Executive when necessary.
    • Communications Director – Oversees the intra-agency communication within SMCT and with the public. Duties include writing and distributing minutes from Board Meetings and writing and distributing the monthly newsletter.
    • Public Relations – Oversees the presentation of SMCT’s image and programs to the community. Duties include overseeing the website and Facebook page.
    • Technical and Facilities Director – Oversees the use, care, and safety of all facilities and their contents. This includes all three storage units as well as any buildings or facilities used by SMCT.
    • Membership Director – Oversees the “Community” of SMCT and the coordination of needs and talent. Duties include contacting members with opportunities of interest to them as well as encouraging new members to join SMCT.
    • Assistant Finance Director for Fundraising – Works primarily on finding funding opportunities for SMCT. Duties include grant writing, organizing fundraising campaigns, and managing donation requests.
    • Assistant Creative Director of Events – Oversees what SMCT does as entertainment. Duties include organizing fundraising and community events not considered productions (such as Foster Follies or Foster Idol).
    • Assistant Creative Director of Production – The Asst. Creative Director of Productions works in tandem with the Creative Director to discover new shows, organize and analyze show submissions, and help decide our upcoming season’s offerings. They help determine the director and producer of each show, coordinate schedules, and manage show royalties and rights. They meet with the other creative team members to develop educational programming and oversee any traveling troupes.
    • Assistant Creative Director of Education – Oversees all education efforts within and without Swamp Meadow including the teen/youth group, internal training and documentation, external classes and training, and any other ventures that involve improving our technical and artistic skills as a theater.
    • Director at Large – Participates as a liaison between the SMCT Board and SMCT members.
• Behavior policies
  • Concern: We have had a number of behaviors over the past several productions that have been problematic. While we have guidelines, we need a better method of enforcing them and we need these guidelines to be clearer to those involved in productions.
    • Solution: We have formed an ethics committee to draft behavioral rules/guidelines and also to evaluate individual incidents and determine consequences. All dealings with behavioral issues will be dealt with in the strictest confidentiality.
• Trinity Rep Season Kick-Off Party
  • 22^nd of August, 10am – 6pm
  • ~30 minutes to do something to showcase their organization
  • Need a group to brainstorm what to do – we’ll work on this once we have more details
• Foster Idol
  • Advertised auditions July 10^th 5-8 and 11^th 4-7 at the Foster town house
• Storage unit
  • Thanks to cast of LSH for organizing the storage unit!

Meeting adjourned.

The following text are the minutes from the SMCT Board Meeting on March 28, 2015. Click the link below for a downloadable PDF version.

SMCT Board Meeting Minutes 28 March 2015 (public)

 

March 28, 2015
10:00 AM
Benjamin Eddy Building, Foster, RI

In attendance (bold indicates voting member): Dennis Chretien, MaryJo Chretien, Gabbi, Bob Hollis, Artie Robillard, Steve Carter, Kaila Rubin, Laura Giorgianni, Andy Affleck, Ann Affleck

Called to order at 10:08am

• NEW BUSINESS
  • Problem: Our Box Office Manager has had to step down.
    • Solution: Joe Giorgianni has been approved to take over the post.
  • Problem: We currently only accept credit cards in our online orders, but it would be nice to do that at the door.
    • Solution: SMCT is debating whether to purchase Square or something similar. It would also extend our reservation times. The Chretiens are looking into it.
• 1^ST POLICY MEETING
  • The meeting was productive, but only covered money handling policies and box office policies, and only at a fairly preliminary level. We will have others, Fridays are what we’ve chosen before, and the meetings are generally potluck. Well let everyone know when the next one is.
• RAFFLES
  • We have applied for a license to sell our Old Home Days raffle tickets at Little Shop of Horrors as well as Old Home Days.
• SHOW UPDATES
  • Foster Follies
    • We’re right on schedule, with one rehearsal taking place the night before. There’s a fair amount of tech, we may need to adjust what we use.
  • Little Shop of Horrors
    • LSH is doing well! We’ve had some weather issues, but we’re generally where we hoped to be around this time. People can now reserve tickets on the phone and online!
  • Tom Sawyer
    • Planning is in the early stages. Andy Affleck is directing. He wants to do some script adjustment and will sketch out some set design.
    • Help Needed: Interested teenagers who would like to direct or help on the production/technical side of things should contact Andy at email hidden; JavaScript is required
  • USO show-
    • 1 year from October, dinner theatre. Artie Robillard is writing the script and directing. We’re thinking of having musical accompaniment, but the details are unsure.
• TECH UPDATE
  • Still working on logistics for selling some of our equipment and reorganizing the storage units
  • We’ve got a new light board, which is VERY cool and powerful. Learning how to use it is going really well!
• OUTREACH
  • Bob Hollis will be teaching an Intro to Acting program afterschool at Captain Isaac Paine Elementary School for six weeks. The program starts soon.
  • Preservation Society– We are helping the preservation society with some costumed interpretation at various places in Foster during their meeting. They would like those involved to know the history so they can hold conversation with people, but not have it scripted. The tour will be April 25 3:00-4:30pm.
• CREATIVE TEAM
  • Creative– We’ve got our 2015-2016 season, but we’re trying to relate our 2016 season to WWI and the USO show. Spring is M*A*S*H, trying to figure out other shows. If anyone has ideas or comments, please send an email to email hidden; JavaScript is required.
• Adjourned at 11:45pm.

 

 

The following text are the minutes from the SMCT Board Meeting on January 24, 2015. Click the link below for a downloadable PDF version.

SMCT Board Meeting Minutes January 2015 public

 

SMCT Meeting Minutes January 2015

January 24, 2015

10:00am

Benjamin Eddy Building

Foster, RI

 

Members present (bolded members are voting members): Heather Christie, Dennis Chretien, Liz Dubois, Eric Dubois, MaryJo Chretien, Laura Giorgianni, Chris Brostrup-Jensen, Michelle Chretien, Carol Mauro, Steve Carter

 

• 2015-16 season
  • Summer 2015 – Tom Sawyer – Director still in discussion
    • August 12-16
  • Unplugged – the Bear and the Proposal
    • Perform in August, Chris Brostrup-Jensen most likely directing
  • Fall Dinner Theatre
    • WW2 USO show
    • October/TBD
    • Ponaganset Reads Across America show happens in early December or late November, so we will talk to them to possibly connect
  • Winter 2015
    • Christmas Carol – Chris Brostrup-Jensen directing
    • Dec 4-6, 11-13, 18-20
    • Dec 20^th is Ponaganset’s concert, may cancel that day
  • Winter/Spring dinner theatre
    • Show – TBD
    • Possible dates – Feb 26, 27 and/or March 4-6 OR May 13-15 and/or 20-22
    • Need director
  • Spring 2016
    • M*A*S*H
    • Director still in discussion
    • Possible dates: April 8-10, 15-17 OR May 6-8, 13-15
      • Overlap with follies? Year off from follies?
    • Careful with the May weekends due to issues with prom scheduling – LSH has Scituate prom on opening night
  • Moved to accept, seconded, approved
  • CAST grant applies to 3 main shows
• Corresponding Secretary – Carol Mauro volunteered
  • Nominated, seconded, approved
• Finances
  • Filemaker Pro is good till Feb 2017
  • Victorian Carolers brought in good income, but it seems to be their final year
  • Christmas Story did well
  • Money handling policies
    • MaryJo Chretian and Laura Giorgianni are going to draft a policy for money handling and hospitality
    • Disability discount? Don’t currently have one, need to figure out
  • Christmas in the Valley – no results yet
• NEED guidelines for every position – start with box office
  • Have a write-in? Everyone come with a laptop and write a draft, swap, revise, ask questions, etc.
  • March 6^th – need to focus on job descriptions
• Tech
  • Light-board power adapter having problems
  • LEDs – need to learn/program
  • Getting software for lighting
  • Getting something with memory – presets and GO buttons
  • Digital snake?
  • Handheld microphones (wireless) – need cost info
    • Would be nice to get these before Follies
    • Steve Carter will check on this
  • Sell some of our old stuff?
    • Need a list of what we’re not using
    • Need a spring cleaning of the storage unit
  • LSH – fully cast, first rehearsal Tuesday, alternate cast for first night due to prom. Maybe get alternates doing it two nights?
    • Still looking for guitar player
  • Shakespeare
    • Going well, off-book, working with props
    • Going with all LEDs on floor
    • MaryJo and Michelle Chretien can coordinate concessions
    • $12 for a la carte desserts, $20 for all you can eat desserts
      • $20 tickets get priority on tables
  • Unplugged
    • About growth in the craft
    • Want to challenge ourselves and each other
    • Would like to start a program that sits somewhere on the line between productions and education – about doing shows that stretch us as artists – use as a vehicle to improve across the board
    • Idea is to create training among those interested who can then share that with others in the organization
    • Tim Hillman is very interested and offering his mentoring skills for free
    • Almost an incubator for growing better artists
    • Basically an adult teen troupe
    • Maybe merge them or connect them – adults mentor teens
    • Add to our reputation as a learning ground for theatre
    • Still planning to do a show in August, probably Chekhov
    • Open to all ages, whole organization, anyone can join
    • Great alternative to seminar series, but we should ask about why those were unsuccessful – lessons learned?
    • Tasked 3 people as keepers of the flame – making sure stuff keeps happening and moving forward
      • Don’t control/own the idea, just tasked with keeping it going
      • Tim Hillman, Chris Brostrup-Jensen, Heather Christie
  • Next meeting scheduled for Feb 28^th – location TBD, most likely Eddy Building