A Note from Board Chair, Graham Daley

Dear Friends of The Sudbury Savoyards,

We love to say that we put the “community” in community theater, and that community includes all of you, our merry band of supporters, followers, and members. We are so excited about our upcoming season and all of the new faces we are welcoming into the fold. Our rehearsal spaces are alive with music, story telling and choreography, and ideas are flying among the creative teams of both The Gondoliers and The Christmas Carol. We continue to grapple with how to pay for it all, while being sure to keep our values of inclusivity and openness at the forefront of our work.

At times such as these, art, laughter, community, joy and care are what get us through. While there is much darkness, we must continue to create light and share it with others.

And wow, the light of our community sure is bright! Last year, we were blown away by your engagement and generosity. Amidst an uncertain time for the arts, The Sudbury Savoyards not only survive, but thrive. Your contributions brought in over $21,000 and helped create a banner year for our mainstage production. Together, we presented G&S’s Ruddigore to 1,300 audience members and raked in SEVEN DASH Award nominations, including one for Best Production of a Musical!

However, time marches on, and last year’s funds are now mostly found in the form of items in the “expenses” column of our budget. As you can imagine, we need to continually renew and diversify our sources of funding in order to remain strong and ready to handle any challenges that could come our way. To build on last year’s success and continue to serve this inspiring community, this year’s fundraising goal is a whopping $26,500.

This year, I invite those of you who may have never donated before or who haven’t donated in a while to join the ranks of our financial supporters. You may have always meant to pitch in but never gotten to it, or you may have been waiting for things to calm down or get a little less tight. We have been tremendously lucky to have the support and commitment of people like you over the last decade, and our continued efforts to present inclusive, high-quality operetta depend on the ongoing support of both new and existing donors.

Thank you, for showing up for us, so that we can show up for our members and community. We often talk about the “big ticket items,” things like the high cost of renting spaces and building sets. But what you don’t see are the behind-the-scenes, smaller expenses that make or break The Sudbury Savoyards. Last year, for example, your contributions purchased a new piano bench for our rehearsal accompanists, a replacement dehumidifier for our workspace, and garment bags to protect our costumes during transport. Thank you for making the hard work and tough decisions of our volunteer leadership team so much easier.

If you have been thinking about making a donation, now is a great time. If you have donated already, thank you. As we all consider our year-end and holiday giving, I hope you’ll join me as I renew my financial pledge to The Sudbury Savoyards.

Here is to another great season! If you have any questions, ideas, or would like to discuss planned giving, please reach out to me via email.

In gratitude and solidarity,

Graham Daley
Chair, The Sudbury Savoyards Board of Trustees
chair@sudburysavoyards.org

As you think about your Giving Tuesday and end of year plans, I hope you will join me in making a financial contribution to The Sudbury Savoyards.