Budget
$1,068,000.00
Description
This year, Nashville Rep celebrates 40 years of bringing professional theatre to middle Tennessee on the TPAC stages. The 2024-2025 mainstage season includes 5 classic and contemporary plays and musicals that align with our goals for diversity in material, playwrights and casting.


• Waitress. 9/13-22/2024
• Our Town. 10/25-11/3/2024
• A Christmas Carol (Nashville Rep original adaptation). 12/6-22/2024
• The Mountaintop. 2/14/23/2025
• Sunday in the Park with George. 4/4-13/2025

FY25 will further demonstrate the Rep's commitment to education on the main stage. The Rep will partner with TPAC's Education department to feature "A Christmas Carol" on TPAC's "Season for Young People" with six dedicated performances for more than 6000 area youth.
Program Successes
Nashville Rep is recognized throughout the region as a company of the highest quality, formally recognized by the government of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County for 35 years of service. Named "Best Professional Theatre" by the Nashville Scene and "Best Local Theatre" by the Tennessean, our artistic associates are consistently recognized with awards from NFocus, Broadway World's "First Night", Nashville Scene, Tennessean and others. In 2021, the Rep was named "Best Performing Arts Organization" by Nashville Business Journal.

As the leader in live, professional theatre in Nashville, the Rep consistently receives positive reviews and critical acclaim. In recent years, the Rep has seen a 100% increase in press coverage for mainstage productions.

Fiinally, our base support of loyal funders, both individual and organizational, is a testament to the success of the company in delivering the very highest quality professional theatre in the region in adherence to our mission.
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities  - Theater 
Beneficiaries
General Public
Seniors
Families
Long-term Success
Long-term, the main stage programs of the Nashville Repertory Theatre aim to inspire empathy, prod intellectual and emotional engagement and expand the creative capacity of audiences and artists throughout the Nashville community. By selecting diverse and varied contemporary themed works for the main stage, the productions serve both as a means toward understanding our common interests and as a mechanism to launch important conversations which transcend traditional boundaries between people.

As Oscar Wilde said, "Theatre is the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it means to be human." We believe there are few things more important than reminding Nashvillians of their shared humanity as a means of building community.

Short-term Success
After experiencing a Nashville Repertory Theatre production, audience members will engage in empathetic conversations among themselves and with other theatre patrons. Based on subject matter presented, more audience members will become active participants for talk-back events aimed at prodding intellectual ideas related to contemporary issues. Through participating in engagement events, more community members will be inclined to take the "next step" out in the community to help affect positive change. In anticipation of this outcome, the Nashville Rep and its community partners will be able to transfer information when requested, providing resources and organizations that can help effect change with audience support.
Program Success Monitored By
Program success will be measured in several ways.

Increases in attendance numbers and overall ticket sales will be a primary measurement. Engagement event attendance will also be measured to track trends in subject matter presented vs. growth in addition to observing any changes in audience composition by demographic groups.

In addition, post-show surveys are sent to audience members for feedback about the material, production quality, environment and overall experience. This information is compiled and shared with staff and Board leaders to evaluate trends and guide future artistic programming.

Finally, the Rep seeks input from artists involved in each production in order to fine-tune the artist experience and overall program quality based upon feedback received. Artists are also given post-production surveys and are invited to a post-mortem meeting for the production, attended by the production team, artists and key staff leaders.
Program Areas Served
None

Budget
$35,000.00
Description
Nashville Rep's Young Voices Monologue Competition develops public speaking skills for middle- and high-school youth in Title 1 schools.

Young Voices broadens understanding of underrepresented groups' experiences in America via the study of works from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) American playwrights. It develops public speaking skills and fosters the benefits of arts education including creativity, confidence, receiving constructive feedback, and more.

Young Voices visits middle- and high-school classrooms where students receive 1:1 instruction by professional teaching artists who help students select, rehearse, and perform monologues. The culmination is a regional monologue competition with scholarships awarded to the top speakers. While this program is open to all, the Rep intentionally cultivates partnerships with Title 1 schools.

Program Successes
Now in its 4th year, Young Voices participants have gone on to study theatre in college, and others have been cast in Nashville Rep mainstage productions.
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Black/African American
At-risk youth
Long-term Success
The Rep's educational equity programs are designed to build community, trust and understanding among at-risk and underrepresented youth in Metro Nashville.

While the program currently engages students from 5-6 middle and high schools, the vision is for the program to be implemented in classrooms across middle-TN.
Short-term Success
Educationally, it is fundamentally important for underrepresented youth to see themselves reflected in works presented on the stage so that they might feel more connected to the community at large in addition to understanding that their voices matter. The program enables students to find and express themselves through theatre, which in turn builds confidence, enhances critical life and career skills and leads to increased engagement in school. By extension, a program like this helps white students better understand their peers' personal histories and experiences which in turn builds empathy toward one another.

Short term success is measured by the number of students engaged in the program.

Program Success Monitored By
The Rep will measure success through quantitative measures and qualitative evaluation.
Quantitatively, success will be measured by an increase in number of students served in the program, and also by an increase in number of participating schools.

The Rep will solicit qualitative evaluations from program participants as follows:
1. Students. Written evaluations will be used to gain insight as to how the program helped affect positive change from student to student. Students themselves will evaluate the program's impact based upon a pre-instruction survey of expectations measured against final evaluations.
2. Overall program instructors and judges. The program leaders will provide on-going qualitative feedback to the program administrator and lead teaching artist to help the Rep "fine tune" the program to provide the most impactful programming.
3. Participating teachers. The Rep will seek continuous feedback from the educators.
Program Areas Served
Title 1 middle- and high-schools across middle TN

Budget
$32,000.00
Description
"Building Community Through Theatre" at the Johnson Alternative Learning Center teaches life skills through theatre to Nashville students at the highest risk of being "pushed out" of the education system.

The program counteracts the negative impact of exclusionary discipline practices upon youth in Metro Nashville. Recent studies have shown a direct correlation between youth disciplinary measures and dropout rates. A student suspended just once in 9th grade increases the chance of not completing high school to 32%, with additional expulsions having a multiplier effect. Of particular concern is that African American youth are 4 times more likely to be suspended than white peers.

The trauma-informed curriculum studies theatrical texts from BIPOC playwrights and allows students to explore their identities, share experiences to build trust, and use creativity, communication and collaboration to build confidence.
Program Successes
The principal of Johnson Alternative Learning Center has reported to the Rep that referrals to his office for behavioral issues is roughly 80% school wide. For participants in this program, that number has dropped to around 30%.
Beneficiaries
Adolescents
At-risk youth
Economically disadvantaged people
Long-term Success
Long term, the Rep plans to expand this program to other alternative learning centers in Middle Tennessee, in addition to partnering with the TN Department of Child Services to offer the program for court-involved youth in DCS residential facilities.
Short-term Success
Short term, Students will:
-Identify styles of communication in establishing boundaries,
-Explore the idea of community, contributors to self-identity, stereotypes/assumptions and status,
-Create and structure scenes to represent personal stories as they relate to their own life experience,
-Build confidence, perseverance, accountability, problem-solving skills and resilience by receiving constructive feedback in a safe environment.

The program provides instruction twice a week as an elective course for students referred by the school principal. The full curriculum is structured around a 9-week quarter. Most students average 9-18 weeks at Johnson. Students who are assigned for longer than 9 weeks who elect to continue in the program will become model participants/peer mentors, a foundational element of Restorative practices.

Program Success Monitored By
The Rep will measure success through quantitative measures and qualitative evaluation.

Quantitatively, success will be measured by an increase in number of students served each year.

As appropriate, the Rep will solicit qualitative evaluations from program participants as follows:
1. Students. Written evaluations will be used to gain insight as to how the program helped affect positive change from student to student. Students themselves will evaluate the program's impact based upon a pre-instruction survey of expectations measured against final evaluations.
2. Teaching artists. The program leaders will provide on-going qualitative feedback to the program administrator and lead teaching artist to help the Rep "fine tune" the program to provide the most impactful programming.
3. Faculty. The Rep will continue open communication lines with school leadership to ensure objectives are being met.

Program Areas Served
Johnson Alternative Learning Center, Nashville

Budget
$150,000.00
Description
In 2022-2023, the Rep launched a Technical Theatre Apprenticeship Program for technical theatre artists in directing, stage management, costume, set, lighting, sound design and more. Our goal is to remove the traditional financial barriers to access for artists at the beginning of their careers by offering paid work and training under mentorship by longtime Rep artists. Apprentices' work on season productions will clear a path toward future leadership positions with the Rep and the broader theatre industry. Since inception, the program has trained more than 33 artists, the majority of whom are BIPOC.

The Rep also partners with MetroArts' "Community Arts Leaders of Nashville" initiative to host a college student intern for a semester. The Rep provides interns with concrete training & experience as they embark on careers in theatre. These emerging artists & administrators are valued young members of the team who will go on to build their careers as artists with a solid foundation.


Program Successes
The Rep continues to attract candidates of the highest caliber to the internship program, candidates who have enhanced their skills and by program's end have demonstrated their readiness to be employed as full-time professionals in the arts. In the last three years, the internship program has successfully placed 100% of participants at places like Julliard, The Kennedy Center, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and the Nashville Rep.

The Rep has benefited from the permanent hire of two interns and awarded another his first Equity contract even before his internship concluded. The Rep's current Director of Audience Engagement, Amos Glass, began his career as an intern in marketing and development and was hired as Management Associate at the end of his tenure. Since then, he has been promoted to Director level responsibilities.

Several apprentices have already been hired to leadership positions on season production teams for the last two seasons.
Beneficiaries
Young Adults
Minorities
Other Economic Level
Long-term Success
The Rep will continue to be the local leader in employing and supporting the creative class of Nashville through fostering education and professional development opportunities with both emerging and established professional artists. The Rep will be regarded as the best local provider of quality professional development opportunities in support of creative practitioners at all stages in their career.
Short-term Success
Paid professional apprenticeships in technical theatre will develop new artists to assume leadership positions across the region and nationally. In the short term, apprentices will support mainstage productions while learning new skills under mentorship by established technical theatre artists.

Professional placement in arts organizations for interns is the goal of the internship program. The Rep will maintain contact with program alumni to track their career success.

Professional development workshops and classes will be attended by actors and theatrical technicians through a well-developed calendar, broad variety of offerings and expanded artist database. Growth in participation numbers in addition to tracking the artists who return for multiple programs will be barometers of success. Positive word-of-mouth among local artists will help ensure program longevity.

Program Success Monitored By
Program success for the apprenticeship program will be measured by the number of artists who return to work with the Rep and/or gain new employment opportunities in theatre following completion of the program.

Surveys of professional development program participants will aid in evaluating success, and artists will refer fellow artists to the program.

Based upon positive feedback from interns and their placement to professional employment following their time at the Rep, more universities will want to work with the Rep to place their students in the program.

Program Areas Served
None

Budget
$60,000.00
Description
The Ingram New Works Project is a nationally-recognized new play development program designed to empower and amplify new voices in the American theatre and expand the creative capacity of Nashville by connecting artists and audiences across extraordinary new works. The project makes space for theatre artists from diverse backgrounds to develop new works while in residency at the Rep.

Because the Project creates works which address contemporary topics from diverse perspectives, the Project attracts younger, more diverse audiences and employs actors from underrepresented groups.

This year, Ingram New Works will host 5 mid-career playwrights to develop their plays using Nashville actors and presented to Nashville audiences throughout the year.

For the first time in 2023, the Ingram New Works Project supported the development of a new musical for the American stage.
Program Successes
The success of the Ingram New Works Project is reflected in the number of plays developed and their subsequent productions across the country. Since 2009, the company has seen the creation of more than 75 new American plays. Of those, 30% have won major national playwriting awards, and 50% have gone on to see fully-staged productions across the country, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, and the NYC Fringe Festival.

In 2019, Theatre Communications Group and American Theatre Magazine recognized Martha Rivers Ingram, the founder of the program, for her role in expanding the American theatrical landscape and specifically, for the Project's amplification of voices from underrepresented groups.


Other barometers of success include the consistent growth in audience size year after year, the increased number of applicants to participate in the highly competitive program, and the addition of new strategic partners to help us grow festival offerings and attract new audiences.

Beneficiaries
General Public
Seniors
Minorities
Long-term Success
The Ingram New Works Project will significantly increase the American theatrical cannon, giving traditionally underrepresented voices a platform to create new works for American stages. The program will be widely accepted as an industry standard for amplification of diverse voices. Finished works will tell the stories of underrepresented characters and therefore will increase representation on stage and provide more work opportunities for underrepresented artists in Nashville and across the country. The Project will bring contemporary issues to the forefront of American theatre, ensuring theater's impact on new audiences for years to come.
Short-term Success
Short term success will be measured by:
Producing 4-5 new American plays
Introducing Nashville audiences to diverse, traditionally underrepresented voices
Connecting a famous fellow with younger playwrights
Increasing audience numbers overall while attracting younger audiences due to the content of plays being developed
Securing new partnerships to raise program awareness locally and build upon national notoriety
Engaging with and providing developmental support to local aspiring writers (youth and adult) in pursuit of their craft under mentorship by established artists
Program Success Monitored By
Several indicators for gauging program success for the Ingram New Works Project exist:
• A growth in number of playwright applicants for the program indicates that the program is competitive and highly valued within the national theater community
• The notoriety of confirmed fellows to mentor the playwrights reflects the strength of the project in the eyes of established career playwrights. A successful program brings industry leaders to the table
• Tracking audience numbers through ticket sales and surveying for demographics in addition to qualitative feedback will help us to determine efficacy
• Playwrights will be provided written evaluations of the year-long experience to help us to continually improve upon our foundation


Program Areas Served
Performances take place at NPT Studio A. 161 Rains Avenue, Nashville, TN

Budget
$120,000.00
Description
The Rep produces a broad calendar of engagement programs tied to themes presented on the mainstage with non-profit partners throughout Nashville.

For example, the 40th anniversary season features "The Mountaintop" by TN playwright Katori Hall. The play is a fictional imagining of what Dr. Martin Luther King's last night might have been after delivering his famous "mountaintop" speech earlier that day. The Rep will partner with Nashville Public Library and Humanities TN to produce a series of educational events at branch libraries across Nashville in the weeks leading up to the mainstage production at TPAC. Each event will feature an actor delivering Dr. King's speech, followed by a talkback to include local historians and current civil rights leaders to discuss Dr. King's impact upon Nashville today.

Other programs include free REPaloud staged readings ("Reading Excellent Plays aloud), RepChats bi-monthly podcasts, and accessibility ticketing programs.
Program Successes
A recent talk-back event following a main stage performance of Topdog / Underdog employed our new focus to develop strategic partnerships with local experts to broaden our footprint and impact upon the community. A panelist who is a professional advocate for intervention with respect to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) brought 20 men from his ministry to see the show (made possible by special discounts and free ticket programs). Most of these men had never experienced live theater. The men were engaged in the conversation, commenting on how it surprised them to see a story that reflected their own struggles. They felt represented on the stage. Conversation stretched beyond the idea of ACEs and how they manifest in life choices. Toward the end of the evening, another audience member asked the panel of experts for suggestions for community groups to become involved with and ways that he could personally help to make a difference.
Beneficiaries
General Public
Seniors
Black/African American
Long-term Success
The long-term vision for the Outreach Programs offered by the Nashville Repertory Theatre is two-fold. First, to make the experience of live, professional theatre accessible to all regardless of ability to pay and other traditional barriers to participation. The experience of theatre should reflect society where all audiences can identify with their human connection through works that encourage conversation. And second, for Nashville audiences to recognize theater as more than a means of pure entertainment. Outreach and engagement should enable audiences to see the theatre as a mechanism for healthy conversation and ultimately, a means of inspiring social change.
Short-term Success
Short-term success will be measured by the number of new partnerships created to enable access to underserved populations. Engaging community leaders in areas such as social justice, intervention, education, social welfare, mental health, equality, strengthens our ability to reach members of the community to whom our programs are intended to reach. By means of leadership involvement, members of the underserved communities they serve will be encouraged to participate in the free programs offered by the Nashville Rep to experience live theatre (all the programs listed above). Additionally, the Rep extends accessibility to main stage productions through special ticketing programs and discounts like Free Tickets for Teachers, Student Rush Tickets, Military Appreciation and Pay What You Can Nights. As we engage new audiences through outreach programming, the Rep will build upon positive experiences and offer means to continue to participate in live theatre at every program level.
Program Success Monitored By
An immediate means of measuring program success is by tracking attendance numbers for each program type. Anecdotal assessments of audience mix will be conducted by program managers on-site, and follow-up surveys are sent electronically to program participants. The Rep's increased presence on social media for all program types also affords us the ability to track interest in adjunct programs such as our Outreach initiatives by looking at number of likes, comments and unique engagements associated with each program.
Program Areas Served
None

Budget
$84,250.00
Description
Nashville Rep's Youth Conservatory engages youth in the benefits of theatre arts education.

Broadway Theatre Camp: Nashville's only overnight theatre camp, kids ages 7-15 spend mornings learning music & choreography from Broadway's hottest shows & afternoons enjoying the great activities at YMCA Camp Widjiwagan. 60% of kids who attend camp are LMI.

Broadway Masterclasses: Current Broadway artists lead classes for high school and college-aged performers. Students receive one-on-one instruction with Broadway artists, and classes culminate in a public performance of the students' work.

Young Stars: 2025 will see the Rep's first ever youth musical, a fully staged, fully professional production performed entirely by students . Talented youth (middle & high school students) will take to the stage in an all-youth musical production.
Program Successes
One of the goals of the Nashville Rep Youth Conservatory is to identify and develop young talent to prepare them for continued success in theatre. Though a newer offering, the program has already succeeded.

Several participants in past Broadway Masterclasses have become Rep artists in their own right. Shelby Smith, who attended a Rep masterclass in 2020-2021, played the leading role of Sarah in the Rep's production of "Ragtime" in November 2021. Kortney Ballenger, who participated in the masterclass with Jelani Aladdin in 2019-2020, was featured in the 2021-2022 season in both "Ragtime" and "School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play".

Beneficiaries
Adolescents
Preteens
Minorities
Long-term Success
Long-term, the Rep's Youth Conservatory will be an industry leader in developing young theatrical artists of all disciplines. Program alumni will go on to careers in the theatre, building the base of theatrical talent in Nashville and nationally.

Conservatory programming will ensure the betterment of our community by driving the long-prescribed benefits of exposure to arts education for all participants which include increased school engagement, college aspirations and inclination to use art as a means of empathizing with others. The Conservatory will foster skills critical to academic and life success: creativity, confidence, problem-solving, perseverance, focus, non-verbal communication, receiving constructive feedback, collaboration, dedication and accountability.

Short-term Success
Each program area is designed to move the creative process beyond a classroom or rehearsal setting by culminating in a full performance for a public audience as a "finish line" to build confidence, perfect skills, learn new techniques and work collaboratively to achieve this goal. Beyond the impact on youth participants, the Conservatory will build community between artists and educators; connect local professional artists with youth artists and audiences through mentorship; and will bring cross-generational audiences together.


Program Success Monitored By
Evaluations will be provided to all program participants and parents to assess immediate impact by program upon the youth involved. Educators will be asked to evaluate program materials for effectiveness, as will professional artists involved in the mentorship components to ensure best practices.

Audience members for all performance pieces will be sent post-performance surveys.

Program Areas Served
None