Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Mainstage Series
For 45 years, VSC has presented over 4,990 performances of nearly 280 plays in the 111 year old Beaux-Arts Proscenium-style Wells Theatre. VSCs production history includes: 27 World Premieres, 16 Pulitzer Prize-winning plays, and over 30 educational shows created by Virginia Stage specifically for the Hampton Roads community.
VSC builds each production from the ground up, creating professional, live theatre in this community, for this community. We strive to reflect and support our local arts community by giving priority to cast local artists and hire local artisans.
Our 45th season is as follows: "Fiddler on the Roof," "A Merry Christmas Carol," "Dial "M" for Murder," "Three Musketeers," "Blues for an Alabama Sky," and "Lay it Down." Additionally, a community tour of "Every Brilliant Thing" and elementary-aged enrichment tour, "Greenbeats Live!".
Enrichment Programs
For over 24 years, VSCs Enrichment programs have been committed to fostering a love of great literature and the performing arts in children and adults alike. VSC strives to deepen the communitys exposure to teaching artists, playwrights, designers, and performers. Our Enrichment initiatives in the past have numbered more than 60 programs and activities in schools and community spaces throughout Hampton Roads, and in the Wells Theatre. Programs are specifically designed to work in conjunction with Virginia's Standards of Learning.
Enrichment programs and services include:
Student Matinee Performances
Summer Theatre Camps
Master Classes and Workshops
In-School Tours, Residences and Workshops
Access Programs
Our accessibility programs make our productions a welcoming and comfortable place for all. All mainstage performances offer assisted listening technology and ADA Accessible Seating in the orchestra section for easy access for patrons with wheelchairs and walkers.
At least one performance per production includes at least two American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreters and Open Captioning and Audio Description to convey the dialogue and action of the play to those not fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) or not desiring to make known their disability.
Additionally, VSC offers Theater for Everyone, specially-designed theater experiences for individuals of all abilities (with and without special needs), featuring hands-on exploration of props and costumes, as well as modified volume levels of some sound effects, eliminating strobe effects, and other potentially triggering sensory input to increase the comfort level of all patrons, including those with different neurotypes.
Where we work
Awards
50 for 50 Arts Inspiration Award for VSC's Black Light Puppet Theatre Project 2018
Virginia Commission for the Arts
Overall Excellence in Innovation with WHRO 2022
National Education Telecommunications Association
Affiliations & memberships
Actor's Equity Association 1979
League of Resident Theatres (LORT) 1979
Theatre Communications Groups - Constituent Theatre 2022
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of youth programs offered
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Young adults
Related Program
Enrichment Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In school tours, education programming, workshops, student matinees and community outreach.
Total number of audience members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults, Children and youth
Related Program
Mainstage Series
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Mainstage Performances, including Student Matinees
Number of favorable critic reviews/awards of art produced given by media or peers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Enrichment Programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
2021: This is the 2021/2022 season and includes tours, student matinees, workshops and other ennrichment activities. 2020: This is for the 2020/2021 season and was mainly virtual.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The top 3 focuses for Virginia Stage Company as we build our strategic plan:
• DEI Advancement: Build DEI and Anti-Racism into our strategic plan including education and training of staff & board, implementing anti-racism policies, creating systems for review and accountability and increasing diversity of staff and board.
• Build Organizational Resilience: Depart from scarcity mindset; right size and compensate staff positions; secure a permanent office space and create resources and systems of support for VSC Staff and Artists
• Increase Sustainability: build municipal, organizational & community relationships that allow for arts partnerships; grow contributed revenue to decrease reliance on earned revenue to sustain programs and increase access to theatre by and for traditional & non-traditional audiences.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
VSC is committed to advancing cultural equity and inclusion onstage and off through its arts programming, its organizational practices, its Board of Trustees, professional staff and its participation in the Hampton Roads arts ecosystem. This commitment comes from the core belief that all people have the right to theatre arts. VSC serves a multitude of cultures, communities, and identities. We define culture in inclusive terms to consider race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, status, religion, class and indigenous heritage. We aim to ensure that our work is accessible to patrons of all ages, cultural backgrounds, economic groups and physical abilities.
VSC has a long history of discussing diversity, equity, and inclusion both in the community and onstage. In October of 2020 the Operations Staff of VSC began meeting on a bi-weekly basis to review and discuss the documents outlining the many criticisms and shortcomings brought to light in our field as articulated by the “We See You White American Theatre” Movement, https://www.weseeyouwat.com/. Simultaneously, an Anti-Racism Team (ART) comprised of VSC Board & Staff was formed, whose goal it is to recommend immediate next steps in auditing and instituting anti-racist practices as the organization moves toward a more permanent equity, diversity and inclusion committee. This work is ongoing and we have added regular full staff meetings and will be adding additional staff to ART.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
In 2021 VSC applied and was invited to attend an Arts Equity Assessment funded by the Hampton Roads Community Foundation and with Maureen White Consultants. This is an 18 month program that began with evaluation which was finished September 2022 and is now starting the coaching phase on implementing changes.
In September 2022, the Strategic Planning Committee started receiving RFP's for a Strategic Planning Consultant. It is anticipated that by January 2023 a consulting firm/consultant will be in place to assist VSC with the strategic planning process.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2021 VSC wrote and posted it's land acknowledgement statement. This statement can be found on our website and we are in the process of posting it in the Wells Theatre, VSC's home theatre.
VSC is about to start the second phase of its DEI Assessment program with Maureen White Consultants and Hampton Roads Community Foundation.
VSC will finalize its Strategic Plan in fall 2023.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
VIRGINIA STAGE COMPANY
Board of directorsas of 02/01/2024
Mrs. Jackie King
Carole Aitken
Virginia Stage Associates, President
Ann B. Brogan
Crowley, Liberatore, Ryan & Brogan, PC
Lynn Cobb
Lynn Cobb Interiors
Lauren L. Conner
William E. Wood, Realtors
Betty H. Edwards
Community Volunteer
Leslie H. Friedman
Community Volunteer
Steve Fuschetti
Gannett Media Technology International
Jackie King
Community Volunteer
Scott F. Reed
Riverside Regional Medical Center
Sarah B Clarkson
Center for Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases
Ann P. Stokes
Ann P. Stokes Landscaping Architects
Richard Dick Boykin
Retired
Susan Einhorn
Retired
Barry Pollara
Financial Advisor
Verne't Hatcher
Capital Group
Michelle Ellis Young
YWCA
Ray McCue
Retired
Justin Topping
Cerity Partners
Carol Mueller
Consulting
Brian Friedman
Bill Burke
ADS General Counsel
Christopher Pocta
Wolcott, Rivers & Gates
Charlette Fairchild
GE Appliances
Jennifer Urquhart
Marketing Consultant
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/01/2024GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.