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Busby's Been Happier
and where to find the oldest PCA production photos š·
Hello!
Welcome to The Flying P, a weekly newsletter covering your Phipps Center for the Arts and anything else I might want to throw your way.

Have you voted yet? If not, tomorrowās the day to make sure everything you love gets a vote!
This issue hasā¦
š¶ Cute Buzz Pics
Halloween dogs are the bestš A Trip to the Archives
you ask, we answerš Some Shanan Praise
we should just get her an office

YOUR QUESTIONS
A trip to the PCA archives
A few weeks ago, I offered to try and answer any Phipps questions you might have bopping around in your heads. Well, a few of you took me up on it, and hereās the first one from Jennifer:
What happens to photos from past shows? I know the River Room has a few framed collages up from 20+ years ago, but then what happens to other archive photos?? Did the Phipps stop taking them? Did the collage-maker retire from the task?
Great question, Jennifer!
For those of you who didnāt realize, the River Room (the room up the stairs just left of the admin office) is lined with many of these photographic highlights from past productions (see below).
I just ran up there to check: the most recent production is from 2005, so yeahā¦it might be time to think about cycling in a few others.

Jenniferās question gave me a great excuse to show you another part of the Phipps: the archives room. The Phipps archives room is upstairs (not in the weird basement) and has all sorts of amazing PCA treasures.

the PCAās archives room!
At first glance, it might seem a little on the boring side ā an industrial-looking room chock full of binders and boxes. But look a little closer and youāll findā¦

ā¦old scenic models from past productions (I love a scenic model!)ā¦

so many production binders
ā¦and LOTS of production binders.

soooo many production binders
So many production binders!
Each one of these binders is essentially a recorded history of a specific Phipps production ā truly a snapshot in time.

pretty sure this PCA production was not directed by Harold Prince
Inside each binder are neatly organized tabs containing info on budget, scenic design, props, stage management notes, etc. Itās an amazing collection of historical information!

Another fun thing some of the binders include:
ā¦PRODUCTION PHOTOS! š

from 2003ās EVITA
And what did I find tucked away in a cornerā¦?

more photo collages!
Additional River Room collages! š
So there you have it. Lots of old production photos are tucked away in the Phipps archive room. Some are in production binders, some are in old collagesā¦and, of course, we keep digital copies on our server because itās 2024. š
As for the production binders, Mark will still create them on occasion, but weāve mostly moved to a digital system for archiving this sort of information.
Keep those Phipps questions coming!
PHIPPS TOP 10
best-selling upcoming events this season by tickets soldā¦
1. Prancer (previously: 2)
2. Colleen Rayeās NYE (previously: 4)
3. A Brass & Organ Holiday (previously: 5)
4. The Andrews Sisters Onstage: a Jen Burleigh-Bentz production (previously: 6)
5. Silent Sky (previously: 7)
6. Underneath the Lintel, or: The Mystery of the Abandoned Trousers (previously: 8)
7. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (previously: unlisted)
8. Kick the Bucket List (previously: 9)
9. Cantus (previously: unlisted)
10. The Ladiesā Room: Gals oā Comedy (previously: unlisted)
BETTER HURRY LIST
best-selling upcoming events this season by percent sold
(i.e., closest to being sold out)ā¦
1. A Brass & Organ Holiday (previously: 3)
2. The Andrews Sisters Onstage: a Jen Burleigh-Bentz production (previously: 4)
3. Underneath the Lintel, or: The Mystery of the Abandoned Trousers (previously: 5)
4. Kick the Bucket List (previously: unlisted)
5. Cantus (previously: unlisted)
PEOPLE
A very Shanan Custer Halloween
Local theatre professional, Shanan Custer, had quite the Phipps fall!
Not only did she direct our Halloween Childrenās Theatre production, Transyl-Mania, but she was also on stage two Sundays ago as a Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society performer.
Did you catch MORLS? Did you catch Transyl-Mania? If not, you missed out. Both were lots of fun.
Weāre unbelievably lucky to be able to work with so many amazing Twin Cities actors, directors, musicians, etc. They add so much to the PCA!

Sidenote: I snapped the pic above during our morning matinee for Houlton Elementary School. Although I enjoyed the show thoroughly, my favorite moment came before the play even started, when one child excitedly shouted, āIāM SCARED BUT NOT SCARED!ā
Nice work, Shanan :)

artist: Susan Phelps Pearson
š
my favorite gallery piece of the week
Itās Membersā Spotlight time! All the work in each gallery was created by a member of the Phipps Center for the Arts (member = donor). Susanās piece caught my eye, as itās created from all the tickets and programs from all the events she has attended in the last 30 years. Youāve gotta see it in personā¦along with all the other amazing work!
PERSONAL STUFF
Busby hates his life
Please enjoy this pic of my dog in a Chucky costume. Yes, we put a Halloween costume on our dog. No, he did not appreciate it. Yes, we will probably do it again next year.

āPlease, for the love of God, take it off!ā

The PCAās first foray into Halloween rentals was a success. š Hereās a pic of a Phipps chicken costume that made its way to Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas unless you rent from the Phipps. Then we need to see pics.
There will be no Flying P next week, as Iāll be out of the office yet again. #lazy
The P will be back in your inbox on Monday, Nov. 18th!
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Try completing The Flying P(uzzle).
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Talk to you next week!

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