New Tees Tease

and how a PCA season is created 🎭

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.

This issue has…

  • 🌭 Brat Opinions
    and lots of ‘em

  • 🎭 Programming Insight
    what makes a PCA season

  • 👕 Merch Announcements
    you want tees, we got tees (almost)

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FEEDBACK

Your brat (summer) opinions

a cartoon brat getting squirted with ketchup

this brat is obviously pro-ketchup

I didn’t realize the can of worms I was opening when I asked you last week if ketchup belongs on a brat. Turns out you have some brat opinions, and I am here for it! Enjoy a few of them:

Ketchup on brats is an absolute NO.

Alecia
Boom Mic Drop GIF

Ketchup does not belong on a brat. It’s a mustard deal, or a mayo with grilled bell pepper and onion kinda deal.

Kacey

Brats; Mustard only; No to ketchup. Preferably stone-ground Dijon.

Tom

Yes, ketchup belongs on a brat, along with everything else!

Donna Mae

I do take ketchup on most brats, especially smoked brats, with mustard too, and often sauerkraut. But I do NOT like ketchup on any kind of cheddar bratwurst, as the cheese factor just doesn’t work with ketchup for me. Weird, because I love ketchup on a cheeseBURGER.

Jennifer

👆 Jennifer understands what she needs from a brat. 👆

My husband insists that brats are to be topped with mustard and onions. I'm a classic for ketchup.

Alicia

The question is not whether ketchup belongs on a brat, but rather, why bother with yellow mustard when there are so many other choices? I just don't understand why people don't take advantage of all the other mustard choices available. There's Dijon and brown mustard readily available in the condiment aisle and they're much more flavorful than the common yellow mustard that is ubiquitous at the picnic table.

To paraphrase an outstanding theatrical performance, "yellow mustard makes me drowsy".

Mike

👆 Bonus points for promoting our current production. 👍

Thanks for the feedback, gang. I’m so glad so many of you were able to come out to the Volunteer Grill and Chill. Remember: if you’re not a Phipps volunteer, you’re missing out on all this glorious brat back-and-forth…and so much more!

PHIPPS TOP 10
best-selling upcoming events this season by tickets sold…

1. The Drowsy Chaperone (previously: 1)
2. Prancer (previously: 2)
3. I Am Woman…. presented by Lori Dokken (previously: 3)
4. Transyl-Mania (previously: 4)
5. Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (previously: 5)
6. Underneath the Lintel, or: The Mystery of the Abandoned Trousers (previously: 8)
7. The Andrews Sisters Onstage: a Jen Burleigh-Bentz production (previously: 6)
8. Colleen Raye’s NYE (previously: 7)
9. Silent Sky (previously: 9)
10. A Brass & Organ Holiday (previously: 10)

BETTER HURRY LIST
best-selling upcoming events this season by percent sold
(i.e., closest to being sold out)…

1. I Am Woman…. presented by Lori Dokken (previously: 1)
2. Underneath the Lintel, or: The Mystery of the Abandoned Trousers (previously: 2)
3. Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (previously: 4)
4. The Drowsy Chaperone (previously: unlisted)
5. The Andrews Sisters Onstage: a Jen Burleigh-Bentz production (previously: 5)

as of 9/16/24
SAUSAGE-MAKING

Programming for 2025/26

an illustration of a group of people meeting around a table at dusk

AI’s interpretation of a Phipps Program Committee meeting

The PCA had its first Program Committee meeting for the 2025/26 season recently, and some exciting things are happening.

Of course, the upcoming season is extremely TOP SECRET…but I can tell you we chatted about a summer musical, a fall dance production, a goofy holiday show, a mystery in the spring…ooooh, it’s going to be all sorts of fun!

Putting a season together here at the Phipps works differently than at some other arts orgs. Here’s a quick overview of how it happens:

  1. Mark (PCA Production Director) works his magic and sets a preliminary season calendar, making sure to work around all the holidays, school closures, etc. that might potentially muck things up. He also thinks about things like how long it will take to build sets, where will shows rehearse, how resources might be shared. It’s a lot, gang. Mark’s brain deserves a really comfy recliner.

  2. The PCA’s Program Committee gets together to look at Mark’s calendar and see how their season selections might fit into it. The Program Committee consists of myself, the chairs of all Phipps arts councils, and a couple of additional board members.

    • Prior to this step, the different performing councils (Drama, Children’s Theatre, Dance, Music) will have discussed events they’d like to see in the next season. Each of them has a different process for that.

  3. After the committee works the performing councils’ wants/needs into the calendar, I’ll look to fill any calendar holes with local artists (concerts, special events, etc.) that the Phipps may want to present.

    • Some events are produced by the Phipps (think Silent Sky; an event the PCA puts together here at the Center and runs for several weekends), and some events are presented by the Phipps (think Stand Up Junior; an event that is created by an outside group, and simply performed at the PCA over one or two days).

  4. After that, the Program Committee takes another look at the whole season calendar with all the season events, approves it (or tweaks it), and then sends it to the full board of directors for final approval. And just like that, a season is born.

Okay, so that’s a very nutshell version of Phipps programming. It takes lots of thought, lots of time, and lots of opinions. It’s much more of a team effort than what’s done at most performing arts organizations, which can make it trickier…and also (in my opinion) better. 😎

a painting of a red barn in a winter landscape

artist: Bebe Keith

👆
my favorite gallery piece of the week
This is part of the “Prancer” series in the new Lobby Gallery over by the black box theater. If you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to stop by. Bebe’s work is really fun!

MERCH

New season = new tees

an image of a black tee shirt with Phipps logo

new tees incoming

Hey, here’s some news: we’ve got new Phipps tees coming soon. Keep your eye on the Welcome Center to make sure you grab one as SOON as they’re available.

looking good on one GIF by Pose FX

me when I eventually get my hands on a new Phipps tee

Are you the smartest PCA person in town?
Prove it by completing The Flying C(rossword).
👇

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Talk to you next week!

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