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)

FEEDBACK

Your brat (summer) opinions

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:

👆 Jennifer understands what she needs from a brat. 👆

👆 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!

SAUSAGE-MAKING

Programming for 2025/26

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. 😎

👆
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

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.

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Talk to you next week!