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FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
GRSF allowed us all to “get carried away” during season 12 with three outstand- ing productions, a full slate of festival concerts and events, and by increasing the lives impacted by our vibrant educational programs (which nurtured three additionally successful fully realized productions).
As we began Season 12, each of us asked the key question Shakespeare poses in Romeo and Juliet, “What Love Dares?” Carrying this question as a sort of touchstone of possibility, we achieved so many new examples of how daring our love of GRSF has become:
SPREADING THE LOVE: REGIONAL GROWTH Continued to strengthen our regional impact garnering rave reviews, and with our targeted focus outside of our devoted Winona base, doubled our group sales, and grew 2% in non local ticket sales.
DARING TO CARE: CONTRIBUTED ACHIEVEMENTS Exceeded our develop- ment goals with a slight surplus, and our newly formed Leadership Circle continued strong growth from 8 members to 15 this season. Expanded our individual donor base and grew our foundation granting contributions by 31%. GRSF was also awarded an important National Endowment for the Arts grant of $10,000 to grow our educational programs.
BALANCED AFFECTION: BUDGETARY REALIZATIONS Continued our strong record of scal responsibility by balancing our 2015 budget for the fourth year running, and began a program of planned surpluses to grow our reserves.
DEVOTED PEOPLE: STAFFING ACHIEVEMENTS Welcomed our new Development Director, Kelley Olson, and improved our nance department though the increased efforts of Connie Dretske, our Finance Associate. Our Marketing and Development teams expanded donor and patron bases and implemented strategies focused on long term growth with regional expansion.
The Great River Shakespeare Festival belongs to all of us. Together we dared so much this year, and together we will write an even more thrilling future for the Festival. Season 13 coincides with the historic celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s passing. His enduring contributions provide us the perfect lens to focus forward on our own legacy. 400 years after his death, Shakespeare’s words still captivate from center-stage and inspire each of us, to demand they
are heard well into the next century.
Lee Gundersheimer
Managing Director