In 1993, Queens Theatre in the Park opened its doors to a public eager for a performing arts center in the borough of Queens. Since then, more than one million children and adults have streamed through the Theatreís doors to enjoy performances that inspire, educate, and entertain. With offerings ranging from the classics to the cutting edge, by artists who hail from Bayside to Brazil and from Corona to the Caribbean, Queens Theatre in the Park disregarded as one of the most vibrant presenting organizations in the country.

The Theatre began its inaugural year with an operating budget of $80,000, and closed out fiscal year 2007 at$3.4 million. This extraordinary growth is a reflection of the quality of programming and engaged audience members who return time after time to experience the arts in a welcoming and intimate setting. At Queens Theatre in the Park, the masters of modern dance, ballet, and tango are close enough to touch, and arts enthusiasts thrill to works performed by legends of R & B and Latin jazz. In one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the nation, the Theatre sees the future as it nurtures emerging artists who tell a new generation of stories - stories about refugees and immigrants, the effects of 9/11 and loss, and what it means to live in the cultural amalgam that is Queens.

The Theatre is poised for a new period of growth. Confident in the management and the artistic quality of the programs, the City of New York has invested $20.5 million in a major capital renovation of Queens Theatre in the Park. Slated for completion early in 2008, our renovated facility in Flushing Meadows Park will feature a third performance venue and vastly enhanced visitor amenities. The expansion will further secure the Theatreís place as the premier destination for performing arts in the borough of Queens.

Seizing the opportunity offered by our exciting new space, the Theatreís Board of Directors has launched campaign to raise $2 million in private funds. Achieving this goal will be critical to the Theatreís sustained health and dynamic future.

A total of $1.5 million will secure the Theatreís financial foundation  $1 million will be set aside in a permanent endowment and $500,000 will serve as a working cash reserve.

A $500,000 Fund for Artistic Growth, to be spent over three years, will seed the development and production of new works that connect the artists and audiences who find community in our theatre.

Securing our Financial Foundation: $1.5 million

With $1 million, the Theatre will establish a permanent endowment fund that will grow over time, as the institution grows. The principal will be invested, and a portion of the income will help defray annual operating expenses.

A $500,000 working cash reserve will eliminate the need for short-term loans for cash flow purposes. It will be replenished at the end of each fiscal year.

Promoting Artistic Growth - Producing New Works for New Audiences: $500,000

$500,000 - to be spent over three years - will support the Theatreís ground-breaking efforts to create new work through its commissioning and new play development programs. Artists, choreographers, and playwrights will benefit from this effort, which will nurture and develop new voices that speak to the human experience of Queens' international population. Expanded outreach efforts will ensure that new immigrants, young families and others who would otherwise lack such opportunities will experience work that speaks to their roots and their lives today.

Creating New Spaces

Just as our campaign commences, construction is nearing completion on a $23 million renovation funded by the City. This first major construction since the Theatre opened in 1993 was designed to better serve the cultural and educational needs of a growing and ever-more diverse audience. It will enhance the facility in a number of ways.

• A glass-enclosed Gateway Pavilion will become the dramatic new entry to the Theatre. Allowing patrons to enjoy views of Flushing Meadow Park, the pavilion will serve as the gateway to our existing theatres, new performance venue, box office, and galleries. The Pavilion will allow us to host large receptions for community-wide celebrations of art and culture.
• A new 90-seat cabaret performance space, Cabaret in the Park, will become a home for those seeking adventurous experiences in spoken word, jazz, hip hop, and gospel. Performances will be enhanced by a pub, cafÈ, and full-service kitchen.
• New visitor amenities and improvements to the facilityís accessibility will enhance the visitorsí experience. The number of rest rooms will double. Increased accessibility will provide ready entrance to the Studio Theatre on the lower level and the Cabaret and the Claire Schulman Playhouse on the upper level.
• These new and enhanced public spaces plus a community studio center will provide inviting gathering places we intend to make available to community groups, whether they are focused on the arts, on education or on other civic concerns.
• Renovated and expanded dressing rooms and a Green Room will enhance the comfort of the artists.
• Improved back-of-house facilities will provide additional space for the Theatreís administrative and artistic staff. A new loading dock and storage spaces will improve efficiency and enhance the quality of productions.

Conclusion

 Over a decade ago, New York City leaders embraced the artistic vision and audience-driven strategy imagined by the founders of Queens Theatre in the Park. The City entrusted us with an abandoned Worlds Fair building and asked that we provide artistic programs that fulfill the promise of the 1939 and 1964 Worlds Fairs: peace and understanding through international exchange. In the years since, we have responded by bringing high quality dance, theatre and music to over one million Queensís residents and visitors.

 With an extensive City-funded renovation nearly complete, now is the time for the Theatre to move to the next level. With an endowment, working cash reserve and Fund for Artistic Growth in place, Queens Theatre in the Park will solidify its place as a world-class arts center, where dancers, actors, musicians and audience members gather to explore and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Queens.