Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
May 15, 2008 issue
Theater Group in Danger of Shutting Down
Story by Celeste von Mangan
For the past 18 years, the Wilkes Playmakers have provided quality theater productions for local residents of the High Country, visitors and tourists. Perhaps best known for their annual production of Tom Dooley: A Wilkes County Legend, the Wilkes Playmakers also provides summer drama camps, after school dance and acting workshops for adults and theater opportunities for young people, adults and seniors. Having reached a crucial junction this year, the theater group needs $100,000 to avoid shutting down.
“We have quite a few things going on during the year and our needs are greater,” said Karen Reynolds, executive director of the Wilkes Playmakers. “We have the upkeep of the building, salaries, rent, expense of shows and our marketing needs are huge. That would be $100,000 needed just for the Wilkes Playmakers. Then we also have the teen center called Tiffany’s Place and the renovation of Benton Hall.”
Tiffany’s Place is housed in the basement of the building and Reynolds said that the teen center and the renovation of the building will be separate entities from now on—the building renovation project will become Benton Hall Inc.
“This happens to a lot of nonprofits—they branch out in different ways so we have had to more clearly define our mission,” she said. “The Wilkes Playmakers is our theater group and we were really lucky when Pete Kulynych came along. He started helping us. Pete did one and a half million dollars in renovations to the building. He also helped us with funding for operating expenses and salary. We always knew Pete would not do this permanently and would not fund past 2008—his interest was in the teen center.”
Wilkes Playmakers, Tiffany’s Place and Benton Hall Inc. will each receive their own nonprofit status to accommodate their changing needs and separate missions.
“We found a grant writer for all three organizations,” said Reynolds. “Her name is Sarah Miles. As for the Wilkes Playmakers, we just want to concentrate on the next six months. We don’t need to raise money just for Wilkes—we have people in our audience from Boone, Blowing Rock, Hickory, Lenoir, West Jefferson, Sparta, Winston-Salem and beyond.”
Clarence Benton donated the circa 1913 building and surrounding property that used to be the Old North Wilkesboro School to the Wilkes Playmakers in 1995 and renamed it Benton Hall. Concerts, Celtic Coffeehouses, 1940s era galas, cabaret shows, parties, weddings, memorial services, showers and club events have all shared space and memories within the building’s historic walls.
“I would hope the Wilkes Playmakers would continue,” said Reynolds. “Even if it is just through volunteers. It would be hard; we would have to have fundraisers. It would be pretty tough on a community theater to do that. We asked Sarah Miles how many community theater groups she works with who are volunteer and she said there were none.”
The Wilkes Playmakers production of Steel Magnolias premiers this Thursday, May 15, continuing through the weekend and Monday, so Reynolds is prepared to kick-off a major fundraising campaign this weekend.
“We just want to lay it on the line,” she said, “and say, ‘Do you want to see this continue?’ I would hope Wilkes Playmakers continues.”
For more information or to make a contribution, call 336-838-7529.