About

For some months now, whenever I talk to someone who blogs, I find myself pumping out material for their blog—things I’ve seen, connections I’ve made, people I’ve heard. Well, this is MY blog, or rather, OUR blog: National Corporate Theatre Fund.  We’re a bridge-building team suspended between theatre and corporations, an elastic, precipice-prone terrain, full of missed signals, unaligned objectives, and then suddenly some amazing collaborations.  We represent regional theatres, primarily, but we also do a lot of work with the New York theatre community, on and Off-Broadway.  Our corporate world is mostly financial services, but also some amazing media and telecommunications companies.

Straddling these two sides of the river, we work to build partnerships that advance theatre and corporate objectives: enchant customers and employees, attract new audiences, inspire ourselves to do more for the greater good.  We use the media of the moment, FaceBook, digital screens, mobile apps, tablets and pda’s, but our specialty is the unforgettable moment: an experience that etches itself in hearts and minds.  If content is the crown prince about to become king, we are the Falstaff, the Polonius, the handmaiden helping make theatre accessible and top of mind in an evolving culture.  But we don’t take ourselves too seriously, either.  We succeed a little because we’re not afraid to fail a lot.

What’s on our minds?  Right now: fragmentation and speed, versus value and focus; authenticity versus cookie cutter formula.  Corporations that want to do the right thing versus the confused and conflicting signals they are getting about what that might be.  And sometimes corporations that seem to have missed a big ball because their eyes are on the wrong one.  Same with theatres, and our industry.

It’s not easy building bridges.  There’s risk, awkward leveraging, and below, it’s either rough terrain or rough water.  But there is little in human history more essential than bridges for building productivity and bringing people together.  Join us and enjoy the view.

Best regards,

Bruce E. Whitacre

Executive Director