Q&A: GREAT Theatre's Lacey Schirmers on how to plan the perfect season

ST. CLOUD — Lacey Schirmers has never been in a play or musical. But growing up in St. Cloud, she often attended local theater productions and saw how the arts made the community a vibrant place to live.

Then, about a decade ago, a freelance gig as a graphic designer led Schirmers to connect with Great River Educational Arts Theatre (GREAT), the Waite Park-based nonprofit known for its youth theater camps and Broadway musical performances at the Paramount in downtown St. Cloud.

After serving as managing director for seven years, Schirmers took the helm of GREAT last year when executive director and founder Dennis Wachtler-Whipple stepped down to move to New York with his husband.

On Tuesday, she announced an upcoming theater season for the first time since being named permanent director last June. The 2023-24 season kicks off with an outdoor run of "Jimmy Buffett's Escape to Margaritaville" musical at the Ledge Amphitheater in Waite Park in July.

Other shows in the upcoming season are "Guys and Dolls," "Little Women," "Disney's Beauty and the Beast," "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical," "Footloose," "A Year with Frog and Toad Kids," "Silent Sky" and "Native Gardens."

In a written response to the Star Tribune, Schirmers, 39, talked about how the nonprofit plans each theater season, finds local talent and is rebuilding after the pandemic. Her answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Q: How do you plan a show season — with a comedic or dramatic Broadway musical show, a holiday show, a children's show, and other plays — to keep it fresh?

A: There is so much that goes into it. Planning begins about 18 months before the season begins and it's like a puzzle that's continuously changing. It's a creative process that involves research that analyzes the pros and cons of different options from a financial perspective, the number and type of roles available and survey data from volunteers and audiences. We also consider logistics as it relates to venue rental and workload balance, which shows we can get the rights to, and overall how it all works together. There are often several versions before it's actually finalized. Then we start matching directors, choreographers and designers with shows that lean into their strengths and interests.

Q: How is a community theater able to pull off such intricate shows with talented casts of musicians, singers and actors?

A: The talent we have in our community really is amazing. That's part of what makes community theater so special because it is your friends, neighbors, doctors, cashiers, bankers, students and more who are creating these experiences. Every role truly is important — and not just the roles you see on stage. So much goes into it behind the scenes from volunteers, artists and our team of 12 full-time staff. Focusing on the volunteer, artist and staff experience is as much of a priority for us as the experiences we create for the audiences. Creating a sense of belonging, fostering personal growth and building connections are a big part of what draws such talented people to GREAT. We're also intentional about building pathways through our programming by introducing theater at a young age and creating opportunities to continuously grow and develop skills.

Q: How much does a show cost to produce? I don't think folks are aware of the scale of some of these shows.

A: It's far more than what most people think, and it varies greatly depending on the title and venue. Our big musicals at the Paramount cost on average $120,000, and that's just the direct costs related to the show itself, not any of our overhead expenses like our full-time staff and facilities. Royalties on our most recent show were just under $34,000. That gets us the script (which we can't change), the music and the right to perform on certain dates at a particular venue. It doesn't include anything else. And, the more seats we sell, the more we pay in royalties. That's why performing at our own venue, the Helgeson Learning Lab Theatre, costs significantly less — closer to $30,000. The Ledge Amphitheater, where we produce a show each summer, is an empty shell. We have to rent and bring in all the rigging, lighting and sound equipment in addition to the usual production costs. Plus it seats almost 4,000, which means royalties climb, too. Tickets really only cover about 65% of our annual budget. That's why support from individual donors, foundations and corporate sponsors is so important.

Q: Has the organization recovered from the pandemic, financially and participation-wise?

A: We've seen audiences coming back strong. I think our society realized the positive impact arts have on our social, emotional and mental well-being and there has been a greater sense of appreciation and demand. We've had record numbers of people showing up to auditions, many sold-out performances and more requests than ever from community partners for our youth outreach programming. The financial support from the various pandemic-relief programs and the generosity of our community of donors helped us survive. We're facing many of the same challenges as other industries with supply chain issues and inflation, as well as a tight labor market that includes many artists who left the industry during the pandemic. As we rebuild, we are intentionally investing time and energy into both thinking and practice to ensure how we are creating our art is rooted in a mindset of anti-racist practices. All things considered, GREAT is healthy and in a good spot. Full recovery will likely take a few years, but we are well on our way — evolving and growing in new ways.