Spring Conference 2023

In her final production as artistic director, Barbara Gaines revisits her signature interpretation of Shakespeare’s riotous comedy with newly rewritten scenes penned by Second City veteran Ron West. An eccentric group of stage and screen actors gather on a London movie set in 1940 to film the play as much-needed comic relief for the troops. Backstage antics and hilarious complications abound as Antipholus and Dromio search for their identical twins, lost since infancy.

$35 for Conference attendees; select tickets on your registration form. (Tickets are also available for the 1:00 matinee; see the Registration tab for details.)

A skyline view from the Skyline Room of fundraising and the issues facing development staffs today. How are we handling the challenges of the moment? How can arts organizations and other non-profits take a collective approach?

Moderated by Mac Ingram (Signature Theatre), with Angela Cassette (Music Theatre Wichita), Ishan Johnson (Art Institute of Chicago), Daniel Noon (Northwestern University), Sam Ostrowski (CCS Fundraising) and Courtney Simms (The Muny).

Lisa Fielding is an anchor and reporter for Newsradio 780. She brings three decades of news and sports, radio and television broadcasting experience to WBBM.

A graduate of Bradley University and a multiple award-winning journalist, Lisa began her career as an intern and reporter for WEEK-TV, the NBC affiliate in Peoria, then moved on to work for WROK-WZOK radio. In 1995, it was back to television journalism as the weekend anchor for WIFR-TV in Rockford. At the same time, she did some fill-in work as one of the first female voices on Chicago’s new all-sports station “The Score”. In 1999, she moved to Madison, Wisconsin to be the main anchor and executive producer for the brand new Fox 47 News at Nine and was able to travel to the Rose Bowl and to the Final Four with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Before coming to WBBM, she most recently served as main anchor of WVTV-WB 18 News at Nine in Milwaukee. She also spent seven years in minor league baseball as one of the few female public address announcers in the country and even was a contender to succeed Wayne Messmer as the public address announcer for the Chicago Cubs. She was featured in Baseball America and in several books about minor league baseball. Over the years, her work has been recognized by the Associated Press, The Chicago Headline Club, Illinois Broadcasters Association & The Radio, Television News Directors Association.

She co-anchors the afternoons with Keith Johnson and is a general assignment reporter but specializes in sports, entertainment, health and human interest stories. She is also the host of the Audacy podcast “Backstage Chicago” that focuses on arts and culture. A career highlight at Newsradio was covering the Chicago Cubs on the road for the 2016 World Series in Cleveland.

Affinity Group: Seasoned Professionals (in-person only), led by Mac Ingram (Signature Theatre) and Wynne Fedele (Pittsburgh CLO)

Affinity Group: Up and Coming Professionals (hybrid), led by Kate Loy (Pittsburgh CLO) 

Panel: Capital Campaigns (hybrid), with Colleen Doyno (Pittsburgh Musical Theater), Jennifer Jaquess (Red Mountain Theatre), Katie Pelky (Aurora Theatre) and Courtney Simms (The Muny) 

Discussion: Saying No to Donors (in-person only), led by Hillary Hart (TUTS) and Frank Stilwagner (Goodspeed Musicals)

Community-Centric Fundraising is a fundraising model that is grounded in equity and social justice, prioritizing the entire community over individual organizations, fostering a sense of belonging and interdependence, and presenting fundraising work not as individual transactions but holistically, encouraging mutual support between nonprofits. We’ll look at this model specifically, as well as how theatres can make sure their fundraising is in line with and in service of their EDI values and goals.

Moderated by Alana Roberts (NAMT), with Carlos Garcia León (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Lauren Miller (The Bushwick Starr), Anna Pruitt (Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University) and Paula Tharp (The 5th Avenue Theatre).

Chicago takes center stage in this exciting New Works Night! Join NAMT members and Festival alumni writers for a special evening of performances from one of the most inspiring hometowns for new musicals, and learn more about Chicago’s impact around the globe.

$20 (includes drink ticket); select tickets on your registration form

How do we make the case for musical theatre in a time of so many other “important” causes? How do we use the tools uniquely available to us as theatre-makers to tell our story?

Moderated by Eric Pugh (The Muny), with Harmony France (Firebrand Theatre), Kate Loy (Pittsburgh CLO), Molly Marinik (McCarter Theatre Center) and Evin Marie Rayford (Porchlight Music Theatre).

In this spotlight lesson, we’ll show you how an all-in-one software like DonorView can help you achieve your goals and improve your supporters’ experience as well, using features like subscription and theater seating ticket sales, multiple payment options like Venmo, PayPal, and Apple Pay, integrated credit card swipers, CRM tracking, donation pages, and communication features like email, mail merge letters, texting, and surveys built-in to the software.

Fundraising as an Integral Part of the Patron Lifecycle (hybrid), with Paul Larson (Blueprint Advancement) and Kyle Steigerwald (Blueprint Advancement) 

Donor Benefits (hybrid), led by Charlie Frasier (ZACH Theatre) 

Special Events (hybrid), led by Alex Olsen (TheatreWorks Silicon Valley)

Staff Churn (in-person only), led by Mark Fleischer (Pittsburgh CLO) 

Board Management Today (hybrid), led by Kate Galvin and Laura Lee (Village Theatre) 

A unique opportunity to hear directly from some prominent funders about what moves them to give and what they’re looking for in the current landscape.

Moderated by Betsy King Militello (NAMT) with Geoffrey Banks (The MacArthur Foundation), Miah Michaelsen (Indiana Arts Commission), Greg Reiner (National Endowment for the Arts), Emily Sproch (Howard Gilman Foundation) and Melanie Wang (City of Chicago).

Members of our Spring Conference Committee will lead participants in a final discussion of next steps. What about this Conference excites and scares you? What’s your plan for the next six months? Where do you think we’re headed between now and the next time we gather?

Moderated by Charlie Frasier (Zach Theatre), with Martha Bangiola (Chicago Shakespeare Theater), Kerrie Brinkman-White (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma), Mac Ingram (Signature Theatre) and Courtney Simms (The Muny).

Toast the conclusion of the Spring Conference at sunset 1,000 feet above the Magnificent Mile. Following a walk-through exhibition celebrating Chicago’s history, we’ll ride to the 94th floor for breathtaking 360-degree views of Chicago’s dazzling skyline and majestic lakefront from the 17,000-square foot observation deck and the CloudBar.

$35 (includes drink); select ticket when you register