Annual Meeting Letter from the President
/Dear Members:
Let's start this letter on a positive note. Live performances are back to the Yorkshire Playhouse! After a year of trying to hang on and navigate this pandemic, we can at least say that the show is going on and it is going virtual. The COVID-19 pandemic shaped our entire season this year - so much so that we weren’t really sure that we would be hosting crowds until opening night of Miss Holmes. Now that the vaccine is becoming more widely available, it appears that we will likely have live audiences for all of our shows.
Our desire to keep the Yorkshire Playhouse alive, forced us to think about ways that we could bring theatre to audiences outside of our building. We are now days away from filming The New Kid on the Block to be able to offer audiences to watch online in the comfort of their own home. This will be our third online performance - each time we film we hope to put a better product out there. Not only does this allow our normal audiences a chance to watch from home, it opens our audience to any person on the planet with a device to stream our show. It really is exciting. Thanks to the generosity of so many and the matching funds campaign to Go Digital in 2021 by Cornerstone Bank. It’s different for sure!
Because of how our 2020 season, our membership dropped significantly. Our main membership drive goes through the month of December. In December we only hoped that there would be a 2021 season and so it was of no surprise when membership dropped by 50%. Memberships and Corporate sponsorships are our lifeblood. Without expanding our membership, our season will be really tight. Going into the summer months we will need to make a serious push to get our numbers back up.
Our building has had its share of needs over the past two years. The most current need is to update our facade. We are fortunate to be able to tap into funds offered to downtown business and to have received a grant from the Terpstra Foundation Our current awning is falling apart and we are looking to replace it with a sign that will help us stand out on Lincoln Avenue. Phase one should start this year and is completely funded. Having an older building means that we will always have maintenance issues with our facility. Plans need to be made to help insure that our building will last for years to come. Another project that we can now cross off is redoing the floors in the bathroom. I am hopeful that we will find some outside funding sources to help take care of some of these building needs.
With some of the challenges I have mentioned I would make a plea for your help. The crowd that I am writing to is already a part of our membership. So the first thing you can do is to be sure to attend our shows (either in person or virtually). Bring a friend to the shows you attend, talk about what we do to your friends, and continue to advocate for the Yorkshire Playhouse. We value the role you play. You can also help us by being sure to contribute extra to our yearly scholarship fund. We try to give back each year to graduates that have been a part of the Yorkshire Playhouse. This year we had less money to give. You are also always welcome to volunteer to help us out. Our theatre is completely volunteer run and could use more help. Whether it is helping with box office, building sets, or organizing and hosting community wide events such as Sip and Stroll, we have a place for you.
Our annual meeting is set for May 11th at 6:30. You are welcome to join us as we give more detailed reports, say farewell to some board members, and elect new board members. This year we have five individuals running for openings on our board. Included with this letter are bios for each. They have each expressed interest, we need the approval of our membership to bring these nominees on board. Feel free to use the ballot included. You can drop off your ballot during the show this week, return it to the Yorkshire Playhouse PO Box, or vote online. Bios will be available online as well at yorkshireplayhouse.com/vote.
We hope to see you at our Virtual Annual Meeting, we’d love to hear your feedback as we continue to strive to bring quality theatrical experiences to York and surrounding communities during this difficult time.
Adam Kreifels
President of the Yorkshire Playhouse Board of Directors
517 N Lincoln Ave, York, NE 68467
402-362-7060
Clark Roush
Dr. Clark Roush has been a part of the York community the past few decades; serving as the Endowed Chair for the Performing Arts at York College. Clark, his late wife Sue, and son’s Matthew and Mitchell have all starred in numerous productions with the Yorkshire Playhouse. Clark has not only acted but has directed a number of shows over the years. Clark comes to us with a wealth of experience in the performing arts. He deeply believes in the Arts; and states that “the arts are what makes us human. They capture the moods, feelings, and experiences of people.” He is an advocate for the arts and is passionate to see it thriving in the York Community.
Steven Hardy
Dr. Steven Hardy is a newcomer to the York community; and is an English professor at York College. Steven and his wife relocated from West Virginia, where they resided for the past 22 years. Steven comes to us with a number of experiences with a community theater in West Virginia; including serving six years as a board of trustees member. He enjoys community theatre and hopes to bring a fresh perspective to the Yorkshire Playhouse.
Lauran Ostberg
Lauran lives in Stromsburg, but works for Henderson State Bank in York. Family is a big part of Lauran’s life. Her parents live on the family homestead near Polk and she has three siblings, as well as three nieces to keep up with when she can. Prior to moving to Stromsburg, Lauran spent a year teaching English in South Korea. Since 2018 she has been involved in acting in several productions and served as assistant director in one show as well. Theatre has been an outlet for Lauran - a place to put what’s going on in her world aside and put her efforts into a character on stage. She credits the Yorkshire Playhouse with helping her to get out of her comfort zone and try something new.
Elise Owens
Elise is a 2010 graduate of York College. She returned to York after beginning her real estate career in Omaha over the past six years. Elise and her husband, Jake, have two children. Upon returning to York, Elise wasted no time in getting involved on stage with the Yorkshire. Along with the time she has already spent on stage, Elise can also be found volunteering for the York County Health Coalition, where her husband serves as Executive Director. Elise delights in theatre and wants to help create a space where others can share in that delight.
Dave Hying
Having Been a board member at the Yorkshire Playhouse for over 20 years, Dave has served in many capacities, most recently as our Treasurer. He has eight grandchildren and is looking forward to spending much more time with them now that he is semi-retired from H&R Block. Dave has been the Treasurer for many years and serves on the Finance Committee.