Timber Lake Playhouse Secures It’s Future
Dear Neighbors,
When the news of the foreclosure filing hit the newspaper last month, it hit hard. The TLP Board has been working through this for almost 2 years, but now it was out in the open, with a deadline, and with a lot of questions to answer from our community. Some of these questions were challenging, and rightfully so. As the Board of Directors, we had accepted responsibility for this beloved institution, and its success or failure rested on our shoulders. Everything was pointing towards failure. Then, this community stepped up in a significant way.
Following that July 2 notice, we saw an immediate increase in individual donations, ticket sales stayed steady, and foundations began reaching out. TLP had a real chance at survival, and we made a plan that included significant operational and financial restructuring, changes to our production model, and raising more than $1.1 million dollars.
Our goal: settle the foreclosure, resolve past-due accounts with local and area vendors, and build the financial reserves necessary to open our 2027 season without taking on any additional debt.
This last Saturday at the 19 th annual Red Carpet Gala, supporters of TLP gathered to celebrate 65 Years in the Woods. While celebrating our past, we were also able to celebrate exciting news for the future of our Theatre. On July 29 th the foreclosure was settled and the case was dismissed. We are not out of the woods yet, and there is still
much work to be done, but things are headed in the right direction and momentum is growing.
Now, the substance and transparency that our community values, and frankly deserves:
- As of Friday, July 31, we had raised just over $500,000 of our $1,100,000 goal
- Numbers are still coming in, but so far last weekend's Gala brought in over $120,000, including a generous $25,000 match.
- Over $160,000 worth of debt has been forgiven by multiple businesses and lenders.
- We have an additional $200,000 committed, if we can raise a matching amount.
This is the work we have ahead of us. Find a match, finish the raise, and rebuild the foundations of this theatre to prevent a threat such as this from ever recurring.
Many hands make light work. Individual donors, foundations, lenders and vendors are all coming together to save this beloved community institution, and to strengthen it for another generation. If you’ve been hesitant to support TLP recently, we understand, but now is the time to join in this moment. The goal is within reach, and gifts made now do not go to paying down old debt, they stay within our Theatre in the Woods and preserve it’s future.
