Thursday, August 15, 2024

Dear Friends and Family, 

Many people tell me how lucky I am to have this job at TADA!, the non-profit I started 40 years ago. They talk about all that TADA! has done and continues to do for the theater community and more importantly for the hundreds of thousands of kids and families TADA! has served. Then they say how amazing it is that TADA! is still around after all these years. It is amazing. And I am lucky and I am proud and I am also exhausted. Not from the work with the young people or from their parents (which can be a lot) or from the work with the artists (who aren’t always the easiest people to deal with), but from the day to day financial struggles – especially over this last year.  The fundraising – the constant fundraising, always needing money, earning money, even earning what is called unearned revenue (contributed money).

For me it’s the hardest part of the job, constantly asking for support. I’m sure you don’t like the multiple emails either. I wish I could stop asking but, unfortunately, right now I can’t. TADA! Is struggling financially more than it ever has before – facing a deficit of over $170,000 and it’s scary. And I don’t like scary. 

Talk about scary. A year and a half ago I had two mini strokes at TADA! And ended up in the ER and then admitted to the hospital. Three weeks later I was hospitalized again with total heart failure. A Board Member asked me when she came to visit me what I could give up at work – maybe I didn’t have to work with the kids so much that would give me more time for the fundraising and administrative duties. But I love working with the kids, being in rehearsal, working with the other artists, watching the performances and watching the audiences. The rehearsal room is where I thrive and it’s where I do my best work. I won’t give that up. 

I love TADA! and I know it has made a positive difference in so many kids‘ lives – in so many artists‘ lives – in so many parents‘ lives. I know that most of you reading this also believe in and love TADA!. So, now I will do what I hate — ask you for money. Expenses are continually going up not only for the company, but also for the people that work at TADA!. So, salaries also need to go up. This means that your contributions also need to go up. 

We, at TADA!, do everything we can to keep expenses as low as possible while still providing our young people with talented staff, amazing musical productions and fun and educational programming. The most important thing TADA! does, in my opinion, is help make growing up a little bit easier for the young people in our programs. 

So, yes, I am proud and lucky and so are our young people because TADA! is still here! Please give today and help me feel less scared as we start our 40th Anniversary Season.

Best,

Janine Nina Trevens
Executive & Producing Artistic Director