August 19, 2021

Hi TADA! Friends and Family,

WE DID IT! We produced HEROES, our first live production since in-person theater productions halted due to the pandemic. HEROES is now streaming for all to see. You can buy tickets here. It’s only $10 for you and the whole family to watch this wonderful new production. We were able to record the live performance thanks to an equipment grant from The Endeavor Foundation. 

Our wonderful funder, Ashley Kidd from the Endeavor Foundation, with Nina and the Heroes cast

Photo by Chad David Kraus Photography

It’s so great to see the energy and talent of the cast and to hear the fun songs – all about how we are and can be Heroes in this challenging but amazing world we live in. I hope you will watch, enjoy, and tell all your friends, relatives, neighbors, and people you just run into to buy tickets as well. Earned income (box office and class/camp registrations) is very important to TADA!’s budget. Pre-pandemic earned income made up 50% of our budget but has decreased to less than 20%. Our goal is to get back to pre-pandemic numbers in the next two years. The more you share TADA!’s programming, eblasts, and social media, the more people know about TADA! and the more earned income will grow.

I know I’ve been speaking a lot about contributed income the past few weeks. Good news on this front as well – fabulous news actually. TADA! received a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant. Big sigh of relief, loud cheers and feeling of happiness. Thank you to Marcus Ticotin for his work for TADA! on this grant. Also, a huge thank you to U.S. Senator Chalres Schumer who led the charge to make the SVOG program a reality. This will help TADA! as we move forward to pay rent, utilities, salaries, insurance, etc.

September is the start of the new fiscal year and I’m so happy to say that we’re starting the year with cash in the bank. We have also been able to pay down some of our outstanding debt from years past. And, we project that our second PPP loan will be forgiven in FY22. The hard work of this incredible small but mighty staff is paying off. I’m very proud to say that TADA! is still going strong and serving our families 37 years after it began. In fact, we are in a position to once again hire some much needed additional staff in Education, Marketing and Fundraising. If you’re looking for work or know people that are, job postings will be on TADA!’s website soon. These positions will help the organization continue to grow and face whatever challenges are ahead (even if another Pivot is necessary). We’re also looking to add people to our Board of Directors. Anyone interested?

The next two weeks my focus is on Government applications and final reports and then I will take a much needed short break away from TADA!. I will be back “in the office” on September 13th and these Notes will resume on September 22nd.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. Don’t forget to add watching Heroes to your to do list. You don’t want to miss it. It’s available now through September 6th. 

Best,

Janine Nina Trevens
Executive & Producing Artistic Director