ANNUAL REPORT FISCAL 2 0 1 4
A n n u A l R e p o R t F i s c A l 2 0 1 4
COVER PhOtO by Danisha CROsby
On behalf of the Board and Staff of Round
house, thank you for helping to make our
2013-14 season one of the most successful
in our history!
More than 41,000 of you attended our
performances last season, making it our second
highest-attended season and proving that our
new artistic focus is working. We received
rave reviews for all of our productions, were
nominated for eight helen hayes awards (more
than the previous five seasons combined), and
won three awards for our production of Glengarry
Glen Ross, the most awarded non-musical of the
year! We also ended the season on a high note
by producing our first musical in seven years, the
celebrated Ordinary Days by adam Gwon, which
extended a week due to popular demand.
Our education programs also had a stellar year,
with the largest number of students from the
widest number of schools participating in our
annual sarah Metzger Memorial Play last year.
We also continued to expand our stage combat
classes through our association with tooth &
Claw, and are now training more certified stage
combatants than any organization between
Philadelphia and north Carolina.
this year, you helped us match a generous
grant from the arts & humanities Council of
Montgomery County that allowed us to invest
more than $250,000 in computer and theater
technology equipment, helping our staff and
artists work smarter and faster than ever before.
On top of all of that, we upgraded our ticketing
system; installed a new donor acknowledgement
wall in the lobby; started a Planned Giving
society; and added beer, wine and the ability to
accept credit cards in concessions. best yet, we
finished the season with a $195,703 surplus and
increased our net assets by $239,816.
And this is just the beginning!
in 2014-15, we once again are offering a six-
show season of celebrated new plays, modern
classics, and musicals, including our first
holiday show in more than a decade. We’ve also
integrated our educational programs for teens
more fully into our mainstage work by moving
our summer Programs and annual sarah Play
to bethesda, hiring one of our mainstage actors
to serve as the Lead teaching artist for teens,
and expanding our sarah Play into a year-round
teen Performance Company. Combined with our
innovative Play it Forward program, which offers
free tickets to Montgomery County Public school
high school students, this adds up to one of the
most exciting programs for teens in the country.
We have big plans for the future of Round house,
including a new play program that will allow us
to commission and develop new work for both
our mainstage and the sarah Play. in the coming
months we’ll let you know how you can be a part
of this and other exciting initiatives in the works.
this is an extraordinary time at Round house.
We thank all of you who have helped to make us
the theatre that everyone is talking about, and
encourage those of you who don’t know much
about us yet to Get in on the action!
sincerely,
Mitch Dupler, board President
GetinontHe
success
Round House Theatre is a home for outstanding ensemble acting and lifelong learning.
We seek to captivate audiences with stories that inspire compassion, evoke emotions, and demand conversation.
Ryan Rilette, Producing artistic Director
OUR MISSION
AReYouin?
One year
six ‘Helen HAYes Recommended’ pRoductions
8 Helen HAYes nominAtions
3 Helen HAYes AwARds
(includinG outstAndinG
diRectoR & ensemble)
FouR AReA pRemieRes
99 ARtists
41,301 tHeAteRGoeRs
2,628 students
678 FRee tickets FoR students tHRouGH plAY it FoRwARd
$639,853 incReAse in Revenue oveR FY13
$195,703 suRplus
$273,000 in tecHnoloGY & inFRAstRuctuRe upGRAdes
tHis
OCtObER 9 – nOVEMbER 3, 2013
(27 PERFORManCEs)
tOtaL attEnDanCE: 5,532
by MELissa JaMEs GibsOn
DiRECtED by Ryan RiLEttE
Producing artistic Director Ryan Rilette
was at the helm as director of the second
show of our season, a poignant, character-
driven comedy with a depth that belied
its simplistic title. This, an area premiere,
featured the struggles and uncertainties
of a group of friends dealing with themes
of mortality and fidelity as they settled
(perhaps unwillingly) into reaching their
40’s. the production’s rapid-fire dialogue
took audiences on a journey as each
character confronted some of life’s big,
unanswerable questions.
sponsored in part through the generous support of Michael beriss and Jean Carlson.
tHe beAutY Queen oF leenAneauGust 21 – sEPtEMbER 15, 2013
(27 PERFORManCEs)
tOtaL attEnDanCE: 5,460
by MaRtin MCDOnaGh
DiRECtED by JEREMy skiDMORE
the 2013-14 season opened with celebrated
playwright Martin McDonagh’s tony and
Drama Desk award-winning black comedy
The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Featuring
a cast of four, this modern classic was
simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking
as it chronicled life in a bleak, isolated
village in County Galway, ireland in the
1980’s—and how the desire to escape
can set in motion a horrifying chain of
deceptions, secrets and betrayals.
sponsored in part through the generous support of bonnie and alan hammerschlag.
“[A] brilliantly subversive black
comedy that is being satisfyingly
revived by Round House…this Beauty
Queen confidently unfolds the story’s
gothic underpinnings…under director
Jeremy Skidmore’s excellent guidance,
the production elicits the gasps that
McDonagh goes after.”
(Washington Post)
“Gibson’s lively, witty, unpretentiously
intellectual drama is exactly the sort
of thing that’ll get me to Bethesda
more often.” (Washington City Paper)
SecRecy cOMPLeXITy
Getinon
tHeseAson
tHe lYonsnOVEMbER 27 – DECEMbER 22, 2013
(26 PERFORManCEs)
tOtaL attEnDanCE: 5,642
by niCky siLVER
DiRECtED by JOhn VREEkE
the area premiere of nicky silver’s dark
comedy The Lyons was the perfect antidote
to too much holiday cheer—a brutally
honest, scathingly funny production about
a family that finally tells each other what
they’re thinking. and among the flared
tempers, the exchanging of words, and the
revealing of secrets, the characters found
what they were looking for: connection.
sponsored in part through the generous support of Esthy & Jim adler and Judy & Leo Zickler.
“A roaring family tussle…[It
demonstrates] the strides producing
artistic director Ryan Rilette is making
in raising the company’s profile
as an essential stop for drama…”
(Washington Post)
seminARFEbRuaRy 5 – MaRCh 2, 2014
(27 PERFORManCEs)
tOtaL attEnDanCE: 6,876
by thEREsa REbECk
DiRECtED by JERRy WhiDDOn
a private writing class in an upper West
side apartment was the tense setting
for Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright
theresa Rebeck’s engaging Seminar, one
of four area premieres at Round house
during the 2013-14 season. the comedy,
which reunited director Jerry Whiddon and
actor Marty Lodge (both longtime Round
house favorites) for their 15th collaboration,
portrayed four aspiring novelists who had
to face the bitter truth about their writing,
their relationships, and their futures.
sponsored in part through the generous support of ann & Frank Gilbert and Lynda & Joseph Zengerle.
“Savvy, satisfying and great fun.”
(Washington Post)
“A hell of a lot of fun to watch.”
(DC Theatre Scene)
VULNeRABILITy MAgNeTISM
two tRAins RunninGaPRiL 2 – May 4, 2014
(36 PERFORManCEs – ExtEnDED DuE tO
auDiEnCE DEManD)
tOtaL attEnDanCE: 9,197
by auGust WiLsOn
DiRECtED by tiMOthy DOuGLas
august Wilson’s powerful, Pulitzer Prize-
nominated drama Two Trains Running
transported Round house audiences to Civil
Rights-era Pittsburgh, as seen through the
eyes of the owner of a diner who—like his
establishment—had seen better days. he
and his last remaining customers created a
poignant, richly layered portrait of african-
american life in the late 1960’s through
their everyday conversations, decisions and
confessions.
behind the scenes, Two Trains Running
was the first production to use our newly
installed, upgraded light board—one of
the many infrastructure investments made
throughout the season.
sponsored in part through the generous support of Pasternak & Fidis, and susan Gilbert & Ron schechter.
“An acting ensemble working in perfect
harmony is crucial to Wilson’s plays...
and they get it oh so right at Round
House.” (Washingtonian)
“Worth catching whether you’re new to
the Wilson experience or a seasoned
fan ripe for a fresh jolt.”
(Washington Post)
oRdinARY dAYsMay 28 – JunE 22, 2014
(34 PERFORManCEs – ExtEnDED DuE
tO auDiEnCE DEManD)
tOtaL attEnDanCE: 8,594
MusiC & LyRiCs by aDaM GWOn
DiRECtED by MatthEW GaRDinER
Closing out the season, Round house
presented our first musical since 2007—an
area premiere of Ordinary Days, written
and composed by one of musical theater’s
most exciting young composers. Maryland
native adam Gwon wove together the
ordinary moments of four young new
yorkers through songs and vignettes to
create a truly extraordinary understanding
of the “big picture”—allowing audiences
of all ages to examine and experience the
small moments of their own lives in a new
way.
sponsored in part through the generous support of heidi & Mitch Dupler.
“It’s the kind of unadorned musical
that feels like such a fresh alternative
to most of the over-produced stuff on
Broadway. And Round House proves
itself here to be a natural spot for the
work to live on.”
(Washington Post)
STRUggLe JOy
LIFeLONg LeARNINg
school Outreach
intersectionsMore than 300 third-graders participated in
Intersections, Round House’s in-school program
that uses arts-based learning activities to build
literacy skills, creative thinking, and confidence.
student MatineesMore than 650 area students attended matinee
performances at Round House Theatre –
performances that, for many attendees,
represented their first live theatrical experience.
Pre-show study guides and facilitated post-show
discussions bookended students’ theatrical
experience with engaging, thought-provoking
conversations.
Play it ForwardLaunched in the 2013-14 season, the Play It
Forward program provided free Round House
tickets to Montgomery County public high school
students with the goal of making live theatre
attendance an integral part of high school
education. In this inaugural year, more than 600
students attended our productions for free as part
of this program.
Onsite Programs
summer ProgramsIn 2014, our K-12 Summer Programs engaged
nearly 800 students in full-day activities
designed to develop a range of theatrical skills
such as acting, dance, design, and directing.
Every session concluded with a sharing of skills
for friends and family. Thanks to support from
donors, Round House was able to provide more
than $5,000 in need-based tuition waivers to 11
area families.
sarah Metzger Memorial Playtwenty-two students from high schools across
the Washington, DC area came together to
produce the 12th annual sarah Metzger Memorial
Play, David Lindsay-abaire’s Snow Angel. all
roles – from director to dramaturg, actors to
stage crew – were filled by students under the
guidance of professional Round house artists.
as in past years, the sarah Play was produced at
no fee to students – and more than 500 people
attended the 2014 production.
Getinon
tHeimpAct
heyday PlayersOur long-standing Heyday Players program
provided a unique learning opportunity for
students age 50 and above. A core group of
more than 30 students attended skill-building
workshops and discussions led by professional
artists. The spring session culminated in a staged
reading for the general public.
Days OffThe Days Off program offered a full day of
arts activities for K-5 students on days when
Montgomery County Public Schools were closed.
With activities in acting, design, and writing, each
of our Days Off culminated in performance of a
play that students created together in just one
day. In 2013-14, Round House served more than
200 children during nine Days Off throughout the
school year.
Professional trainingRound House workshops for professional artists
continued to grow in popularity in 2013-14. Topics
ranged from Scene Study to our Stage Combat
series, which filled to capacity every session.
by the numbers
2,628 students of all ages served through
Round house Education programs
$5,400 in need-based tuition waivers allowed
students from 11 families in need to
attend Round house summer Programs
in 2014
678high school students attended Round
house productions for free as part of
our new Play it Forward program
educAtion And outReAcH pRoGRAms
to fulfill our mission of being a center for
lifelong learning, Round house provided a range
of Education programs at our six-classroom
Education Center in silver spring and in schools
throughout Montgomery County. More than
2,600 students of all ages – from 2 to 92 – took
part in these programs in the 2013-14 season.
The action wasn’t limited to the stage during
2013-14. Thanks to an Advancement Grant from
the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery
County—and the generosity of almost 150
matching donors—Round House was able to
undertake a comprehensive upgrade to our
backstage technology, administrative tools, and
audience services.
Patrons are now able to take advantage of new
online ticketing and point-of-sale concession
purchasing systems, as well as new lobby
monitors and assisted listening devices—all of
which enhance your visit to the theatre. Staff are
now equipped with upgraded computer hardware
and software that streamlines their daily routines
and improves their abilities to communicate with
our engaged networks of donors, supporters,
students, and patrons. The theatre itself was
upgraded with equipment that included a new
light board and automated scenery systems. In
total, the improvements amounted to more than a
quarter of a million dollars.
And this is just the beginning. We invite you to
contribute to our ongoing efforts to provide our
artists and lifelong learners with the environment
and equipment that allows them to continue
doing their best work.
eNHANceD
Getinon
tHeexpeRience
by the numbers
$53,200 in automated scenery
$59,000in theatrical lighting and sound
equipment
$53,700 in computers and software
$20,500in an industry standard backstage
communication system
$23,300 in audience services including assisted listening headsets and improvements to concessions
inFRAstRuctuRe impRovements
We have achieved greater
financial stability over the past
two years and have increased
our operating cash. This allows
us to spend more time focusing
on continuing to provide high
quality artistic and educational
programming.
Getinon
tHenumbeRsFINANcIALS
2014 Income Statement
REvEnuE AnD SuPPORT
Total Grants and Contributions $ 1,467,099
In-Kind Support $ 1,873,895
Total Revenue $ 1,942,006
total Revenue and support $ 5,283,000
ExPEnSES
Performance $ 3,744,632
Education $ 540,936
General and Administrative $ 441,142
Development $ 360,587
total Expenses $ 5,087,297
2014 net income $ 195,703
2014 Balance Sheet
ASSETS
Current Assets $ 2,149,786
net Fixed Assets $ 420,008
Other Assets $ 2,876
total assets $ 2,572,670
LIABILITIES AnD nET ASSETS
Current Liabilities $ 1,283,551
net Assets
unrestricted $ -265,875
Temporarily Restricted $ 383,969
Permanently Restricted $ 1,171,025
Total net Assets $ 1,289,119
total Liabilities and net assets $ 2,572,670
$0
$500,000
$1,000,000
$1,500,000
$2,000,000
2012 2013 2014
$0.00
$50,000.00
$100,000.00
$150,000.00
$200,000.00
$250,000.00
$300,000.00
$350,000.00
$400,000.00
2012 2013 2014
Cash & Cash Equivalents: 2012–2014
Only 15.7% of our expenses
are allocated to development
and administrative functions.
Instead, the majority of revenue
and donation dollars are used
to continue to expand and
refine our programming each
year.
2014 Expenses
Performance $3,744,632Education $540,936General & Administrative $441,142Development $360,587
smAll investments mAke A biG impAct. We are able to serve an increasing number of students
each year—many of whom are able to attend for free
thanks to the generosity of donors.
Steady increases in revenue
from concessions, ticket sales,
and education programs
during the past three years
demonstrate how strongly our
community is continuing to
respond to our direction and
offerings.
DONORS
diamond circle ($100,000+)
Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery CountyMaryland State Arts Council
platinum circle($50,000 - $99,999)
Alan and Bonnie HammerschlagJeffrey and Carolyn LeonardThe Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz FoundationJudy and Leo Zickler
Gold circle ($25,000 - $49,999)
Cathy S. BernardDon and Jan BoardmanData-Prompt, Inc. Heidi and Mitch DuplerMargaret Abell Powell Fund of the William S. Abell FoundationMARPAT FoundationLinda Ravdin and Don ShaperoThe Share FundThe Shubert FoundationTown of Chevy Chase
silver circle ($10,000 - $24,999)
Esthy and Jim AdlerMichael Beriss and Jean CarlsonClark Charitable FoundationClark-Winchcole FoundationThe Homer and Martha Gudelsky Family FoundationJ. Willard and Alice S. Marriott FoundationAnn and Bruce LaneSusan Freeman McGeenora Roberts FoundationPasternak & FidisThe Rowny FoundationSusan Gilbert and Ron SchechterDick and Katie SnowdonSulica FundBernard and Ellen Young
bronze circle ($5,000 - $9,999)
Elaine and Richard BinderRichard and Pamela FeinsteinFreddie Mac FoundationAnn and Frank GilbertMark and Anastasia JoelsonHenry B. & Jessie W. Keiser FoundationMarion Ein LewinJudy and Brian MaddenHeidi and Bill MaloniPaul and Zena MasonChris and Kathleen MatthewsSusan and Bill ReinschHank and Charlotte Schlosberg
Laura and Robert WaltherRobert and virginia WaltherAlan and Irene WurtzelAnne and Robert YermanLynda and Joseph Zengerle
copper circle ($2,500 - $4,999)
Dr. and Mrs. Clement AlpertMarla and Bobby Baker, Baker-Merine Family FoundationTerry BeatySue Ann and Ken BerlinDoug and Lorraine BibbyChevy Chase TrustFrances ChyatteCity of RockvilleClark Construction Group, LLCCommunity Foundation for Montgomery County
Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing ArtsBunny R. DwinJan and Jim EisnerDavid and Jane FairweatherLaura Forman and Richard BenderEric and Jessica GlantzHank and Carol B. GoldbergGraham Holdings CompanyStuart and Beverly GreenfeigDaniel Kaplan and Kay RichmanLerch, Early & BrewerMontgomery County Executive’s Ballnina McLemoreScott and Louise MelbyCol. John and Marlene MoserSally J. PattersonAnne & Henry Reich Family Foundation, Lee G. Rubenstein, Co-Presidentvictor Shargai and Craig PascalRobin ShermanSusan and John SturcWeissberg FoundationTim WestmorelandGinger Macomber and Roger WilliamsMier and Cathy WolfMargot and Paul Zimmerman
Fellows ($1,500 - $2,499)
natalie and Paul AbramsKathy and norm BarkerDimick FoundationCarol Sue FrombolutiRobert E. HebdaRobbin and Giles HopkinsReba and Mark ImmergutAlan KingCathy KwartRona and Allan MendelsohnLynn and Philip MetzgerStacy Murchison
GetinontHe
GRAtitude
Pamela and John SpearsLuanne and Marc StanleyEd Starr and Marilyn MarcossonTom Calhoun and Thelma TricheLance Tuckervivian Cavalieri LLCJerry and Jean Whiddon
in kind donors
American PlantAmtrakAssagiBarrel Oak WineryCabot Creamery of vermontCafé DeluxeCalvert WoodleyChevy Chase FloristCommunity ForkliftContemporary American Theater FestivalDaily GrillDoyle Printing & Offset Co.
Larry and Melanie nussdorfMarilyn and Barry Scheiner
benefactors ($1,000 - $1,499)
nancy and Dan BalzTessie and Thanos CastambasBill and Donna EachoRobin Hettleman and Matthew WeinbergAllan and Shelley Holt
Erin and Mark KopelmanFrank and Joanne LavinJudy LeveyGeoff and Lisa LewisWinton Matthews, Jr.Louis and Sherry nevinsIlga PakalnsMr. and Mrs. Louis PohorylesCynthia RohrbeckDavid and Peggy ShiffrinCarol TrawickAndrew A. and Marcia D. Zvara
Advocates ($500 - $999)
Rachel H.M. AbrahamMichael and nancy AronsBethesda Magazine Community FundGail and Samuel BroderSusan and Laird BurnettCalvert InvestmentsJane and Fred CantorKatherine ChasePeggy DuganDavid EhrhartEuroMotorcarsCharles GebbertMary and Bill GibbJean and Christopher GilsonAlbert GlickmanSheldon and Sherri GottliebEllen HatoumLinda Lurie HirschWilliam L. Hopkins and Richard B. AndersonDenise and Alexander LiebowitzDouglas McManus and Susan Albert in honor of Laura FormanHarv Lester and Don McMinnJeffrey MenickDavid MetzgerThe Greene-Milstein Family FoundationAnn MoralesElissa and Bill OshinskyP. David PappertLaurance M. RedwayEric and Shelley RubinDian and Steve SeidelLeslie Smith
Round House Theatre is supported in part by funding from the Montgomery County government, the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC).
CREDits:all production photos are by Danisha Crosby. names of actors are listed below.
Front cover/Page 1Erin Weaver and samuel Edgerly in Ordinary Days
Page 5:Ricardo Frederick Evans, shannon Dorsey, and Jefferson a. Russell in Two Trains Running
Page 6:kimberly Gilbert and sarah Marshall in The Beauty Queen of Leenane
Page 7:Lise bruneau in This
Page 8:naomi Jacobson in The Lyons
Page 9:Laura C. harris and katie debuys in Seminar
Page 10:Jefferson a. Russell in Two Trains Running
Page 11:samuel Edgerly in Ordinary Days
Page 19:kimberly Gilbert and todd scofield in The Beauty Queen of Leenane
artwork by Esther Wu
Four SeasonsGansevoortHank’s Oyster BarHilton Garden Inn BethesdaHonest TeaThe Irish-Inn at Glen EchoThe Iron Bridge Wine CompanyJaleoBarry and Beth LindleyMax BrennerMicrosoftMon Ami GabiMontage Resortnina McLemoreThe Patton AlliancePaul’s LiquorPropellorProvisions CateringRed Door SpaResidence Inn BethesdaRichard nader EntertainmentRitz CarltonRiver FallsRothschild ChateauSalamander Resort & SpaShugoll ResearchSignature TheatreStrathmoreStudio TheatreSunTrustThe Taproot FoundationTheatre JvamooseThe Washington KastlesZeke’s Coffee
2013-14 board of trustees
PresidentMitchell s. Dupler
Vice Presidentsusan D. Gilbert
secretarybruce s. Lane
treasurerbrian M. Madden
immediate Past Presidentsally J. Patterson
Michael berissCathy s. bernardElaine kotell binderDonald M. boardmanbunny DwinLaura Formanann GilbertEric Glantzstuart Greenfeigbonnie hammerschlagMitchell hébertErin kopelmanMarion Ein LewinGeoffrey P. LewisPaul Masonsusan Freeman McGeescott Melbystacy Murchisonnick OlcottLinda J. RavdinRyan RiletteLaura WaltherRoger WilliamsMier WolfJudith h. Zickler
A generous grant from the Taproot Foundation supported the creation of this document.
The Taproot Foundation team: Howard Diener, Account Director; Mark ginter, Project Manager; erika Dongre, Marketing Manager; Julie Dixon, copy editor/Writer; Marti Betz, graphic Designer; John Farr, Financial Analyst;
Tony Richards, Photographer
thEatRE: 4545 East-WEst hiGhWay,
bEthEsDa, MD 20814
EDuCatiOn CEntER: 925 WaynE aVEnuE,
siLVER sPRinG, MD 20910
aDMinistRatiVE OFFiCE: siLVER sPRinG
CiViC buiLDinG, OnE VEtERans PLaCE,
siLVER sPRinG, MD 20910
bOx OFFiCE PhOnE: 240.644.1100
aDMin OFFiCE PhOnE: 240.644.1099
EDuCatiOn PhOnE: 301.585.1225