The Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Theatre Guild convened at the Vortex Theatre. Present were Board members Jeff Anderson, Reeve Love, Claudia Mathes, Linda Lopez McAlister, Joel Miller, Ninette S. Mordaunt, Ray Orley, Valerie Scott, Scott Sharot, and Hugh Witemeyer. Absent was Board member Marty Epstein. This attendance constituted a quorum.

1. Call to Order and Approval of Minutes

President Orley called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. He thanked the Vortex Theatre for hosting the gathering. The Board approved the minutes of the November 5 meeting and the agenda and committee reports for the December 3 meeting. Reports from the Playwrights Circle and the Webmaster were added to those that the Board received prior to the meeting.

2. Treasurer’s Report

Treasurer Claudia Mathes presented (1) a balance sheet showing ATG assets and liabilities as of 12/1/11; (2) a summary of income and expenditures from 7/1/11 to 12/1/11; and (3) itemized spreadsheets showing approved and actual expenses, together with actual and projected receipts and expenditures, for 2011-12. The spreadsheets have been revised to include the expenses and receipts of the Theatre Lovers Community, which are processed through a sub-account of the ATG account.

3. Revision of ATG Policy Statement on Non-Voting Memberships

Hugh Witemeyer moved that the Board approve revisions in the ATG policy statement on Non-Voting Organizational Memberships. The revisions were approved by a unanimous vote.

4. Centennial Theatre Project

The City has asked for ATG’s help in planning a theatre component for Albuquerque’s celebration of the Centennial of New Mexico’s statehood in 2012. Reeve Love reported that one ATG member organization, the Mansion Players, has responded to her invitation to participate in this event. She will re-send the invitation to both individual and organizational members.

5. Sunport Display

Peter Parkin has joined the group that will design the ATG display in the lower-level showcases at the Albuquerque airport. The group will meet in early January.

6. Irish Play Festival

Ray Orley reported that the organizers of the 2012 Irish Play Festival have requested two kinds of assistance from the ATG. The Board approved a request to publicize Festival events on the ATG website, but turned down a request for funds to help pay for printing and radio advertisements.

7. ATG Insurance

Board members are exploring options for the purchase of ATG liability insurance. Ray Orley has asked the American Association of Community Theatre to determine whether ATG is eligible to participate in the insurance plans that AACT offers to theatres. Marty Epstein is making inquiries about policies offered through local agents. The Board is also seeking a volunteer to begin researching group health insurance plans for ATG members.

8. Donor Grants

23 of 26 Donor Grant applications received full or partial funding Only the applications of those theatre organizations which do not yet have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status were rejected.

9. American Theatre Archive Project

The Board approved a suggestion from Linda Lopez McAlister that Professor Brian Herrera of UNM be invited to attend an ATG Board meeting in the near future to discuss the American Theatre Archive Project.

10. Committee Reports

1. Buzz Committee
   
   Brochure: Linda Lopez McAlister reported that the deadline for receipt of materials for the Spring 2012 issue of “Albuquerque Spotlight on Live Theatre” is December 1. The size of the issue has yet to be determined.
   
   Web: ATG website visits increased by 6% in November. Of the 4186 visits, 589 came from smartphones. This raises the question whether ATG should invest in an app for this technology. Facebook friends now number 1705, while Twitter followers number 939. The ATG entry in the qClaps email newsletter continues to reach 4700 recipients each week.
   
   Five Albuquerque theatre productions were reviewed on the Talkin’ Broadway website in November: Cabaret, Vanities, The Rocky Horror Show, On Golden Pond, and Vessels. Reviews of five more productions are scheduled to appear in December.
   
   Radio & TV: Spots promoting the last two productions of the Tennessee Williams Festival and the usefulness of the ATG website as a guide to the rich variety of live theatre in Albuquerque are being aired on KUNM in November and December. Radio station KSJE in Farmington interviewed Linda McAlister on the Albuquerque theatre scene and Kevin Elder on Tricklock’s production of Vessels.
   
   Print media: ATG has a full-page, back-cover ad in the December special theatre issue of Albuquerque Arts magazine. Other articles and reviews on member productions and companies appeared during November in the Albuquerque Journal, Weekly Alibi, and Local IQ.
   
   PR Services: Kelly Koepke sent the November performance calendar and a press release about the Donor Grants to media outlets.


2. Web Committee
   
   The ATG website has been updated with new pictures, a new page for the Theatre Lovers Community, and current information on the reduced Individual-Member dues offer for the remainder of 2011-12 (see next item).


3. Membership Committee
   
   As of December 1, Individual Membership stands at 115 and Organizational Membership at 40. One new organization joined the ATG in November: the Rio Grande Players. Dues for Individual Memberships begun on or after December 1 will be $15 ($7.50 for students) and will be valid through June 30, 2012. This introductory offer will not apply to belated membership renewals.


4. Tennessee Williams Festival Committee
   
   Performances of Tricklock Company’s production of Vessels, a new play based upon A Streetcar Named Desire, took place during November.


5. Actors Circle
   
   Theatrical make-up was the subject of an informative workshop led by veteran make-up designer Larry Todd on November 19 in the dressing room of the Adobe Theater. The event was attended by nine ATG members and two non-members.


6. Directors Circle
   
   The next Circle event will be led by Brian Hansen on the topic of “Developing a Production Concept” (December 10, 10:30 a.m., Aux Dog Theatre).


7. Playwrights Circle
   
   A meeting of the Playwrights Circle will take place on Sunday, January 8, at 11:00 a.m. at the home of Ninette S. Mordaunt.


8. Youth Theatre Outreach Team
   
   High School Preview Nights.  Blackout Theatre invites high-school teachers and their students to its adaptation of A Christmas Carol at the North Fourth Art Center on Thursday, December 8. A group from Atrisco Heritage Academy has accepted the invitation.
   
   High School Theatre Workshops. Six ATG volunteers presented student workshops as part of the George Nason Drama Showcase Festival on November 18 at Cleveland HS in Rio Rancho. Congratulations and thanks go to Holly Adams (“Getting to Know the Meisner Technique”), Frank Cullen (“The Whole Actor: Physicality and Movement”), Barry Gaines (“Reviewing Plays for the Theatre”), Brian Hansen (“What Does a Director Do?”), Robin Lane (“Shakespeare and Verse Technique”), and Scott Sharot (“Creating a Character Using Monologues”).  These were the first ATG workshops to be given; we hope they will lead to requests from drama teachers for classroom presentations in the spring term.


9. Theatre Lovers Community
   
   The TLC now has an operative page on the ATG website (http://www.abqtheatre.org/tlc), an e-mail address ( ), and a Facebook page. Membership materials have arrived and are being distributed in theatre venues, and applications have begun to come in. The first TLC program is scheduled for February 4 at the Adobe Theatre; it will feature songs from the musicals that are to be staged in 2012 by ATG member organizations.


10. No reports
    
    No activities during the month of November were reported by the Finance Committee, the Production Circle, and the Unity Committee.

11. Adjournment and Future Meeting Dates

The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m. The next Board meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 7, in a place to be determined.

Respectfully submitted,
Hugh Witemeyer, Secretary