A brief history of Raconteur Theatre Company…
“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.” -Ursula K. LeGuin
Raconteur Theatre Company was founded on the belief that storytelling is essential to the human experience. We were founded by a hodge-podge of passionate theatre professionals with various backgrounds and expertise who all had a single objective: to produce quality theatre that would appeal to a range of people.
Foundation…
Rather than diving directly into production, the Board made a conscious choice to take time laying out a plan for the company. They met for several months to construct a strong foundation in the hopes of creating long-term viability for the company. The Board articulated their mission statement, a business plan, a marketing strategy and a production format for their seasons. In March 2008, they filed their Initial Articles of Incorporation as a Nonprofit with the Secretary of The State of Ohio.
Debut…
May 29, 2008, Raconteur Theater Company debuted with After the Afterglow using a “flex” format. Dubbed the “Flex Series,” this format, consisting of one-acts and/or shorts, allows patrons to choose to watch either the first act, the second act, or both acts combined for a discounted price. The premiere consisted of two one-acts: “Roulette” by Douglas Hill and “Aster, Holger Gunn” by Justin Toomey. Though the production saw logistical problems (namely a very small performance space that required the set be torn down and rebuilt each night), it saw monetary and critical success. After the Afterglow closed with a profit and prompted critic Richard Aides to comment that “the experience will leave you eager to spend more time with the group in the coming months” (The Other Paper, June 5, 2008).
Today…
This year marks Raconteur’s 3rd season. Heading into this year, we working toward our 501(c)3 status and reorganizing and growing our board of directors. Meanwhile, we have a full season ahead of us with some exciting new scripts including Woyzeck, which will act as part one of a two part series examining the traditional script first and a re-visioned version for late fall of 2012.