Frequently Asked Questions

1. Our audience will come from local and regional sources, but also from around the country and the world. To provide some context, the Stratford Festival in Ontario drew 325,524 patrons in 2022.  Their programming model is similar to ours, and they received visitors from around the world - people specifically traveling to Stratford, Ontario (a small town outside of Toronto) for the destination theater experience.  We will also have the added incentive of seeing performances at the re-creation of the Globe, which will increase interest and tourism.
2. The Globe will be active 24 weeks out of the year with 7 performances per week - 168 performances.  Capacity is 900 seat/standing tickets in the Globe. Seated tickets will run $45, and standing room in the pit will cost only $10.
3. The Stratford Playhouse will run a 47 week season, and run 8 performances per week for a total of 376 performances.  Capacity in the Playhouse is 975 seats, and ticket prices range from $45 to $65 with discount packages available for Stratford residents.
4. The Hepburn Black Box will be programmed by local community groups such as Square One and others, and performances in that space will vary.  We are building this additional space within the Stratford Playhouse specifically to be a low/no cost resource to these community groups.
5. Our financial pro forma (which has been vetted by the DLR Group) shows that we will run in the black at a 45% capacity, meaning that if we were to sell less than half of our tickets, we would remain profitable.  To put that in specific numbers - if we sell 233,511 tickets to 544 performances we are more than ahead of the game.  Since many of our patrons will be purchasing tickets to more than 1 show, we will look to draw roughly 150,000 patrons during the year. This goal compares well to the Stratford Festival in Ontario mentioned above, which drew 325,524 patrons to 481 performances of 10 different productions.

1. Noise for the neighborhood will be minimal - there is NO electric amplification in the Globe, which is the primary outdoor space and will have daily shows in season.  And since the Globe is a closed “O”, the sound will remain entirely within the theater.  The performing arts center will be soundproofed with all modern technology, and could allow a full blown rock concert without any noise bleed.
2. Our Selby Pond Amphitheater will have the capacity to accommodate outdoor amplification, but all town noise ordinances will be carefully observed.  We will also design the space with noise reduction in mind, and the sound will mostly roll out from the pond into the other buildings on campus, which will absorb sound and reduce noise in surrounding residential areas. Since we are building this amphitheater space primarily for community use, we will partner with different organizations to make sure noise is properly handled.

1. One of our primary focuses will be preserving the existing ecosystem of the park, while providing much needed clean up and maintenance to the park grounds. The current wetlands will be preserved, and there will be more trees and green space once the project is completed.  Every effort will be made to preserve wooded areas, with the exception of those that have invasive species or are unhealthy (and therefore unsafe) trees.
2. As our designers are preparing to implement plans on the site, we have an official Ecology Advocate who lives in Stratford on our team.  The Advocate will serve to advise the design team and be the voice of the natural needs of the property.

The Stratford Playhouse will contain a visual arts gallery with a carefully curated collection of rotating local artists.  Part of this space, as well as some outdoor art installations will celebrate the history of the American Shakespeare Festival and the wonderful people and productions it showcased. 

1. Well, to start, we are art and business professionals, and would not be embarking on this journey and risking our own careers and reputation if we weren’t secure in the success of the venture.  And we know our business model is in the black if we sell less than half of our tickets to our shows.  But all that aside, what would happen if for some reason, we operated for ten years successfully and then had to shut down?
2. First off - this would not be “another empty building”, Stratford would now own a state of the art performing arts center AND the Globe re-creation, without having to pay anything.  Think of our other town attractions - The Globe would fit right in with the Boothe Park style venue, plus be an architectural attraction and meeting/performance space. The performing arts center has a black box and a mainstage which could now be available for touring theater and music productions, town programming, or community use.  While there would now be some municipal costs for upkeep (unless they lease to another arts group to MAKE money), the benefits to the town would far outweigh any costs.

1. Let’s define “big”. The Buffalo Art Museum is being expanded and renovated this year for $195 Million.  The new Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts - $170.8 Million.  University of Mary Washington Theater - $117 Million. New Yale School of Drama and Yale Rep Center being built after $150 Million gift from David Geffen.  So our project is not financially “big”.  It’s in line with the scope of what we are trying to create - it’s a big vision with a reflective budget.
2. But why is the vision so big? It has to be to make a difference - we want to take the best of all of the successful destination theaters on the continent, and make ours the preeminent one.  By taking their best practices, and then adding on the truly unique opportunity to see shows at a true Globe re-creation - that is the key difference maker, and is exactly why we will succeed.  It’s big because big is what draws people in.  The Stratford Festival has four theaters, and sells hundreds of thousands of tickets.  People wouldn’t go to Disney if it was just “It’s a Small World” - they go for the great big experience. Well, come to Stratford, CT, see 5 awesome shows, go the beach, take a hike, have amazing meals in our restaurants - it’s a “big” experience, and people will travel for it.

 Earlier projects were mired in the town council over mixed use of the property - there was a desire to add lodging on site for both visitors and staff.  Our plan does not call for that type of mixed use.  But beyond that, we aren’t shackled in any way by the existing theater or its footprint - we have the luxury of a blank canvas, and we can truly have a phoenix rising from the ashes of what came before. 

1. Let’s remember that the American Shakespeare Festival had a highly successful 20 year run. We’ve had conversations with the folks who ran the theater in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, and their issue was not the “success” of their theater, but the breakdown of their funding model.  They were reliant on the bulk of their operating costs being covered by one large angel donor every year.  So they invested their budget in hiring movie stars, and when their angel donor passed on, they no longer had the funding.  That’s why we are building our financial model like a for–profit business, to insulate against the reliance on donors.  Great art and great business hand in hand.
2. And our Shakespeare is not “crushed velvet” Shakespeare.  It is rock concert energy, in your face, lights on, alive, exciting, funny and emotionally connected.  And we’re not just relying on Shakespeare - the Stratford Playhouse and the Hepburn Black Box will provide all kinds of theatre - musicals, modern plays, comedy, live music and more.

 We love the Market and want to help it grow bigger and better - Shakesbeer and other events as well.  We are even interested in exploring permanent “stalls” for vendors to operate out of during the market, as part of the build out of the Globe plaza and other out buildings.  We could even potentially provide semi- heated and cooled spaces to make the market comfortable year round. 

 The American Globe Center plan IS expensive, but there will be ZERO cost to the taxpayers.  Here’s the plan:

Step 1 - Traditional Investors - We’re using investors, like a for-profit business, rather than donors, like many non-profits.  We have several arts industry investors ready to get involved - more about that in question 2 below.  These investors will provide roughly 40% of the needed funding.

Step 2 - Institutional Investors- these investors will be compensated via the New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC), which  is like a federal government coupon system: If you invest money in certain underprivileged areas, the government gives you a discount on your taxes as a thank-you for helping those communities grow.

Step 3 - Financing - we would take a construction loan which would pivot into a commercial mortgage

 These are great questions and we’ll be bringing in civic planning experts to assist in making this as minimal an issue as possible - but here are a few ideas.

1. We’ll apply to reclaim the state land which borders the property, just to the east of the P Fairchild House - this will provide a direct outlet from the property onto Ferry Boulevard, heading east toward Exit 33 on I-95.  All signage and directions for the AGC will direct folks to that Exit to minimize trafffic on Elm and Main.
2. Parking area 1 (behind the white house) can accommodate roughly 200 parking spaces, while Parking 2 (past the costume house) can support another 200 spaces as is.  We are exploring satellite parking within walking distance of the park as well.  Average party size of 3 per car would be 1200 patrons easily parked on premise.
3. Some of our design partners have envisioned a small but efficient underground parking structure directly behind the White House essentially doubling the capacity of that current parking lot.  If so, that increases our parking capacity to 1800.

We will not need town police on site - we are happy to provide security as needed, and that can include the park proper.  The park will be OPEN at all times, and since the Hepburn Black Box and Selby Pond Amphitheater will be available to the community for use, we will staff with appropriate security and crowd management teams.